Bottom line: Marc Colombo has cred with guys he's coaching

One of the reasons Marc Colombo has earned the immediate respect of the Giants players is that he was in their position not too long ago. Colombo played offensive line in the NFL from 2002-11 before he retired. He came back to coaching in 2016 with the Cowboys and is now in his first year as the offensive line coach for the Giants.

“It’s awesome having somebody who’s actually been there, done that, 10-plus years playing,” Giants guard Will Hernandez said of his new position coach. “He definitely has a lot of inside information as a player himself that he can pass on to us. As far as being there with us, he’s one of us. He’s one of the guys. … It’s cool having somebody who is very similar to everybody in that room and kind of gets it. He just gets it.”

Not only does Colombo bring an offensive lineman’s mentality to the group, he brings size too. At 6-8, he can look them in the eye – and sometimes look down on them. He’s also not so far removed from his playing days that he can’t jump in there and show the kids how it’s done once in a while.

“I’m able to get in there and do it myself, at least right now,” Colombo said. “I’m 41 so I’m not getting any younger. But at the same time, I think that’s important for them to get a good visual of exactly what you want so you can correct it right there on the field instead of having to go all the way back to the film and correct it afterwards.”

Colombo isn’t the only Giants coach who brings the first-hand experience of playing in the NFL. Offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was a backup quarterback in the league for 12 seasons.

“I did have the opportunity to play quarterback throughout my life, so there’s no question in my mind I feel like there can be a connection there and I can relate to these guys, hopefully in a very natural way that can help them get better,” Garrett said.

And defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson played cornerback in the NFL for eight seasons.

“I think it’s an advantage because a lot of the things I’m coaching, I’ve been in that situation before,” Henderson said. “We play a really tough position. The guys we play against are super, super talented. They know where they’re going, we don’t. We’re always trying to figure it out, react, cut them off and defend them. It’s a hard job. As much wisdom as I can impart, as well as instruction, I try to do that.”

Those experiences of Garrett and Henderson can certainly help build bonds, but Colombo’s background may be the most significant given the distant and isolated world in which any football team’s bundle of blockers generally operates.

“That’s something that any offensive lineman appreciates, a guy that understands you,” Hernandez said. “There are not too many offensive linemen. It’s a unique position. To have somebody that actually played there, it definitely helps us out a lot.”

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.