LAND’ OF PLENTY
Safety Collins augments his Giant talent with desire for Super win
H E COULD not be everywhere at the same time, but the host of the Landon Collins Celebrity Softball Game, amid the hubbub of activity last Friday night, made sure to appreciate the interactions of his guests.
It was impossible not to notice the way former Giants offensive linemen Chris Snee, Shaun O’Hara and Rich Seubert once again moved as a unit and how they almost seemed to form a protective circle around Eli Manning. It was easy to spot former Giants tight ends Kevin Boss (now quite skinny), Bear Pascoe and Jake Ballard hanging out together. It was the same camaraderie with Manning’s former receivers, Plaxico Burress, David Tyree, Mario Manningham and Amani Toomer.
Collins is only 23, remarkably young, considering how much he already has accomplished in the NFL, and for all he has, he wants even more. And so, he studied the way many former Giants — marquee players from victories in Super Bowl XLII and XLVI — greeted and embraced each other, champions all.
“They love each other, they’re brothers, they’re like brothers from another mother,’’ Collins told The Post. “They miss each other, it’s like they’re starting all over again, like friends.’’
The bond between teammates is never stronger as when there is shared success.
“This is New York Giants football, we’re a family, it doesn’t matter how old you are, how young you are, we all bleed blue still,’’ said Seubert, about to enter his second year as the head football coach at Watchung Hills Regional High School in Warren, N.J.
Collins has bled for the Giants, and he is fast becoming a face of the franchise; not up there with Eli Manning, but on the rise. Manning is the Giants’ 13-year franchise quarterback and Odell Beckham Jr. is far and away their most dynamic and recognizable player. There are plenty of billboard-worthy names on defense, with Jason Pierre-Paul the longest-tenured and homegrown. Collins takes a backseat to no one, though, in terms of performance, impact and future growth.
As willing and able as he is, Collins cannot approach the table of all-time Giants, much less sit with
them, until he wins a Super Bowl.
“Oh, man, it makes you so hungry,’’ Collins said, surrounded by some of the greatest Giants players of the past decade. “We talk about it each and every day, but to see these guys, to see these rings, it’s unbelievable.’’
In 2015, Collins became the first Giants rookie to start all 16 games since Barry Cofield in 2006, and he is the first Giants safety ever to do so. There was nothing wrong with his performance, but his NFL debut, in his mind, was more about the plays he did not make.
The expected ripple of improvement for 2016 turned into a tsunami. Collins became the first player in NFL history with at least 100 solo tackles, two sacks, five interceptions and 12 passes defensed in the same season. He finished third in the voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a case could be made he was robbed.
Dave Merritt has coached the safeties for the Giants for 13 years and Collins is the best young gem he’s ever had. Merritt puts heavy demands on Collins — asking him to play four different positions within the defense — and continually reminds him one great season does not guarantee another one. As a cautionary tale, he brings up the decline in Antrel Rolle in 2014 after a sensational 2013 season.
“I’m trying to make sure he doesn’t get caught in any type of trap,’’ Merritt said. “I understand right now that he was the best coming out of high school and the best coming out of college. The safeties around the league are humble. You have to make sure you’re humble.’’
That should not be a problem for Collins, who does not seek out the spotlight and has as his Twitter handle “TheHumble_21.’’
Collins is eager to sharpen his leadership skills and sought any and all advice while mingling at his softball game. He was told to be who he is, to make sure he comes across as understanding to the needs of his teammates.
“Not just try to be a big man,’’ he said.
It was a testament to Collins’ stature that so many former Giants traveled from across the country to Pomona in Rockland County to take part in his charity event. They all have something Collins craves: A championship, or two.
“Oh, man, we got a lot to do,’’ Collins said. “We got to figure out that bond that they have so we can make sure they get those two [rings] like they did, and even more.’’