George Willis

George Willis

NFL

‘Ohm’-G! Yoga helps Giants rookie Pugh find the right balance

Giants offensive tackle Justin Pugh hasn’t hit the so-called rookie wall yet and doesn’t think he will. The reason? Yoga.

Every Monday, the Giants rookies take part in a 45-minute session of yoga, which Pugh credits with helping his body recover from the wear and tear of an NFL schedule.

“I did a little bit of it college, but not consistently every week like I’m doing now,” Pugh said Friday. “It helps with flexibility and flexibility is huge for injury prevention and overall body well-being.”

You wouldn’t think of yoga being part of the football regiment. But the 6-foot-4, 300-pound Pugh swears by it. It’s not your morning class at the local health club, either. Pugh said the female instructor who leads the yoga session can be every bit as demanding as coach Tom Coughlin.

“She’s been in the business for a while,” Pugh said. “She makes us do some crazy stuff. It’s not easy.”

The yoga, along with the usual treatments of massage, acupuncture, and daily sessions in the cold tub, have kept Pugh from feeling the drain most rookies feel about this time of year after four preseason games and nine regular-season games. Pugh would be especially susceptible to breaking down as a result of being in the starting lineup at right tackle since the season opener after David Diehl went down with an injury.

The mental focus needed to prepare each week can be draining in itself. Add the physical pounding that comes with playing against grown men week after week, and it could have been overwhelming for the first-round draft pick from Syracuse.

But he has held up admirably both on and off the field, validating the Giants’ belief they have found someone to anchor their offensive line into the next decade.

“It’s been jury by fire,” Pugh said. “You’re going to find out right now what you’re made of. To go out there and play and compete at this level has been the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do. But everything I’ve learned playing has been invaluable. Learning from the veterans, technique-stuff and learning how to prepare has been big for me.”

Any bullying Pugh has received as come from the opposition, who weekly test his mentally toughness. Bears defensive end Julius Peppers was especially verbal with the “welcome to the NFL” stuff.

“It was just trash talk,” Pugh said. “But I gave it back a little, too.”

The veterans on the Giants like Pugh’s moxie. There was no need to try to toughen him up. He already understands he must play with the right balance of poise and aggression.

“Being poised is the No. 1 thing,” Pugh said. “You have to be aggressive, but at the same time you can’t get frustrated and cause penalties. Coach said you can be mad out there, but you can’t get frustrated. Once you get frustrated it will zap your energy. You just want to play with an aggressive mean streak between the whistles.”

Pugh has impressed the veterans on his team.

“You can usually tell early on how mentally tough a guy is, and he’s mentally strong,” offensive lineman Kevin Boothe said. “Regardless of the situation, he’s kept a level head. He works hard and he’s eager to succeed. It’s easy to work alongside a guy like that.”

Pugh is getting a crash course in the good, bad and the ugly of the NFL. An 0-6 record has turned into a three-game winning streak. A running game virtually non-existent earlier in the season is starting to show signs of life. Defenses are no longer dictating to the Giants. The Giants are starting to dictate to the defense.

“When our running game starts hitting downhill, [the defense] is not flying off the ball and they’re not pass-rushing every time,” Pugh said. “Having a good balance helps you as an offensive lineman.”

No matter what record the Giants wind up with this season, a major positive will be the experience Pugh has gained.

“He’s getting better every game,” Coughlin said.

Pugh has learned how to be a pro and he’s learned how to appreciate yoga.