Chris Canty was a respected presence in the locker room during his four years with the Giants and when he spoke, his teammates listened. Back in February, the Giants cut Canty and from afar, Canty has seen his former team struggle with a record of 0-4 in the first month of the season.
Canty, now a defensive tackle with the Ravens, heard Justin Tuck’s warning that he’d punch any Giants player who questioned coach Tom Coughlin or blamed him for the prolonged losing streak. Canty was not impressed, saying Tuck needs to concentrate on something else other than duking it out with a teammate.
“First and foremost, let’s address Justin Tuck’s comment,’’ Canty said Wednesday night on the NFL Network’s Around The League Live. “He said he’d punch anybody in the mouth that had anything to say about Tom Coughlin in that locker room. Justin needs to worry about punching opposing offenses in the mouth. The way you show that you have your coach’s back is by going out there on that football field and performing.’’
Canty had no problem with Tuck defending his head coach but stressed that actions carry more weight than words.
“I’m sure Tuck is defending his coach,’’ Canty said. “Tom Coughlin is an excellent coach, he’s a great man, so obviously as a player, you want to have his back. But you’ve got to show that on the field. That’s got to be taken care of on the field.”