Former New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck bestowed advice upon safety Landon Collins on how to become a captain for the organization.
The last six months have provided New York Giants Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins a few controversies. In December, he experienced a feud with Giants corner Eli Apple. This led to Collins calling Apple a “cancer” in a radio interview. Fortunately, they’ve since improved their relationship this offseason.
In May, Collins again stirred up controversy with Giants offensive lineman Ereck Flowers. In another radio interview, Collins mentioned Flowers was skipping OTAs because he was upset over the team singing left tackle Nate Solder. Collins was thus criticized by head coach Pat Shurmur.
Despite different points of drama, the former Alabama defensive back is ready to look past it all and become a defensive captain for Big Blue. It’s definitely an enormous goal of his, as he now prepares to prove it to his teammates.
“Being a leader is tough: You have to make fast decisions and be an outspoken person and you have to gain the respect of others so they will listen to you,” Collins told Ryan Dunleavy of nj.com. “It’s hard, but it’s a role I’ll always take heavy on my heart.”
However, he’s not doing it without a little help from a former Giants legend.
Former defensive end Justin Tuck makes various appearances with the Giants, such as practices and even Collins’ Celebrity Softball Game earlier this month. Collins and Tuck have formed a great relationship, even going as far as the former reaching out to the latter for captaincy advice.
Tuck, who left the Giants in 2014, is a former captain and two-time Super Bowl champ for New York. When speaking on the advice he has given Collins, Tuck offered up only positive and optimistic things to say.
“He’s one of the guys you want to groom to be that guy because he is one of the best players. As time has evolved, he did it kind of how I did it: Slowly putting himself in those situations. I’ve told him he needs to be that guy.”
Collins is looking to lead the Giants defense as they try to bounce back from a disappointing season in 2017. Reaching out to that captains-status and proving to be a leader for this organization seems to be a great start.
