Giants replace Kiwanuka on roster with DB/KR Blackmon
Mathias Kiwanuka had dinner with his former college roommate Wednesday night, and they were hoping to become teammates once again. On Thursday, they came close.
While Kiwanuka was placed on injured reserve, the Giants replaced him on the roster by signing defensive back and kick returner Will Blackmon. The two were roommates during their senior season at Boston College.
"It's tough, because we were a couple of weeks away from playing together again," Kiwanuka said, a reference to his hope of returning to action later this season. "He got his papers from Green Bay, I was excited and heard there was a chance that he might come here, so I've been talking him up around the locker room. Man, he's a great player. I told everybody he's definitely the most talented and gifted athlete that I ever played football with, hands down. He made the switch from DB to wide receiver and didn't miss a beat, and obviously he is a very talented return guy, too. He can do it all."
Blackmon played three games with the Packers in 2009 before landing on injured reserve with a torn ACL. He reached an injury settlement with the Packers at the end of this summer's training camp.
"My knee is doing very well," Blackmon said. "I wouldn't be out there if I couldn't perform. I wasn't going to come here and give the Giants 80 percent of me. I'm feeling good."
The Giants hope Blackmon can help rejuvenate a return game that never found its footing with Darius Reynaud as the primary returner. The Giants traded for Reynaud just before the start of the regular season in a deal that also brought them backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels from the Vikings.
Blackmon twice has been named NFC special teams player of the week with the Packers.
"He has return experience and secondary experience," Tom Coughlin said. "He's a veteran coming back off an injury. He's been an outstanding returner in this league, and he's been a contributor on special teams as well as on defense."
Said Blackmon, "I told Mathias [Wednesday] night, when you have really good friends, you're always going to come back full circle at one time or another. We kept in touch all the time. It's fun to be here with him. He said this is a great place and everyone has the same goal."
