CB Greg Newsome II on signing contract extension with the Giants

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Congratulations.

Greg Newsome II (0:01)

Appreciate it, thank you.

SPEAKER_3 (0:02)

You said in March that you thought you'd be a good fit here.

SPEAKER_1 (0:04)

What is it about your experience here that you think has made you such a good fit in this defense?

Greg Newsome II (0:07)

Yeah, I think it starts from the top down, like starting obviously with ownership, just how they carry their selves. It goes down to the head coach and it keeps going down. So just what Harves has just instilled, just the toughness, how we're gonna play, things like that. And then, Dennard has the perfect scheme for me.

Being able to go challenge people, being aggressive and things like that, and just, man, just the ability to play with all 11 guys. We got some of the best players in the league, so they make my job a lot easier as well.

SPEAKER_4 (0:44)

How much do you hope now that Dennard stays here for the length of your contract?

Greg Newsome II (0:47)

Oh, yeah, man.

Yeah, for sure. You know, things happen. But obviously, I would love for him to be with me the rest of my career as well.

SPEAKER_5 (0:57)

When you come to a new place, you want to make an impression. You came on a one-year, you know, and prove it kind of one-year contract. Did you think after only six games that you played, that you will be able to get this kind of security?

Greg Newsome II (1:09)

Yeah, I believed wholeheartedly after I signed in one year. I knew the type of person I was first and foremost, and I knew what type of player I was. And I knew that if I just get to the right place, that the money will take care of itself.

I feel like when you're somewhere that you're wanted, you're somewhere that you're loved, everything else takes care of itself. So, I knew this would be the place.

SPEAKER_6 (1:32)

What was your thought process this year?

SPEAKER_7 (1:35)

To do what you try to do, get traded at the deadline, come to a whole new team, learn a new scheme that maybe most people would realize, and then were you looking forward to kind of a fresh start coming out of that just because of the challenges that you faced?

Greg Newsome II (1:49)

Yeah, I definitely think it's difficult.

When you play in a primarily man-to-man, press scheme, getting traded mid-season to a place where it's a lot of zone, it's a lot of reading different things, and just learning your teammates, learning where you fit in that defense, learning everyone's strengths. It's definitely tough, but God doesn't make mistakes, and I feel like that helped me in the long run, just being able to adjust and get out of your comfort zone, in a sense.

SPEAKER_6 (2:18)

What was your thought process?

SPEAKER_3 (2:20)

You placed a one-year bet on yourself. You could have played it out, potentially made more, but they offer you a deal here. So take us through kind of how you processed that part of it.

Greg Newsome II (2:31)

Yeah, so my first thing was fit.

What coaches know me, and that was the biggest thing. I obviously played against Harbs a lot, so he knew what type of player I was, and I knew what type of coach he was. So that was kind of my first thing. All right, fit. How did his defenses play in the past? That's going to be kind of how the defense will be playing in New York. And when I figured out he was here, and just going through free agency, obviously it was very stressful. And after just seeing some guys get paid, I assumed that the market was going to be a little bit lower. So I figured, how about I sign in one year? How about I come to New York and just play in front of a big media outlet? I feel like my personality will be able to show more in this city. So that was kind of my thought process the other way.

SPEAKER_3 (3:19)

What about now? And that came to you with the deal, right? Because you could have, you had the option of playing it out, or then saying, you know what? This is the right spot for me now.

Greg Newsome II (3:27)

Yeah, like I said, man, you obviously could play it out, maybe make a few more millions, you know, continue to play well. But for me, it's not really about that. Like once again, I chose this place because it just fits me.

The coaches, my teammates, like I just love being around these guys. So when they approached us with a deal, it wasn't a no-brainer. It wasn't, how about I play it out and maybe make a few more millions? Like obviously it'd be great to have a few more, but when you're somewhere that you're wanted and loved, the money, you know, I'm getting good enough money that I'll be secure for the rest of my life.