New York Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor has never been about himself; he just shows up to work ready for whatever the day might bring.
But that doesn't mean he hasn't kept himself ready should his number be called, and so when head coach Brian Daboll decided to go with the 34-year-old veteran over rookie Tommy DeVito for this weekend's game against the Los Angeles Rams, Taylor took the news in stride.
"It’s part of the business," he said Wednesday in front of his locker. "Thankful for the opportunity. Looking forward to getting out on the field with the guys this weekend and competing."
Taylor earned the starting nod over DeVito thanks to his play in Monday's 33-25 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Although Taylor didn't light up the scoreboard or the stat sheet--he finished 7 of 16 for 133 yards, one touchdown and one interception--he delivered just the slightest spark in helping the Giants overcome a 20-3 halftime deficit by leading the Giants offense to 15 of its 22 points in the second half.
"I think there were some positives to take away from it," Taylor said of his performance. "I think as a team we were able to create a spark, obviously put some points on the board. Still some plays that were left out on the field."
Taylor, who three weeks ago was disappointed to learn that he would not regain the starting quarterback job after coming off injured reserve, never let his feelings get in the way of his professionalism. Head coach Brian Daboll praised Taylor for being a team player, and Taylor simply went about his business to ensure he'd be ready for anything.
"My focus day in and day out was to prepare and stay ready for if my number was called to be out there, to be able to go out and execute at a high level," he said.
"As a quarterback, you are literally one play away. Your preparation shouldn’t change, your attitude shouldn’t change. The quarterback is the leader, whether they want to be or not, so a lot of people look towards us during down times to see how we respond. When everything’s up, everyone’s happy, but in down times you look towards your leaders to see how you respond."
His response further strengthened an already deep respect his teammates had for him.
"I think that’s just who I am," Taylor said. "I try to stay as level as possible, through the highs and the lows. Life is a roller coaster, how you endure the storms and how you endure the ups and downs I think speaks to your character."
That said, Taylor is grateful for the opportunity to start.
"It means everything to me. I mean, the work that you put in week in and week out. I’ve been playing this game for a long time and anytime I get a chance to lace up the cleats and go out and compete means the world to me. That’s where I'm the happiest, and it's what I love to do, to be able to go out and not only show your peers but prove to yourself what you could do."
And what Taylor hopes to do is to lead the Giants to finish out what's otherwise a lost season on a positive note.
"I know we're out of the playoffs, but there's a lot to play for, and I'm excited to go out there and compete with these guys in the locker room," he said. "Guys are still encouraged. Obviously, it wasn't the season we wanted, but we have all of it in front of us to finish it the way we want to. There’re still goals within this locker room that we know that we can achieve."
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