Andre Patterson Urges Patience for NY Giants Rookie Darius Alexander

Alexander, according to Patterson, is improving every day and isn’t that far off from being called upon to contribute to the defensive line rotation when his coach gives the green light.  

“He's gonna be a really good football player for us, there's no doubt in my mind about it,” Patterson said. “But I'm gonna put him on the field when he's ready to go perform.”

“He's a rookie and the NFL is different from college football, and you have to learn how to play this game. He goes out here every day, busting his tail to master the technique, and he's going to be a great football player. 

“I'm just making sure that he's the player that we all want him to be, and the worst thing I can do is put him on the field before he's ready to be that.”  

Patterson said that playing defensive tackle at the NFL level is difficult, and to prove his point, he spoke of an annual list the coaches around the league get that shows every position and the round in which the players at each position are drafted.

The lowest group? Defensive tackle and offensive line. 

But again, Patterson believes in the talent Alexander has to offer, and has urged patience while the young man transitions to the big boy’s game. 

“We just have to be patient and let him develop. Let him bloom, and if we let him bloom, we're going to have a beautiful flower. And that's my job to make sure that that happens,” he said.

Patterson referenced Hunter, who didn’t play in the first five games of his rookie campaign because he didn’t feel the player was ready. And however long it takes for Alexander to finally reach that point, Patterson is willing to be patient. 

“I've been doing this a long time and I've been blessed enough to develop some great players, and I know how it works,” he said. “I'm gonna stick to my guns on that because I know it's the best thing for him. 

“But most importantly, it's the best thing for the New York Giants to let this guy become what I know he's gonna become. And, I know that because of how hard he works at it, how important it is for him, and how much improvement I've seen from him.” 

So how close is Alexander to being ready for prime time?

“I'll know it when I see it,” Patteson said. “I'll know it when I see it. And you know, the funny thing about it is that the other guys in the room will know it when they see it too. And we're starting to see it. We're starting to see it, so it's gonna happen."