LG Lemieux practices 2 weeks after injuring knee

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Less than two weeks after injuring a knee in early in training camp, starting left guard Shane Lemieux is back practicing with the New York Giants.

It’s not surprising. The 2020 fifthround draft pick takes pride in his toughness.

“Ever since I was a young football player, the way I was taught to play this game is through physicality and nastiness,” Lemieux said Tuesday after the Giants started gearing up for Saturday’s exhibition opener against the Jets at Metlife Stadium. “But you can talk about it or you can do it . ... If you watch tape, you want to see it on tape. You can’t just say you’re a nasty player and not do it. I’d rather walk the walk than talk the talk.”

Lemieux took over the starting job when Will Hernandez was placed on the reserve/covid-19 list after seven games. He never lost the position, starting the final nine games.

Coming into camp, he seemed a lock to start until he was injured. Even Lemieux has trouble seeing how he was hurt watching the replays. He called it a “weird plant” with the foot.

Lemieux recalled he was angry as he was carted off the field.

“I didn’t feel sorry for myself at all,” he said. “It’s not like that. I was worried about, crap, I didn’t get my other one-on-one rep, or crap, I didn’t get in the last team period. In my mind I was thinking I’m missing valuable opportunities to get better at this practice. That’s all that was going through my head.”

The Giants offensive line is a little unsettled. Andrew Thomas, a 2020 first-round pick, is the starting left tackle and Nick Gates returns at center. The right side is open. A now-healthy Hernandez has been moved to the right guard spot. The right tackle spot seemingly will be either second-year pro Matt Peart, a third-round pick in 2020 from Uconn, or veteran Nate Solder, who sat out last season because of family concerns about the pandemic.