Bowled Over! Giants RB Tyrone Tracy, Jr on His Position Switch, Family's Love of Bowling and More

New York Giants rookie RB Tyrone Tracy, Jr spoke about his position transition, his family's favorite recreational activity, and more in this exclusive interview.

Nov 18, 2023; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Purdue Boilermakers running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (3) runs / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants selected former Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. with the No. 166 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. A former wide receiver turned running back, Tracy Jr. projects as a versatile weapon for a new-look offense. His multi-purpose skill set should allow him to make a positive impact as a first-year contributor.

Tracy Jr. recently spoke exclusively with Fan Nation’s New York Giants site about his position switch from wide receiver to running back, playing competitive bowling with his family,  and more.

The New York Giants selected you fifth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. What was the moment like for you?  

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: It was an incredible moment. When you’ve been working to achieve your dream for 20+ years, to finally see all of that hard work and sacrifice pay off, it’s an unbelievable feeling.

To finally get that, 'Yes, we accept you' call from an organization like the New York Giants, it meant they saw value in me. That moment meant a lot to my family, and it really was an incredible feeling.

Did you have a lot of pre-draft interest from the Giants, or did their interest surprise you?

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: I knew they liked me. I didn’t know exactly how much they liked me. I didn’t know all of the details behind their interest. I just knew they liked me because my agent was talking to me about the interest from the Giants.

At the same time, I knew a lot of other teams liked me as well. I didn’t know how everything was going to shake out for the Giants and if they were picking in a range that made sense. There were other teams that were interested in and liked me. I feel blessed that the Giants found a way to get me in the fifth round.

After transferring from Iowa to Purdue, you transitioned from wide receiver to running back. It was a swift, successful transition, with you rushing for 716 yards and eight touchdowns this season. What allowed you to make such a smooth transition?

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: I would say coaching and natural God-given ability. To start with the coaching aspect of it, head coach Ryan Walters, the offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, and running backs coach Lamar Conard–all placed their faith and trust in me.

They allowed me to be myself on the field. They didn’t place any restrictions on me. They allowed me to go full throttle. Most importantly, they allowed me to make mistakes along the way. They gave me a chance to correct those mistakes. They didn’t place me on a short leash. They allowed me to play through it and be my authentic self.

Regarding my God-given ability, I’ve had experience with the running back position my entire life. When I got out there on the field, going from receiver to running back wasn’t totally foreign to me. It was no different from what I did in high school, just a little more detailed. I had to focus more on the fundamentals.

I also had to jump into the film room a little more. My film study of the running back position had to grow. I had to step up my knowledge of the position to play at a higher level.

• RELATED: Purdue RB Coach Lamar Conard Reveals Story Behind Tyrone Tracy Jr's Position Switch
  

How do you think that background as a wide receiver has helped you play the running back position at a higher level?

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: It was huge. It helped me get comfortable faster. I’ve only been playing the position full-time for a little over a year now. I started making the change in April of last year. It’s literally been one year and one month.

I feel great because I’ve had some experience with the position my entire life, as I said earlier. It allowed me to get comfortable in the backfield. Once you’re making that change from a new position, it’s natural to have some worry and doubt in your mind at the very beginning of the change.

It took a while, but I would estimate I got the hang of it around mid-spring last year. I got my confidence. I noticed I was starting to make plays with more consistency. I was generating explosive plays. I started doing everything I wanted to do at the position.

The background of playing football from a young age, both the wide receiver and running back positions, that helped me tremendously.

Indianapolis, IN, USA; Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr during the 2024 NFL Combine. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

You run the football with terrific contact balance. You forced 46 missed tackles on just 113 carries and finished fourth in the country in yards after contact per rush. How did you develop that area of your game?

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: Wow, that’s a great question! I would credit my training. I do a lot of balanced-based stuff. When I’m in the weight room during the offseason, I’m still doing balance stuff. I use different exercise balls and foam mats to challenge my body. I know it’s going to benefit me on the field.

I try to stay on my feet--that’s the truth. Sometimes it’s that simple. I don’t want to let one person tackle me. I try to gain as many yards as I can. I try to counterbalance the types of hits I’m getting. I don’t want to get tackled. Who wants to get tackled? (laughs).

I love that. From what I understand, bowling is quite popular in your family. Talk to me about that. Did you guys play as a family growing up? How did it feed your competitive spirit?

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: Bowling is huge in my family right now. It’s going to continue being a big family-wide event in our household moving forward. We didn’t play bowling when we were younger. Of course, we did play a lot of sports growing up, though.

My dad started bowling like maybe two or three years ago. He was the first one. This was before the rest of our family started bowling. It was just my dad. I went with him one time and I was like, 'Wow, he’s actually pretty good!'  

I was like, ‘Damn, I might try this.’ The next thing you know, the entire family has bowling balls and shoes. We have our own bowling bags and everything. We show up to the alley; we look legit, but we’re not really legit. We’re good, but we’re not that good.

All kidding aside, it’s been an amazing way to bond with my family on another level. It’s a different activity than we’re used to. It’s more like an extracurricular sport for us. It’s something we do on the side.

I’m dying over your “We look legit, but we’re not actually legit” comment.

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: I’ll give you an example. When you walk into the bowling alley, you usually walk up to the counter and get the bowling ball and your shoes from the alley. My family and I walk in with our own shoes, ball, and bags! People look at us like, ‘Damn, they must be good!’ (laughs). But we’re not professional or anything like that.

The family isn’t going on a bowling tour anytime soon?

Tyrone Tracy Jr: Nah, definitely not (laughs). We’re just there to have some fun.

Before we let you go, what is Tyrone Tracy Jr's rookie season goal?

Tyrone Tracy Jr.: I don’t like putting stat-based expectations on myself. I’m not going to talk about numbers or anything like that. You’re going to see a dude that goes out there and has a bunch of fun.

I’m a high-energy guy. Anytime I’m on the field, I’m going to be smiling, laughing, and dancing. I’m going to make sure I have an infectious amount of energy around my teammates. I want the fans to feel it as well.

I want people to remember me for how I played. That doesn’t mean stats; it means the way I approached and played the game. I want my passion to be felt and seen. That’s what you’re going to see me for years to come. You should be able to see that I love football. I shouldn’t have to tell you.

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