Chase Blackburn was unsigned as late as Thanksgiving last season before going on to play a key role in the Giants’ run to their four Super Bowl title.
And on Saturday, defensive coordinator Perry Fewell named Blackburn the starting middle linebacker heading into training camp.
“I don’t think [being named a starter has] ever happened before,” Blackburn said Monday at the Chris Canty Foundation’s Champions Golf Classic at Manhattan Woods Golf Club in West Nyack. “There’s a lot to it. It’s my position to lose … I just have to keep working hard every day so I can keep that spot.
“It’s obviously a big difference [that] a year makes. But it’s one of those things … you have to take it in stride … like I said, you can’t be complacent with it, you can’t be happy about it. I’ve got to continue to work to get better.”
Despite his newfound starter status, Blackburn says his approach heading into training camp won’t be any different than if he was still trying to make the team as a special teamer.
“There’s a lot of things I can work on in my game,” he said. “Yeah, I’m a veteran, this is my eighth season, but if you can’t improve then you’re done in this game. There’s a lot of room for improvement.”
The Giants will receive their championship rings Wednesday, which for Blackburn will be his second. It’s just the latest event in a series of them that makes this offseason shorter than the typical one – not that anyone is complaining.
“It’s definitely quick, just like the last [time we won],” he said. “When you go into February, it goes by fast. This year we came back a little bit later because of the new CBA, and coach let us have an extra week off and everything. It’s definitely a little different, but still quick.”
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As for the man whose name was on Monday’s event, Chris Canty wasn’t going to be golfing thanks to knee surgery earlier this offseason. But the veteran defensive lineman was confident that he’d be ready for the start of training camp.
“Yeah, the rehab is going really well,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being ready to go for training camp. Obviously there’s a lot of work ahead for me, to get ready to get to that point, but the doctors feel good about the progress and they’re confident I’ll be ready.”
He wasn’t, however, too concerned about missing next month’s minicamp.
“I don’t really see that [happening],” Canty said, before adding with a smile, ”and I don’t see myself losing any sleep over that, as well.”
Canty also was looking forward to getting his championship ring on Wednesday. But, unlike Blackburn and other teammates, it will be Canty’s first.
“Getting a chance to put the ring on for the first time kind of makes it official in a lot of ways,” he said. “It’s what you play for, so I’m really excited about it.”