Giants Country

Jason Pinnock Reveals What His Father Said After Dropped Interception

The Giants safety knew he was going to get an earful from his father about his missed opportunity.

Patricia Traina

Jason Pinnock Reveals What His Father Said After Dropped Interception
Jason Pinnock Reveals What His Father Said After Dropped Interception /
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New York Giants safety Jason Pinnock knew as soon as the ball hit the ground what was coming next.

Pinnock, the third-year safety, knew he would have a message from his father, Louis, about his blown opportunity in the Giants' 31-19 win over the Washington Commanders Sunday in which he dropped an interception that was right in his hands. 

Sure enough, he did.

"He just said, ‘It’s like you only like the hard ones.’ He’s going to get on me all the time; that’s him," Pinnock said Monday via video call. "It was just like, you’ve got to move on; glad you didn’t let it pile into other negative plays. That's the biggest thing. But got to catch the ones that come to you. Those are the free ones."

If anyone thinks that the elder Pinnock is one of those "stage parents" who harp on the negatives and not the positives, that's not the case.

The elder Pinnock, who coached his son for 11 years during Jason's earliest stints in the game, is a realist whose goal is to make sure his son stays even-keeled in good times and bad and remembers to move on to the next play.

Such was his message to his son back in the summer when Pinnock made a gorgeous highlight reel one-handed interception on a pass play thrown by quarterback Daniel Jones that was intended for tight end Darren Waller.

Although the play was technically blown dead before the throw was made, thanks to the pressure by the defense, Jones still threw the ball, and Pinnock got a chance to enjoy a "wow" moment.

As for this particular gaffe by Pinnock, who tied a franchise record earlier this year with a 102-yard interception return for a touchdown against Miami on October 8, it's already been forgotten, and he is ready for the next opportunity.

"Oh yeah, it's like all in one," Pinnock said of his conversation with his father. "So, it's so funny. It's like, they're killing me for the first two parts of the conversation, and then it’s like I’m his son again."

But there are no hard feelings between father and son.

"That’s my pop," Pinnock proudly said with a wide grin.

 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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