Jason Pierre-Paul, 04.23.10

Q: Jason, what was it like last night after the pick? Were you able to even sleep afterwards?

A: I was pretty excited, but I got some rest. You know, I slept good. I knew where I was going.

Q: When did you get a sense that the Giants wanted you...did Coach Coughlin say anything on his visit to Tampa?

A: I found out when I came up for my visit.

Q: Well, what happened? What did they say that made you felt like it was a good fit?

A: They asked me a lot of questions. They asked me why I was on the football field. I got a pretty good vibe from it. That is basically it.

Q: Do you feel you can have an immediate impact when you start playing for the Giants?

A: Whatever they want me to do, I will do, you know. I'm ready to learn. I'm ready to be up front with them, basically.

Q: Have you heard from any of your new teammates yet?

A: I haven't heard from any of my teammates yet. I'm still waiting for it.

Q: Jason, when are you going to come up here?

A: I'll be up next Thursday.

Q: Jason, the Giants already have a lot of defensive ends as you know. How do you think you'll fit in and do you think you'll be able to get playing time with all the defensive ends there?

A: I know they have a lot of defensive ends. I'm ready to learn from them, you know. I'm ready for them to teach me (how) the whole process goes because they have been there and they know the defense. I'm ready to learn and help.

Q: You had a late start to the sport of football...can you tell us how that happened in high school?

A: My coach came in and got me. He dragged me into football. It was a pretty good gift, you know. I had just played basketball at first.

Q: How come he had to drag you, did you not want to play at first?

A: Nah, I wanted to play basketball. I had never played so I didn't know what was going on. I was basically a basketball player and that was it.

Q: Did you like football immediately or did it grow on you over time?

A: It grew on me. It grew on me, you know. At first, I didn't like it, at first. I didn't really too much understand everything when I started to understand everything it grew on me.

Q: At what point did that change and at what point did you start to like football?

A: When I started to know what I was doing, I came around.

Q: Jerry Reese said that you're ‘still very raw', what percentage do you think is instincts and what part is from technical knowledge?

A: When I'm on the field, I do know what I'm doing. Otherwise I wouldn't be on the field, you know. I don't consider myself raw because I know what I'm doing. For the last three years, every where I went, they called me raw. At times they may call me raw but in the future they will see that I know what I'm doing. I don't concern myself with that (being called raw). I'm still early in the process of learning, I guess.

Q: Obviously it worked out for you being a first round pick, what made you come out of college a year early?

A: Because I asked Coach Leavitt what he thought and he said he'd be selfish to tell me I need to say. I felt like I had a good year at South Florida. The defensive coordinator said you had a great year, you should enter the draft, and I listened to him so that's why I entered the draft. I also had the NFL system evaluate me before I declared and compared with other defensive ends, they came back with a 1st or 2nd round grade. So, now I'm here.

Q: Did you do any basketball stuff here for your visit, anything for Coach Coughlin?

A: I did not.

Q: What do you bring to a team? How good do you think you are at pass rushing?

A: I'm a very good pass rusher. Actually, I'm a great pass rusher. Pass rushing is just one of the things I can do though. I feel I can become better and better at that, and I want to come up to New York and hopefully become a better football player.

Q: The Giants coaches have called you a ‘freaky athlete'...do you think you have a physical advantage on the field?

A: I think that and I can say I am. I just think so when I'm on the field. I guess I am, I don't know.

Q: Do you feel bigger, faster, and stronger than everyone else when you're on the field?

A: Sometimes. Sometimes I do. Sometimes I feel like being faster doesn't help, you know? It's basically about what you do on the football field.

Q: Do you think that sometimes people don't give you credit for actually being a football player and they just look at you as a freakish athlete?

A: No. I don't really feel that way at all.

Q: You are joining a group of defensive ends that might not look kindly on a first-round draft pick come into their position. Do you have a plan on dealing with that?

A: Not really. I'm going to come in and do what I have to. I can't really say anything about that. Whatever the coaches need me to do, I'll do, you know. Basically, if they need to do something, I'll look at the coaches and see what they want me to do. Then, I'll go all out. I'll do what they want.