Wide Receiver Malik Nabers
Q: So, what did you think when it first happened? When you first rolled your ankle, what did you think? No big deal, or like 'oh crap'?
MALIK NABERS: No, at first when I did it, it wasn't a big deal. I went out, did another play, and then it was like, 'no, something just doesn't feel right'. So, I wanted to get it checked.
Q: How are you feeling?
MALIK NABERS: I'm feeling good. I don't think it's really anything too serious though.
Q: Just a sprain?
MALIK NABERS: Yeah, just typical things that happen with the ankle when you play football, you play basketball, really.
Q: Not a high sprain?
MALIK NABERS: No, nothing too serious.
Q: Can you envision how it happened? Like, do you know exactly?
MALIK NABERS: No, I really didn't know during practice until I watched the film. I watched the play that it happened, and I really didn't know what I did with my foot. And then when I watched it, I was like, 'alright, cool'. That's the reason why I'm feeling it. But when I watched it again, how I watched it, to see that happen, and I don't feel really a lot going on right now, so it wasn't that bad of an injury. I'm just making sure I'm fine.
Q: Any doubt that you'll be ready for week one?
MALIK NABERS: No doubt.
Q: What have they told you about how you're going to manage it? Are they going to be cautious with you this week?
MALIK NABERS: Yeah, pretty cautious just to see how I feel, make sure I'm 100 percent. Make sure I'm able to practice at a high speed and play at full speed.
Q: I would assume that's important for you too? You don't want to go out there at half speed just based on who you are and what you want out of practice.
MALIK NABERS: Yeah, of course, I'm always trying to, you know, be 100 percent healthy when I'm out there on the field. I got to be available to play. So, I'm going to always take my health first.
Q: Presuming you don't play Saturday; would you like to get in against the Jets? To get some more preseason work in before the season starts.
MALIK NABERS: It's a game rep. So, every game opportunity rep that I have, of course I'm going to take advantage of it. But if that's what my coaches decide on it, that's what I decide on, then that's what's going to happen.
Q: How does it feel right now?
MALIK NABERS: It feels good, getting back healthy. Just continuing with the rehab.
Q: Did you think it was worse than it is when it first happened?
MALIK NABERS: Most definitely, yeah. But when I got the x-ray and MRI on it, nothing really showed up.
Q: Is it the foot, the ankle? How would you describe exactly?
MALIK NABERS: Really my ankle, yeah. Just really my ankle. But like I said again, it's not that big.
Q: Was that a huge relief when you got the news?
MALIK NABERS: Oh, yeah, because as a football player, you always think the worst or anything if you're not able to play. So, to hear the good news come back saying that it was really nothing, it's just going to take, rehab and time, so, that was good to hear.
Q: Have you had the opportunity to do any running or jogging yet or is it still not quite at that point yet?
MALIK NABERS: Yeah, I had an opportunity to get out there today, warm up with the team, get a little bit of jogging. And it felt good so, yeah.
Q: Is the fact that you're not wearing any support gear as you're out there, is that an encouraging thing for you or do you think you'll need something if you're actually back playing?
MALIK NABERS: No, I won't need anything when I'm back rolling.
Q: We've all obviously sprained our ankles before. I'm sure you have. But any notable nagging ankle issues for you in the past?
MALIK NABERS: No, not that I know of for sure.
Q: Is this frustrating?
MALIK NABERS: No.
Q: How much do you want to be back on the field sooner or versus 'hey, let's just get healthy for the rest of the camp'?
MALIK NABERS: Yeah, I always want to get back on the field, but like I said, health is 100 percent of what I'm focused on right now just before we start going onto week one, to be healthy when the season really starts. That's the main focus.
Q: Is it rest right now mostly or are you actually working on it right now?
MALIK NABERS: Just working on it.
Q: What's it like to see one of your rookie classmates go down like (running back Tyrone) Tracy (Jr.) did today?
MALIK NABERS: I heard about it after practice, so I never really got into what happened. I just heard that he went down, and like I said, it's bad for an incoming person, coming into a new team, to go down to an injury that he faced. So, I'm not really sure of the injury. I just know I heard he went down. So, my prayers are going to be to him. I'm hoping he's in for a speedy recovery so we can get him back out there on the field because he's a pretty good back. We need him in the backfield catching the ball out of the backfield. So, having him on the field, it makes our offense better.
Q: Do you have a grasp of how popular you've become and how important you are to this offense and to the Giants this year? And years down the road, but just as a rookie.
MALIK NABERS: No, it really hasn't hit me yet. Like I said, I take it as just football. Whether I'm this famous person or not, if I don't do my job at the end of the day, I'm not going to be this praised receiver like everybody says.
Q: It's a nice position though, right? It's a nice opportunity, right?
MALIK NABERS: It has its pros and cons, I would say. When you've got a lot of attention going on, you've got to know how to handle it, know what to say and how to say, what to do and what not to do. So, it has its pros and cons.
Q: Who do you lean on for that? These high expectations and staying very humble through this whole process. Who do you kind of lean on? Family, anybody that kind of levels you out?
MALIK NABERS: Right. I would say mainly family, but also like, coaches. Coach (LSU Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach Cortez Hankton) Hank, I still talk to Coach Hank on the daily. (LSU Senior Offensive Analyst) Coach Carter (Sheridan) saying, 'don't get a big head, stay with the same mindset that you had when you came in as a freshman'. That same work that I was putting in before, I was who I am, make sure I'm still putting in that same work. I got that same dog mentality that I've been carrying on. So just having those daily talks with those guys, they keep me level, keep me humble.
Q: The last coach you mentioned?
MALIK NABERS: Yeah, Coach Carter.
Q: What was it like being in the game against the Lions? What did you learn about yourself in that game?
MALIK NABERS: I played really good, played fast. Knew my route discipline, knew my alignment. But still things to work on. Had a few knick-ups. But that's what the preseason is for, just to get everything right before week one. So, I think I played pretty fast, got open pretty good. So, gave my coaches a lot of confidence.
Q: With how you've performed in the summer overall so far, what do you think you've shown about your chances to be a difference maker immediately this year?
MALIK NABERS: I can get the ball. To get the ball in my hands. That's all I can put out there is to make sure I'm there when my QB needs me. I'm open. I know my route depth, know my route discipline. I know the offense. So, as long as I keep showing my coaches that I'm available out there on the field and I know what to do, the ball will find me.
Q: You said no doubt you're going to be ready for week 1. But to get to the level and play at the level you want to, what is sort of your checklist of things that you need to do here in these next, like, three weeks or so?
MALIK NABERS: Just need to make sure my body is 100 percent healthy. Like I said, I can't play out there with an ankle sprain, ankle injury because I'm not healthy. So, I'm not available to the team to help win games. So, I got to make sure that I'm healthy as possible.
