I’m Tiger Woods!!!

I just finished playing in the British Open! Nah, not really but I did play in the same conditions. The Giants Invitational Golf Tournament was held today, May 26. The date is very important for a number of reasons. First, and most importantly, it was 50 something degrees. Second, it was drizzling with gray skies. Third, it was really windy. This was very hard for me to comprehend and it was very difficult to understand. It was 100 degrees when I left California a little over a week ago. It is almost JUNE!!! How can it possibly be 50 something degrees outside? Does it EVER get warm here?

…Back to the golf tournament

I had a great time other than the British Open conditions. The guys I played with just so happened to design the new practice facility and stadium. They said they had seen my comments about the new facility, so that was kinda cool. Two of the guys I played with will remain nameless because I don’t want to embarrass them so I have to give a shout out to Kevin, Craig, and Ground killer #1 and #2. LOL!!! We had so many laughs at each other that the day went by fast.

We played a scramble ( No we didn’t win!) and we finished -6. That’s a respectable score considering we had no one who even resembled a scratch golfer. I started playing 1.5 years ago and I break 100 every time now and am happy about it. (Rashean, Scobee, Rem, and my Caddy I’m coming for you!) The scores keep falling. I’m trying to get as many rounds of golf in now as possible because it will be coming to an end when camp starts. Where is good to play in NJ/NY?
BTW… I spent sometime in NYC this weekend. I like it. NYC is growing on me fast, but don’t get me wrong it’s still CA all day! Go Lakers!!!

Very Impressive

Today was the 1st day the team used the new practice facility. Man, that place is 1st class. Everything from the weight room, training room , locker room, kitchen to the indoor practice facility is great. It has all the bells and whistles to complete all the things you need and most things you want. It is very fancy but simple at the same time. Not overdone at all. The completion of the facility will be money well spent. I like things that are very up to date and have a lot of features but at the same time simple, easy to use and classy. The new facility is exactly that.


The Giants have so much history and pride which is displayed as you walk the halls of the new facility and see the giant sized pictures of great moments in Giant and NFL history. I can see the owners and coaching staff treat the players very good. I met so many of the players today and they welcomed me in. Today reconfirmed my excitement to be a part of this team and franchise.

Hopefully the new stadium will be just as amazing.

NYC Here I Come

Today is my last day in CA until OTAs are over. The new start begins this week. There’s so much work to do and many challenges to face in the coming weeks. 1st challenge, playbook/offense. The terminology and system is dramatically different from Jacksonville, but nothing a lot of studying and do diligence can’t overcome.

2nd challenge, adjusting to new teammates and figuring out the dynamic of the team. I’m excited to meet the guys on the team that I don’t know already. I spent a lot of time with my teammates and their families in jacksonville, so I wonder will it be the same in NY. I have heard nothing but good things about the team, character of the players, and the healthy competition amongst the players from linebacker Danny Clark (one of my former Jacksonville teammates).
3rd challenge, the BIG APPLE, I’m a Cali guy with country roots (Memphis, TN) who went to college in the Northwest, so I have no idea what goes on up there! LOL! I have a feeling I will find out fast. I moved around a lot when I was younger so change and new situations don’t bother me, it’s actually old hat.
On TV and in the movies New Yorker’s are supposed to be rude and cold. So if you see me with my LA hat on and I look lost don’t leave me hanging. “HELP YA BOI OUT!!!”

Fresh Start

I am a New York Giant! I have a fresh new start with one of the best franchises in NFL history. It is a great opportunity to play in a big market and an opportunity to play for a championship team. I played in Jacksonville for 6 years and those years will always hold a special place in my heart. Six years filled with moments of promise, highlights, flashes of greatness, and underachievement due to injury. This is a fresh start and an opportunity to have the second half of my career be dramatically better than the first. (Not that the first half was bad!)


God gave me so much ability and talent to play the game I love so much and I haven’t been able to show all that I can do for a long period of time. I have spent too much time in the training room and under the knife. While being a free agent, teams have acknowledged that they see my ability and know I can play at a high level but wonder if I will stay healthy.


I love football more than anything else other than God and my family. This offseason I have trained harder than ever and will continue to do so. I am in the best shape I have been in since college. So that will allow me to stay healthy throughout the season. Follow me on my journey this offseason and season to being considered one of the best TEs in the league.

Follow my journey through video diary and blogs. With help from my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my Workout Guru Travelle Gaines, support from my family and alot of hardwork on my part, I will get it done.

STAY TUNED!!!

Me and D


Thursday I was driving my 3 year-old son to school and it was amazing.
He was in the backseat talking and talking and talking about everything from the fire engine driving down the street to “his song” that came on the radio. He has thoughts, opinions, likes, dislikes, and QUESTIONS. So many questions. LOL! He is a blank slate just craving knowledge and answers. I realize how important it is to instill the right values in your children and teach them right from wrong, and the right way to do things.

My first tight end coach Alfredo Roberts said he teaches his kids, “There’s no right way to do the wrong thing, and there’s no wrong way to do the right thing”. That stuck with me and I believe it fully.

