Add The New York Post on Google New Giants defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson tackles some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby ahead of the start of training camp.
Q: Describe your “Giants life” Super Bowl speech at the team meeting.
A: Coming here and being a guy that’s on the East Coast, what I was basically telling them is that it’s the New York Giants, the names, it’s everything that comes with being a Giant … Like, it’s not acceptable [to miss] the playoffs. This organization has won championships, and that’s what it’s about. We’re doing this to go win, and we’re doing it to go win together, and whatever it takes to get there, this is what the fans want and this is what the former players want. This is how this organization’s built. To me, it was like nostalgic being here talking about the New York Giants.
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Q: What stuck out to you about the Giants’ defensive tradition?
A: To me it’s the violence in which they played. They played with reckless abandon … organized chaos. They pursued the ball, and obviously they were effective hitting the quarterback. I grew up watching the NFC East — they were feared. It’s certain teams when you’ve been in those buildings, there’s a standard in which you live up to. The Giants have been built on having great defenses and being ferocious and playing with an edge.
Q: Can your defense be feared?
A: If we put in the work, and everybody has the same mindset … if everybody’s “mission over men.”
Q: You’ve referenced Gen. George Patton in the past.
A: He said nobody ever defended anything successfully. It’s only attack and attack some more. To defend something, you’re playing on your heels. When you attack, the attackers are still going forward, are still going to press the issue. It’s not all the time, like bringing more players than they can pick up, it’s the way you play. It’s the violence, it’s the leverage. It’s how you dominate or how you’re holding the line of scrimmage. When you’re tackling, are you tackling in a dominant position? When you look at teams that win at a high level or won Super Bowls, or won NBA championships, they don’t go in prevent defense. They keep playing as hard as they can. We’re trying to finish the job at hand, and finish it at all costs.
Q: Do you still subscribe to idea “defense wins championships”?
A: That’s the only way I believe it works, and I believe that in all sports.
Q: How excited are you to coach a second-year Abdul Carter?
A: I’m extremely excited. Created a relationship with Abdul when I was in Tennessee. Obviously we [Titans] had the first pick [Cam Ward] where he was one of the coveted guys coming out of college. [Carter] has endless potential. He has dynamic traits. He can rush the passer. He’s actually better in the run game than people give him credit. That’s all about his technique and fundamentals. And he has the ability to move around a lot. You can put him in different spots. He can win one-on-ones.
Q: What stands out about him from a physical talent standpoint?
A: He can play with leverage. And to create power, you have to play with leverage and snap your hips. He can do that with ease. As a pass rusher, he has very good active hands. His hand usage is extremely good. And also, he’s cat quick, where he can bend a corner. If he works on the edge, it’s very hard to beat him. When he finishes rushes, he always finishes with a violent rip, and what that does is it doesn’t give you a full surface, it gives you half a man. His rip is unbelievable.
Q: Everyone has made the comparison to Micah Parsons.
A: You see it. But Abdul wants to be his own person. He wants to be Abdul Carter, and that’s what I want him to be. Just be your best him that he can be on a daily basis and we’ll get a helluva player.
Q: What have you observed about Kayvon Thibodeaux?
A: He’s probably one of the hardest-working individuals that I’ve ever met. He is a “glue guy” from a team standpoint, from a unit standpoint. He’s well-respected. He’ll speak his mind. He’s a guy that his teammates love being around him, and he wants somebody that’s always around that’s just true and honest with him … because he’s going to have some crazy questions (laugh). I think he’s comfortable being around this coaching staff. We accept him for who he is and what he represents.
A: Spider-man? He’s a guy that’s really taken over the team leadership. He’s a guy that’s all-in. He’s receptive to coaching. He wants to win at all costs. He produced at a high level last year, and I still think that he has ability to keep doing it. He’s just another guy that’s great to be around, and just hungry, just want to do something special for the Giants fans and this organization.
Q: How intriguing is it for you to mix in Arvell Reese with the pass rush unit?
A: It’s a luxury. I always, from the time we started evaluating him, I always thought that he was a linebacker first, pass rusher second. He is a true linebacker, but to have the ability to blitz him with the effort and toughness that he has going forward, and then in time with his hand in the ground and let him go, it’s going to be a luxury to have those guys, because at some point if they’re all on the field, who are you going to give the one-on-one to?
Q: Is Tremaine Edmunds the green-dot guy?
