Amukamara knows why he's getting picked on

ALBANY -- Antrel Rolle had some advice for Prince Amukamara after he was burned on some pass plays early in the preseason opener against the Jaguars: Get used to it, kid.

"I think they came at him a little bit," the Giants safety said. "They tried to test him out early, which we already told him that was going to be the case . . . We told him, 'You're going to have to be that guy there,' and he understands that."

The Giants' projected starting defense this season has 10 players returning from the Super Bowl-winning lineup . . . and Amukamara.

"As an offensive coordinator, that's probably going to be the angle," Rolle said of teams trying to test Amukamara. "He has to understand that, and I'm sure he's aware of that. You have to continue to grow. You have to turn into a man overnight. There's no time for babying."

Amukamara said he knows he'll be picked on a bit, especially playing opposite eight-year veteran Corey Webster. He said he is ready for that challenge, and yesterday in practice, he made an athletic interception against Domenik Hixon in the end zone to show that. He'll need to make those plays in actual games before teams start respecting him by staying away from him, but coach Tom Coughlin thought the practice pick was a good start and should stop at least one team from giving him guff: the Giants.

"That's all he needs," Coughlin said. "Make a couple of those. That was a nice play. That interception was a nice play. Well done. His teammates will look at that and not as much heat will be sent his way."

Bridge to nowhere?

Coughlin unveiled the motto for this year's team as "Build the Bridge," a slogan that was met with lukewarm response.

"It took a while to get to that one, but we got there," Coughlin said of the delayed theme that comes nearly three weeks into camp. "I had to explain it. A lot of you guys [in the media] didn't get it. That's a problem."

Coughlin said that he wants the Giants to connect the last six games they played in 2011 to the start of the 2012 season and carry over all the things they did well in the championship run. Thus, the bridge. Many players were wearing their "Build the Bridge" T-shirts around camp yesterday, but did they understand the idea behind the message?

"After I spent an hour with them, they got it," Coughlin said. "They got it."

Giant steps

LB Michael Boley's hamstring injury remains an issue for the Giants. "We're scratching our head on that one," Coughlin said. "I just keep looking at time going by. It's not a very good subject." . . . Veteran DT Shaun Rogers had tests on his injured calf in New York, but Coughlin did not have an update on his status . . . Today is the final training camp practice at Albany this year, and perhaps for good. The Giants' contract with the University at Albany expires after this summer. Team president and CEO John Mara said there would be discussions in the fall about a possible return, but given the new schedule for practices in the CBA and the Giants' relatively new facility in New Jersey, it would seem unlikely.