With Justin Tuck and Linval Joseph gone from the Giants, the team’s defensive line was guaranteed to look different.
Mike Patterson has made sure he does, too.
Currently slotted for a starting role, as Patterson was for most of his eight seasons with the Eagles, the 30-year-old defensive tackle has kicked off his second training camp with the Giants feeling significantly better than last season, having dropped his weight from 327 pounds to 316 pounds.
“It was something I really wanted to accomplish,” Patterson said Tuesday at training camp. “My best years, I was 310-312 pounds. I am trying to get back to that spot.”
Though Patterson is excited to be starting again — following Joseph’s signing with the Vikings — it is mostly because he feels increased faith from his coaches. The status wasn’t important to him.
What matters more is being another year removed from the seizure he suffered during training camp with Philadelphia in 2011, after which he was diagnosed with cerebral arteriovenous malformation and later underwent brain surgery.
After a solid first season with the Giants, the doubts have been removed.
“I’m very excited and very thankful of this opportunity,” Patterson said. “All the AVM stuff, I’m just happy to finally put that behind me and move on. … I had a lot of questions, people wondering if [I] was going to be able to play and stuff like that, all that’s behind me. I’m here, fresh new year and have nothing to worry about.
“[Last year], I felt good just for the fact I was able to do my job without any questions. That was my thing, something personally I went through and it let people know it’s not over for me.”
Called “Gumby,” by offensive line coach Pat Flaherty, because of his ability to be flexible and move around, Patterson’s run-stopping was a bright spot last season, but the 10-year veteran now needs to make more of an impact if the Giants run defense is to improve from 14th in league (108.9 yards per game), despite the departures.
Last season, Patterson’s success was a surprise. This season, it is expected.
“He’s a true professional, very quiet, comes to work every day as a ‘lunch-pail’ guy,” defensive line coach Robert Nunn said. “He really helped us. He’s a pleasure to be around, and he’s just a true professional.”