Glauber: Tuck, Rolle must get on same page

Justin Tuck admits he's not what you'd expect in a leader, so it might take some getting used to for teammates to understand his style.

On a team that was used to hearing Michael Strahan's blistering sideline rants and Antonio Pierce's screaming entreaties, Tuck's more subdued style may take a while to appreciate.

"I'm not a talker," he said. "I'm not going to say something to somebody just because. I like to sit back and watch and get familiar with my surroundings. You have to learn what's going on before you open your mouth."

With safety Antrel Rolle publicly questioning the team's leadership - and, in effect, challenging Tuck's authority - Tuesday on WFAN, the issue has taken center stage in the wake of Sunday night's 38-14 blowout by the Colts. Tuck realizes he's on the spot and that his credibility is on the line. He only hopes his teammates will come to appreciate his methods. Call the approach substance over style.

"I like to go out and lay my heart, my body, and my soul on the field for my teammates," he said. "I'm going to figure out a way to be the leader this team needs me to be. But you have to be who you are, and I'm not going to change just because I've got a 'C' on my chest."

But judging from Rolle's comments, he still might have to do some convincing. And the first step is talking to Rolle, which is what Tuck planned to do.

"The only thing I was upset with was that he didn't come to me first," Tuck said. "We're a team. We'll talk, and I'll figure out exactly what he meant. If he has a problem with the way I lead, that's fine. That's his opinion. None of us are perfect. I'm not going to sit here and say I'm the best leader. If I make a mistake, I'll own up to it. Against the Colts, we didn't do a good job with leadership, because the score reflected it."

Some encouraging news: Tuck and Rolle spoke Thursday and aired out any issues. "It went very well," Rolle said in an interview on SNY. "We had a brotherly meeting. We're in it together."

The newly signed Rolle already has become a formidable presence in the locker room. And if he's at odds with Tuck, who has the respect of teammates, that's going to be a problem.

Tuck believes they'll work it out. "We have a lot of guys in this locker room who have been through a lot of wars," he said. "I've been on this team when we've been dominant and I've been on this team when we've looked like crap. Every year, leadership is going to be created in different forms."

In the end, it won't be Tuck's way or Rolle's way.

"We're going to do it the Giants' way, and we're going to figure out that way this year," Tuck said. "We've played just two games, and it's kind of comical that we're talking about this. I'm a leader, I'm a captain, and I'll do the best to rectify the wrong."

Tuck met after practice Thursday with Tom Coughlin and fellow captains Eli Manning and Chase Blackburn to discuss leadership, among other things. It was a regular weekly meeting, but rare that it was done on the field. The better for everyone to see that the issue was being addressed? Perhaps. Either way, Coughlin believes Tuck is the right man for the captaincy.

"Justin has developed and matured into that type of role," Coughlin said. "He's very smart, he's very sincere, he's very intuitive. He's not afraid to voice his opinions. Plus, he's well-liked."

And it doesn't hurt that he's a terrific player. So maybe Rolle should dial it back a bit and give Tuck a chance. Better yet, Rolle can be a better leader himself and work with Tuck, not against him.