E-GIANTS
Dave Klein was the Giants' beat writer
for The Star-Ledger from 1961 to 1995.
He is the author of 26 books and he is one of
only five sportswriters to have covered all the Super Bowls.
Dave has allowed TEAM GIANTS to reprint some of his articles.

By DAVE KLEIN
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Suddenly, there he was, striding out from the Giants' lunchroom in the Stadium Club past a small cluster of sportswriters peering in to see if their turn to eat was at hand.

Jeremy Shockey himself. But different.

No long hair. Put him in a suit and he'd look like a Madison Avenue type. No flab, either. Definitely, he is in the best physical condition he has achieved since being drafted by the Giants as their first round selection in the 2002 NFL draft. Cut and defined, tall and blond and almost slim and sleek.

He is the man-child who spent most of the early spring in Miami working out with Hurricane football players past and present instead of joining head coach Tom Coughlin's little band of soldiers up north. Was Coughlin upset? Is Shaquille O'Neal tall? Is Terrell Owens obnoxious? Of course he was upset.

"Well, I decided to stay in Miami and do the [workout] things I did in college," Shockey said, ever smiling. "It is a more intense workout we do down there, and the weather is always hot, and there is a different kind of sense of competition."

Like how, Jeremy?

"Well, you know, the tight ends, for instance. I'm working out with freshman and sophomore tight ends, and you know damned well I can't let some freshman run faster than me. Honestly, I don't feel I'm working hard enough when I'm here."

And Coughlin just has to sit back and nod his head, even when Shockey convinced the newest prize jewel of the offense, wide receiver Plaxico Burress, to forsake the team's off-season workout and conditioning program and join him in Florida to work out with this group of Hurricane alums and soon-to-be alums.

"I'll be going back [to Miami] for the summer session of this workout camp," he said, "and to take some courses, too. There is just better competition there."

The 6-5, 260-pounder said he felt happier this year with Coughlin, and that is clearly something that will bring a smile to the old drill instructor's face. "Last year it was a new system and a new coach and new things to know," he said. "It's just easier now. Things are definitely more positive."

Shockey seems like a new man beyond his physical appearance as well (although he does admit to being faster, leaner, lighter on his feet. "I feel like I'm in great shape," he said, "and now I just have to get back to what I was doing as far as working out in Miami and taking it to another level."

But he did leave the team in March, April and a portion of May. That must be addressed, right? "The only reason I left was to give myself the chance to help the team out, give the team the best opportunity to win," he explained. "I'm just getting out there and doing the things I did in college and giving myself a chance like I did my first year. I'm not saying I wouldn't have a chance if I worked out up here, I'm just doing the stuff I did that I had success with. Everybody has a philosophy on how to train and how to work out. I just went back to [Hurricane] basics."

The numbers no longer matter to Shockey. "I don't care about statistics," he declared. "I just want to win. I want to win games and make the playoffs and that's not nearly as good as having good numbers and not making the playoffs. What does that prove? Nothing, that's why. What I want to prove is that I can help this team go as far as possible."

He displayed a new-found knowledge of offensive concepts, at least when he said that the Giants have to stretch the field in order to have a good offense -- "and now that we have Plax [Burress] he'll definitely be helping us in that aspect." Interestingly, it was Burress on Wednesday who said that the key to this passing offense is Shockey.

"I thought last year before the season started that I had a chance to have a real breakout year," he said. "In my opinion, I didn't have it. We need to establish the run and the passing game and you know, last year I don't think we completed one pass that was a seam route downfield. We need to stretch our offense besides catching those little bitty five- and six-yard passes."

Coughlin, earlier on the field after the morning practice, was asked about tight ends and their various skills. "It is a rare tight end," he said, "who can block well and still have the ability and the speed to run downfield and be a dangerous receiver. Shockey can be that kind of a tight end."

Last season Shockey caught 61 passes (leading the team) and his 666 yards gained were second behind wide receiver Amani Toomer, who caught 51 but for 747 yards. "I was never on a losing team," he said, "and I think that over the last three years we've lost more games than we've won [right you are, Jeremy, the team has a 20-28 record]."

EXTRA POINTS -- Center Shaun O'Hara sat out practice yesterday with a strained calf muscle (not serious). ... Rookie running back Brandon Jacobs, the 6-4, 267-pound fourth round pick, still runs too high and in the morning practice, just for old times' sake, he perfectly executed a Ron Dayne fall heading toward the line of scrimmage.

Jesse Palmer served as the second quarterback and most of his passes were sharp and generally on target. ... Mike Cloud seemed to carry the load as the second running back behind Tiki Barber. ... Free agent running back Ryan Grant looked good more than a few times. ... Rookie cornerback Corey Webster, the second round pick, was returning punts, too. ... Shockey and Burress were catching passes deep downfield -- or at least being thrown to deep downfield.

Check out Dave's website at E-GIANTS where you can subscribe to his newsletters which run much more frequently than what is available here.
- Team Giants

NEW - Send a request to davesklein@aol.com for a free week's worth of news!

Stop in and visit "Mike's Keys to the Internet"
Links to every newspaper and magazine that's available on the net. 

Website by Mike