New Giants linebacker Alec Ogletree, acquired via a trade with the Rams, tackles some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What are your personal goals for this season?
A: Definitely to lead the league in tackles. Hopefully, get around like four, five sacks. … I would like to get at least three or four interceptions.
Q: Do you think you can lead the league in tackles?
A: Oh yeah, for sure.
Q: Why do you think that?
A: Tackling is what I’ve been doing my whole life, basically tackling folks (laugh). … Granted, the NFL doesn’t give you all the tackles that you get most of the time, they may give it to somebody else — but I’m gonna definitely make a point of making sure that they know it’s my tackle for sure.
Q: So how many tackles are we talking about? Your career high is 136 in 2016.
A: I don’t know, I mean, a great, great year would be over 200 tackles. … I’m just kidding but (laugh), if I get 200 tackles, I feel like we’re on the field too much (laugh).
Q: So what’s a more realistic number that you might have in mind?
A: What’s the record?
Q: The record is 195 in 1994 by former Lions linebacker Chris Spielman. Is it your goal is to set a new single-season tackle record?
A: For sure. For sure.
Q: Has that been your goal every year?
A: It’s definitely been one of the goals every year, but I felt like I didn’t tackle as well as I did in the past last year.
Q: Why was that?
A: It can be from anything, not taking the right angle or something like that. This year definitely want to get back to averaging … 12 tackles a game or so.
Q: Is it fun being the quarterback of a defense?
A: It is. You get to pretty much control what goes on. You’re responsible for 10 other guys to get lined up and play. If they’re playing well, it makes you feel good ’cause you feel like you’ve done enough to get them prepared, but if they’re not, you take it upon yourself to get things fixed.
Q: Do you like to play chess against opposing quarterbacks?
A: I do. I try to. It’s pretty fun to line up and hear them making calls and then I’m making calls, and see who’s right, see who’s gonna win.
Q: Describe your on-field mentality.
A: To win by any means necessary. Do what you have to do to get the job done. When I wake up, gameday’s about winning the football game at any cost. I’m gonna play 60 minutes the whole game, never give up, and fight all the way to the end.
Q: Sometimes you play angry, right?
A: Sure. It’s a physical game, and you can’t be soft. You have to have a mentality of you can’t let this person defeat you. I do try to make myself like get wound up to get going for sure. Sometimes the opponent can make me do that (laugh).
Q: What is the angriest you’ve been on a football field?
A: This was in high school [Newnan, Ga.], playing Westlake. It was before the game, they had like all their fans down on the field basically, right where I’m warming up, and they’re just talking trash, and got signs like, “You’re a peon,” this that and the other. So that game, I just tried to destroy **** everybody **** (laugh). Anybody I hit, I was trying to make ’em feel it for sure.
Q: Describe your leadership style.
A: I try to lead by example. I’m not gonna say I won’t scream and yell, whatever, but most of the time I feel like you can say a lot, but if your actions don’t back up your words, it means nothing. If I’m not doing it right, I can’t expect somebody else to do it right, and be yelling at them to do it right.
Q: What do you know about the past tradition of Giants linebackers?
A: My dad, he loved Lawrence Taylor. He knows more about it than me, but I’ve been walking through the building, and you can see all the history that’s been here, just some of the greats that came through here. I’m definitely looking forward to diving into it more and learning about the history here for sure.
Q: What did your dad tell you about Lawrence Taylor?
A: How he rushed the passer and just destroyed games. Basically a one-man wrecking crew. That’s kind of how I like to play the game — just wreck the game if I can.
Q: They don’t turn you loose for sacks though.
A: Oh no. This was kind of younger. I was always a bigger kid. I guess they kind of got scared when I played some teams ’cause guys’d be smaller than me and I’d knock ’em out, basically.
Q: Can you intimidate now?
A: I respect everybody. But I do play with an edge. I’m not gonna back down from a challenge for sure. Like I said, I’m here to win by any means necessary. … I’m gonna work my tail off to get the guys going, ready to play. … We’re gonna be a nasty defense for sure.
Q: Describe Giants defensive coordinator James Bettcher.
A: You can tell he has that fire in him. For the most part, he’s pretty laid back. He likes to teach. I think once he figures all his players out and what everybody’s good at, we’ll get this thing rolling and be one of those top defenses in the league. With his defense, the way he calls it, it’s aggressive.
Q: You might be doing a little more blitzing?
A: I don’t know, we’re gonna see. I like getting sacks for sure and all of that, but I like winning. I hate to lose. If me getting more sacks causes us to win games, then yes. But if not, I don’t need to do it.
Q: Do you hate to lose more than you love to win?
A: I do. When I lose, my wife does a good job of just letting me be to myself for a little bit. I try to leave it at the stadium after the game is done. It’s definitely not easy.
Q: Describe Odell Beckham Jr.
A: Everything’s not what it seems to be. A lot of people are trying to make him out to be something bad or whatever. I’ve had nothing but a positive experience with him and hope to continue to have that.
Q: What have you learned about Eli Apple?
A: A young guy that has a lot of talent.
Q: You’ve seen highlights of Saquon Barkley?
