New York Giants sixth-round pick Corey Ballentine successfully reported to the team’s voluntary offseason program on Monday, just weeks after being injured in a shooting.
The Washburn University product was told by the Giants to skip rookie minicamp to heal from his injury and be with his family, but he did make a surprise visit to the team’s facility last Thursday.
As originally planned, Ballentine showed up on Monday and took part in some team activities.
Just hours after he was drafted, Ballentine was shot in the backside during an off-campus party. Thankfully, Ballentine wasn’t seriously injured and is expected to make a full recovery.
Unfortunately for the rookie cornerback, he lost his good friend and former teammate, Dwane Simmons, who was tragically killed in the incident. It was a heartbreaking case of the pair being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
It might be some time before Ballentine can partake in physical activities; however, he is clearly moving forward as he continues to recover from his injury.
The rookie corner will have a golden opportunity right from the jump to get pretty significant playing time with Big Blue this coming season. Of course, that will depend on how quickly he returns to full action and how well he shows during the offseason.
With the secondary being one of the biggest question marks the Giants face right now, Ballentine has as good a shot as any corner on the roster to see plenty of time on the field in 2019.
