On Tuesday, New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers once again addressed the narrative surrounding his body language and character after FOX analyst Greg Olsen’s comments during the team’s 19-11 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Nabers said he had already said everything he wanted to say to the intended recipient of his earlier message. He pointed out that coverage of him routinely centers on claims of poor body language. If that is an issue for anyone, he feels the cameras can remain off him. He emphasized that outsiders should not describe him in ways that do not match who he is.
“I’m going to speak up for myself all the time because there’s nobody else that’s going to be able to speak up for me,” he told reporters. “So, I’m going to use my own
voice and be able to speak up about me being a bad teammate. And I felt like that was just a lie, just attacking my character as a football player and as a teammate.”
Nabers added that, as far as he knows, no one on any team he has played for has ever labeled him a bad teammate. Unable to respond while the game was underway, he addressed the comments afterward once he heard them, calling them inaccurate.
Nabers said his body language stays the same whether the game is going well or poorly, or whether the Giants are winning or losing. People watching from outside the field do not know what is being said or what he is feeling in real time.
“Just don’t tell the world who I am if you don’t know who I am,” he said. “I just felt like I had to speak up for myself about that.”
On whether Olsen had reached out, Nabers noted the situation occurred a couple of days earlier and that his attention is on the next game. He is willing to have a straightforward conversation if Olsen contacts him, but he considers the topic finished.
Nabers described himself as an ultimate competitor in any circumstance. After a play, he is intense—raging, slapping his helmet, screaming, and rarely smiling—because that is how he plays after putting in substantial work to return from injury.
Following the bye week, the offense started flat, and Nabers tried to energize teammates by being direct and aggressive rather than offering soft encouragement. The intensity stems from passion for the game, which others sometimes misread as indifference or frustration. He said it has not hurt the team, which won and scored in the second half.
Nabers indicated he is finished discussing the body language comments because they have not affected the group.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants' Malik Nabers willing to speak with Greg Olsen after Week 9 comments