A: He’s the green-dot guy. He’s done a helluva job of picking up the defense, to try to get everybody lined up. He’s another guy that the players, they enjoy being around him. I’ve been around a lot of football teams — man, this defensive group, they love being around each other. To start a meeting, you see the high-fives and all the enjoyment, the conversations, and it’s funny, it’s like they just went and lifted weights together and they come in the meeting room like they hadn’t seen each other. They want to see each other have success.
Q: Why will the Giants stop the run with Dexter Lawrence gone?
A: Because we’re going to play fundamental football. We’re going to build a wall. We’re going to set violent edges, and we’re going to come downhill on the second and third level. And even the corners, the corners will tackle.
Q: What are your expectations for Darius Alexander?
A: It’s Year 2. As a football player, he’s going to have to grow up. [Defensive line coach] Dennis Johnson has done a great job of working on his base, his technique, his fundamentals, having his feet and hands tied together. And now it’s about just being gritty and grimy, having that old dirty bastard-type mentality. Because the talent is there, and it’ll start to really show. I want him to be a run-stopper first before pass rusher.
Q: Who’s the second cornerback right now?
Q: What are your thoughts on Deonte Banks?
A: I think he had a helluva offseason. Tae has been one of those guys that’s kind of been running to coaching. He’s not running away from it. He’s in a different headspace. I think he’s enjoying the scheme. I think the players want to see him have success. We as coaches want him to be the best version of him. To me it’s not living up to the first[-round] pick. It’s about him being the best player he can be. He knows that we’re invested him, just like all the other players. He has a new opportunity, and he has to make the best of his opportunity.
Q: So he has an opportunity to be CB2?
A: He loves football. He’s a tough guy. Outstanding ball skills. Ultra-competitive, intelligent football player.
Q: What are your thoughts on safety Tyler Nubin?
A: He’s gotten a little smaller, he’s not as heavy. He’s a prideful young man. He’s come in with a worker’s-like mentality, trying to get better every day, every rep, he listens to coaching. He does have a level of physicality as a safety. For us it’s about just allowing him to grow and just be in the moment, and focus on what he needs to do and executing instead of trying to do too much. I love his personality and the way he loves football and how he goes about his business.
A: The first thing I noticed was his release. And how decisive he is getting rid of the ball. He’s a guy that’s extremely prideful about what he’s doing. He’s ultra-competitive. We threw a lot of stuff at him, and he’s so resilient. And then obviously watching him on film, the toughness and tenacity that he plays with in between whistles, it’s fun to watch him and it’s going to be fun to just watch all these young guys develop together.
Q: Tight end Isaiah Likely?
A: He has a helluva personality. Isaiah’s going to talk a lot of trash. He’s going to let you know when he makes a play. He’s a hard-working, fun-loving guy that has endless talent. He’s good out of breaks, he has outstanding hands. He’s a tight end that can read man-zone coverage and sit in windows where quarterbacks can find him. He’s a matchup issue if you put linebackers on him, you can move him around. He’s going to be very good for us.
Q: What do you think of the offensive line with first-round pick Sisi Mauigoa?
A: I’m excited to watch our offensive line play, and the way they come out trying to knock people off the ball.
A: He made a lot of big plays in the offseason. His catch radius is unbelievable. He’s made some concentration catches that have been big-time. He can get off the line of scrimmage versus press coverage and uses his physicality well.
Q: What did Odell Beckham Jr. show you?
A: Odell still has burst. I just remember going against him when I was with the St. Louis Rams and he was here. I’ve always said this: I think he’s always been the best slant route-runner in the National Football League. I want to see the best Odell, not only for the team, but for himself, because I know the work that he put in.
Q: What makes John Harbaugh special?
A: His ability to relate to people. His ability to kind of be in the moment. Nothing’s ever too big, nothing’s ever too small. He brings comfort communicating about anything. I think his superpower is his ability to have the right message at the right time.
Q: What are the ideal traits of a Dennard Wilson defensive football player?
A: Tough … big … physical … fast … and unapologetic.
A: (Laugh) They live on the edge, they play on the edge. But they don’t hurt the team.
Q: What won’t you tolerate?
A: A lack of effort. I think if you don’t play with effort, you’re basically a traitor to your team, and your teammates. … A lack of physicality. … And someone that quits.
Q: How would you define mental toughness?
