Giants’ Julian Love emotional about being named a team captain

Julian Love could not hide his feelings on Tuesday when talking about being voted by his teammates as one of 10 New York Giants captains for the 2022 season.

“I’m not going to lie it means an awful lot to me. I’ve never been a captain in my entire life, and to do it for the Giants of all places at the highest level, it’s hard not to get emotional about it,” Love said Tuesday afternoon after his first practice as a captain. “It’s often that I feel like people have always wanted me to be more outspoken, wanted me to be the rah-rah guy, wanted me to be the muscle-head, all that stuff. But this team has appreciated me for staying true to myself. So, I’m extremely grateful.”

Love is in his fourth season with the Giants after being a fourth-round pick out of Notre Dame. He has always been a do-everything player for the Giants. Free safety. Strong safety. Slot cornerback. Outside cornerback. Wherever Thomas McGaughey needs him on special teams.

No problem. Love has always answered the call.

This season, he gets to be a starting safety for the first time. He was also given the unique distinction of being voted as a hybrid special teams/defensive captain.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way. That’s been my story. I’ve been the guy that’s been bouncing all over the place. People have pigeonholed me in a certain position in a certain way,” Love said. “I feel like I’ve just persevered, and I’ve been persevering. It’s not something that ended, it’s something that’s ongoing right now. I’ve got to keep earning my way, but just me doing everything that I possibly could be, that’s the root of the eight-year-old kid who’s playing little league football. I just love playing football. I love doing what I do. I think that’s where you get that passion for just not really caring what position I am. Just playing ball.”

Head coach Brian Daboll said the honor for all 10 captains was “well deserved,” but that the team had waited to make Love the final player announced to the team as a 2022 captain.

Love said it was “hard not to be” touched by the honor.

“One person – just my wife – she knows that I’ve felt like I’ve always been the underdog at every level,” Love said. “It means so much. People in my family know how much it means to me.”