Captain Love and nine others receive honor for Giants

The Giants named 10 players as captains on Tuesday. There were three representing the offense, three for the defense, three for special teams . . . 

“And then Julian,” Julian Love said, noting his somewhat special designation and unique category as an at-large holder of the honor after having received votes from teammates for both defense and special teams.

“That’s been my story,” Love said. “I’ve been the guy bouncing all over the place. People have pigeon-holed me in certain positions, as a certain way, and I feel like I have persevered . . . I wouldn’t want [a captainship] any other way.”

Most of the captains were unsurprising: QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley and LT Andrew Thomas on offense, S Xavier McKinney, DL Leonard Williams and DT Dexter Lawrence on defense, K Graham Gano, LS Casey Kreiter and gunner Cam Brown on special teams. It is a relatively young group with seven of the eight non-specialist position players still on their rookie contracts.

Love became emotional talking about receiving his C, the first time he has ever been a captain for any team he’s been on. He said he was passed over for the designation in high school and was promised a captaincy if he had returned to Notre Dame for his senior year but he instead declared for the NFL Draft.

“I feel like people have always wanted me to be more outspoken, wanted me to be a rah-rah guy, wanted me to be a muscle head, all of that stuff,” Love said. “But this team has appreciated me for staying true to myself . . . Opportunities have been given to me this year so far so now I just have to continue to seize them.”

Notes & quotes: WR Darius Slayton remained a member of the team as of Tuesday despite the possibility of his being waived or traded . . . Positions to watch as the Giants begin working the waiver wire include safety (with only two healthy players on the initial 53), tight end and offensive line . . . LB Tomon Fox was the only undrafted rookie to make the initial 53.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.