Giants Country

Kayvon Thibodeaux Offers Blunt Self-Critique of His Rookie Year

Thibodeaux spoke bluntly about his rookie season's "cringe" moments and how he's trying to eliminate them moving forward.

Patricia Traina

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When a player is drafted in the top five overall, the expectations are typically high enough as is. 

But for New York Giants outside linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, no one's expectations for his rookie season were higher than his own, which is why when he took the time this past off-season to look at his film, he didn't always like what he saw. 

"Last year's film kind of disgusts me a little bit when I look at myself," he said Sunday after the team's fourth training camp practice. "I get a little cringe feeling."

Rather harsh words, no?

"I mean, for me, I didn't reach the goals that I wanted to reach last year, but we did well as a team," Thibodeaux said. "I gave myself a platform to continue to grow, and in the offseason, I put that work in, and now we're here continuing sharpening iron. I'm excited for what's to come as far as the growth of my game."

Statistically speaking, Thibodeaux, who missed the start of last season while recovering from a preseason MCL sprain, totaled four sacks, six tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits in 14 games, with three of those sacks coming in the final six weeks of the regular season.  

And arguably, his 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in Week 15 against Washington helped save the Giants season.  

But while he didn't always have the numbers to show for it, that didn't mean that Thibodeaux wasn't making an impact in other ways for his teammates, be it through drawing double team blocking to create one-on-one situations for teammates or other ways.

No matter, as Thibodeaux knows, he's capable of doing more--much more. And that knowledge and belief in himself is what drove him to work tirelessly this off-season to correct some of what held him back as a rookie.

"That chemistry is everything. When you play this game, and you’ve got 11 guys out there, you can’t do it by yourself, so you would say the teams with the most chemistry have the most success," he said when asked what was most eye-opening in his review of his performance. 

"Really being accountable and selfless. There are a lot of teams who have great players, and they have a lot of talent but not a lot of humility, not a lot of selflessness. When it comes to big games, when it comes to big plays or tough plays and having to rebound, the truth will always rise."

Thibodeaux said he better understands who he is as a player and how he needs to grow. He also has a long list of things he wants to incorporate starting this ear, starting with the behind-the-scenes stuff.

"I would say, when you talk about goals for myself, it would just be routine. Understanding what I need to recover, understanding what my body likes, and what it doesn't like, as far as my nutrition, as far as my recovery," he said. 

"Even when it comes to lifting weights, or stretching and doing things like that, just understanding – and I've been doing that from the offseason to now – what it's going to take for me to be my best self."

 And what would it take for him to be his best self?

"I don't want to give up the secrets," he said. "People pay for those. But working out every day. I did, like, three workouts a day on average with recovery, with film study, with everything else. So, just never putting it down."

Some might view Thibodeaux's approach as overkill, but that just shows how determined he is to fulfill his draft pedigree and be a force for years. 

"There is no offseason when you do it as a professional. So, understanding that and being able to start making my lifestyle about the game and growth.” 

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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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