August 12, 2008 New York Giants Training Camp Reports

August 12, 2008 New York Giants Training Camp Reports: The following are brief practice reports provided by the NY/NJ beat writers who cover the Giants:

• Star-Ledger Morning Report
• Star-Ledger Evening Report

Injury Report – Plaxico Practices, Amani Does Not: Not practicing yesterday were WR Amani Toomer (knee), WR Mario Manningham (quad), WR David Tyree (PUP – knee), HB Derrick Ward (knee), LT David Diehl (ribs), RT Shane Olivea (back), DE Antonio Reynolds (unknown), LB Jonathan Goff (back), and PK Lawrence Tynes (foot).

The big news was that WR Plaxico Burress (ankle) practiced for the first time at training camp, participating in the evening practice on a limited basis. “It’s like riding a bicycle – it’s like I never left,” Burress said. “I just wanted to go out and gauge how I feel. I felt okay. I just got some new stuff (orthotics) in my shoes and this is the first day I ran in them. My feet are a little sore right now, so it’s something I have to get used to. Once I get used to it andget the soreness out, I’ll be back out here.”

“Derrick Ward and Amani Toomer didn’t practice,” said Coughlin. “We’re going to have to see with them, they both have sore knees and are going to have to see the doctor.” The Star-Ledger is reporting that Ward will be back at practice on Thursday (there is no practice today).

“Tynes jammed his foot the other day when he was kicking,” said Coughlin. “He slipped on his plant foot and came down in an awkward way…he’s being treated, too.”

As for Olivea, Head Coach Tom Coughlin said, “I’m surprised it’s been this long. A day or two ago, he told me that he thought today would be the day, but I don’t know. It’s very frustrating. It is for the player, too. I mean he’s here for a reason and he had such great expectations. Unfortunately, the way it works in this game, he had his best practice and then that’s the last time I saw him.”

DE Osi Umenyiora (hip), LB Zak DeOssie (back), Gerris Wilkinson (knee), CB Sam Madison (sports hernia), and S Craig Dahl (knee) did not practice in the morning, but did so in the evening.

WR Steve Smith (groin), DE/DT Justin Tuck (foot), and LB Danny Clark (groin) practiced in the morning, but not in the evening.

CB R.W. McQuarters returned to the team after the birth of his daughter.

Quotes: Head Coach Tom Coughlin on OG Kevin Boothe: “He’s a big powerful kid who is very smart. He tries to take full advantage of every chance he has and when he has had to play with the ones he has done a good job. He’s a handy guy; he plays both guard and tackle.”

Safeties Coach David Merritt on S Kenny Phillips: “Looking at him, I definitely see a special player. I truly believe that he is going to be a special one, having a great impact on the Giants’ team as well as the community. He is a good young man, I met his parents in Detroit, and I can tell that he came from a solid foundation. Athletically, Kenny is without a doubt one of the best I’ve seen. The kid has unbelievable range; he can get from the middle of the field to the sideline just like that. Then for him to show up, which I knew grading him coming out of college, with his tackling ability – you put that kid on turf and he is that much quicker and faster…It’s interesting you say that, because I’ve talked to some of my buddies around the league and they wanted to pull the trigger on him (in the draft). I thought he was going to gone, to be honest with you. I’m just still in awe about the fact that we actually got him…It’s a situation we are all excited about. For Kenny Phillips to fall to us like the way he did, it was like an early Christmas present…He better get on the field as much as he can. He’s got to deal with the learning curve, but he’s picking it up well. Once he is able to minimize his mistakes by improving his technique, which we constantly are trying to improve with all of our guys, it will be hard to keep him off the field…Plaxico Burress said something to me the other night, he said, ‘Coach man, I’m going to be honest with you, I hate seeing guys like Kenny back there in the middle of the post, because they’re so fast and so rangy.’ It is very intimidating to see him back there, especially because he can get from the middle of the field to the sidelines. That right there, coming from a guy like Plaxico, means a lot. I haven’t told that to Kenny yet, but I’m sure you guys will print that now. I’m expecting great things out of this young man.”

Merritt on S Stuart Schweigert: “(We noticed) his change of direction, his quickness, and the fact that he was a smart kid. He asks questions like, ‘Coach, how do I do this again?’ Right then and there I knew he was a detail oriented type young man…He’s been pounding it, he’s been studying every night, he’s behind the eight ball right now, but hopefully, he’ll be able to pick it up and catch up with the defense as quickly as he can. I told him to just study the base situations that we have in the game and not to worry about the sub packages. He’s picking it up well though.”