There's no question that I am the biggest New York Giants fan at Maxim HQ. I was cheering on Big Blue through the Dave Brown era, went into seclusion after Kerry Collins' horrid Super Bowl game in '99, and was front and center when the now-retired Michael Strahan said, "New England? We stomped them out!" While the Giants have put together an efficient offense, their defense has shut down opponents en route to a NFC best 7-1 record. I got a chance to talk to one of the team's rising stars on defense, strong safety James Butler (who, oh by the way, has had an interception in the past two victories), about laying out opponents, Tom Coughlin's softer side, and why my diet of Taco Bell and fried lasagna wouldn't make it in the NFL.
In terms of personal satisfaction, what do you look forward to most: laying out a receiver or picking off the quarterback?I would say a little bit of both. At the beginning of the game, I want to get a big hit. Let them know I'm there. Let them know what kind of game it's going to be. Then after that, I 'd definitely like to keep the interceptions.
You've been in the league for three and a half seasons now. You're the one giving out the hits most of the time, but who's hit you the hardest?That's a good question. I would say um, the Runyon dude from Philly. He's a big, ol' liner…yeah, Jon Runyon. You know, those liners are big. I try to get out of the way, but he actually caught me one play and I felt myself roll backwards. Don't want to look like that on film, man.
How do you physically get yourself ready for Sunday?Well, we practice. Physically, we have two hours of practice everyday except for Saturday so you can get rest the day before the game. So basically just get up, eat breakfast, have meetings all day, eat lunch, get ready for practice, and practice is like two hours so, you just get ready for practice, make sure you eat healthy, drink water, and hydrate during meetings. Basically that's the main thing. And after practice I try and get a protein drink or something to help be ready for recovery phase.
Anything different in your training as a safety compared to training for, say, a wide receiver? Every position is different, so, for me as a safety, I have to deliver more hits than the corners and receivers so I have to have my body sort of like a linebacker as well as a defensive back.
Do you ever hear rumors of how other people in the league train and steal their ideas? For my three years, I have found something for me that works for me. A lot of guys do different things, like get massages. I try to get two massages: one massage the day after the game, a light massage to get the sores out. I also go to a trainer that helps stretch me out because I'm one of those really tight guys: I pull a lot of hamstrings and different muscles. On Fridays, I get a massage again and get stretched out again. It helps me to be ready for game day and helps my body recover.
You just mentioned you train every day, but what is the "Tom Coughlin workout"? Is it just the usual yelling around the practice field?Actually, coach doesn't do that like he used to. I remember when I first got here, he used to stay on us and he hollered at us, but once he gained our trust from year to year, he's gotten better. I don't know if it came with age or winning the Super Bowl, but he's not as verbal as he used to be.
What's the best coherent sentence you've heard him say?One of his favorite quotes he told us was, "Don't tell me how rough the water is. Just bring the ship in." Actually, it kinda worked—when times are tough, that's a good quote to remember.
Okay, let's say I was training to be a safety for the New York Giants. I want you to critique my nutritional diet. For breakfast, I usually grab a bagel with cream cheese down the street.Oh, no. That's not enough. That will not hold you for practice. I eat oatmeal. I'm from the South so I like grits. I like pancakes. I try to eat things like turkey sausages for protein but not pork. I stay away from that. I eat a balanced breakfast with fruit and orange juice—different things like that. But, definitely, you have to eat more than a bagel, or else you'd be starving by the time you got through practice.
So, for lunch, yesterday I went to Taco Bell. I got a No. 6 with two crunchy tacos and a grilled steak soft taco.Aw, man. Fast food? You gotta cut out fast food. I mean, that's still the hardest thing for me because I get fast food here and there. But, fast food is the worst. I mean, you have to stay away from that greasy, greasy food. The fries, the hamburgers.
You're killing me here.You have to, man. Just go to Quiznos or Subway. I go to Quiznos all the time. That's one of my favorite places to grab food.
So, for dinner: fried lasagna dipped in gravy, marinated with Crisco and topped with a tub of Cool Whip. What do you say to that? In football, that's what we call a bad ball. Now, lasagna is good. I eat a lot of pasta, and different things that give you energy like chicken, rice and beans, potatoes—things like that.
Fine, I think we can conclude that I'll be dying a deliciously greasy death. Are there any favorite restaurants you look forward to going to when you fly around the country?You know, me and Corey Webster, we try and find a different restaurant every time we go to a different city. When we're home we go to Houston's. Actually, that's one of my favorite restaurants. Houston's has got those crab cakes that are the best. When we're away we try to find different restaurants—I remember when we were in St. Louis we found this soul food restaurant called Sweetie Pie. They hadvethe best southern food ever.
If the Giants hadn't drafted you, what would you be doing right now?
I would have probably continued my education in construction management. That's one of the things I focus on outside of football. Even here, with the Giants, I interned for them.
Are you helping to build the new Giants Stadium?
Yeah. I did that in the offseason.
We have a Cowboys fan in the office.
Oh, no.
He wants to know, from a Giant player's perspective, did the media come down too hard on Tony Romo last year for going to Cabo before playoffs game against you guys?
I mean, I try not to get too involved with the media, but obviously sometimes you have to separate your personal life from your work. However that got leaked out, it was kind of his fault. And the media tries to find things to talk about, so try to keep your personal life and your business life separate. That's the main thing for me.
Okay, now for what everyone's been waiting for—who's your favorite TV butler: Geoffrey from Fresh Prince, Mr. Belvedere, or Alfred from Batman?
Definitely Geoffrey from Fresh Prince.
—Transcribed by Elizabeth Zink
