Evan Neal apologized to the Giants fans he insulted, but he knows that his best path to earning forgiveness is through improved play.
The struggling right tackle said he “let frustrations get the best” of him Wednesday when he called Giants fans who boo “fair-weathered” and questioned “why would a lion concern himself with the opinion of a sheep?” when “the person that’s commenting on my performance, what does he do? Flip hot dogs and hamburgers somewhere?”
“I’m remorseful,” Neal said in the locker room after Thursday’s practice. “I definitely could’ve used a better choice of words. Coming from humble beginnings myself, I never want to belittle anyone regardless of their financial status or their occupation, so I really just want to apologize for what I said.”
Neal, 23, met with head coach Brian Daboll on Wednesday night, after NJ Advance Media first published the remarks.
He privately addressed the issue with teammates because he created an “unnecessary distraction,” as he described it in Wednesday’s initial written apology.
“He was frustrated,” Daboll said. “He made a poor choice, poor decision, poor comments. He acknowledged that and we’re moving on.”
It might be that simple inside the facility, but Giants fans might not be as quick to forget.
Especially if Neal, who has allowed 20 quarterback pressures in four games and is ranked the No. 68 out of No. 71 offensive tackles by Pro Football Focus, continues to fall short of expectations for the No. 7 pick in the 2022 draft.
“When I made those comments, it was just out of a moment of frustration,” Neal said. “Right now, we must play better as a team, and I must perform better myself.”
Several Giants players and coaches have hinted at a common us-against-the-world rallying cry and blocking out outside noise during an unexpectedly disappointing 1-3 start.
Neal took the sentiment much further but didn’t specify whether he was regurgitating a message told to him or shared by others.
“It came out of my mouth, so I said it,” Neal said. “Those are my words.”
Words that he later called “unacceptable.”
Neal hails from Okeechobee, Fla., (population 5,254) and his parents reportedly own a small neighborhood convenience store.
“I want the fans to know that I’m a human like everyone else,” Neal said. “If you ask anyone that’s ever been around me, they always speak highly of me. Nobody’s perfect, including myself.”
The Giants’ offensive line allowed a league-high 36 pressures and 11 sacks against the Seahawks — 12 is the NFL single-game record since the stat became official in 1982 — and is at the root of the team’s losing, as has been the case for most of the last decade.
Neal, who gestured to the crowd to “boo louder” as he left the field, is under the most pressure because of his draft status and the need to pick up the slack with All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas sidelined by a hamstring injury.
“I wasn’t trying to pick a fight with anyone, honestly,” Neal said. “That was just a moment of frustration. Although it wasn’t my intent to offend anyone or anyone’s occupation, that’s how it came across. I definitely could’ve used a better choice of words, for sure.
“Hey, I love the fans that support us, are behind us and are going to fight for us and cheer for us.”
Part of Neal’s frustration stems from the vitriol he receives from fans on social media after poor performances.
“If I’m not on social media, somebody I’m close to may send me cut-ups or something,” Neal said. “The way the world is now it’s kind of hard to tune out the negative noise, but you can’t let it affect you.”
One of Daboll’s year-round messages to players is to be “consistent in your approach” in good times and bad.
He called Neal’s comments a “slip-up” but rejected the premise of a spiraling locker room.
“Trust is built over time,” Neal said of repairing his relationship with fans. “I just have to continue to make the right choices moving forward.”