Giants linebacker Michael Boley, as he prepares for the NFC Championship against he 49ers, took a blitz of questions from Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: When you visualize the game Sunday, tell me what you see.
A: I see us walking off that field with a victory. I see us as a collective unit sitting in the locker room celebrating … guys screaming, hi-fiving, hugging. … To go from where we were a month-and-a-half ago to where we are now, it’s been a big turnaround. It just shows that this team has a lot of fight … determination that … we won’t be stopped.
Q: You see no scenario where you will walk off the field as losers?
A: No.
Q: And how many guys in that locker room feel the same way?
A: All of ’em.
Q: Message for Giants fans?
A: Stay tuned. It’s gonna be a big show.
Q: Anything you want to tell them about what the final result’s gonna be?
A: It’s gonna be a win. We plan on bringing another championship back to New York.
Q: Tell me what it’s like being 60 minutes from the Super Bowl.
A: There’s no feeling like it. It’s the closest I’ve been to it. I try to explain to some of the younger guys that, you know, take advantage of this time, because even just making it to the playoffs, it don’t come that often. It’s rare. I’m in my seventh year, it’s only my second time being in the playoffs.
Q: What will it be like for you standing in the tunnel Sunday?
A: Very emotional. … To actually being that close … just 60 minutes away from being to a place that you always dreamed about … it’s gonna be a lot of emotion flowing. … I think not just myself, I think a lot of guys are gonna be like that.
Q: When you say emotion, you don’t mean tears…
A: Like that fire just ready to boil over.
Q: You dreamed about playing in the Super Bowl?
A: From the time I was 7.
Q: Tell me about the dream.
A: I started playing football ’cause my brother was playing, he was a year older than me, and once I started playing I just kinda fell in love with it. I used to sit around and I used to have little toy figurines. … I always envisioned myself playing in the Super Bowl. Back then, I played offense though (laugh). I was a running back then. I used to always dream about scoring a touchdown in the Super Bowl. … That dream of offense kinda went away when I got to college (laugh).
Q: Which running backs did you like?
A: Barry Sanders.
Q: You were converted to linebacker your freshman year at Southern Mississippi.
A: I always loved LT and Carl Banks. They were two monsters on those edges.
Q: What’s your on-field mentality?
A: It’s like a switch that clicks on. I’m always quiet off the field, but once you get on, it’s like you’re walking into a ring and you’re about to get ready to fight.
Michael Boley scouting report.I see myself as a linebacker who does a little bit of everything. There’s not just one thing that I do well. I do a lot of things well. I can rush, I can cover, I can step up in the run game. … It’s not much that I’m not really doing well right now.
Q: Was your best game as a Giant last week?
A: The best is yet to come.
Q: Are you expecting another big game this Sunday.
A: No doubt.
Q: Do you feel like you got a big game in you?
A: I expect big games from here on out.
Q: Is your confidence as high as it’s been, and why do you expect big games from here on out?
A: They say big-time players, they step up on big-time stages. And so, for me this is as big as it gets — one step closer to the ultimate goal.
Q: Do you expect to make a game-changing play Sunday?
A: Of course. A couple of ’em.
Q: Define swag for me.
A: Swag is just something you have. … When you have that certain aura about you, that it kinda says, you know what? He’s on his game.
Q: Does Michael Boley have swag on the football field?
A: Oh yeah. A lot of it (chuckle).
Q: Give me your All-Swag Giants Team.
A: How many people you want on the team?
Q: As many as you want.
A: I’d have to put all my DBs, they all got swag. . .except Prince [Amukamara]. We’re still trying to work on his swag a little bit. He’s learning though, he’s learning (smile).
Q: OK, who else?
A: Kiwi, Kiwi [Mathias Kiwanuka] has swag … JPP [Justin Pierre-Paul] … [Justin] Tuck’s got some swag … Osi [Umenyiora] might be the most swagged-out defensive lineman.
Q: In what way?
A: His demeanor. His whole approach to him playing end — “I’m gonna be the best end right here on this play. Every play.”
Q: Any others?
A: Ahmad [Bradshaw] has swag, him and BJ [Brandon Jacobs] both. … [Victor] Cruz has swag … Hakeem [Nicks] … Mario [Manningham] … I can’t really put Eli in the swag area.
Q: Why not?
A: Eli’s Eli. He’s different. He’s in a class of his own. … He has Eli swag.
Q: How would you define Eli swag?
A: He’s so mild-mannered both on and off the field, like it seems like nothing ever fazes him.
Q: I don’t want you to leave anybody out and hurt anybody’s feelings. . .
A: I’m sure I’m probably leaving someone out, but they’ll understand.
Q: Tom Coughlin?
A: He’s a tough, hard-nosed coach that knows how to win. He knows exactly what it takes from a team to get the job done.
Q: Swag, or no?
A: He has TC swag (laugh).
Q: What’s the one teammate you’d pick to be on your side in a bar room brawl?
A: Kareem McKenzie. He’s a brawler, man. Either him or I’d take Antrel [Rolle].
Q
: How would you describe Antrel’s mentality?
A: Tenacious. He has that never-quit attitude. He is balls-to-the-wall every play.
Q: Who was your biggest influence growing up?
A: My brother (K.J.). For one, he was the one who got me started with football. I had to go with my mom to watch him in football practice, every day they would run sprints after practice, and I was always small. And so I would line up 10 yards in front of everybody when they’d run sprints and I’d be on the side and I’d start running. And one day the coach told me, “Look, if you can line up on the line with everybody, if you come in first place, I’ll let you play.” And, I won. They let me play.
Q: What’s the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?
A: I’d have to say pretty much just making it out of a small town (Gasdsen, Ala.).
Q: How small was your town?
A: Our whole school was K through 12. I was probably about maybe … 60 people in my graduating class (chuckle).
Q: What was there to do?
A: Hang out at people’s houses … rolling yards …
Q: What?
A: Toilet papering people’s houses (laugh). . .in people’s trees. Some people call it TPing.
Q: Your mom?
A: From high school up until probably about a year or so ago, didn’t miss a game. Home or away.
Q: How did she get injured?
A: She was a trauma nurse, and she fractured her back a couple of years ago lifting a patient.
Q: Do you speak to her before games?
A: Before every game.
Q: What does she tell you?
A: She’s always trying to get me motivated. She’ll call me and she’ll say, “All right, this week, I need … between 10 and 12