New York Giants end of season press conference
Some of the Seattle Seahawks' unique personalities might have trouble adapting to Tom Coughlin's "team over individual" coaching style. (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
Former Giants defensive end Justin Tuck played most of his career for one coach, Tom Coughlin, so it's safe to say that he has a good handle on what type of players Coughlin would enjoy coaching. And Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch would not be one of them.
Tuck, who now plays for the Oakland Raiders, was asked during a Thursday morning interview with ESPN's Mike & Mike whether he thought Coughlin could handle the Seahawks' unique personalities — which include the borderline-reclusive Lynch, and loquacious cornerback Richard Sherman, among others.
"No, I don't think so," Tuck said. "I think Coach Coughlin is a little bit more to the line. Him and Marshawn wouldn't get along very well because he's not about individuality in that case, when it brings attention to a certain player and not to the team."
Tuck's remarks will come as no surprise to those who have covered Coughlin. I immediately thought of Coughlin taking issue with Antrel Rolle and Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie's end zone celebration after the latter's pick-six in a blowout win over the Tennessee Titans. The celebration resulted in a taunting flag for Rolle (the touchdown was wiped out by a separate penalty), and drew Coughlin's ire after the game.
"I think that what we talk about is team. We don't talk about individuals. We talk about a team accomplishment and I didn't like what it represented and I will speak to the players that were involved in that," Coughlin said at the time.
As opposed to Coughlin's "team over individual" mantra, Tuck said Seattle coach Pete Carroll's more laid-back approach works well for the Seahawks.
"I think Pete is perfect for Seattle and the athletes, and the guys they have on that football team and it's worked well for them obviously," Tuck said. "Those personalities feed that team, and I don't think it would've worked well for us and how the New York Giants were built, from top to bottom, from [team co-owner] Mr. [John] Mara down, I don't think that would work well."
Tuck was asked whether Coughlin's much-ballyhooed "softer" approach that he adopted a few years into his tenure with the Giants helped the team find success, which Tuck laughed off.
"I think coach changed in how he prepared us for the game, not what he expected from us as far as off the field. The individuality thing, he didn't like. One of his favorite quotes is: 'Take the name off the jersey.' It was about team, it was about whatever I did, or whatever Eli or Michael [Strahan] or who ever did, it had to bring an emphasis of us as a team, not me as, "Look at me Justin."
But it's not as if Coughlin has turned his players into 53 zombies with programmed personalities (like a certain New England Patriots coach). Strahan was always known for his gift of gab (which he's transferred over to a successful TV career), ditto former running backs Tiki Barber and Brandon Jacobs. Rolle is certainly outspoken and flamboyant at times, and even newbie Odell Beckham Jr. showed he can cut a rug in the end zone with the best of them.
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So how has Coughlin made it work? According to Tuck, having veterans that he can delegate the responsibility of policing the locker room made a huge difference for him. Tuck believes that is something that is falling by the wayside in today's NFL.
"When I got in the league, I had guys like Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, those guys were like, 'You don't speak, you're seen, not heard. You take all the veterans reps when they don't feel like practicing.' That type of culture, that has changed. And like I said, football is moving to something different than what we all grew up knowing football as, as far as the rules of the game and blah, blah, blah. Which is fine, but it's different. I can't go about preparing guys for the comeback of the game, and the mental of the game like Strahan prepared me or guys prepared me."
Carroll and Coughlin may have different approaches, but there is no one size fits all coaching philosophy to be successful in the NFL. And both have championship rings to prove it.
Nick Powell may be reached at npowell@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpowellbkny. Find NJ.com Giants on Facebook.