A little rookie reflection on Craig Hoffman’s show Thursday, as right off the top, defensive back Mikey Sainristil joined Craig for a little Halloween/Giants talk!
Mike was mic’ed up for the Hail Jayden, and those who heard it heard how Sainristil got pumped up throughout the game, which was important in a win the Commanders dominated on the field but barely eked out on the scoreboard.
“Just understanding that everybody's involved, everyone has a role, and no matter what your role is, it’s important to the success of the team no matter how big or small – it’s always all hands on deck,” Sainristil said of the attitude around the team. “I think that's one thing, this team truly embodies; we're one unit, we move together, and we just have full belief in each other. In a play like that at the end of the game, no matter the circumstances, there's never a point in time where you lose belief. We had the belief that we were gonna win that game, and Jayden and Noah did what they did to execute.”
Sainristil came from a winning program at Michigan, but one thing he’s learning is the value of full-team togetherness, something Dan Quinn is instilling in the Commanders.
“It’s a true brotherhood. It's not a team where the offense is with the offensive guys, defense is with defensive guys - everyone has a bond with each other, everyone is friends, everyone is cool,” Sainristil said. “It's all genuine, it's organic, and as a rookie, this is a great environment to be a part of with veterans who've been in this league for years. Being able to be a part of what they have already set out here, the standards that they put here, and then embracing us as rookies, it's a true team, and I wouldn't wanna play for anybody else.”
So what has Sainristil found a lot easier, and maybe a lot harder, in the NFL as a rookie?
“Transitioning wasn't very difficult because of how well coach Harbaugh prepared us at Michigan; he ran the program like a pro program and set us up for success at this level, so for that, I’ll always be appreciative,” Sainristil said. “What’s easier is a time standpoint, knowing that everything I do now is straight football, I don't have to worry about class, but the tougher part is getting adjusted to the speed of the game, playing against professionals who have tons of reps.”
He has seen some differences on the field too, moving outside after spending most of his time in college in the nickel.
“I think outside corner, the thing I know is that as a receiver, they do have more space on the sidelines because they can line ip closer to the numbers,” Sainristil said, “but the biggest difference from the college to the NFL is the type of plays; the hashes allow them to run a lot more horizontal east-west plays in college, whereas in the NFL, a lot more plays are vertical.”
Listen to Sainristil’s entire visit above, as he also talks about playing for Joe Whitt, preparing for a second crack at the Giants, and more!