The Two Sides of Giants Head Coach Joe Judge
Don't let Giants head coach Joe Judge's "punch you in the mouth for 60 minutes" mentality fool you.
Judge's disciplinarian, hard-nosed coaching style is only half the story in how he treats his players; that much is true.
He won't stand for anything other than a team-first attitude from his team, which includes his coaches, and if someone doesn't want to adhere to that, there will be consequences to face, as receiver Golden Tate recently found out.
But there's a softer side to Judge, a father, and husband, that he's brought to the table that has his players and others around the league taking notice.
That softer side in which Judge has shown compassion for his players as people to where he'll happily step in front of the bus rather than throw his players or coaches under it has been a big reason why despite a 1-7 record that by now would have most people checked out, Judge has gotten the same response as a 7-1 team.
"We're very demanding of our players. I don't apologize for that," Judge said. "I'm not going to apologize for that. I'm very critical of our guys, and I'm very blunt and honest with them.
"But at the same time, if you generally care about the players you're coaching, then you can coach them hard and you can be critical because they understand at the end of the day that you're coming from a genuine place and you're being sincere to try and help them."
That sense of family connection has been more important this year than any other, as Judge's first season as an NFL head coach has been complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this year, when the virus cases first began to spike, Judge told reporters that he wouldn't let his own children travel across the country, let alone expect his players and coaches to make the trip to New Jersey, given the risks.
That caring-tough love attitude, which was last seen during the Tom Coughlin era, continued when the entire team came together for training camp at the end of July and hasn't stopped.
Joe the Compassionate
For Judge, giving his players the time and resources they need to ensure their family's health and safety is just as important as the football stuff.
Just ask cornerback Logan Ryan, who has known Judge since 2012 when the two first joined the NFL ranks as a player and an assistant coach respectively with the New England Patriots.
Ryan, then a third-round rookie and Judge, a rookie special teams coach, built a relationship they have carried into New York in 2020.
Earlier this week, Ryan's wife was sent to a Florida hospital emergency room on a team trainer's advice when she complained of stomach cramps.
Doctors diagnosed her with an ectopic pregnancy for which she underwent emergency surgery that probably saved her life.
Upon learning of the Ryan family's emergency, Judge's message to his veteran defensive back went beyond the standard "best wishes for a speedy recovery" sentiments.
"Joe said, 'If you need to fly to Florida, don't worry about football.' That's who Joe is as a man and as a coach," Ryan said. "I know we care about X's and O's and winning and losing, but there are really good people here. That's why I came here.
"I'll do everything I can to play for a coach like that and play for an organization like this because if that wasn't the case, I don't know if my wife would be here today," Ryan added.
"Honestly, I'm extremely grateful for this organization and for Joe, and for everyone to understand that there are things bigger than football, especially this year."
Ryan isn't the only player known to experience Judge's compassionate side. Earlier in the year, undrafted rookie wide receiver Derrick Dillon, a member of the team's practice squad, became a first-time father.
Upon learning about the arrival of Dillon's new child, Judge agreed to waive the receiver, which on the surface might sound heartless--except the Giants made sure to time the transaction so that Dillon wouldn't miss a paycheck.
Dillon was then re-signed to the team's practice squad after a week away spend bonding with his growing family.
Joe the General
Just because Judge has a softer side doesn't mean it can be exploited for just any reason.
"There are some things that a guy may come to you and you say, 'Hey look, we can't miss practice or a game for that.' There are other things that are real life-critical," Judge said.
It's a lesson he said he learned from coaches he encountered as a player and later as an assistant coach.
"You have to have relationships with your players that you understand what makes them tick, and they have to have a relationship with you to understand that you have their best interests at heart."
Judge has not been one to shrink from his responsibilities, which is to put the very best product out there on the field.
In fact, he's said repeatedly starting with his introductory press conference that his top priority is to produce a team that not only represents the tri-state area but is also one of which the community can be proud.
That means managing athletes held to the highest professional standard, and from that commitment was born Jduge's headline-making penalty laps that he imposed on both players and coaches who made mental errors during training camp practices.
But Judge is who he is: a hard-working, blue-collar head coach whose adherence to the creed "Faith, Family, and Football" that the late Wellington Mara held so dear likely has the late Giants patriarch beaming down on his team.
Additional reporting by Patricia Traina.
