John Jerry wants to begin his Giants career with a clean slate
John Jerry of the Giants speaks to the media prior to practice during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, July 22, 2015 in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: Mike Stobe
New Giants guard John Jerry, swarmed by the media in his first press availability since joining the team this offseason, knew the questions were coming.
Jerry, a former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman, was in the middle of last season's bullying scandal involving Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin.
Last October, Martin left the Dolphins citing "emotional" reasons. On Nov. 3, the Dolphins suspended Incognito for conduct detrimental to the team. The NFL hired lawyer Ted Wells to investigate the incident. Wells released a 144-page report in February that said Incognito, Jerry and fellow lineman Mike Pouncey "engaged in a pattern of harassment" toward Martin.
Martin was traded by the Dolphins to the 49ers in March. Incognito, a free agent, has yet to be signed by a team. Pouncey will be sidelined at the start of the regular season after undergoing hip surgery.
"It's in the past," Jerry said at the Giants' practice facility on Tuesday, the second day of training camp. "I'm going to leave it at that."
Leave it at that for now, that is.
"I'm definitely looking forward to a day where I can open up and tell you guys everything about it. We'll definitely discuss that in the future."
Jerry, 28, said he addressed the Miami situation in full with the Giants before signing. The 6-5, 340-pounder added that he talked with some of his new teammates to give them a feel for the kind of person he is.
"He's in a new atmosphere, a new place," offensive tackle Will Beatty said. "He has a chance to start over. All that got left behind. He didn't bring any of that here."
Beatty believes dwelling on Jerry's past can prevent the team from moving ahead. He doesn't ask Jerry about his time with the Dolphins.
"We have so much to focus on, so much to do, it's not beneficial," Beatty said. "No good can come out of it."
Jerry said he is more focused on football than anything. He got a late start on conditioning due to knee surgery but is optimistic that he will soon be in football shape.
Jerry's importance to the team is amplified by the loss of guard Chris Snee, a two-time Super Bowl winner, who announced his retirement on Monday. The hole in the offensive line means that Jerry may be a starter, like he was in Miami for the last two seasons.
"If you look back on my history, I've been competing for a job my whole career," Jerry said. "It's always been a battle between me and somebody else. I'm not looking ahead. It's one day at a time, and that's all I'm looking forward to."
