New York Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale recently called out linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux in front of the entire D. The second-year edge rusher didn't mind getting singled out.
"Players love to know what they need to get better at," Thibodeaux said on Wednesday, . "The last thing anybody needs at this level of the game is for someone to blow smoke to them."
The No. 5 overall pick last season said the comments weren't born out of "anything negative" and knows those types of criticisms will only spur him to improve.
"[It was] him wanting to let me know that he feels I can be a Pro Bowler this year, he feels I can kind of take the league by storm, and me knowing that him saying it really doesn't mean much, right? It's about what I do every day," Thibodeaux said. "That's kind of the conversation that we had: that I am the only one that can get me to the places that I want to be."
Martindale's known bluntness plays well with his players because he treats them equally. There are no favorites. There are no free passes.
Some coaches can go overboard calling out key players -- stories surrounding Matt Patricia and Darius Slay in Detroit are -- but when focused on on-field production and criticisms that help a player improve, they're generally accepted.
"If you are not growing, you are losing," Thibodeaux said. "If I don't become a better player, I am going to be out in three years. That's the truth to the NFL. Just understanding that if I want to be here for a long time, it has got to be a continuous growth … I think [it's about] always taking accountability about just being a leader and doing things the right way. Just continuing to be a leader, continue to work on my game."
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