Devon Kennard adjusted to wearing radio in helmet for Giants vs. Bucs
New York Giants linebacker Devon Kennard #59 looks on during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2015. Credit: Brad Penner
For the first time in his football career, the voices in Devon Kennard's head were not exclusively his own.
The second-year linebacker wore a helmet with a radio communication device in Sunday's game against the Bucs and called the plays in the huddle, a promotion of sorts that was necessary with the absence of middle linebackers Jon Beason (injured reserve) and Uani 'Unga (neck). Jasper Brinkley took their place on the field as the middle linebacker, but it was Kennard who took their place as the vocal director and quarterback of the defense.
"It was an adjustment, definitely, but it was good," Kennard told Newsday on Wednesday. "I'm excited to be able to play that role on the defense."
Kennard practiced last week with the radio in his helmet and said having it in the game was "a little different." He was given the job because he figured to get the most snaps of any linebacker (he did) and be on the field most often. He said he'd never run a huddle or made the calls, even in college, but the reviews from his debut were promising.
"I thought the communication was good," Tom Coughlin said. "And I thought they worked together to get that done."
Kennard and Brinkley, that is.
While Kennard made the play calls and some of the checks, Brinkley, a seven-year veteran, handled his share of the checks as well. Teams are allowed to have only one player on the field with a radio helmet at any particular time, and when Kennard was out, Brinkley had it.
Will that continue?
"We'll see," Coughlin said. "A lot depends on the plan."
For now, though, it seems as if Kennard will retain the title. And he hopes he will for the rest of the season too.
"I'm doing it this week as well and I don't expect it to change," he said. "I like it. It's cool. I like being able to be more in charge and able to help navigate things for the defense."
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
