New York Giants head coach Joe Judge sat in the bleachers as his son took the court for a Don Bosco Prep basketball game. Next to him sat retired NFL wide receiver and current media personality, Nate Burleson, whose son was also playing in the game.
That’s the picture painted by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, who recent talked with Burleson about how the Giants’ signing of Kenny Golladay came to be.
Away from his offices in East Rutherford, far apart from his fellow coaches and during a quiet moment, Judge pondered the addition of Golladay. And a little talk with Burelson helped sell the idea, eventually leading to a four-year, $72 million deal.
“When Joe says something, you get the sense he’s really thought it out and he means it. When he asked about receivers, I told him, with all due respect to a lot of good receivers out there, Kenny is the guy,” Burelson told The Post.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Judge who was already leaning in Golladay’s direction.
It matched the feeling in the team facility, where Golladay was at the top of the wish list even before franchise tags removed Allen Robinson (Bears) and Chris Godwin (Buccaneers) as possibilities.
Although the Giants had been sold on the player, they still needed to know the person. And in a true NFL rarity — even before the COVID-19 pandemic — New York flew Golladay to East Rutherford for a three-day meeting in which he was grilled by Judge, offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, general manager Dave Gettleman and others.
In the end, everything checked out. Golladay handled his own and never once questioned the process.
“It says he understands the investment they are making in him,” Burleson said. “If any Giants fans out there are wondering, he is one tough dude.”
During Golladay’s introductory Zoom conference, it became clear he’s a man of few words. He’s the anti-diva at wide receiver. There is no ego, there is no narcissism and there is no selfishness — there’s just Kenny. And that’s exactly what Burleson told Judge the Giants would be getting.
