Lorenzo CARTER

Rookie Giants linebacker Lorenzo Carter, a third-round pick out of Georgia, tackles some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. Q: Who are some quarterbacks you’d like to sack? A: Cam Newton. I’ve always looked up to Cam. He’s straight out of Atlanta and he’s doing big things. It’d just be good to just get a sack on him, just to say I did it, do it for the city. ... Tom Brady ... Aaron Rodgers ... Russell Wilson. He’s so elusive, I want to test the waters, see where I am compared to everybody else ’cause he’s such a hard guy to get to. Q: You grew up in Memphis [Tenn.] as a Patriots fan? A: They were winning, man. Hot team. Tom Brady, the Patriots, that’s what I saw, I loved it. Q: If you sacked Brady, would you tell him you were a fan? A: I’m definitely gonna tell him, “I’m a big fan, big fan (smile).” Q: While he’s on the ground? A: While he’s on the ground, yeah. I might help him. I’d definitely help Tom up (laugh). Q: Former Giant Jason Pierre-Paul is coming to town with the Buccaneers. A: People I’ve talked to, especially in the outside linebacker room, they have good things to say about him. He’s gonna come up here with some energy. I expect to holler at him for a little bit, just pick his brain. Q: The Giants have a tradition of great pass rushers. Can you be the next great Giants pass rusher? A: Yeah, I definitely think so. It takes work but natural ability as well, and I feel I have the natural ability, and I’m trying to soak in as much as I can from guys like Connor [Barwin] and O.V. [Olivier Vernon]. Q: You see yourself as a double-digit sacker one day? A: Yes sir. Yes sir. ... Definitely have to get double digits. That’s something I feel like I’ll be working on every offseason. That’s my job, pass rushrush. I get in the lab every off-season. I think it’ll a big letdown if I don’t get doubledigit sacks, and that’s what I’m working on, that’s my job. Q: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from former NFL pass rusher Chuck Smith, who you work with? A: Get-off. Put stress on the tackles. Offensive tackles know that we’re the superior athletes, and they know that edge rushers are the predators and the quarterbacks are the prey, and the offensive linemen just stuck in the middle. Their job is just get in the way ’cause they’re not great athletes, they can’t stop us from getting back there, they can just prolong it. Q: What is the pass-rusher mindset? A: You’re the hunter, you’re hunting a quarterback, and it’s not really too much they can do unless you let ’em. Q: Do you enjoy the predator mindset? A: Yes, I love it (smile). ’Cause I’m a chill person off the field. I don’t really say much. But on the field, it’s freedom. It’s a whole different thing. I’m a predator out there, I’m a defensive end, an outside linebacker — like, who’s more badass than us? Like, we’re the most badass people on the field, so you gotta keep that mindset. Q: You don’t play angry though. A: I try to stay from getting angry because when you get angry you get out of control. But this sport is such a violent sport, you have to have that mentality that you’re gonna go ... hurt somebody basically like. It’s not angry, it’s a lot of aggression ... and then I’m comin’ all day, like continuous non-stop, like you’re gonna have to deal with me (chuckle). Q: Do you know Michael Strahan is famous for the gap between his front teeth? A: Yes, I know (smile). Q: How did you know that? A: ’Cause I see it (laugh)! Q: Do you like your gap? A: Yeah. It’s my gap. I never thought about fixing it, I guess, closing it. What’s to be fixed? It’s my teeth (laugh). Q: If you could pick the brain of any pass rusher in NFL history, who would it be? A: L.T., Lawrence Taylor. It’s like he knew something everybody else didn’t know. He got back there with ease like almost every play (chuckle). Q: Who is one offensive tackle in NFL history you would like to test? A: Joe Thomas. He was such a dominant force his whole career. Q: What are your career goals? A: I want to be a Captain. Definitely, before I retire. ’Cause I feel like I can do that, lead a team. ... It’s great when you’re leading a team and everything’s going right. Even when things aren’t going right, if you’re leading the team and doing the right things, then that just shows that you have it in you. Everybody doesn’t have it in ’em to be a leader. I feel like I have it in me. Q: Are you a trash-talker? A: Not unless I’m pushed there. I’m out there having too much fun to talk trash. When people start doing extra things, outside of just blocking, when you try to take people to the ground and jump on ’em, now it’s time to talk trash, now it’s time to get back with ‘em during the next play. ... I try to stay away from all that extra stuff. Q: Favorite New York City things? A: I literally just go to the city and walk around sometimes, just because it’s so big and I don’t know what to do (chuckle), so I’ll just walk around until I find something and just go in. ... I go bowling a lot. Q: What do you average? A: 180. Q: You don’t play the cello anymore? A: I was gonna pick something back up. ... I was thinking saxophone maybe. Q: Favorite NYC restaurants? A: We go to linebacker dinner on Fridays. Favorite one I’ve been to so far is Carbone. Q: Who got stuck with the tab on that one? A: O.V. Definitely O.V. (chuckle). Q: Have you paid yet? A: Yes I have. Q: What place? A: We went to Capital Grille. Q: How much was the bill? A: It wasn’t bad — about $1,500. Q: Who picks the restaurants? A: Whoever’s paying. Q: Why didn’t you pick Subway? A: I should have (smile)! I gotta look out for my boys. Q: Three dinner guests? A: Dave Chappelle, Rihanna, [Barack] Obama. Q: Favorite movie? A: “Up.” Q: Favorite actor? A: Denzel [Washington]. Q: Favorite actress? A: Taraji [P. Henson]. Q: Favorite singer/ entertainer? A: Chance the Rapper. Q: Favorite meal? A: Tacos. Q: A message to Giants fans. A: Trust the process. We’re getting there. We have a lot of great pieces. I don’t know what it’s been like in the past, but just being here, being around this team, it’s like we have a really good team, and we’re close.