Giants' Shane Lemieux has speedy recuperative powers after hurting knee
New York Giants guard Shane Lemieux speaks to the media after training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ, on Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021. Credit: Brad Penner
When Shane Lemieux was carted off the field on the second day of Giants training camp, he wasn’t scared. Nor was he in terrible pain. He just sat there in the back of the vehicle, heading toward an unknown future, with his arms folded in disgust.
"Oh, I was mad," he said of the experience. "I was more concerned at that point about missing the rest of practice."
It turned out that’s all he needed to worry about. In less than a week Lemieux was back on the field with the Giants, having avoided any serious structural damage to his knee. He is still practicing on a limited basis, but the projected starter at left guard was lucky. Players who are plopped on that cart are often taken on a one-way trip to surgery or injured reserve. Lemieux got an expedited return ticket.
That came as no surprise to Joe Judge who, once Lemieux’s knee was deemed sound by an MRI, predicted his return in a matter of days.
"He’s kind of like a wild animal," Judge said. "He’d cut his leg off to get through a bear trap if he had to, so him not being out there [was] kind of driving him nuts."
"I like to practice," Lemieux said. "I like to work. I want to get better every single day and I’m just taking it a day at a time."
As for the injury, Lemieux said it’s a non-issue in his mind.
"No, it’s football," he said. "Stuff happens."
Notes & quotes: Judge said T Nate Solder would be examined by doctors after suffering what appeared to be a shoulder or elbow injury in Tuesday’s practice. "Nate is having a pretty dang good camp for us," Judge said. "We want to make sure we can keep him on the field as long as we can." Solder has been splitting reps at right tackle with second-year player Matt Peart . . . The Giants signed DTs Elijah Qualls and Willie Henry. DL RJ McIntosh, LB Cale Garrett and WR Derrick Dillon were waived.
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.
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