David Wilson is a bit confused, more than a bit frustrated and growing increasingly anxious about his non-existent role in the Giants’ offense.
“When they say show more and do more, you wonder ‘Where?’ ’’ Wilson said yesterday. “I work hard in practice and do my plays when I’m in. Just waiting.’’
It has been a waiting game for Wilson, the Giants’ first-round draft pick out of Virginia Tech. He lost the ball on a fumble in his NFL debut in the regular-season opener and ever since then he has been a fixture on kickoff returns, but a stranger on offense. After 10 games, he has 18 rushing attempts.
Last week, running backs coach Jerald Ingram said Wilson must learn to become a “complete running back’’ and added, “It’s time for you to grow up and be a man now and see what you can do with the whole ball of wax. Until he proves that in a regular practice situation it’s hard to stick him out there and feel comfortable.’’
Wilson, off for the bye week, said he did not hear or read what Ingram had said.
“But I’ve been wondering why I’m not getting somewhat involved,’’ Wilson said. “You think it would be some aspect or some way I could contribute on offense, but the coaches got their own plan and they know the perfect time to put me in there. As long as I keep working hard and doing what I got to do … they’re the coaches for a reason, they won a Super Bowl last year so they know how to get success. They had rookie running backs before and they turned them into really good running backs. It’s just up to me to do my job and wait my turn.’’
While respecting what the coaching staff is telling him, Wilson is not sure where he stands. The knock on him is he is a liability in the passing game because he cannot pick up blitzes. Wilson doesn’t know where that comes from.
“They say their statements, but I haven’t been put in the situation to see if I could pick up a blitz,’’ Wilson said. “I don’t know if it’s from my college film or where that comes from.
“In practice it’s not full speed and when a guy blitzes and I’m in there, I think since we got out of training camp I haven’t missed one in practice. I don’t know what it is, but they see it. Maybe it’s like I’m not firm enough in practice or something. I don’t know. [Ingram] knows how to evaluate and he knows how to do his job so that’s not my area. I’m the player, he’s the coach. I still got learning to do and growing to do as a player.’’