Judge thankful for his opportunity with Giants

Joe Judge took the high road.

Judge, who was fired as Giants head coach on Tuesday, spoke for the first time Thursday about his time in charge.

“As I reflect on my tenure with the Giants, I want to express how truly grateful I am for the opportunity to be the head coach of the New York Giants,” Judge told NorthJersey.com in a statement. “Thank you to the Mara and Tisch families, to the organization and incredible support staff and to the fans — proud, loyal fans who rival any fan base in sports with their passion and devotion. It was a privilege to represent these people during the past two years. Thank you for showing up week-in and weekout to support our team.”

Near the end of his tenure, some within the Giants’ locker room reportedly soured on Judge and were ready to move on to another coach. In an 11minute rant following the Giants’ Week 17 loss to the Bears, Judge insisted that his players were completely bought-in. In his statement, he thanked them as well.

“Finally, to the players — both present and former — thank you,” Judge wrote. “To the alumni players who helped invest in our program, thank you for believing in and helping develop these young men. You set the Giants standard and you continue to lead the way.

“To the current Giants players, thank you most of all. When I became the head coach, I said that we would ask you to come in and give everything you had every day. And you did. I am so proud of you, grateful for you, and I believe in you.

“On behalf of me and my family, we leave New York with the utmost gratitude for the community, the organization, the people and the team. Thank you.”