What the 2021 Giants Can Learn from the 2011 Super Bowl Team

The current New York Giants team is focused on not only improving but making a run for the postseason, and they're going about reaching their goals similarly to the 2011 Giants Super Bowl team.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ever since walking in the door, Giants head coach Joe Judge has been all about building a strong culture that’s ripe with leadership and opportunity for those willing to put in the time and effort to contribute to what the organization is trying to build.

And as if Judge needed any evidence to support the methods behind his madness, the Giants history-minded head coach can always go back to the 2011 season where that Super Bowl XLVI winning team proved to be greater than the sum of its parts.

“We had done a good job of getting great leaders in the locker room to really kind of self-govern the locker room,” Steve Weatherford, the punter on that 2011 team, told the LockedOn Giants podcast as part of promoting his upcoming two-day business summit, CEO of Your Life, scheduled for later this month at the Hilton Meadowlands.

“I think that's one of the reasons we were able to have as much success in 2011 is because we had great leadership,” Weatherford said. “If you looked at our roster by comparison to other rosters in the NFL that year, we weren't jumping off of the paper. We were just a really good team.

“We had a great offensive line, and we were really solid on defense, really solid on offense and special teams. And our defense really knew how to close out games. It was a special team veteran team that had young guys that, that really showed up really big for us in the playoffs.”

That 2011 team, which this year celebrates the tenth anniversary of its Super Bowl XLVI win, could serve as sort of an inspiration to the 2021 team in its quest to win the NFC East.

Much like Tom Coughlin, the head coach of the 2011 team, Judge has emphasized the culture, finishing games, and on no one being bigger or more important than the team.

The current Giants squad will report to training camp next month, on July 27, to begin putting in the time and work to give themselves the best chance of reaching their goal of being better than last year and being included in the postseason.

The 2011 championship team, meanwhile, is set to have a reunion in East Rutherford this fall which could include making a cameo in front of the Giants fans as they return to MetLife Stadium after being away last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Weatherford, who with his wife Laura recently welcomed son Kingston Craft (12-pound, 3 ounces), is looking forward to the reunion activities. But first, he’s looking forward to helping budding entrepreneurs find the same success that he himself has found after his NFL career ended.

“When I showed up to Giants training camp, (Giants head coach) Tom Coughlin handed every player a playbook and the expectation was if you learn that playbook and you'll give us a chance to be a champion,” Weatherford said.

“When people leave the CEO of your life summit, they'll leave very clear on what it is that they want, very clear on how to get it, and wit some encouragement and some support by people who only want to see them win in life.”

For more information on Steve Weatherford’s program, CEO of Your Life, text the word CEO to 949-763-5934 (message and data rates may apply). 

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