Revitalized Umenyiora wins NFC defensive award

Osi Umenyiora was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October, although if given the chance, he probably wouldn't have voted for himself.

"It's a team thing," Umenyiora said yesterday. "It's a defensive team award. I don't think I did anything special."

Umenyiora certainly had a statistically special month with seven sacks and six forced fumbles. When he had three sacks against the Bears and then two each against the Texans and Lions in consecutive weeks, it was the first time in his career that he had multiple sacks in back-to-back games.

He also was the first Giant to win the monthly award in nine years. Michael Strahan last won it in November 2001.Tom Coughlin praised Umenyiora's attitude and maturity this season. "He's been very good," Coughlin said. "He's a man."

Hedgecock has setback

Madison Hedgecock reinjured his right hamstring in practice Wednesday, just as he appeared close to returning from four weeks of rehabbing the initial injury. He said he caught a pass Wednesday, swung his legs around and "felt like a pop." He did not work yesterday.

The fullback said he is not in as much pain as he was when he first injured the hamstring against the Bears on Oct. 3 and hopes he won't have to be sidelined as long. But he's also learning that hamstring injuries can be difficult to come back from.

"You get false security," Hedgecock said. "You feel like you're better and you can get out there and run and then what happens? Setback. It's frustrating. You don't look like you're hurt, but you are. Until you run full speed, you don't know that you're hurt."

Giant steps

T Kareem McKenzie returned to practice after missing Wednesday with flu-like symptoms, but DE Dave Tollefson apparently picked up the same illness and missed practice.Although yesterday'sThursday'sweather wassimilar to what is expected in Seattle on Sunday, the Giants practiced indoors. Coughlin said he prefers to get "the quality of practice" rather than any experience in elements . . . LB Keith Bulluck wasn't shocked that his former team, the Titans, picked up Randy Moss. "Nothing that the Tennessee Titans do surprises me," Bulluck said. "I think sometimes they do things that surprise themselves."