Ross healthy at right place, right time

He was a first-round draft pick for the Giants, a cornerback who made his mark in the Big 12. It's Prince Amukamara's resume, yes, but it's also that of Aaron Ross.

When the Giants selected Amukamara in April, it seemingly closed a chapter on Ross' tenure with the team. Corey Webster and Terrell Thomas would be the starting cornerbacks and Amukamara, who was drawing collegiate comparisons to Darrelle Revis, would begin his career at nickel. Ross, who has one year left on his rookie deal, would be bumped to a backup safety and play on some sub packages.

But then strange things happened. The lockout kept rookies away from the watchful eyes of their teams and set their learning curves back. Then the holdout of Amukamara delayed his arrival to the Giants by another week. And finally, the injury to Amukamara's left foot on Saturday night, a fracture that required surgery and will sideline him for about two months.

Now Ross is back in a prominent role, looking to make up for all of his injury-plagued seasons with one big one here. He said he hasn't felt this healthy, this explosive, since his rookie year in 2007. For Giants fans that may seem like a long time ago, but for Ross, well . . .

"It seems like I just got drafted," he said. "It seems like yesterday to tell you the truth."

Ross likely will be the starting nickelback for the Giants, assuming he can make it through training camp unscathed. That's certainly been an issue for him. He's never played a 16-game schedule and has not been able to play in the season opener since 2008.

"I'm just trying to stay healthy," he said. "I feel like my old self. I have my bounce back, my speed back. I feel like I'm ready to go."

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Ross also wants it known that he is a cornerback and not a safety, although he has stepped into that position in the last two years. "Because of injury," he said. "I'm a corner. No more safety talk. Please."

That's fine with the Giants, as long as he keeps playing the way he has in camp, taking chances and using his speed to cover receivers. He came away with the first interception of camp almost two weeks ago and has been one of the steady performers.

"He's spry," Tom Coughlin said of Ross. "He's done a nice job back there in punt returns and he's been energetic, enthusiastic, his mind's been in the right place."

"I don't know what he's open to or not," said Antrel Rolle, who moved from cornerback and became a Pro Bowl safety. "I just know that he's a good corner and he's been playing exceptional for us this training camp. He's healthier. He's a lot more focused, a lot more in tune."

With Amukamara out for the first half of the season or so, the Giants will need Ross to be. He said he even plans on telling Amukamara about his bumpy path in the NFL.

"I can sit down and talk to him about two years' worth of injuries," Ross said. "I have a lot of wisdom behind injuries that I can share with him."