A: A guy that’s explosive, he can hit the home run at any moment. You need somebody like that. When I was with the Rams we had Todd [Gurley]. I don’t think it’s a bad tradeoff going from a guy like that to now Saquon.
Q: Describe head coach Pat Shurmur.
A: He came in and set a standard for how he wants the guys to be, and I feel like everybody’s responded well. He cares a lot about football and winning, and you need that in the locker room. When you have guys like that, it’s easy for it to trickle down to the rest of the guys.
Q: What was is like playing for Rams coach Sean McVay?
A: Very energetic guy. He was pretty wise for his age [32]. He loves football. He knew exactly what he wanted from his guys and he knew how to get it out of ’em.
Q: What kind of cornerback are the Jets getting in former Ram Trumaine Johnson?
A: They’re gonna get a guy that can shut down a side of the field. He can play your No. 1 receiver, big guy, got great ball skills, and a guy that loves football as well.
Q: If you could pick the brain of one linebacker in history, who would it be?
A: I would like to pick the [brain of] Lawrence Taylor, Ray Lewis. I had a chance to talk to Mike Singletary a couple of times … Brian Urlacher … Derrick Brooks … even some of the guys today, Luke Kuechly, all those guys like that.
Q: Describe your interception of Peyton Manning in a 22-7 Rams win over the Broncos in 2014.
A: It looked like I was playing man, but we weren’t. It was definitely a fun experience. I definitely want to get him to [autograph the ball], hopefully I can get Eli to give him the ball or something. I still got the ball so I want him to sign it for sure.
Q: Who are quarterbacks you’d like to intercept who you haven’t yet?
A: I’d like to intercept any quarterback that throws the ball. Your Tom Bradys that are like first-ballot Hall of Famers, to get a ball from him for sure would be great.
Q: Describe your 98-yard touchdown return on a interception of Houston’s T.J. Yates in a 38-13 win in 2013.
A: I was waiting on that route the whole time just from film study. Threw the ball in the stands, not really thinking that I had set a record [longest interception return by rookie linebacker] whatever for returning that. I threw it like to the top for sure (smile). And I got fined for throwing the ball (laugh). Like $5,000. But it’s all good. Some fan got it. Maybe one day they’ll return it to me.
Q: What do you think it will be like playing in the New York market?
A: I think it’s gonna be fun. You got a great fan base here. You got diehard fans. I feel like I haven’t had this experience since being at [the University of] Georgia. The fans are gonna show up no matter what whether you win or lose, they’re still gonna be here ’cause they love the Giants.
Q: You were disappointed with your Georgia career?
A: Somewhat. I feel like I could have done things a little differently. It was mainly my fault. I felt like that’s why I didn’t have the career I wanted to have. I made some mistakes during college [marijuana, DUI, theft of $35 scooter helmet]. I definitely saw myself doing bigger things in college than what I did. You live and you learn. I didn’t have a bad experience in college.
Q: How disappointing was draft day when you slid to the 30th overall pick?
A: It was a little disappointing, but I was blessed enough to get drafted still in the first round to the Rams. I thanked them so much for taking a chance on me ‘cause they didn’t have to.
Q: Describe Fatherhood.
A: It gets better every day.
Q: Your son A.J. will be 2 in July.
A: You love him a little more every day.
Q: What’s his personality like?
A: He has a personality like his mom. He’s very demanding, he knows exactly what he wants. When he doesn’t want something, he’s gonna let you know that he doesn’t want it (laugh). He has a good mixture of both of us, I would say.
Q: How did you propose to your wife Alexandra?
A: We went to Arizona, and I was going to do it at dinner, but we were in the room, and basically I played a John Legend song and kind of like sang it to her a little bit, and then got down on one knee and proposed to her.
Q: What was the song?
A: “All of Me.”
Q: What was it like growing up with a fraternal twin, Zander?
A: It was fun. Only thing we couldn’t like trick anybody saying it was him or me ’cause we didn’t look alike obviously (laugh).
Q: How big is Newnan?
A: You can be out of Newnan in 10 minutes.
Q: Who’s winning the NBA championship?
A: The Warriors.
Q: Are you a Warriors fan?
A: I like Steph Curry.
Q: Boyhood idol?
A: Sean Taylor. I used to play safety growing up.
Q: What drives you?
A: The passion that I have for the game. Knowing my family depends on me to be the best that I can be.
Q: Hobbies?
A: I like to fish, watch movies.
Q: Superstitions?
A: Must eat some Twizzlers before the game. Most everything has to be pretty much the same every week. I eat my pasta and stuff the night before the game. … Like to get to bed at a certain time, and wake up at a certain time.
Q: Two dinner guests?
A: Kevin Hart, I want to laugh; Sean Taylor.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “Lion King.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Shia LaBeouf.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Queen Latifah; Taraji [P. Henson].
Q: Favorite singer/ entertainer?
A: Alicia Keys; I always listen to this dude named Jody Breeze before the game.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Hot wings and fries.
Q: Do you sense a hunger or guys being pissed off that were here last year?
A: Last year’s last year. But guys are hungry to win. That’s what they pay us to do, to win games.