Q. What was that process like when you heard the call that you were coming to the Giants? What excites you about this team?
JEVON HOLLAND: Leading up to that point, I was kind of just in the crib chilling. Going back and forth with my agents, and they had reached out and told me the Giants were interested. I was super juiced. I was really excited.
I told them to go ahead and let's get the deal going. And after, back and forth between them, I got the callback that I was officially going to be a Giant and they were going to go through the weeds of contract and whatnot.
But I was extremely excited. I really was. Giants got a long history of successful football and I really wanted to be a part of that, especially in New York. So it was fun.
Q. You and Kayvon go back to Oregon. What's it like, not only playing with him around but being around him again?
JEVON HOLLAND: It's going to be fun. Every time we're around each other, I look to the laughs. I'm really looking forward to running that back just like it was '19 in Oregon.
Q. How much do you view your play and view this opportunity as a chance to kind of ascend to a different level? There are good players in this league all around. There's always opportunities to kind of take your play to another level. Do you view yourself as someone who still has a lot of potential to grow into what kind of player you can be? And why do you think the Giants give you that opportunity?
JEVON HOLLAND: Yeah, absolutely. I think the Giants and the people that they've brought in and the people that they have have a desire to breed excellence. I think this environment is something that will allow me to be that, to grow.
I absolutely think there's plenty of room left to grow. I'm nowhere near my peak. I think the Giants have the exact environment I need and personnel I need to be able to reach those new heights and as well lead a group of men and also create a winning culture. And the Giants have a history of a winning culture. I feel like it was the right choice.
Q. I heard on there that you somehow know McKinney and you checked with McKinney about coming here. What's the basis of that relationship? And if you could expand a little bit on what he told you, because obviously in Giants fans' eyes you're the guy kind of taking his spot one year later.
JEVON HOLLAND: We have the same agent. We had played each other in the past and have mutual respect for each other. So once I figured out I was going to be a Giant, I reached out to him, asked him how the facility was and the people inside and what the environment was like being a Giant.
He had nothing but positive things to say. He said I was going to love it and the place itself, it breeds football and the fan base is great. He just added to the excitement and re assured me that I made the right choice.
Q. Can you talk about the opportunity you'll be here three years at least Paulson three years at least. And Phillips and Newsome drafted last year, so they'll be here three years at least. And Banks is here at least two more years. That's a bunch of guys around the same age that are locked up for the future. How can that build chemistry and where can this group of the five guys I just named go together?
JEVON HOLLAND: Like I said previously, that's a recipe for excellence. It's a group of guys that are going to be able to build with each other, create a community amongst each other and rely on each other when we're out there on the field.
Communication, it makes the defense flow smoothly. To be able to know the guy next to me. Know who they're playing with and be able to communicate easily, it makes the job a lot easier. I think that would help us fly around and make plays and be free on the field.
Q. You had some critical comments of the turf here a couple years ago. I'm curious, you'll be playing eight games, nine games there, how comfortable are you with that turf now?
JEVON HOLLAND: I'm pretty comfortable on turf. I think practicing on grass, playing on grass a lot when I was previously with the Dolphins and then going to turf once in a while can be difficult. But I played on turf in Oregon. I played on turf in high school. Didn't have no effect on me then. Now I'll be fine.
Q. Just this particular one, you got hurt. I know a teammate got hurt that game. Was it something about MetLife you didn't like particularly?
JEVON HOLLAND: No, I think it was just a weird spot on the field. I'm sure they went over and fixed it, did what they had to do.
Q. On the football front, you're talking about you feel you haven't reached your peak yet. You've played in a ton of different systems, I'm sure you've seen a little bit of everything. How do you think you're best used? Obviously you can use safeties in different ways. How do you think they get the best out of you is to use you how?
JEVON HOLLAND: That's a great question. I think I fit best in a role where the coach has a plan for me and it's detailed. I don't necessarily think in one specific way I can excel, but when they're detailed with a purpose behind it, that's when I excel. It's not so much the team itself but the direction and the way it's explained.
