Antonio Pierce - Good to be called a Champion

[KiwiSupaFlyNuka]

‘It’s Good to Be Called a Champion’

March 26, 2008

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Antonio Pierce didn’t want the moment to escape him. He had finally reached the pinnacle of every professional football player’s career, one which he wanted to soak in for as long as possible.

He kept his game-worn equipment on him for the entire bus ride as the New York Giants left University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. Filled with team pride, Pierce basked in the glory of being a Super Bowl champion.

“I kept my pads on the whole time. I didn’t take them off,” Pierce said. “I stayed fully dressed; all the guys will tell you. That was one of the realest moments for me, because I wanted to take in every second. I never wanted that feeling to go away.”

Nearly two months later, Pierce still keeps the pads he wore in Super Bowl XLII as-is—they haven’t been washed. It’s one way he can have a constant reminder about what his team accomplished with the world watching.

“I’ve got a little Febreze on them, so they’re not stinking or anything,” he said with a smile. “I didn’t want to take those pads or those cleats off. I wanted to live that moment for the rest of my life if I could, but obviously I had to take them off eventually.”

Pierce, a middle linebacker with seven years of NFL experience, bears an ear-to-ear grin that says it all. He and his Giants teammates have yet to come down from cloud nine after their thrilling upset of the New England Patriots.

“I saw guys doing flips in the locker room,” Pierce said of the postgame celebrations he witnessed. “It was probably one of the best moments in that locker room after the game, just watching all the guys’ expressions.”

When Pierce reflects on his team’s dramatic 17-14 victory, the first adjective he uses is “intense.” Throughout the course of the Super Bowl, he said to himself, “Let the game come to you” and “Remember that it’s just a game.” These subtle reminders helped him quell any jitters and play within himself.

“I remember thinking about every play, taking advantage of every play, every moment in that game, every call,” said Pierce, who collected 25 tackles during the postseason. “Basically [i wanted] to do what I did all year, in all 16 regular-season games, the preseason games and the postseason games. At the end of the game, the statistics spoke for themselves and that win was the best thing,” he continued.

As one of the key playmakers on the New York defense—and a captain of the unit, along with defensive end Michael Strahan—Pierce was locked in to his duties when the Patriots had the ball. But now that he’s had time to watch film of the game, the one-time Pro Bowler cherishes the fact that he played in one of the most memorable Super Bowls of all-time.

“It’s kind of a surreal feeling, because when you’re in the game, you’re caught up in the moment [and] you don’t hear the crowd noise,” Pierce said. “I watched (wide receiver) David Tyree’s catch, and on TV you can see the crowd erupt. You watch how fast we were playing on defense. You watch how physical the game was and how well the game was played on both sides of the ball.

“I think it was one of the best games. I kept hearing people say that it was a good game to watch, but being a player you’re like, ‘Yeah OK, everybody says that.’ But no, this really was a good game to watch. You’re not supposed to be on your toes in a 7-3 ballgame. You’re supposed to be like, ‘Man, when is this ending? When can I go home?’ But that was 60 minutes of action-packed football.”

Pierce relishes the performance of the Giants defense when it mattered most. Going head-to-head with a team that broke virtually every offensive record, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit limited the mighty Patriots to just 14 points. Pierce said his team’s mindset was simply to outplay the opponent.

“You look at what they did offensively throughout the season,” he said, “it was amazing for the Patriots and my hat’s off to them. But the 11 guys on our side of the ball made up their minds [that] it wasn’t going to be that day for them.”

Now that he has a Super Bowl title to his name, the gregarious Pierce has his sights set on securing his legacy in Giants lore. He’s not shy about his next goal: to be one of the best linebackers in a Giants uniform.

Pierce, who just finished his third season with the Giants, said, “I’ve got some big, big shoes to fill with Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Carl Banks, Jessie Armstead and Sam Huff, but you know what? Hopefully I can play a couple more years, play well and be considered in that group with those guys.”

While his play on the field over the next several years will determine his ranking among all-time Giants linebackers, Pierce knows better than to get too far ahead of himself. There are a handful of active linebackers whom he respects and admires for their intelligence on the gridiron.

“I like Ray Lewis and I definitely like Lance Briggs,” Pierce said. “I also like DeMeco Ryans down there in Houston—I think he’s a good young player coming up—and Nick Barnett.

“They never come off the field. You can count on them every play to give it 110 percent. You watch the game enough in the NFL, and you don’t see too many guys doing that, especially linebackers. You see those guys play at that high level through 16 consecutive weeks, and that’s something you kind of admire.”

Starting next Monday, it’s back to work in many ways for the Giants. That’s when the world champions begin their offseason conditioning program. One big question mark will be the future of Strahan, who could elect to retire with his lone Super Bowl ring firmly in tow.

Pierce insists he’s not going to let Strahan call it quits.

“I’m playing his agent for the next six or seven months,” he joked. “We’re going to work out some deal to get him back, or maybe let him sit out a little bit longer in training camp if possible.”

Pierce, who said it’s “pretty much impossible” to rest and relax given the enormous amounts of buzz and hype that still surround the Super Bowl champs, would gladly trade that downtime for all the excitement.

“It’s a moment that you want to relish,” he said. “You don’t want to let it slip away or pass by, because you don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s good to be called a champion every once in awhile.”

[[[ghost]]]

But its not good to be an animal abuser who holds a grudge like no other.

[scruffylookin]

Hey Antonio, the New York Giants are Champions, you're just a POS.

[DGreen1]

I could never stand this guy. He was an overachiever with minimal talent while he was here. He will fall off soon.

[Genghis Khan]

I could never stand this guy. He was an overachiever with minimal talent while he was here. He will fall off soon.

I don't think being an overachiever is bad thing. I just think he selfish and just looks out for himself.

[Barney B]

Well, it seems like he went an entire interview without ripping the Redskins. Good for him.

That's one in a row.

[Jumbo]

Well, it seems like he went an entire interview without ripping the Redskins. Good for him.

That's one in a row.

Same thought I had :laugh:

[corrupt3d]

]']But its not good to be an animal abuser who holds a grudge like no other.

At least he doesn't walk out of our stadium wearing his old Redskins jersey like Brad Johnson.

[bubba9497]

ask him,.....how does it feel to be a dog owner?

[tr1]

How you treat your animals says a lot about a person.

[BigMike619]

Exact thoughts I had. Glad he didnt rip the Skins, but he is still a douchebag.

[CG]

Wow, surprisingly he resisted the temptation to take a shot at the Skins... somehow.

Cheers, at least the Pats didn't win.

[paloosa]

One thing comes to mind.

Bad Dog Owner = Michael Vick's cell mate

[Gman86]

oh man those responses were just a pure beatdown hahahaha. Fun to read despite me being a fan. I think pierce is a really smart mlb hes not physically gifted but boy is he the "quarterback" of the defense.

On the otherside he did abuse dogs and he seems to talk alot....