The New York Giants officially announced the addition of special teams ace Nate Ebner on Tuesday during a conference call with members of the beat pool. He is the third such free agent addition to hold an introductory conference call in the past week.
Here’s a look at five quick things we learned from Ebner:
Joe Judge played part in Ebner’s arrival
Ebner played for years under Joe Judge in New England, so it’s no surprise the coach played a major role in bringing the veteran to New York.
“I’m not going to play out a bunch of different scenarios. I’m not going to act like he didn’t have a part in coming here,” Ebner said. “I obviously have built a good relationship with him and a rapport with him. Obviously (him) being a special teams coach, me being a special teams player over nearly a decade on the same team. We do have a relationship that definitely played a part in me being a Giant.
“Outside of that, it is a great organization that I am extremely excited to get to. It’s a great team, within a great city, with a great fan base that I’m juiced about. Obviously like everyone else, you wish you weren’t quarantined. I am extremely excited to get there and be a part of the organization first and foremost.”
Ebner would not say if New York was a potential destination had Judge not been their head coach.
Rugby remains a big deal
Ebner was a standout rugby player before his football career took off, having been named the MVP of the USA team at both the under-19 IRB Junior World Championship in 2007 and the under-20 IRB Junior World Championship in 2008.
He also participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics and is a minority owner of the New England Free Jacks, which is a Major League Rugby team.
Needless to say, rugby remains a big deal for Ebner.
“Rugby played a big part in me being able to transition to football. There are some similarities, the tackling, that aspect of both sports. You do a lot of tackling but even the tackling can be very different when you look at the details of it,” Ebner said.
“They are both very different sports. I think the mental side of football versus the flow and feel of rugby. Rugby can be very like basketball, you have to feel out the situation. Is it a fast break or is it a half court set piece, that’s kind of how rugby is. Football is very studied and you need to recognize something that has come up before or a formation or this or that and remember checks. It’s a very different head game. They’re obviously two very physical sports, but at the end of the day they are very different as well. Like I said, I could go on and on about that for a while.”
Won’t use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse
The Giants, head coach Joe Judge and his entire staff will face one of the most difficult and interrupted first-year offseasons in recent memory (if not ever) due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Already, the start of the Giants’ offseason workout program has been delayed and there’s no telling when the team will be together for the first time.
No matter when that comes, Ebner will not use it as an excuse and doesn’t expect Judge to, either.
“Well, everyone has to succeed against it. This is not just a New York Giants problem. This is an entire NFL problem and an entire country as a whole all fighting against it,” Ebner said. “I think every team is going to have to overcome it, just as we will. You can argue that a team that has a system of things that they’re used to doing is going to run into problems, just as much as us being new to it. We’ll do what we need to do to overcome as we can and as we go and what we’re allowed to do as the time comes. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I know Joe is going to work as hard as he can and do everything in his power to the best of his ability to get us prepared as best as we can. Outside of that, we’ll do what we can that’s within our control.”
A love for Matthew Slater
During his time in New England, Ebner grew close to fellow special teams ace Matthew Slater, who he calls one of the most high-character men in all of football.
When asked about Slater, Ebner had a lot to say.
“I have nothing but amazing things to say about Matthew Slater. He’s one of the highest-character people I’ve ever met in my life, and he’s a great, great football player to boot. I learned a lot from Matt coming in as a rookie. He was in his third or fourth year and already was a Pro Bowler,” Ebner said. “I just watched him work on a day to day basis, and kind of what I’ve spoken to throughout this phone call, just coming to work with a selfless attitude to do the work, to do it to the best of your ability, and whatever is asked of you, do it with a selflessness that puts the team’s priorities above your own.
“That’s what Matt did forever. He was extremely consistent, and that consistency, over time, really speaks to who you are as a person. Matt was among the most consistent people I’ve ever met. I could go on and on about the things that I’ve learned and how we’ve grown together. Matt as a person, I could literally go on and on about that. But ultimately, it’s about finding guys that want to put everything into their work every day, and when it comes to Sunday, they’re going to fight for each other. There’s a lot of selflessness, like I mentioned, and guys that are going to put it all on the line for one another.
“It sounds like there would be more to it. It sounds like some rah-rah stuff. But that’s the truth. Just a group of guys that really are tight-knit that want to fight for each other. That’s what it comes down to.”
A dedication to special teams
Ebner has established himself as one of the best special teams players in the sport, which stems from a tireless work ethic and dedication — a deep dedication not often given to special teams roles.
“To me, there are little intricacies within everything that I do, special teams or as a safety, that are very relatable, whether it be calling protections of the PP on punt protection, or just as you make checks on defense or offense or whatnot. No one really looks at those intricacies as much as they do offense or defense, but they’re out there and they’re happening every game. In the kicking game just as well,” Ebner said. “Those finer points can be the difference-maker, especially in a phase of the game that’s a one-play series. You don’t get four downs. You don’t have a bunch of opportunities. You get one chance. Sometimes, those opportunities can be game-changing opportunities. Every game, you’re going to get a handful of opportunities to change the game.
“Kicking and special teams plays truly do change the game. Touchdowns, blocked kicks, especially turnovers, momentum swings, they’re big parts of the game. Those details matter, and I think having played as long as I have, I hopefully can kind of build on what I’ve experienced. That’s why I love the kicking game. It’s a one-play series that’s balls to the wall for the entire time. It’s not like you get an incomplete pass and you’re back in the deep part of the field, and not covering grass and it’s a run play or something like that. Every single play in the kicking game is absolutely full speed and a dog fight. Every single one of them. It’s fun.”
