By WFAN.com
A lot has been said about the Giants' 2019 draft class.
While many have criticized the decision to choose Daniel Jones with the No. 6 overall pick, New York has been widely praised for some of its later draft picks, including fourth-round pick Julian Love.
Love is a talented cover corner that played three seasons at Notre Dame, and the 21-year-old thinks his time with the Fighting Irish has prepared him well for the big stage of the Big Apple.
"I think that's pretty special, coming from Notre Dame where you have a very passionate fan base," Love said on "Joe & Evan" Tuesday. "It's no different with the Giants, and I love that. I think that pushes you, it motivates you. I don't see it as pressure. I haven't for the past three years. I saw it as motivation. A little extra motivation."
The Giants landed Love in the fourth round of last week's draft, selecting him with the 108th overall pick despite many thinking he would go at some point during the second round.
The 21-year-old did not expect to last that long, telling WFAN that he thought he would hear his name called "on Day 2, sometime in the second or third round."
Love was even more surprised to find out that the Giants had drafted him, given the fact that he never spoke to Big Blue prior to the draft. However, the corner is happy he ended up on the Giants and can't wait to get to work.
"I'm a believer that everything happens for a reason," Love said. "I'm meant to be on the Giants. I'm meant to make a difference here, and I'm excited... It's extra motivation to go later than you expected. So you have a chip on your shoulder to sort of prove people wrong."
Love put up solid numbers at Notre Dame, collecting four interceptions, 36 passes defended, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries over his final two seasons.
After proving that he can perform well on the big stage at Notre Dame, Love can't wait to do the same in New York.
"Right away I thought about prime time, big-brand football," Love said when asked what his first thoughts were when he heard he was headed to the Giants. "Coming from Notre Dame, the New York Giants aren't really a stretch from that. (The Giants are) known, not just across the country but kind of an international brand, the New York Giants.
"I was really excited because it's a fantastic market, passionate and gritty. I wanted to end up somewhere that had grit to it."
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound corner was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and spent a lot of time growing up watching the Chicago Bears.
It should come as no surprise then that Love looked up to a long-time Bear that spent 12 years in Chicago.
"Obviously from Chicago, growing up when I was young, the guy was always Charles 'Peanut' Tillman, corner for the Bears" Love said on which NFL player he mirrored his game after. "He wasn't the most athletic, but he knew how to make plays. He knew how to disrupt the ball. He was relentless, and that's kind of something I've always wanted to have as part of my game, no matter what."
"He played for a long time because of those traits, and he was successful for a long time. He was definitely my role model growing up."
