Giants sixth-overall draft pick, and presumed eventual heir to Eli Manning, Daniel Jones talks reaction to his pick, playing on the big stage, the pressure of being a high pick and more in his initial Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What would you say to Giants fans who booed when your name was announced at MetLife Stadium?
A: There’s not gonna be a guy who’s gonna work harder than I will, and compete harder than I will, and I’m certainly looking forward to the opportunity to representing the New York Giants. I’m thrilled to be part of the organization, and I understand it’s my job to make them believers in me, and I’m looking forward to doing that.
Q: What do you think the critics are missing about you?
A: I’m not sure. … I don’t spend a whole lot of time looking into that or reading that stuff. It’s my job to make them believers in me, and I’m gonna do that, and I’m looking forward to being in New York and just being a Giant.
Q: Why will you be successful in the NFL?
A: I think because I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be successful. I think physically I have all the tools to do it, and mentally I think I’m prepared well, I think I’m driven to do it, and I think that’s what makes people successful.
Q: What won’t you tolerate either in the huddle or from a teammate?
A: Anything that distracts us from winning football games, certainly selfishness or just anything that gets in the way of winning games — whether that’s people not doing what needs to be done, or what the team thinks is necessary to do.
Q: Duke coach David Cutcliffe told me you wanted to play on the New York stage.
A: Being in New York, playing for the Giants is something that you dream of growing up. I mean, that is the biggest stage. The Giants are the franchise in the NFL, an opportunity to play for them is playing on the biggest stage and that’s what you dream of. I know I can handle it, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity.
Q: How do you know you can handle it?
A: I think there’s certainly still a lot to learn, but I just mean that I’m confident in myself. I’m looking forward to learning obviously, understanding exactly what it takes, but I’m certainly confident in myself.
Q: When your career begins, you’ll be following a legend. How do you feel about that?
A: I think with an opportunity like that, it’s important to be confident in who you are and not to try to be someone else through that, not to change. … I certainly look forward to learning from Eli, I think there’ll a whole lot to learn there, but I’m also gonna be who I am and be confident in that.
Q: So the pressure of being the No. 6 pick and the great expectations, you’ll handle those fine?
A: Yeah, I’m looking forward to getting to work.
Q: Describe your leadership style.
A: I’m very confident in myself and who I am. I’m not a rah-rah guy or not a guy that’s gonna spend a whole lot of time doing that, but I think I connect with people personally. I think leadership’s about understanding who you’re leading and who the people are that you’re communicating with and building personal relationship through trusting one another.
Q: Describe your quarterbacking style.
A: I think I’m a guy who plays from the pocket and a guy who can make all the throws. I see accuracy as a strength of my game, but I think I’m athletic enough to be able to extend plays, to move around the pocket and make things happen.
Q: What are you like in the huddle?
A: I think I’m very levelheaded, I’m calm and confident in the team and what we can accomplish as a team, and I think people respect that.
Q: Give me an example of your will to compete.
A: Coming to Duke as a walk-on initially, I was an under-recruited guy, someone who wasn’t immediately recruited like the other people, and I chose to come to Duke and was eager to compete there.
Q: How about on the field?
A: I think one of my first starts as a redshirt freshman was at Notre Dame. It was early on in our season, and obviously it was against a team with tremendous tradition and tremendous talent, and we found a way to win down there down the stretch. … In the fourth quarter as a young guy at the time, I needed to step up and win the respect of my teammate and show that I could do it down the stretch and ultimately we found a way to win that game.
Q: Coach Cutcliffe challenged you because he thought you were playing too soft.
A: Yeah, I think that was the Georgia Tech game redshirt freshman year. I made some mistakes in the game, and really wasn’t playing as well as I could have, and he certainly challenged me. I remember saying to him not to challenge my toughness, that’s something I take a whole lot of pride in. I responded to it quickly and very directly with him, and I think he respected that, and then on the field, I responded to it as well, we started playing better and eventually won the game. I’ll always remember that moment.
