Embarrassed Apple out to show he’s not rotten
ELI APPLE IS FLUSHING down his old ways. The Giants corner insisted at Monday’s OTA on being a “better person, better player and better teammate” this season while also showing gratitude toward GM Dave Gettleman and Co. for giving him a “clean slate.” “I’m just going to fine tune everything, come in with a different attitude and just be positive out there on the field,” he said. “Just do everything that I can to make myself better as a player, and everybody else better as a team.”
The 22-year-old certainly sounded like a new and improved person, making no excuses for his behavior and attitude last season during his first appearance with the media since telling them he had to “take a s--t” just hours before he was suspended by the team in Week 17.
He admitted to being embarrassed by the way he handled himself throughout the tumultuous 2017 season.
“Of course (I was embarrassed),” he said. “Nobody wants to go out the way I went out. It was all over the place.”
Apple was suspended the final game — not for his choice words with the media, but rather a heated exchange with coaches in practice after they assigned him to the scout team.
It was the final straw in a season that included a report of Apple threatening to leave the facility after he was called out for a lack of effort in the film room, missing the team’s first practice after a bye week and calling for a culture change early in the season following a Week 5 loss to the Chargers.
The 2016 first-round pick also missed five games last season and saw his production on the field dip from what was a promising rookie campaign.
“Maybe I got a little too confident, a little bit thinking I was going to make a big step instead of taking it day by day and be patient,” he said. “My time is going to come. Just don’t force anything.”
His attitude throughout the season also resulted in some animosity from his teammates, particularly Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins, who called Apple a “cancer.”
Collins has since said that they have mended their relationship and Apple echoed that on Monday. “It’s great,” Apple said. “We talked and put everything behind us and we move forward now.”
OUT TO LUNCH
Damon ‘Snacks’ Harrison was the lone noteworthy absence from the voluntary practice.
The Giants nose tackle did not attend the team’s voluntary minicamp in April, either, though it was because he was finishing his degree at William Penn University.
Shurmur indicated he has been in communication with Harrison about his absence but would not disclose any further details.
“He’s been here a little bit,” Shurmur said. “I know he’s not here and I know why he’s not here and I’ll leave it at that.”