Adewale Ojomo wants to sack any notion of being only a flash

Most undrafted rookies will spend this week doing constant mathematical evaluations in their heads, trying to figure out how they can get on the 53 the way political strategists try to plot Electoral College delegates.

Not Adewale Ojomo. He hasn't paid one bit of attention to the depth chart, the big-name mentors or the nearly insurmountable odds since he signed with the Giants this spring. He's just worried about one player: himself.

"I never look at the roster, I never count the amount of guys in the defensive line room," Ojomo said Sunday. "I never do that. I always pay attention to me and I know once I get me straight, I'll be OK."

In such a team-oriented game, that kind of narcissism is usually frowned upon. Ojomo seems to be making it work.

"Once you start noticing those numbers and pay attention to those types of things, that's when your production goes down and that's when things don't go right," Ojomo said. "So you just keep going. People want to see consistency, people want to see what you're going to do. They don't want to see a flash. There are plenty of guys who flash and don't continue doing it."

Ojomo has certainly flashed. It may only be the preseason, but leading the Giants in sacks at any point is quite the accomplishment given how established their pass rush is and how proficient they can be at pummeling quarterbacks. So who would have thought that after three games the distinction would belong to Ojomo, who had only 9.5 sacks in three seasons at Miami?

Well, Ojomo did.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised," the 6-4, 270-pounder said. "I just believe in myself, believe in the coaching I get from [defensive line] coach Robert Nunn, and what these guys are teaching me. I wouldn't be surprised if I went out and had a couple more sacks this week."

Coughlin said some of the competitiveness of the other defensive ends has sparked Ojomo's play.

"He's in there with a group of defensive linemen that are very much akin to getting after the quarterback," he said.

He may not have noticed it, but when camp began a month ago Ojomo was buried on the depth chart behind not only the established veterans but a string of more experienced players who knew the system. Then Justin Trattou injured his ankle and heel and went on injured reserve. Then Adrian Tracy pulled a hamstring against the Jets and has been out for a week.

Ojomo is still behind Matt Broha, another undrafted rookie who saw time with the starters on Friday and was with the ones Sunday with Jason Pierre-Paul (back) and Osi Umenyiora (knee) sidelined.

Perhaps Ojomo is the next great Giants pass-rusher, following in the footsteps of Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, Umenyiora and Pierre-Paul.

Or maybe he's just a guy who happens to get to the backup quarterbacks against second-string tackles in August. A guy who can flash but then quickly fade away into oblivion.

"I don't consider myself a guy that will flash," Ojomo said. "I did it the week before, I did it this past week, and I'm going to do it again this week."

The big question is if he'll be doing it the week after that, when the regular season begins.


(newsday.com)