FOR A FRIEND
Giant rookie says he’s playing for memory of buddy who was gunned down on draft night
Corey Ballentine knows “life’s not gonna wait on me” if he dwells on the past. “I think, personally, it’s time for me to be strong now,” the Giants’ rookie corner said Sunday.
But Ballentine thinks about losing his best friend Dwane Simmons “every day,” and he plans to honor him by living out their shared NFL dream.
“I feel like
I’m kind of doing it for both of us,” Ballentine, 23, said before practice.
The story of Ballentine and Simmons is heart-wrenching.
The young Ballentine was remarkably impressive and mature on Sunday while conducting his first interview on the most painful topic of his life: that fatal April 28 shooting in Topeka, Kan., that killed Simmons, 23, and wounded Ballentine.
“He helped me get here every step of the way,” Ballentine said of Simmons, his former Washburn teammate. “When I was on the field by myself, he would come out there and join me. And I feel like I’m kind of doing it for both of us. And I know if he was here now, he would love to see where I’m at, how I’m doing and want to visit.
“I spent the most time with him. I was his best friend,” Ballentine said, pausing but continuing through the emotion. “So I’m just gonna try to keep him in my heart but at the same time try to strive for the goals of the team and also my personal goals and do my best.”
That fateful April early morning, investigators said the Washburn defensive backs were outside an offcampus
house party just hours after the Giants had drafted Ballentine in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft when someone opened fire from a vehicle.
“I don’t want to go into detail, but (it was) just a tragic … event and I lost my best friend because of it,” Ballentine recounted. “I don’t think it was anything I had to do with it; I just happened to be there. Nothing that I could control. To this day I try not to think about it too much because there’s nothing I can do at this point, and I know that the police are doing their best to make peace with the families and bring justice to the families, as well.”
Suspect Francisco Alejandro Mendez was charged on July 12 with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and five counts of aggravated battery in the April 28 attack.
Ballentine was grateful because even though he was there that night, he hadn’t been able to give anyone closure on the tragic events, and bringing Mendez closer to justice might help that.
Ballentine said “the Giants have been helping me” and he’s been seeing therapists, including a team psychologist. All of it has helped him slowly regroup to a place where he can focus better on football, though it hasn’t been easy.
“It took me a little bit. I mean, I think about it every day, obviously,” he said, “because it’s somebody that was in my life everyday, and it’s hard to fill that gap, and I haven’t filled it yet. But I’m trying to move forward, we have goals to accomplish here, the playbook I’ve got to learn and other things I’ve got to learn, so I can’t keep myself in that place.
“But I think about it every day, it’s hard,” he added. “And earlier on I was a little paranoid, but now that I’m out here in New York I’ve got a lot of support from the organization and a lot of other people. I’ve been talking to Janice (last name undisclosed) the psychologist and just trying to get my mind off it. I’m not thinking about it much now. I’ll always have it in my heart, but I’m moving forward with my life.”
Back in May, of course, the Giants encouraged Ballentine to remain at home during rookie minicamp, to recovery and be with his family and attend Simmons’ funeral.
At the time, there were also multiple ignorant members of the New York media, including radio host Mike Francesa, who insinuated without any knowledge of the incident that Ballentine was to blame for the tragedy and that it reflected negatively on his character.
He answered to that charge for the first time on Sunday.
“Initially I was upset because nobody was there, and nobody knows what happened, and at that point I don’t think anybody (knew) who I am or who I was,” Ballentine said, respectfully and earnestly. “So for somebody to say those type of things, it kind of made me upset, but at the same time I don’t think I would be here playing for the Giants if I were a bad person.
“If I was doing anything bad, I think everyone would know about it,” he added. “I think the right people know that everything that happened was out of my control.”
Ballentine said he mostly has tried to move on emotionally by grounding himself in the work because now he knows he’s competing to win a roster spot and help the team.
“It was just kind of me making the effort to learn the plays and try to, because I know they’re not gonna wait for me here,” he said. “They’ve given me time to think about it and ponder on everything that happened and recover, and I think, personally, it’s time for me to be strong now. I can’t keep thinking about that and dwelling on it. I’ve got to move forward.”
Ballentine took an exciting step forward in Saturday’s practice with an interception of fourth-string QB Kyle Lauletta, which he sprinted into the end-zone for a picksix. He lit up describing how it felt.
“It felt good. I feel like I’m finally starting to get somewhere,” he said humbly. “I mean I came in the spring a little late, to minicamp and all that stuff, so learning the plays I was kind of behind the eight-ball. And I’m also learning nickel and corner, two positions at once, so… it was just kind of rewarding to know that the hard work and the long nights of staying up (are) paying off.”
Asked how Simmons would want him to proceed, Ballentine didn’t blink.
“Just play my best,” he said, emotional but composed. “I know he wouldn’t want me sulking and being down and whatnot. So I’m just gonna do my best to make this team, and pitch in, and try to win a Super Bowl with this team and give my best effort.”
A Super Bowl isn’t necessary for Ballentine to give proper tribute to Simmons, though. On Sunday he proved he already has.