Giants defensive lineman Linval Joseph took some time out to tackle a Q&A blitz from Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: Do you see yourself as a bully on the field?
A: (Chuckle) No, I don’t see myself as a bully.
Q: You see yourself as what?
A: A stern player on the field.
Q: What does that mean?
A: I’m a good, all-around player.
Q: You once said, “I like to hit running backs.”
A: The object is to tackle the guy with the ball, [and] if the running back has the ball, I’ll hit him. If the receiver has the ball, I’m gonna hit him.
Q: If I was a running back, would you be the wrong guy to run into?
A: Any guy you run into’s gonna be the wrong guy.
Q: What changes once you put the jersey on?
A: When you put that helmet on, you’re going to war. You have to protect yourself.
Q: You’ve become more of a pass rush threat lately.
A: If the quarterback holds the ball too long, his time will come.
Q: You can bench-press 500 pounds?
A: About that.
Q: Are you the strongest guy on the Giants?
A: I think I’m up there.
Q: What would you want Giants fans to say about you when they watch you play?
A: He’s a powerful player. He’s a team guy, and he’s having fun on the field.
Q: Defensive tackles you like to watch?
A: I like to watch all defensive tackles to see their style of play, just how they carry themselves on the field. … [Arizona’s Darnell] Dockett, [teammate] Chris Canty and [Washington’s Barry] Cofield.
Q: Do you think the Giants are capable of repeating?
A: Yes. You only get better or worse. … If we do everything right, we can be great.
Q: What’s it like being defending champs?
A: We don’t look at it like that no more. It’s a new season. Last season’s over with. We’re a target. We get every team’s best shot every Sunday.
Q: What are your thoughts on Jason Pierre-Paul?.
A: He brings good enery to the game. He’s a young player just like me.
Q: Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora?
A: They’re best of friends. You can learn a lot from Tuck and Osi. Tuck is hungry. They both are hungry.
Q: What was it like being drafted by the New York Giants?
A: It was a beautiful feeling. I just knew it was another step to my journey. … I didn’t visit there. I didn’t understand why they were calling me at first. It was shocking at first.
Q: First impressions of coach Tom Coughlin?
A: A very strict, very stern guy. He was gonna be real. He was gonna tell you what it is and treat everybody the same.
Q: Winning the Super Bowl?
A: It was so great I almost passed out. After the game, all the confetti coming down, I went to the locker room. I got light-headed.
Q: The parade?
A: One of a kind. That was like the best moment in my life, I want to say.
Q: When you first got to East Carolina, you weighed 380 pounds. Why?
A: Free food. I wanted to try it all.
Q: Is that why you had your lower back problem?
A: No. My lower back problem came from stretching. I was stretching one day and did something too fast.
Q: Then came surgery and the hospital.
A: Nobody came to check on me, none of my teammates and stuff. It just opened my eyes, gave me tunnel vision. Something you love could be gone so quick. It made me look at the world differently. It could have been over for me.
Q: You don’t eat meat?
A: I don’t eat meat in season. I want to feel lighter, more alert. I eat chicken. I don’t eat red meat.
Q: In high school in Gainesville, Fla., you examined cows, pigs and horses?
A: Originally I went to school to be a vet. I took classes for that.
Q: Did you have pets growing up?
A: I had a lot of pets growing up. Mostly dogs. My dad used to breed dogs.
Q: Did you have a favorite dog?
A: My own first dog. I named him Bacon. The day we picked him up from my dad’s friend, he ate my bacon off my plate.
Q: What kind of dog?
A: A miniature pit bull.
Q: What did Tim Duncan mean to you?
A: Growing up, everybody in the Virgin Islands wanted to be Tim Duncan. My first letter was for basketball.
Q: What position did you play?
A: I was an all-around guy. I was smaller than what I am now. I tried to use the backboard like Tim Duncan does. I practiced my backboard shot all the time at my house, at the gym.
Q: Your parents divorced when you were 10, and you moved from St. Croix. How did that affect you?
A: I would see my dad every summer for three months. It really wasn’t that big of a deal.
Q: Your mom worked for the Gainesville Police Department.
A: Personnel under the Captain.
Q: Describe her.
A: Strong, outgoing woman. She loves to share. She feels like if you give more, you’ll receive more.
Q: Were picked on when you moved to Florida?
A: Everybody said, “You’re different. You talk different.”
Q: Did that make you feel bad?
A: It just made me feel different (chuckle). It was just something kids do. It didn’t really bother me that much.
Q: You wanted to play for the University of Florida?
A: I went to every home game they had. I talked to the coaches. It was a good feeling. But everything happens for a reason, you know what I mean? I’m not mad at them at all.
Q: How did you find out they had over-recruited?
A: [An assistant to Urban Meyer] came to my school and told me. He said, “You gotta start accepting other calls.” I felt bad because the next day, they put in the newspaper that I didn’t want to go to Florida, and that wasn’t the case.
Q: What’s Childhood memory from St. Croix?
A: I guess waking up and going to the beach every morning.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: My mom, my dad, my brother.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Coming to America.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Adam Sandler.
Q: Favorite entertainer?
A: Luther Vandross.
Q: You cook?
A: I can make almost anything.
Q: What are your thoughts about Hurricane Sandy?
A: It was a wakeup call for me as well. I had gas, I had food. … I feel like you should always be prepared.
Q: Did you lose power because of Sandy?
A: For a couple of days I had no power.
Q: What did you do?
A: It was good because I was with my girlfriend.
Q: Describe your ideal mate.
A: I just want somebody who’s gonna be real with me and be very respected around the world.
Q: You experienced hurricanes growing up.
A: We didn’t have power for three weeks. It’s just different. I had my family there.
Q: What drives you?
A: My family. … Every day I’m just glad to be alive. A lot of people don’t have jobs … just coming up and seeing how people have something, and they lose it the next day. I want to make sure I take advantage of everything I can with my life. I’m healthy, I have gas, I have this, I have everything. … That just pushes me. I know a lot of people don’t have it, and they would die to have what I have.
Q: What is it like being a New York Giant?
A: It’s a dream come true.