Q. Curious, when you were talking to the Giants, as you were getting this deal done, did you ask them what their quarterback plans were and did you like what you heard?
JEVON HOLLAND: No, I didn't ask them what their quarterback plans were. My job as a defender is to give the ball back to the quarterback. Whoever I'm giving the ball back to, I know if I'm giving them the ball back then I'm going to be helping them. I know they're going to pick the right guy for the organization, for the team, and he's going to help us win.
Q. What would you say when the Giants were courting you and signing you, what did they tell you they liked the most about your game that you were going to bring to them?
JEVON HOLLAND: I think it wasn't necessarily something specific. It was just that they want good football players. They want good football players to help build this young team, and I think I'm both a great football player and a young individual that has been in leadership roles previously.
I think that's the added bonus of me being young but also a vet and going into my fifth year, help put direction into a young DB room, and I think that's what they were looking for, and I feel like I check those boxes.
Q. You talk about like the coach having a plan for you and detailed. What did they tell you that plan was and how to best use you?
JEVON HOLLAND: Not necessarily -- like it's not necessarily what the plan is. Obviously I don't know the defense yet. I haven't studied it. But I have had conversations, just put me in the best position to go out there, tackle, run, hit, make plays, stay in the deep part of the field, communicate. That's the general gist of what they're looking for me to do. And I think that kind of categorizes the safety.
Q. What do you make of Tyler Nubin? I know we talk about this being a young corps, but since you'll be next to him on a regular basis.
JEVON HOLLAND: He's a good, talented kid. Talked to him. Great spirit. Full of life. Excited to play next to him, help him grow, just like I was when I was younger. I hope to be that same vet to help him take off.
Q. Even though you don't know what that plan is yet, if the coach came to you and said, hey, how about blitzing -- if I'm not mistaken, I think in your first season with Miami you were a pretty good blitzer -- would you be open to that?
JEVON HOLLAND: Yeah, blitzing, being in the deep part of the field -- low zones, man to man, (indiscernible) cover 3 -- whatever it is, I'm down for it. Whatever the scheme asks of me I'm, 100 percent okay with fulfilling that.
Q. We talk about culture, leadership and all that stuff. You're still relatively young. You're a newcomer coming in. What do you feel that you can bring to the culture of the Giants' locker room in terms of leadership and the overall culture?
JEVON HOLLAND: I think experience. I've been in a lot of different rooms, led by a lot of different people. As you know, there's a lot of turnover in the Miami Dolphins at my time there from defensive coordinator, (indiscernible) coordinator, so having been in those rooms and (indiscernible) under some great veterans -- Jason McCourty, Elandon Roberts, Xavien Howard -- guys that were leading our team at that time, and then to them leaving me having to step into that role, engage, put pressure on me to be able to galvanize a group of men and lead them in a direction.
Even though I am young, and usually young guys don't have that much experience leading, I feel like I've been put in pretty high-intense pressure situations to be able to grow and flourish and have to lead. So I feel like I have those qualities to be able to lead a group of men even though I am still only 25.
Q. I'm wondering how much the Giants came from off the radar. I know in the podcast you said you didn't hear from them until 11:00 on Monday night. Usually when people come back from the combine, Dave usually has a pretty good idea of the teams that are interested. Were the Giants on your radar at that point?
JEVON HOLLAND: My agents had mentioned it briefly, but I didn't really know. I didn't know. It wasn't something I was too keen on. I tried not to be focused on what team, where, what, because I wanted to have an open mind. When the Giants did call, I was obviously open minded. I was excited. I was excited to hear that the football Giants was coming to get me. It wasn't something that jumped off the table. It wasn't on the front of my mind.
Q. Did you have to do any quick research or you just asked them what they thought, or what was that like?
JEVON HOLLAND: I had already done research on a lot of the teams beforehand. So when they brought it up, I was already ready to go.
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