Jacobs backtracks after Cowboy poke
Thursday, September 06, 2007BY COLIN STEPHENSON
Star-Ledger Staff
Tiki Barber he isn't.
Maybe Brandon Jacobs will have enough trouble trying to match the production the retired Barber gave the Giants on the field, but Jacobs will be even harder-pressed to be as slick an interview as Barber when he was the Giants' No. 1 running back.
It's hard to imagine Barber making the media misstep Jacobs made yesterday, when he inadvertently provided the Dallas Cowboys with some locker room fodder for the NFC East rivals' matchup Sunday night in the teams' season opener.
"I think we're going to go to Dallas this Sunday and whup their (butts)," Jacobs said.
Jacobs, who will make the first start of his NFL career Sunday after serving as Barber's understudy the past two seasons, had been talking with a handful of reporters about Barber and actually was trying to change the subject when he tossed that remark out there.
Moments later, Jacobs did the best he could to backpedal from any potential controversy.
"Well, I just think we'll go play well," said Jacobs, perhaps remembering that some Giants players, coaches and staff members wore T-shirts during training camp that read, "Talk is cheap, play the game."
"... We're going to go in there and play well and hope we come out with a victory."
Jacobs had been trying to defend Barber, who was embroiled in (another) controversy of his own after printed excerpts of the former running back's upcoming book were published that said he might not have retired had the Giants fired coach Tom Coughlin. Barber has denied writing the published excerpt, and Jacobs said he was inclined to believe Barber.
"I don't believe anything that I read in the media about (Barber), because I don't think he's that type of person. And I don't think that a lot of stuff that comes out, Tiki (would) say that," Jacobs said. "I know Tiki better than that. Me, personally, I just don't think he said a lot of it. That's just me, personally, the way I feel."
Then he said he was done talking about Barber and changed the subject to Dallas.
Jacobs' little slip of the tongue shouldn't overshadow the fact that this will be the biggest stage possible on which he could make his regular-season debut as the Giants' primary ballcarrier. Jacobs said he relishes the spotlight.
"I think every first-year guy that's a starter should have this kind of coming out," Jacobs said.
"The first game, worldwide, 8:15, a division rival -- I think every guy should have this. Once you get this one, it doesn't get any bigger than this after that. This is it."
A national audience -- including Barber, now a part of the NBC in-studio crew --will be watching as the 259-pound Jacobs tries to prove to the world that he is more than a short-yardage, run-over-people kind of back. But Jacobs said he doesn't feel as though he needs to go out of his way to prove anything to anybody on the first night.
"I feel like a lot of eyes will be (on me), but I'm not paying attention to that," he said. "I'm just trying to go out, be very productive to help my team win. That's all I want to do. I don't care about my individual goals -- I just want to ... go out and be able to do my part and win the game."
A fourth-round pick in 2005 out of Southern Illinois, Jacobs' part the past two seasons has been mostly in short-yardage situations. He was a devastating weapon in goal-line situations, scoring 16 touchdowns combined in those two seasons, on only 134 carries.
But he swears he can run around people, and not just over them, as an every-down back. And though he hasn't carried more than 12 times in a game with the Giants, Jacobs said he's ready to take on a greater workload.
"Whatever they want to do, I'm fine with it," Jacobs said. "Whatever they want to do, just let's do it. Just let's get it rolling. Let's do it."
Star-Ledger Staff
Tiki Barber he isn't.
Maybe Brandon Jacobs will have enough trouble trying to match the production the retired Barber gave the Giants on the field, but Jacobs will be even harder-pressed to be as slick an interview as Barber when he was the Giants' No. 1 running back.
It's hard to imagine Barber making the media misstep Jacobs made yesterday, when he inadvertently provided the Dallas Cowboys with some locker room fodder for the NFC East rivals' matchup Sunday night in the teams' season opener.
"I think we're going to go to Dallas this Sunday and whup their (butts)," Jacobs said.
Jacobs, who will make the first start of his NFL career Sunday after serving as Barber's understudy the past two seasons, had been talking with a handful of reporters about Barber and actually was trying to change the subject when he tossed that remark out there.
Moments later, Jacobs did the best he could to backpedal from any potential controversy.
"Well, I just think we'll go play well," said Jacobs, perhaps remembering that some Giants players, coaches and staff members wore T-shirts during training camp that read, "Talk is cheap, play the game."
"... We're going to go in there and play well and hope we come out with a victory."
Jacobs had been trying to defend Barber, who was embroiled in (another) controversy of his own after printed excerpts of the former running back's upcoming book were published that said he might not have retired had the Giants fired coach Tom Coughlin. Barber has denied writing the published excerpt, and Jacobs said he was inclined to believe Barber.
"I don't believe anything that I read in the media about (Barber), because I don't think he's that type of person. And I don't think that a lot of stuff that comes out, Tiki (would) say that," Jacobs said. "I know Tiki better than that. Me, personally, I just don't think he said a lot of it. That's just me, personally, the way I feel."
Then he said he was done talking about Barber and changed the subject to Dallas.
Jacobs' little slip of the tongue shouldn't overshadow the fact that this will be the biggest stage possible on which he could make his regular-season debut as the Giants' primary ballcarrier. Jacobs said he relishes the spotlight.
"I think every first-year guy that's a starter should have this kind of coming out," Jacobs said.
"The first game, worldwide, 8:15, a division rival -- I think every guy should have this. Once you get this one, it doesn't get any bigger than this after that. This is it."
A national audience -- including Barber, now a part of the NBC in-studio crew --will be watching as the 259-pound Jacobs tries to prove to the world that he is more than a short-yardage, run-over-people kind of back. But Jacobs said he doesn't feel as though he needs to go out of his way to prove anything to anybody on the first night.
"I feel like a lot of eyes will be (on me), but I'm not paying attention to that," he said. "I'm just trying to go out, be very productive to help my team win. That's all I want to do. I don't care about my individual goals -- I just want to ... go out and be able to do my part and win the game."
A fourth-round pick in 2005 out of Southern Illinois, Jacobs' part the past two seasons has been mostly in short-yardage situations. He was a devastating weapon in goal-line situations, scoring 16 touchdowns combined in those two seasons, on only 134 carries.
But he swears he can run around people, and not just over them, as an every-down back. And though he hasn't carried more than 12 times in a game with the Giants, Jacobs said he's ready to take on a greater workload.
"Whatever they want to do, I'm fine with it," Jacobs said. "Whatever they want to do, just let's do it. Just let's get it rolling. Let's do it."
posted by The Gryphon at 9:45 AM
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