Undrafted rookie Tomon Fox makes Giants' 53-man roster— for now
Giants linebacker Tomon Fox following an NFL preseason game against the Patriots on Aug. 11 in Foxborough, Mass. Credit: AP/Charles Krupa
Tomon Fox spent Tuesday receiving congratulations from teammates and coaches for being the only undrafted rookie to make the Giants’ initial 53-man roster, but he held off on letting those closest to him — his mom and dad — know about the accomplishment.
He didn’t want to jinx anything.
“I wanted to make sure I made it through the day,” he told Newsday.
Once 4:01 p.m. rolled around and the roster moves became official, Fox said he would call them.
Even then, though, the outside linebacker was going to stress that nothing about his place on the team is secure.
“[Tuesday] started off as a great day knowing that I am a Giant officially, but I know there is still a long road ahead and I still have to make it to the season,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy it right away, but I’m not going to relax.”
Fox’s physicality helped him get this far as a rookie from North Carolina. He said he knew he could play in the league because he competed against North Carolina State’s Iken Ekwonu, a first-round pick for the Panthers, at the collegiate level.
“I believed it was realistic [to make the Giants] as long as I kept my head on straight and did the little things, the extra things I needed to do,” he said of signing here after he went undrafted. “I’m just thankful for this opportunity.”
How long the opportunity lasts won’t be clear until the Giants’ roster becomes a bit more firm in the coming days. There will be waiver claims, players moved to injured reserve, and possibly even trades that occur in the next week or so before the Giants begin preparing in earnest for the Titans in Week 1.
Coach Brian Daboll said he is “open and honest” with players, even those who made the team on Tuesday but may not be around for the weekend.
“The guys that are on our team, we’re excited about,” Daboll said. “Where their role is and what they do with it is going to be up to them leading into the regular-season games, and you just shoot them straight. ‘Here’s what you did in camp. Here’s some of the things we can be better at. Here’s some of the things we can be better at as a coaching staff. And here’s what we expect in terms of our standard going forward.’ ”
For players like Fox, Tuesday was a day to savor. So too, though, will be Wednesday and Thursday and each day afterward that they remain on the team.
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.
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