Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. Reflects on His Rapid Recovery After Injury Scare

The Giants' rookie running back returned to the practice field after what appeared to be a serious injury suffered last week.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) is shown just before the first preseason game of the season, Thursday, August 8 2024, in East Rutherford. / Kevin R. Wexler / NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

When New York Giants rookie running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. muffed a punt and then fell to the ground clutching his leg, screaming in pain, his rookie season flashed before his eyes.

“It was definitely something scary,” Tracy told reporters on Tuesday, recalling how the team’s medical staff took the necessary precautions with him, including putting his injured leg in an air cast and carting him off the field until they cauldron imaging tests on his leg to find out exactly what was wrong. 

Until Tracy heard that nothing was broken and that his ankle sprain was not the dreaded high sprain, he was worried. 

“I'm trying to be faithful, and I'm trying to be positive in the moment. But it was definitely hard just because I didn't know what was wrong. I didn't know what happened, and everything kind of happened really fast,” he said.

“So, when things like that happen, thoughts start creeping in. You start thinking, ‘The season's over,’ or, ‘You're not going to play this year,’ or whatever. I have high hopes for my rookie season. So, at that moment, I think all that kind of went down the drain.”

Fortunately for the former Purdue standout, all that was wrong was a low ankle sprain that, while initially painful, was one that wasn’t going to keep him off the field for too long. 

Tracy, who went to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan for his imaging, was back at the Giants’ facility after just a couple of hours for meetings because he didn’t want to miss any information. 

Soon thereafter, he was back on the field doing limited work just a few days later. His teammates affectionately called him ‘Paul Pierce,’ after the Boston Celtics forward left the court during Game 1 of the 2008 NBA finals in a wheelchair only to return shortly thereafter to continue his quest to secure the No. 2 running back spot behind starter Devin Singletary.

Tracy has sure made a case for that role. In his first NFL preseason game against the Lions, he rushed for 26 yards on five carries while averaging 5.2 yards per carry, working primarily with the second-team offense.  

"For me to get out there and see some type of production coming out of the work that I've been doing off the field and in practices definitely adds to my confidence," he said.

Tracy’s plans to build on that performance were thwarted thanks to the ankle issue, but with the Giants set for a joint practice with the Jets on Wednesday whom they’ll also face in the preseason finale on Saturday night, Tracy will be looking to take care of business.

Tracy said he’s been generally pleased with how his summer has gone, and he credits Giants running backs coach Joel Thomas with helping him see the field better.

"Our coach, Coach (Running Backs Coach) JT (Joel Thomas), he does a great job of making sure that we're very detailed in the running back room, making sure that we're on our landmarks, making sure our eyes look at the right things,” Tracy said. 

“Then, after you get the ball and hit your landmarks, it's really being a football player. Reaction time, making sure you're reacting to what you're seeing and not just making stuff up. I do a good job of making sure that, I'm seeing the right things and acting accordingly.

Tracy won’t know until later this week if he’ll get any snaps in the preseason finale, but whatever happens, he’ll be ready for it.  

“Whatever the coaching staff puts me in, whatever play they put me in, I'm going to do everything to the best of my ability,” he said.

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