SERBY’S SUNDAY Q&A WITH ... Will HERNANDEZ

Rookie Giants left guard Will Hernandez blocks out some time for some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. Q: How do you explain the switch you flip once you hit the field? A: I would say be who you are. Don’t let football define who you are. Be a good citizen, be cool with people, but when football comes up, now the only people that are on the field with you are people who also know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. ... So when I step onto that field, all I gotta do is look across from me, and every single guy on that defense has an intention to either hurt my quarterback, tackle my running back — nothing but bad intentions. That’s all I need to get fired up and flip the switch. Winning is the best way to have fun. Q: Do you consider yourself a throwback? A: I just consider myself a football player. The fact that a lot of people don’t play like people who used to play back in the days, or more people are starting to play less like that. ... I just play the game the way I think it should be played. If that’s throwback to a lot of people, we need to go back to those days then. That’s just the way I think the game should be played, that’s the only way I know how to play it, and I think it’s more fun that way. Q: What is the best block you’ve ever made? A: I would say it was on a sweep to the right, they pulled me to the right, it was a QB run, and we called it in the red zone, I ran out, and the quarterback followed right behind me, I threw my body and I cut the safety and the quarterback just came running behind me untouched into the end zone. This was in college [UTEP]. Q: Favorite pancake block? A: There was this really cool play. I think we were playing UTSA, it was my senior year, where I had two pancakes blocks on one play. So I set, came down on the nose over the center, knocked him down, and then, as I knocked him down I got my eyes back outside, and the defensive end that was over the left tackle came inside the B gap, and I came and pancaked him down. And then I ran out, because our quarterback, as this was happening, was scrambling out to the left, so I ran out in front of the quarterback, and I was able to knock one more guy down. So I knocked three guys down on one play. Q: Describe the responsibility of keeping Eli Manning upright. A: We can tell he appreciates us. Blocking for him is a dream come true to me, being able to block for a quarterback like that. It’s such a huge honor, honestly, and I try to go through every day working to get better and do the best that I can in every game because it is really important for me to keep him upright, and it’s the sole purpose of why I’m here. Q: Do you feel guilty when you don’t keep him upright? A: Oh, of course. That’s basically your No. 1 job, and when you don’t get it done every single play, that’s probably the worst thing that can happen to an offensive lineman. Q: What is the funniest trash talk you’ve heard from an opponent? A: There was a defensive lineman, I don’t remember the team, he knew my background, he knew I was Hispanic or whatever, and he was trying to like talk to me in Spanish, but it was funny ’cause he didn’t really actually know how to speak it. Q: Who is one linebacker in NFL history you would like to go against? A: I think [Brian] Urlacher would be a good challenge ... great challenge, actually. He was just a very physical linebacker. In my opinion, I thought he played that spot exactly the way it should be. I’ve always had more fun with linebackers who like to come up and hit you and try to make the play while you’re also trying to go up to them and hit ’em and try to get the block. It just makes the game a little bit more fun instead of trying to catch those speedy, fast linebackers, you know (chuckle)? Q: If you could pick the brain of one offensive lineman in history, who would it be? A: I would say Alan Faneca. Old-school guard, played for the Steelers [and the Jets]. Q: You like to order in from Wingstop. A: Uber Eats is the best way to go, right to your door. Q: What’s a typical order? A: Usually I order 20. When I’m watching my weight, I’ll order 10. Q: Is that barbecue, is that standard? A: At Wingstop normally I get honey barbecue sauce, and then I also did the lemon pepper ones. Q: Ten of each? A: Yes. Those are my two favorite sauces. Q: Where do you get the best tacos? A: It’s funny that you bring this question up because the O-line just had their weekly O-line dinner. We went to this Mexican restaurant [Thursday]. I think these are the best tacos I’ve had so far here in New York — called Taquerias Veracruz. Q: Whose idea was it to go there? A: It was actually [guard] Nick Gates’ idea. He’s the one who showed me the restaurant. Q: Who had the most tacos? A: I think it might have been [guard] John Greco. I think he might have had eight. Q: How many did you have? A: I only had about four and I ordered some other stuff. Q: Who paid for it? A: It was actually Ereck Flowers who paid for it. Q: Why him? A: We usually take turns. Every week somebody pays for everybody. Q: You thought about leaving the game at the end of your sophomore year in high school before your coaches educated you about your football possibilities. A: My family was going through some really, really hard times financially, and so my instinct right away was to get a job and help out. Q: What was the low point? A: We lost our home, and we had to move in to my uncle’s, basically, shed in his backyard that he had for his tools. It was like an old shed he had built out of like brick and just put like a little roof over it, attached one of those little backyard little houses that you buy at Home Depot, he attached that to it. He ended up taking all his stuff out, cleaning it out, and letting us move in there. Q: How long did you and your sister and parents live there? A: I would say two years. Q: And what were two years like? A: Oh it was horrible. It made me appreciate the small things in life, and things that you normally wouldn’t think about appreciating. I appreciated my own personal space ... the smallest thing like having somewhere to hang your clothes and having your own space to put all your clothes and shoes. Because when we were in that shed, we basically had one of those clothes racks that you see at Ross [Stores] where it’s just a big circle. We all hung our clothes all around that, so it was all mixed up in there. You didn’t have your own space for shoes, they were just kind of all like in a box. So when we got out of there and I got my own closet, I really appreciated that. Q: How did it happen that you were able to move out? A: My dad’s work [construction contractor] picked up. My mom’s cleaning business picked up. This was all during the downfall of the economy in 2008, that’s why also. Q: Superstitions? A: I don’t take a shower game day before the game. I feel like it just kind of relaxes you too much. Q: What would a win over his former team mean to GM Dave Gettleman on Sunday? A: It would mean the world to him, and there’s nothing more that we want than to give that to him. He’s the reason why I’m here. [He] has changed my life in so many ways, and I’m so grateful for that, and the only way I know to repay him is to go out there and perform as best as I can and win.