A: Mental toughness is having the ability to fight through anything … to be able to go to another level when you think it’s tough. For a prime example, I was at a family function the other day, and had some younger cousins that play football, and I bet them to do 50 pushups. I wouldn’t take the bet right now because I can’t do 50 pushups at this point. But they got to 45, and when it got tough, they couldn’t get that extra five. A person that had mental toughness can block out the hurt, the pain and focus on the job at hand, that narrow scope to finish what they need to finish.
Q: Your definition of physical toughness?
A: Just a relentless … ready to impose your will on people. Just try to run through people. And it goes back to not playing on your heels, do everything moving forward, with violence.
Q: Why will the Giants defense be a smart defense?
A: Because we always talk about in our meeting room disciple first and detail always. I don’t think that you can do anything in life and not have discipline. … When you have the discipline to do things, you’re normally very detailed. It’s the situational football that Harbs puts into practice plans and things of that nature so when things come up, they’ve already done it.
Q: Describe your motivational style.
A: I’m very direct, but I’m very honest. I’m honest with everything I say. I believe what I’m saying in front of these men. With players, you have to be able to trust to be as direct with them, and I try to continue to be my authentic self every day so they understand that I’m not changing. It’s not phony. In my career, guys truly understand that t care about them first.
Q: What makes a great leader?
A: He understands, or she understands, that there’s going to be bumps in the road. If you stay the course, and you bring the people with you or even the players along with you to make them feel and make them have ownership of what we’re doing. I’ll listen to the players as well. Sometimes it’s an art to listening and not talking, and you kind of see what they like without diving in. But we’ll have those conversations where it became our — this is our defense, it’s not my defense, it’s the New York Giants defense. If you don’t have a clear direction, you’re going to sink the ship. Every day isn’t going to be perfect. A true leader can do three things: He can teach, motivate and inspire.
Q: How difficult is it to inspire, and how do you inspire?
A: It’s difficult, but to me it’s always having a clear message, having a clear direction on where you want to go. Not berating people or putting them down, giving them confidence, not only in themselves but each other. Building people up. People make mistakes and things happen negatively, but always communicate. You’ve got to look at coaching as it’s not attack, it’s a challenge. People don’t like to mess up, and when you point it out, they feel like you’re attacking them. But if you can accept it as a challenge, because a coach is challenging people to be the best they can be on their watch, and even develop habits when they’re no longer with you, but they still have their habits, whether it’s free agency or anything like that. … I can’t be John Harbaugh. I’ve been around Todd Bowles, I can’t be Todd Bowles. But what I can do is take things that they have done extremely well and then incorporate it into my personality. That’s just the way I go about it on a daily basis.
Q: Who likes to blitz more, you or Todd Bowles?
A: Probably Todd. Blitzing also it depends on your players. Because if you’re going to bring more, you better be able to have the guys in the back end, the linebackers, that can execute. If you don’t have those guys on the back end, then one explosive play can change a game. Also, it’s how is your offense performing? You have more high risk-high-reward when you know you could score points.
A: My parents. Their ability to fight through anything and the way they raised me. I’m a huge boxing fan, watching Pernell Whitaker and watching Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones.
Q: How heartbreaking was your injury as an undrafted free agent at Washington’s 2004 training camp?
A: Oh, it was crazy. I was starting to make my way into being a key piece of the defense and how short-lived it was getting hurt [broken fibula], trying to battle my way back, and then unfortunately, having another injury [MCL tear] the next year. But it taught me a lot about myself. … It ultimately led me to this path of coaching. My high school coach, Bill McGregor at DeMatha Catholic High School, called me at a certain point — I was past the rehab stage where I could actually walk around — and he asked me to come back and help with the DBs at DeMatha. And that’s when I fell in love with coaching.
A: Muhammad Ali, Bernard Hopkins, Barack Obama.
A: Want to be one of the best in my job … my family … my wife and kids. Waking up, providing for them … the people I grew up with as far as my immediate family, all the sacrifices they have made for me growing up.
Q: What do you hope Giants fans say about the personality of your defense?
A: I want them to see that they’re fast, they’re physical, there is no quit in them, and they’ll put it on the line for the guys that’s lined up next to them. And that they represent New York the right way.
Q: What would be your message to Giants fans?
A: We’re going to be prideful about bringing the old-school New York Giant style of football back to the city. We’re going to play hard. We’re going to be relentless. We’re going to be decisive in what we do. We’re going to give everything we have and we’re going to challenge people. And let the chips fall where they may.
