John Mara tabs Antrel Rolle to lead Giants on defense

The New York Giants lost defensive end Justin Tuck in free agency to the Oakland Raiders, and it has raised some questions about the leadership in the locker room, in particular on the defensive side of the ball. Giants owner John Mara said that leadership is always a concern, but pointed out that the Giants are confident in guys on the roster to take the mantle and lead the team.

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“You always have that concern, but I think people will step up. You’ve got guys in there like Antrel Rolle on the defensive side, and Jon Beason and people like that that we expect to fill that role,” Mara said, via the New York Post.

Mara elaborated on why Rolle is such a good leader: “Because it matters to him. Winning really matters to him. It matters to everybody to a certain extent, but he takes it personally, I’ve seen that. After we lost that game in Chicago last year, he went on a tirade in the locker room afterwards, and I remember saying to him later on, ‘You said what I was feeling at that time.’ The losing really got to him. It hurt his pride, he took it personally. And I love that about him because that’s the way I feel about it, too.”