Giants' “Big Ox” Proving Why He Belongs in O-line Lineup

Giants rookie offensive lineman Shane Lemieux's debut as an NFL starter passed the coaches' eye test to where more snaps are potentially in his future.

Giants offensive guard Shane Lemieux only knows how to do things one way.

That one way is to show up to work, throw himself into the grind and make as many strides toward improvement as he possibly can.

That yeomen’s attitude has finally paid off for the Giants fifth-round draft pick, who, after getting a couple of snaps as a blocking fullback and jumbo tight end earlier in the season, earned the nod as the Giants starting left guard last week ahead of veteran Chad Slade while incumbent Will Hernandez recovers from the COVID-19 virus.

Lemieux not only had a mostly positive first outing as an NFL starting guard, but he also showed that he belongs out there.

“I’ll tell you what, the level of competitiveness he plays with, some nasty, he definitely gave us some juice in there,” head coach Joe Judge said earlier this week. 

“Look, you line up for your first snap in the NFL and you’re seeing Ndamukong Suh across from you right there, that’s a ‘welcome to the NFL, buddy.’ But this guy didn’t blink. He didn’t shy away from anything. He really answered the bell for us.”

The man who was nicknamed ‘The Big Ox’ in college for his ox-like strength and nasty disposition on the field said Friday that not shying away from the competition is the only way he knows how to play the game.

“I was always taught to play football that way. I think that’s how offensive line should be played,” Lemieux said. 

“Ever since I was younger and I started playing football, I was always taught if you make a mistake make it 100 percent. Go fly around and hit somebody. I feel like that mantra has kind of stuck with me.”

Because of the preparation the coaches have put him through, Lemieux said that nothing surprised him about getting out there as a full-time player.

“I prepare every single day, every single week like I’m going to start,” he said. “If you keep preparing, you don’t have to get ready. If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.

“I just want to be able to help the team however I can. Whenever my number is called, I want to be able to provide support wherever I’m put.”

His most significant contribution might very well have been on Wayne Gallman’s 2-yard touchdown run in which Lemieux and left tackle Andrew Thomas created a sizeable hole for Gallman to slip into the end zone.

“It was a good called run right there at the end zone,” Lemieux said of the play. “It’s one of my first touchdowns, we had one before that but that was our first running play touchdown. We were all pretty juiced.”

As a bonus, Gallman handed the ball to his rookie teammate to perform the celebratory spike.

“Yeah, Wayne handed me the ball, and I didn’t know what to do with it,” Lemieux said with a grin. “I was like, ‘You know what? Spike it.’ So I did."

And how did he do with performing the unexpected honor?

“Everyone is kind of giving me a little bit of hell for it because it was a bad spike, but I was just so juiced and excited to be in the moment," Lemieux said. 

"I just wanted to celebrate with my team, and I thought that was pretty cool."