NFL

Giants’ Austin aims to be a cut above

Marvin Austin

Marvin Austin

(Neil Miller, Anthony J. Causi)

DREAD NAUGHT: Marvin Austin sports a different look than last year (inset), as part of a makeover the second-year defensive tackle hopes leads to more playing time for the Giants. (Neil Miller, Anthony J. Causi)

ALBANY — You tell Marvin Austin you almost didn’t recognize him, and he responds with a boyish smile and a knowing nod.

“The dreads,’’ he says.

The newly-shorn Austin has a bag in which he saved the piles of dreadlocks that tumbled from his head for the past 13 years — more than half of the lifetime of the 23-year-old defensive tackle who is literally trying to put a new face on a stalled career.

“I really have gotten a lot of compliments on my haircut,’’ Austin said recently at Giants training camp. “I love it. My mom, she likes it, she says, ‘Now you’re representing me the right way.’ She thought I looked Rastafarian or something crazy. Not to say that Rastafarians are crazy. She said I need to keep myself better groomed.’’

Receiving double-takes are now an expected part of Austin’s day. The mountain of hair he had flowing out the back of his helmet is gone, replaced by a close-cropped look that no longer distinguishes him from the other 300-pound-plus linemen that come and go in Giants-issued shorts and T-shirts.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who kind of look similar but the dreads kind of give you a little bit of flair,’’ said linebacker Greg Jones, whose own dreads haven’t been cut in five years. “The funny part about it is he was giving me [garbage] when I said, ‘Man, it’s getting difficult keeping this thing going,’ and then he told me I shouldn’t cut it. Then he comes back and says, ‘I had to do it.’ ’’

Sometimes hair is just hair and a cut is just a cut. But not this time. The dramatic change in appearance, Austin hopes, coincides with a radical change in his attitude and approach, as big things are expected from a player who hasn’t played in three years. In 2010, Austin missed his senior year at North Carolina after he was suspended for violating team rules, and in 2011 he missed his entire rookie season after tearing his left pectoral muscle in a preseason game against the Bears.

“It’s a new beginning for me, a new opportunity,’’ said Austin, a second-round draft pick a year ago. “It was a phase of my life, now I’m on a different phase. Just ready to be a professional. I just want to represent the organization the best I possibly can, on and off the field, just with my appearance, because perception is everything and appearance is everything.’’

The perception of Austin is he’s talented and motivated and will force his way onto the field in a rotation at defensive tackle, especially with Chris Canty sidelined following knee surgery.

“Listen, he’s a strong man who has very good leverage and plays low to the ground,’’ said right guard Chris Snee, who knocks heads with Austin in practice. “He flashes some pass-rush ability, he’s got some good ability. He definitely has all the tools, which is why he was picked so high and why [general manager] Jerry Reese wanted him. Now it’s just a matter of transferring it to the field.’’

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell was so pleased with what he saw in one practice, that in the meeting the next morning he singled out Austin for the way he was pursuing a play.

“We’re just praying he can stay healthy because he is a talent,’’ Fewell said.

The dreadlocks were cut about a week before camp, and when Austin arrived at the University at Albany he was met with quizzical stares.

“The coaches were like, ‘Who the hell is that?’ ’’ Austin said. “I don’t want to say the names but there were coaches, I’m sitting there and they are like ‘Who’s that talking to Chris [Canty]?’ ’’

Guilty as charged, Fewell says.

“You’re in the meeting room and you’re looking around and saying hello to the guys and I looked around and said ‘Who’s the new guy?’ ’’ Fewell said. “I looked and I kept looking, it took me two or three takes to realize, ‘Man, that’s Marvin.’ ’’

With the dreads, Austin said he washed his hair once every three weeks, admitting he was “grungy.’’ And now?

“Water has never touched the inside of my hair this freely,’’ he exclaimed. “Beautiful, awesome, you get under there, let the water run through your hair, wash it, dry it off, it don’t take three days to dry.’’

Austin cannot wait for the preseason games, when he can finally show his stuff.

“I’m ready,’’ he said. “This is what I was born to do.’’