Giants rookie QB Kyle Lauletta calls arrest a 'terrible representation of who I am'
An emotional Kyle Lauletta spoke publicly Tuesday for the first time since his arrest related to a number of traffic violations last week, and he apologized for his actions.
“Right is right and wrong is wrong,” he said. “My parents raised me better than that. It’s tough, and I have to take it as a lesson and move forward from it.”
According to a statement from Weehawken (N.J.) Police, on Oct. 30 Lauletta was driving in “a dangerous manner.” He was directed by an officer to pull over and nearly ran the officer over. He was charged with eluding police, obstructing administration of law and resisting arrest.
The incident took place at a time when the Giants were considering a change at quarterback and Lauletta was a candidate to see playing time. Pat Shurmur said Lauletta will not be suspended, but he said there would be internal discipline. Shurmur also made it clear that Lauletta’s actions have impacted the organization’s feelings toward him.
“I’m just disappointed in the way that went down,” Shurmur said. “I think especially with a quarterback, you’re looking at decision-making in all facets of a player’s life.”
Shurmur also was miffed at the time of Lauletta’s arrest, which was at approximately 8 a.m. In other words, he was going to be late to work even before he was taken to jail.
“I don’t think there’s anything [in his history] about being late, but the way I look at it, quarterbacks should be early,” Shurmur said. “The whole event is disappointing. The whole event.”
Lauletta agreed.
“Had I left an hour earlier, none of that probably would ever happen,” Lauletta said. “That’s my fault, that’s no one else’s fault . . . The incident that happened last week is a terrible representation of who I am and what I stand for.”
Lauletta was a fourth-round pick out of Richmond in last April’s NFL Draft. The Giants were so fond of him coming out of training camp that they parted ways with second-year quarterback Davis Webb. Lauletta is not the second-string quarterback on the Giants’ roster (that job belongs to Alex Tanney), but he is the only player on the roster who has a chance to be the team’s quarterback of the future.
After last week, that chance shrank.
“I have to deal with the consequences,” Lauletta said. “And that’s that.”
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.
