New York Giants cornerback Sam Beal hasn't played a live rep in an NFL game since December 22, 2019.
But for Beal, the Giants' third-round pick in the 2018 supplemental draft whose career has seen two trips to the injured reserve list and, more recently, his decision to opt-out, his confidence certainly hasn't taken a hit.
"If you play DB, you should never lose your confidence because every game you go out, you can get beat or you could have the best game of your life," Beal said Monday.
"So, I will never lose that competitive side that I have always had. I’ll continue to be competitive and compete every day."
That being said, Beal's roster spot, once thought to be etched in stone given the breathtaking talent and skillset he showed at Western Michigan, is far from being secure.
After undergoing shoulder surgery following two training camp practices, the third-year cornerback began his rookie campaign on the injured reserve list.
In his second season, he missed the first nine games after a hamstring strain landed him on IR for a second straight season, but played in six games of the last seven games of that season, making three starts at outside cornerback.
Then last year, Beal, who ran into some legal issues related to a gun charge he incurred during a June 2020 traffic stop, decided to opt-out due to COVID-19 concerns, a decision he doesn't seem to regret even though it cost him a full year of development.
"At the time, it was the best decision for me," he said of his decision to opt-out of the season. "Sometimes you gotta take responsibility for your family, gotta take care of the people around you, take care of yourself. So, I chose the best decision at the time."
The problem for Beal, deemed at the time the best supplemental draft prospect since Josh Gordon by Bleacher Report, is that the Giants just couldn't afford to wait for him to pull his act together.
New York signed cornerback James Bradberry last year in free agency while adding Darnay Holmes via the draft, and defensive back Logan Ryan as a late addition to the roster.
Then this year, the Giants signed Adoree' Jackson in free agency and drafted a pair of young and promising corners in Aron Robinson and Rodarius Williams.
If Beal, who still needs to hear from the NFL regarding any potential discipline related to his legal issue, is worried about his roster status, he's not letting on.
"Anybody that plays football knows that in your life you’re always competing. When you’ve got competitors with you, it makes it fun, especially when you’ve got a relationship with the guys and they’re all teaching every day," he said.
"So, when you make plays, they make plays, it’s always fun to watch in the film room. I’m just going to enjoy it. Just speak to the guys that accomplished a lot, places I want to be, positions I want to be in. I just look at them and tell myself every day to just try and get better."
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