Q: What is one example that exemplifies your toughness?
A: This [past] year I broke my collarbone in the Northwestern game, which was the second game of the season for us. I had surgery the next day, I missed a week of practice, I was out there practicing a week later, didn’t play that week, but missed two games and was back that third week against Virginia Tech. I think toughness is certainly a strength of mine. I take a lot of pride in that, and something that I think is critical to being a successful football player and certainly a successful quarterback.
Q: Describe your on-field mentality.
A: I think I stay levelheaded … my ability to remain calm and kind of steady throughout a game, whatever the situation in the game is. The guys that can do that are the guys that are the most successful.
Q: What drives you?
A: I just think a love for playing football, for winning really. The opportunity to compete and play the game is what drives me, and that’s always something I’ve loved to do, something that keeps me working, keeps me driven.
Q: Is there room in New York for both you and fellow Blue Devil, potential Knicks first-round pick Zion Williamson?
A: (Laugh) I certainly think so. I hope it works out like that, we’ll see what happens, but he’s a special guy for sure.
Q: Have you ever played against him?
A: I haven’t, I’d love to.
Q: How good will he be in the NBA?
A: I think he’s gonna be really good. I remember when he was coming out of high school, people — the competition he was playing against — saying he won’t be able to do that in college, and then he did exactly what he did in high school. I know some people think he’s not your standard stereotypical 3 or 4, but I think he’s gonna be a great. I think he’s gonna have a great NBA career.
Q: Who is one cornerback in NFL history you would have loved to throw against?
A: Maybe Darrelle Revis. He was a really good player for a long time. His cousin’s actually on our team at Duke, Mark Gilbert.
Q: You twice attended the Manning Passing Academy. What is the best advice Peyton Manning has given you?
A: He told me that this was a big decision to stay at Duke or to declare for the draft. He said, “Whatever decision you make, people will criticize it. People will say what they want about it, but it’s your job to either prove them right or prove them wrong. You’re in charge of your own destiny. You’re in charge of what happens in your life and how people respond to it.”
Q: What do you know about Phil Simms?
A: I know he was a great quarterback for the Giants, and certainly represented the Giants very well.
Q: What do you recall about Eli winning his Super Bowls the way he did?
A: I know they were tremendous performances. They were down-to-the-wire where he was making clutch throws, clutch decisions down the stretch, and just kind of a toughness and a will to compete that ultimately prevailed. Those were fun games to watch, and I have a lot of respect for the way he’s done it.
Q: Do you know former Giants QBs from Duke Dave Brown at all?
A: I haven’t actually gotten the chance to meet him yet, but hopefully I’d love to have a chance to get to know him.
Q: What was your best Duke moment?
A: We beat Carolina here in a [2016] rivalry game, it was a Thursday night game, they were [No.] 15 or 16 in the nation, we were unranked, a tough season for us, but we got up for that game [a 28-27 win] … an awesome moment. … I think the Temple game this year [Independence Bowl, a 56-27 win].
Q: Who are athletes in other sports you admire?
A: Steph Curry.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: I was a Panthers fan, so I always enjoyed watching those guys. … Jake Delhomme, Steve Smith, Julius Peppers, I really admired them, really looked up to them as a kid. My role model would definitely be my dad.
Q:Why was your dad your role model?
A: Growing up with my three siblings and I can’t really think of any time when I felt like they were doing anything for themselves or really not putting me and my siblings first, and that’s something I’ve always admired and really appreciated. He’s certainly my idol, certainly the guy I’ve looked up to the most.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Abraham Lincoln, Michael Jordan, Matthew McConaughey.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Kicking & Screaming.”
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Kings of Leon.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Chipotle.
Q: What’s it going to be like for you being one of New York City’s most eligible bachelors?
A: (Laugh) I don’t know. I’m gonna be focused on football.
Q: You’ll win the fans over.
A: I’m focused on being the best player I can be, be the best teammate I can be, and whenever my time comes, on winning football games. I think that’s certainly what fans want.