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Giants' Malik Nabers Shares His 'Welcome to the NFL' Moment

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nathan Karseno | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 4:56 PM ET

New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers had a stellar Pro-Bowl season last year as a rookie.

The LSU product selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft hauled in 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns, quickly asserting himself as the Giants' franchise receiver.

The Giants didn't see much team success in Nabers' rookie season, but the youngster had many memorable moments ... good and bad.

Every rookie enters Week 1 waiting for the time when they get popped hard on a tackle, usually rattling them for a second before they compose themselves for the next play. This is a "welcome to the NFL" moment, where boys become men.

In Bleacher Report's latest episode of "Taking Laps with Dale Earnhardt Jr.", a show where the NASCAR legend races around a track with a passengers telling stories, Nabers detailed one hit early in the season. It came in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders.

"I ran like a shallow ... I caught the ball and I was going up the field on the right sideline and one of the linebackers, he came and hit me," Nabers recalled.

"Really, I had seen him in my peripheral, but it's like, I thought he was farther than I expected ... He just magically just appeared right there. He smacked me, I ain't gonna lie ... He hit me, I popped right up and I was like 'Okay, alright, now I'm in the league.'"

Here is a replay of the moment. Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu was the one who put Nabers on the turf.

It was Luvu pic.twitter.com/cuayhACt8c
— Nate (@Gr8Nate_eth) July 3, 2025

Credit to Nabers, he was able to keep his composure and get up in a hurry to celebrate with some trash talk.

That game was one of Nabers' best performances of the season. He caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown. It would turn out to be the first of just three games where the star wideout had at least 10 receptions and at least 100 yards receiving.

In the end, Washington would have the last laugh, winning the game 21-18.

Nabers is pace to be the Giants' best young receiver since a spry Odell Beckham Jr. came out of LSU and played in the Big Apple.

There will be a different quarterback throwing Nabers the ball this season, as Daniel Jones left in free agency and New York assembled a unit of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and first-round pick Jaxson Dart.

One thing is for certain, rivals in the NFC East will continue to bring the heat on the Giants' prized young star.

But now he's ready for it.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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