The last few days I have been taken back and in awe because the most mind blowing sight is watching your child grow. I don’t know if this has happened to other fathers like it happened to me yesterday. I had an “epiphanous experience of pure religiousity” (-Don King). I love my son so much and he wants to follow me around and do what I do and beat me up everyday. This little person that I helped bring to life is a walking, talking, breathing me. I love being a father.

It’s so amazing how much he has grown and how smart he is in only 3 years. I look into his eyes and I see how he is full of joy and “wonderment” (-Ricky bobby.) I can’t wait to see him grow further and see him get older. But I know one day I will wake up and he will be going to college, so I am doing my best to enjoy it now. My life is even better than I thought.

Opening Day

Today I went to my first baseball game in a long time. Opening day at Dodgers Stadium. I haven’t been to a Dodgers game since I was in Jr High. Partially because watching baseball can be like watching paint dry and because it’s usually so freaking hot outside. However, I must say today was a good experience. I saw in person one of the rarest things to happen in baseball and the teams scored over 10 total runs. Orlando Hudson hit for the “cycle”. Today was only the second time in Dodgers history, the other was in 1970.

It was a little hot but bearable. I don’t know how people sit at sporting events in insanely hot or freezing cold weather. You guys who do are real fans and troopers or just flat out CRAZY!!! You guys are the ones who make the games memorable and unforgettable because of the environment you create.

I don’t know when I’ll be going back to a baseball game. I got lucky. O.H. hit for the cycle, and there were over 10 runs scored, but most importantly it wasn’t too hot. Great day!

America’s Favorite Game!!!

The NFL owners and NFLPA must get the CBA extended. An uncapped year would destroy what makes the NFL America’s favorite game. One word: parity (along with a little violence), is the reason why men, women, boys and girls love “the shield”. In no other sport does the teams in the playoffs vary as much as football. Think about it, every year in MLB you can guess 5 or 6 of the 8 teams that will make the playoffs that year based on the year before. In the NBA, you know before the season starts who will be good.

The NFL has so few games that every game matters significantly, and anyone can win any given week. It is so hard for players and teams to be consistently great year in and year out because of injuries and salary cap issues. Great offenses and defenses are broken up every year due to the salary cap. It’s bad for chemistry and for the players, but it’s great for the fans because they know their team can go from out of the playoffs to Superbowl champs in one season. Lets take the Atlanta Falcons this past season. The team was in turmoil, they lost their best player in Michael Vick and traded one of their top players (Deangelo Hall), and they only won 4 games the year before. Everyone thought they would be in for a long rebuilding process and competing for the leagues worst record, but…. “not so fast my friend”. This is the NFL. Things change very fast.
In the MLB, with the rare exception like last years’ Tampa Bay Devil Rays the teams with the highest payrolls win the most and make the playoffs. Teams like the KC Royals, Brewers, Marlins, and Pirates who don’t have the same money to spend like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Angels virtually have NO chance of making the playoffs, let alone winning the World Series. This is what football will become without a salary cap. Some players have the misconception that money will be flowing like water for everyone, but that’s not true. Just like when there is no ceiling, there is no floor. Some teams will have payrolls soaring past $150 million while smaller market teams will spend drastically less . In addition, players won’t be eligible for free agency until after 6 seasons. The NFL is a very physical game, and injuries happen that end great players careers’ early. Benefits will be slashed and so will post career health care which is so vital for former players and their families. The big money will only be able to be made after 6 years, and that’s if a team with a lot of money is in need of your position.
An uncapped year is bad for the owners as a whole (only a few teams like Cowboys, Redskins, Bears, Giants) will be able to remain competitive. An uncapped year is bad for the players as a whole as well for short term and long term reasons. I love football and I want the NFL to remain America’s BEST and favorite game. I love the competition and not knowing who will win a game before it starts. I love the NFL for the same reasons I love the NCAA tourney – winning the national championship is achievable/possible for any hard-working team.

Ankle Insurance

Kobe Bryant, my favorite player offers basketball players security for their ankles!!! Many people have had to stuff their feet in ice buckets because of him, and players like him. Don’t be a victim.

 
 
 

1st Visit

I’m on my first visit! I just got to the hotel in East Rutherford, NJ. I can see the new and old Giants stadium from my hotel. I have a 6 am wake up for a physical tomorrow. This will be an exciting and busy week, plenty of frequent flyer miles. I have a few more visits lined up for this week, but you never know, the process could end quickly. I will keep everyone updated on the process.

24 hrs and counting

It’s official!!! I was informed today by GM Gene Smith that I will be released by the Jaguars tomorrow. I’m excited to see what the future holds and where I will end up this season. Teams have already expressed interest since being informed that this will happen. Ill be taking some trips to teams as early as this weekend, so I’d assume my situation will be resolved in the next week or two. I have never been a free agent so it’s pretty exciting!!!

I just again want to thank my friends, family, and fans who have supported me throughout my career. The past was bright, but the future will be incandescent!