November 6, 1997

KANELL SAYS NEW YORK IS ABUZZ

In a national media conference call on Thursday, November 6, New York Giants quarterback DANNY KANELL talked about his relationship with DAVE BROWN, the excitement surrounding the Giants in New York and a variety of other subjects:

Talk about your relationship with Dave Brown.

It would have been a lot rougher if Dave and I were not such close friends off the field. We really got to know each other a lot better this year. Through the off-season we played a lot of golf together. In training camp, we roomed together. We hang out off the field. He’s been really supportive through this. He’s helped me make the transition to the starting job while he was hurt. He was helping me see things that defenses were giving me, helping with some of the adjustments that I had to make. I wouldn’t expect anything different when he’s back, healthy and ready to go. That’s just the type of guy he is. He’s handled it great. I would do the same thing if I were in his position. If he were starting again, I would be supporting him as well.

How has Jim Fassel helped your development?

He’s been a tremendous help to me. When he was hired, everybody had heard what a quarterback guru he was and how great he was with quarterbacks. He’s lived up to all the expectations and everything we had heard about him. He’s a good communicator with his quarterbacks and he really gets his point across well. He does a good job expressing what he wants us to do in the game.

What is the atmosphere like in New York with both the Jets and Giants in first place?

It’s been really exciting. There is a buzz around the city. People are excited about the two teams and having people to cheer for. It’s been a while since this has happened. It’s a pleasant surprise for the city. It gives them a sense of pride and something to cheer about. We’re happy that our fans are in that situation and hopefully we can keep things going.

What is the major difference between college football and the NFL?

There’s the obvious differences such as the size and speed of players. The guys are a lot bigger and faster. The difference that a lot of people don’t know about is the mental strains that are on you at this level. The offenses are a lot more complicated as well as the defenses. You have to spend a lot more time studying film and preparing yourself every week. It’s basically a 20 game season, 16 games and four preseason games. It’s twice the length of a college season. It’s a big difference. Mentally it’s very taxing and it’s something you have to adjust to.

What is the difference between this year’s team and last year’s?

The biggest difference is our attitude. We really believe in ourselves. Now that we’ve gotten on a roll, we’re gaining more confidence with each game. We’ve really matured a lot. A lot of the tough times we went through last year allowed us to grow up. It allowed us to mature and come together as a group. We really learned how to rely on each other when things weren’t going well. At the beginning of this year, we started out 1-3. We really had to come together and rely on one another. It’s been a great story.