He has slimmed down considerably from his college days, but Giants Coach Pat Shurmur still knows how the offensive line position should be played. He was an all-Big Ten center at Michigan State, though undersized, and played alongside Tony Mandarich, the colossal left tackle and former No. 2 overall N.F.L. pick.
He made the linemen chuckle at the amount of food he piled on his plate during training camp and reorganized the locker room so they could all sit together, forming cohesion and chemistry that was supposed to help the group’s newcomers adjust.
So far, it hasn’t worked.