RoanokeFan
03-02-2012, 09:27 PM
GIANTS' DOMENIK HIXON WANTS TO "REPAY" TEAM FOR STICKING WITH HIM THROUGH ACL INJURIES (http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/03/giants_domenik_hixon_wants_to.html)
"The Giants (http://www.nj.com/giants) vowed to pay Domenik Hixon
today.
Now, he wants to "repay" them for sticking by him.</p>
The veteran wide receiver and returner <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/03/giants_re-sign_wide_receiver_d.html">signed
a contract for an undisclosed length and amount</a> to return for a sixth season
with the Giants. The previous two have included a total of only two games for
Hixon because of two tears to his right anterior cruciate ligament. Still, the
team believes he can come back strong.</p>
Obviously, so does Hixon.</p>
"They gave me an opportunity when I got released from Denver (in 2007),”
Hixon said in the press release announcing the signing. “And then these past two
years with knee injuries they stuck with me. They could have cut me and let me
be on my way and be done with me. But they didn’t do that. They treated me the
same and I really appreciate that.</p>
"I know a lot of times in the NFL loyalty isn’t that big. But in this
situation I really felt like I wanted to be here. They helped me out time and
time again. I wanted to stay here and repay that.”</p>
Hixon said he'll definitely be ready for the start of training camp and was
told by team physician Russ Warren he'll even be able to do some work during the
spring in offseason workouts, OTAs and minicamp.</p>
“I personally feel like I’m further along (during this rehab as compared to
the last) with the strength and the coordination, different things like that
that,” he said. “Is it because I know what’s coming and I’m prepared for it? But
I feel real good. And that’s what’s kind of scary about it. It wasn’t a point
this time where I had a ton of pain or a ton of swelling.</p>
“We’re just fine-tuning things now. My goal when I get back is to be at full
speed and show the training staff and everybody else I’m physically ready to
play and ready for it for years to come."</p>
Yes, he said years, as in a few of them.</p>
“I’m 27 years old,” he said. “This isn’t a one-and-done type deal. I plan to
play four or five more years, longer than that if I’m able. This is just a
little interruption.”</p>
* * * *</p>
A lot of people, including myself, have been trying to guess whom the Giants
will face in the <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/02/giants_to_open_2012_nfl_regula.html">NFL
season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 5</a>. The Green Bay Packers are a worthy
opponent and that would be one heckuva matchup (and rematch). But the New
Orleans Saints were lurking there as another intriguing opponent.</p>
Well, I think we can forget about that. No way will the NFL put them in that
game after the league announced today it has found <a href="http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/03/nfl_finds_saints_defenders_put.html">the
Saints' defense guilty of instituting a "bounty" program</a> to take out
opposing players. With Sean Payton perhaps facing a suspension and the topic
already blowing up, there's no shot the league would put the Saints in that kind
of spotlight.</p>
As we've said, the Pittsburgh Steelers are also a candidate to face the
Giants in the opener. And the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys would
certainly draw plenty of viewers. However, for those saying the Washington
Redskins are a possibility because Peyton Manning could be their quarterback,
remember the schedule comes out in early-to-mid April, so we might not know for
sure by then for which team Manning will be playing. And as I told someone on
Twitter who suggested Robert Griffin III could be a Redskin, the schedule comes
out before the NFL Draft, so forget that angle."</p>
</p>
"The Giants (http://www.nj.com/giants) vowed to pay Domenik Hixon
today.
Now, he wants to "repay" them for sticking by him.</p>
The veteran wide receiver and returner <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/03/giants_re-sign_wide_receiver_d.html">signed
a contract for an undisclosed length and amount</a> to return for a sixth season
with the Giants. The previous two have included a total of only two games for
Hixon because of two tears to his right anterior cruciate ligament. Still, the
team believes he can come back strong.</p>
Obviously, so does Hixon.</p>
"They gave me an opportunity when I got released from Denver (in 2007),”
Hixon said in the press release announcing the signing. “And then these past two
years with knee injuries they stuck with me. They could have cut me and let me
be on my way and be done with me. But they didn’t do that. They treated me the
same and I really appreciate that.</p>
"I know a lot of times in the NFL loyalty isn’t that big. But in this
situation I really felt like I wanted to be here. They helped me out time and
time again. I wanted to stay here and repay that.”</p>
Hixon said he'll definitely be ready for the start of training camp and was
told by team physician Russ Warren he'll even be able to do some work during the
spring in offseason workouts, OTAs and minicamp.</p>
“I personally feel like I’m further along (during this rehab as compared to
the last) with the strength and the coordination, different things like that
that,” he said. “Is it because I know what’s coming and I’m prepared for it? But
I feel real good. And that’s what’s kind of scary about it. It wasn’t a point
this time where I had a ton of pain or a ton of swelling.</p>
“We’re just fine-tuning things now. My goal when I get back is to be at full
speed and show the training staff and everybody else I’m physically ready to
play and ready for it for years to come."</p>
Yes, he said years, as in a few of them.</p>
“I’m 27 years old,” he said. “This isn’t a one-and-done type deal. I plan to
play four or five more years, longer than that if I’m able. This is just a
little interruption.”</p>
* * * *</p>
A lot of people, including myself, have been trying to guess whom the Giants
will face in the <a href="http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2012/02/giants_to_open_2012_nfl_regula.html">NFL
season opener on Wednesday, Sept. 5</a>. The Green Bay Packers are a worthy
opponent and that would be one heckuva matchup (and rematch). But the New
Orleans Saints were lurking there as another intriguing opponent.</p>
Well, I think we can forget about that. No way will the NFL put them in that
game after the league announced today it has found <a href="http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/03/nfl_finds_saints_defenders_put.html">the
Saints' defense guilty of instituting a "bounty" program</a> to take out
opposing players. With Sean Payton perhaps facing a suspension and the topic
already blowing up, there's no shot the league would put the Saints in that kind
of spotlight.</p>
As we've said, the Pittsburgh Steelers are also a candidate to face the
Giants in the opener. And the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys would
certainly draw plenty of viewers. However, for those saying the Washington
Redskins are a possibility because Peyton Manning could be their quarterback,
remember the schedule comes out in early-to-mid April, so we might not know for
sure by then for which team Manning will be playing. And as I told someone on
Twitter who suggested Robert Griffin III could be a Redskin, the schedule comes
out before the NFL Draft, so forget that angle."</p>
</p>