Giants Coach John Harbaugh Declares Himself 'Day-to-Day' After Post-Win Tackle
Head coach John Harbaugh humorously assessed his condition after being tackled by running back Devin Singletary following a game-winning touchdown.
New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh humorously described his condition as "day-to-day" after being tackled by running back Devin Singletary during a post-game celebration. The incident occurred Sunday following Singletary's game-winning 30-yard touchdown run in the Giants' 27-21 overtime victory against the Houston Texans.
Harbaugh, in his first year coaching the Giants, was able to laugh about the mishap, especially as it followed a significant win that extended the NFC East-leading team's record to 4-2-1 heading into a bye week. However, he admitted the moment was not his most athletic.
"It's so terrible," Harbaugh said Monday during a Zoom call, a smile evident. "As I was going down, all I could think was I just felt like a total non-athlete, over the hill [and] washed up. I don’t know. I just felt so weak, so pathetic."
Despite the brief embarrassment, Harbaugh embraced the situation as a reflection of "football joy," a concept he has discussed with his team. He described football joy as gritty and tough, and felt that the celebratory tackle, though unexpected, was a perfect embodiment of that.
"Once we were on the ground, laughing and enjoying the moment and celebrating the football joy moment of a touchdown run, it made all the sense in the world," Harbaugh stated. "It was just a great moment… That was a football joy moment. That’s why we do it. That’s why the fans love it."
He also quipped that the upcoming bye week would provide ample time for recovery, joking, "It’s a good thing we’re not [practicing] full speed tomorrow. No pads."