What the Hall? Vet CB sees Apple in Canton

New veteran Giants cornerback William Gay believes Eli Apple is ripening. “Very athletic guy. I watched him from afar being in Pittsburgh, and then also when he was at Ohio State,” Gay said Monday at organized team activities. “You just see the things that he can do on the field. “I’m ready to help him any type of way that I can, because I want to be in his speech when he becomes a Hall of Famer, and say, ‘I had an old guy, Wil- liam Gay, that helped me a little bit.’

“I’m gonna give him everything I can, but from the looks of it, he’s ready to go. And I just love his enthusiasm every day on the practice field.”

The Giants soured on Apple a year ago, but the new regime has given him a clean slate. Apple made a beautiful diving pass defense in the end zone Monday against Sterling Shepard.

“He’s a first-round caliber player,” Gay said. “He’s what? 6-2, I think almost 200 pounds, he can run with any receiver. Got long arms. That’s the cornerbacks you look for. I’m excited to see him play. I tell him every day, ‘You’re several plays in a season from being there. Consistently.’ ” From what? “A Hall of Famer,” Gay said. “All you gotta do is make plays here, make plays there, and just be that dominant corner, and you’re on your way, if you put it together in consecutive years. And he has a long time to make plays in this league.

“And like I said, I want to give him all the information so maybe, when his speech comes up,” he said with a chuckle, “he can throw me in there.”