In sports, as in life, sometimes the truth is most visible, and perhaps most beautiful, when an individual simply steps up and accepts responsibility for his or her actions. When New York Giants rookie punter Matt Dodge failed to punt the ball out of bounds and away from speedster DeSean Jackson in yesterday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the stage was set for just such an occasion.
Millions of fans watched as Jackson returned the punt for the winning touchdown, and as Giants head coach Tom Coughlin moments later raked Dodge over the coals. Coughlin’s red-faced tongue-lashing left little doubt that Dodge was likely going to be the scapegoat for the Giants’ embarrassing loss.
According to press reports, after enduring Coughlin’s tirade, Dodge beat a hasty retreat to the locker room and the showers before reporters could corral him. When Dodge returned to his locker, reporters moved in quickly to gather the information necessary to document the details of his gaffe, and of a rookie season that appeared to be coming to a premature end.
Yet the New York Daily News reported that before reporters could unleash their barrage of questions, Giants safety Deon Grant interceded.
"I've got something to say for him," Grant said. "It should never have come down to him kicking the ball. So he doesn't have any reason to hang his head. Point no finger at him. This is on the defense. The score was 31-10 with eight minutes left. It ain't his fault."
In a world where the truth is seldom delivered in a truly unvarnished fashion, Grant’s pronouncement was a thing of beauty. NFL teams these days are, more often than not, a collection of prima donnas, each waiting for his shot at free agency and even more obscene paychecks. It was in this environment that Grant manned up and did what teammates are supposed to do. He told the truth, and in doing so stood up for his teammate. In a league where character seems to be in dishearteningly short supply, on this night Deon Grant was truly a stand-up guy.
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