Giants Tell Us What They Learned From “The Plaxico Incident”

Plaxico Burress is the latest cautionary tale from the world of sports; showing us how to go from Prince of New York City to banished degenerate in 10 short months.

If any good comes out of this situation, it’s that other players in the Giants locker room will look to Plax’s example as what NOT to emulate.

So have the Giants learned a lesson here? We went to practice this week and found out first hand what they plan to do differently in the wake of Plax walking the plank.

Below you'll hear from DE Mathias Kiwanuka, WR Steve Smith, CB Sam Madison and CB Corey Webster.

It seems the consensus among the guys is to be aware of your surroundings, never be alone, and know when to leave a potentially harmful situation – all good ideas, and ones we hope they’ll practice, not just preach.

Also of note from the past week is the emergence of Kiwanuka as a team leader. Only in his third year as a pro, Kiwi is becoming a strong voice in the Giants’ locker room. The simple fact that the Giants PR machine (in FULL damage control mode, mind you) chose Kiwanuka as one of only SIX players to speak for a roster of 53 should attest to his rising stature among his teammates. The star of our sound bite, Kiwi is intelligent, eloquent and patient with the media (especially on a tough day).

While the Giants lost a superstar during this whole mess, they may also have gained a new leader.

Matt Estreich for The Huddle