Saturday Transcript: Linebacker Darius Muasau

Linebacker Darius Muasau

May 11, 2024

Q. How has the transition from Hawai'i?

DARIUS MUASAU: (Laughter.) Oh, man, I'm transitioning very slowly, but I'm learning. I'm adapting, getting acclimated to the weather, the culture, everything out here. But I'm loving every second of it.

Q. This is as cold as it gets.

DARIUS MUASAU: Okay, good, because that's all I can handle right now.

Q. Get the coats in order?

DARIUS MUASAU: Yeah, I brought all my cold gear in Hawaii, all two jackets that I have. (Laughter.)

Q. What's this weekend been like?

DARIUS MUASAU: It's been a great experience. Just another opportunity to go out, learn the playbook, learn from the coaches, and pick their brains. Got a little head start going into this whole -- starting off my career. Just really taking it all in, soaking it all in, learning how to become a pro, and just becoming a student of the game.

Q. When you got picked by the Giants, was that on your radar because of (Michael) Ghobrial? What was your relationship like with him after being coached by him? Had you guys stayed in touch?

DARIUS MUASAU: We hadn't stayed in touch until I saw him at one of the All-Star games, the Shrine Bowl. Once I saw him, we kept in touch then, and once I got it phone call, obviously I was just grateful for the opportunity at the time. I just automatically thought of Ghobrial. Like Coach Ghobi is actually there, and all the connections I had with him from the University of Hawaii, I'm glad that that connection stayed strong, and all the coaches and connections I made throughout all my All-Star games and speaking with the scouts at the combine and all that throughout the whole process. I'm just very grateful to be here right now.

Q. What kind of lesson is that for you knowing that you go all the way back to the days when -- you meet a special teams coach and I'm sure everybody has big dreams. At that point, he was just your position coach in college, right?

DARIUS MUASAU: Right.

Q. All these years later, you end up getting drafted to the team and you find out that he's put in a positive scouting report on you from five, six years ago when you guys were together. What does that mean? What kind of lesson do you take from that?

DARIUS MUASAU: Just means that I hope I just made a great impression on Coach Ghobi when I got there. He was only at the University of Hawaii -- I was only there with him one year, my freshman year at Hawaii. You know, I only played special teams that year. That's how I contributed to the team. That was my role there. I guess I was on every special teams also at the time. I was playing all -- I was on kickoff, kickoff return, punt, punt return. But that is how I made my money out there. I just love running down, playing the ball, making plays for the team. Any way to contribute to the team. That's the way I did it. Now it's a small world seeing Coach Ghobi here now. Just a full circle moment having him here. Coming from the University of Hawai'i to now here in New York, it's crazy.

Q. You feel like that's -- to you use your phrase -- the way you're going to make your money again now here as a rookie?

DARIUS MUASAU: I don't want to put any words like that into it. I just want to find a way to contribute to the team in any way possible. If that's -- if it is special teams, then so be it. That's the way I'll contribute.

Q. What was it like being back on the field with Ghobi? Is he the same coach? Has be changed at all in the last couple of years?

DARIUS MUASAU: Same coach. Always has high energy with him. High energy everywhere he is. You know, it's crazy. It's like giving me flashbacks of when I was sitting in his room what was that, five years ago from now. Man, I'm just loving the feeling. Nothing beats this, man.

I'm loving it out here. Being in New York and being able to play the game that I love most in this beautiful city, can't beat this.

Q. Have you seen snow?

DARIUS MUASAU: I've seen like -- I played in Wyoming, high altitude, and it was like light snow. But nothing really crazy. I'm also looking forward to a white Christmas, you know. I haven't seen anything like that in Hawai'i, so I'm just really excited to be here.

Q. Snow gets old fast.

DARIUS MUASAU: Okay, maybe just one year. (Laughter.)

Q. You come here and say you're waiting for snow; we look at you going, can we go home with you?

DARIUS MUASAU: (Laughter.) That's funny.

Q. You had three 200-tackle seasons and a third tackle season that was almost 100 tackles.

DARIUS MUASAU: Right.

Q. How much pride do you take in being a consistent tackler and wrapping guys up? How do you explain those numbers?

DARIUS MUASAU: I wouldn't say it's all just my doing. It's mostly the coaching staff, the players to my left and my right, the D-line, my other linebackers, and my secondary. It all starts with them doing their job, making it easy for me to execute my plays. So, all the praise goes to them. For me, it's easy, my part. Just getting to a ball carrier, wrap up, bring the guy down. That's what I love in this sport, the physicality of this sport. That's what I feel like I bring most to the table. Just I just love running and hitting. That's what I pride myself on doing.

Q. I ask because if you watch football, you see a lot of guys drop a shoulder or try to push a guy out of bounds and some of the fundamentals get away from you on tackling.

DARIUS MUASAU: Right.

Q. Watching you, doesn't seem like that ever happens with you.

DARIUS MUASAU: I'm not perfect. I make mistakes here and there. I'm striving to fix all my mistakes as far as the tackling game because that's what linebackers do. We tackle everything we see. Everything that has the ball, that's what we do, we just tackle. Just trying to perfect my craft in that point and trying to get better.

Q. What do you think it will be like to learn from Bobby Okereke?

DARIUS MUASAU: Bobby, that's what I'm looking forward to most, is learning from the best. I'm a student of the game. I want to be the best version of myself every day, and soon try to be the best at my position.

You know, it starts right there. Starts with Bobby. I know he has a few years under his belt. He's doing great things along with all the other vets in the room. I'm trying to be a sponge and soak in all the energy from them and also, my coaches, Coach Eggs (John Egorugwu), just trying to learn everything from them and apply it to my game as well.

Q. What does Bobby do really well that I admire?

DARIUS MUASAU: Like I said, he just runs and hits and very fast. That's what I pride myself on, too, just running around and hitting and just being instinctive. Just being a very smart player. That's what I think he does best, and I'm just trying to pick his brain and learn from him.

Q. There might be a misconception when someone is coming and smiling and so happy to be here that maybe you don't have that edge. I got to imagine when you're on the field you're able to find that edge pretty easily and are able to compete; is that fair?

DARIUS MUASAU: I would say off the field does not translate to on the field. Off the field, I would consider myself more of an introvert. I wouldn't go out of my way to kind of hang out with people or I don't really go out. I rather stay home, stay with my family, relax. Once I get onto the field, it's crazy. I don't know how to explain it. It's somebody else on this field. All of a sudden pre-game speeches become my thing. I talk to the whole group, communicating out there. I am very vocal, talking to everyone, and making sure we're all on the same page. I don't know how it explain it, but, yeah, that's just I would say my alter ego on the field.