DRC admits he’s ‘crazy,’ says sorry
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie keeps it real.
There really isn’t a better way to describe the colorful Giants corner. And so it’s probably equally accurate to describe Rodgers-Cromartie’s one-week suspension from the Giants, now lifted, as a sort of real-life episode of Dave Chappelle’s old skit ‘When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong.’
“I’m dramatic, man. I’m crazy,” Rodgers-Cromartie said Wednesday, confirming he had taken the drastic step last week of cleaning out his locker. “I do stuff over the top, man. I apologized. I handled it wrong. But I’m good, baby. I’m back. That’s all that matters.”
DRC apologized after his first practice back from a one-week suspension for challenging coach Ben McAdoo over playing time in Week 5.
“Man, shoot. To be honest, Coach called me up and he said some things, and I kinda didn’t agree with it, and I handled it the wrong way,” Rodgers-Cromartie said. “That’s on me. So the suspension, I take that,”
He said he respected how McAdoo handled the situation.
“Definitely, definitely,” he said. “I told (McAdoo) at the end of the day you’ll know if I’m mad. I’m gonna come back up here and let you know. I don’t mind wearing my emotions on my sleeves but I told him I messed up, I understand that, and as a coach you’ve got to do what you gotta do. Whatever the consequence is, I have to accept that and go on from there.”
And he was also extremely grateful that his teammates had welcomed him back with open arms after he had walked out on the team one week ago.
“I talked to my guys. I tell them, man, I’m just glad ya’ll didn’t let my distraction make ya’ll get unfocused,” he said. “All I can do is try to work back, get in good graces with the guys. I’m just glad that they didn’t let this turn them from me and accepted me.”
The 10th-year veteran also said at no point did he consider requesting a trade.
“Helllll no. No, not at all, not at all,” he said “Where I’m goin’? I love these guys. I’m chillin’, baby. You acting like I’m in my third year. Damn.”
Landon Collins said DRC’s teammates told him: “We love you, man, we’re glad you came back and decided to stay with us.” But Collins’ response to whether he had doubted DRC might return was telling, too.
“No, he just had to get some stress off his shoulders, I guess,” Collins said. “Something like, hey, we’re still only 1-5 with the Seattle Seahawks coming here on Sunday, so we have enough concerns and we’re glad DRC is no longer one of them.”
All the same, Sunday’s win in Denver and DRC’s return on Wednesday brought a refreshing spark back to the Giants’ locker room, as well as clarity on what actually happened last week.
To set the record straight, RodgersCromartie’s disagreement with McAdoo during the Giants’ Week 5 loss to the Chargers occurred when DRC hurt his foot but insisted he could go back into the game, only to have McAdoo tell him to stay on the sideline.
“I did get tweaked and there was a misunderstanding,” he said. “(McAdoo) was going back and forth like ‘are you hurt, are you good,’ coming in and out. I’m like, ‘I’m good.’ But the decision was for me not to be in there. I should have accepted that. But at the time, we’re winning, they’re driving, s---, I’m thinking I’ve got to be on that field, so when I come off, I got mad.”
So Rodgers-Cromartie threw his helmet on the sideline and lost his cool.
Rodgers-Cromartie said that a report that a teammate had confronted him in the locker room after he stormed off the field was inaccurate, and joked that no one would dare do that anyway.
“First of all, anybody in here knows not to do that with me,” DRC said with a grin.
Rodgers-Cromartie said he watched the entire Giants’ 23-10 win in Denver. Unable to travel with the team, he instead returned to his alma mater at Tennessee State and even addressed the college players, which he said was difficult for him to do given his suspension.
Humorously, DRC admitted that Tuesday’s meeting with McAdoo to lift the suspension probably went better than it would have if the Giants had been 0-6.
“That was good man, it probably went good ’cause we got the win,” he said. “(McAdoo) had a big smile on his face and was just saying, man, ‘Hey, stuff happens, I get it, man, but … you’ve just got to work your way back in and get back in good graces.’ And I understand that.”
At the same time, the entertaining DB defended his clout in the Giants’ locker room despite his suspension and said he never worried once that his teammates would want him back.
“Oh no, no no no no no no,” he said. “One thing about the locker room, when I come in here, I light it up, man. I’m an animated guy. Not saying that I can’t be replaced, but what I did was wrong, and I admit that. As long as I admit that and I don’t run from it, I’m good.”