New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin has a habit of occasionally providing unsolicited commentary -- sometimes positive, sometimes not so positive, during his training camp post-practice meetings with reporters. Sunday, Coughlin volunteered praise for defensive tackle Dwayne Hendricks.
"I’ve told anybody that goes against Dwayne Hendricks – he’s going full speed every play. So if you’re foolish enough to think that he’s not going to make you look bad, you’re ridiculous," Coughlin said.
The coach was also impressed by what Hendricks did on the field Friday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, coming up with three tackles and two sacks.
"He goes out and plays the game just like he practices. He did very well for himself," Coughlin said.
Hendricks, who admitted he hadn't been informed of Coughlin's comments, seemed surprised by both the praise and the swarm of media members who gathered around him Monday morning.
"It's always good to make a name for yourself," Hendricks said. "Any time I can go out there and show I can get the job done it only raises my stock."
Hendricks, 6-foot-4, 305 pounds, was originally signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent back in 2009 after playing collegiately at Miami. He has been on and off the practice squad ever since.
Until his performance on Friday -- and Coughlin's subsequent praise -- Hendricks seemed like little more than an extra body in training camp. On a team that has Chris Canty, Linval Joseph, Rocky Bernard, Shaun Rogers, 2011 second-round draft pick Marvin Austin and 2012 seventh-round pick Markus Kuhn, Hendricks' shot at a roster spot would seem limited.
"You've got to like to compete," Hendricks said. "I didn't go to Miami not to compete. The same here.
"Now hopefully I've made somewhat of a name for myself and I can continue to build off of that."
The odds may still be stacked against Hendricks, but his play is making it obvious that the idea of him finding a way to stick on the roster is no longer ridiculous.