New York Giants safety Xavier McKinney isn’t used to losing.
McKinney played three years of college football at the University of Alabama under head coach Nick Saban. During his three seasons there, Alabama lost a total of four games.
Then McKinney was a second-round pick by the Giants in 2020 and everything changed. There hasn’t been a whole lot of winning in East Rutherford and the 24-year-old is getting a bit impatient.
“[I’m getting] pretty impatient. I try not to think too much about it because it’s a new year and obviously we’ve got to focus on what’s here,” McKinney told reporters this week. “We had to go through those rough times, and we went through all of that losing. For me, I’m ready to get back out there, I’m ready to win games but I think that starts with the stuff we do out here in practice, the stuff that you guys see.
“It starts with the things that we do in the film room; it starts with what we do in the weight room. All the little things matter. That’s what I’ve noticed, that’s what it’s always been. That’s the difference between winning and losing — the little things. I think we’ve done a great job of taking care of that and I think the rest will take care of itself.”
McKinney missed most of the 2020 season with a fractured foot but in the 23 games he’s appeared, he’s recorded 112 tackles (68 solo), six passes defended, six interceptions and a touchdown.
At 6-foot and 201 pounds, McKinney isn’t the biggest guy on the field, but he’s proven that he is capable of doing his job. Now if the rest of the team can get healthy, the Giants might actually have a chance.
