Giants tight end Darren Waller, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Raiders, catches up with Post columnist Steve Serby for some Q&A.
Q: How has your wife, WNBA Las Vegas Aces star Kelsey Plum, been supportive for you this season?
A: Just being somebody that isn’t caught up in the results or the outcomes … just somebody that’s there that loves you as the person that you are, the human being that you are, no matter what happens in the day-to-day, or what happens in the course of the season, and it’s definitely a blessing.
Q: How would you describe your on-field mentality?
A: I’m a one-play-at-a-time kind of guy. I’m a one-day-at-a-time kind of guy in life, in how I’ve kind of had to change the course of my life. So I’m more so just like whatever plays right in front of me that need to be made, I’m going to make it, and I have confidence in myself to make as many plays as opportunities that I get. I’m a calm guy. I’m loose, calm, like, not overly intense, not overly emotional and kind of up and down. I’m just like somebody that people know that I’m going to be right in the middle the whole day. But definitely somebody that’s going to be make a play when given an opportunity to give us a spark.
Q: There’s no doubt in your mind that you can be a dominant player, correct?
A: I step onto the field and hold myself to a standard that is very high, because I know that I’ve done that, and when I’m on the field, I do that when opportunities are presented.
Q: What has this season been like emotionally for you?
A: Not really all that volatile, man. I’ve been through seasons where it’s like I’ve been hurt and then you feel like something’s just wrong you because you are not healthy, and then you start to like … you feel like you’re failing as a human being. So now I’m not as emotionally involved. I accept the situation for what it is. I recognize the fact that it’s frustrating for not only me but for who knows how many people. But I’m not wearing that s–t as like there’s something wrong with me or like I’m a failure, or like those things that I’d do in the past. And it’s easy to fall into that trap, because you have so many people that are critiquing you and have an opinion of you, and that is what it is. But this year it’s been a lot more even-keeled for me and just being focused on what I can control. You gotta accept life as it happens, because the more you fight it, the more frustrated you’re going to be, the more exhausted you’re going to be, and I just play the cards I’m dealt and try to keep moving and do the best I can.
Q: How would you describe Kelsey’s on-court mentality?
A: Fierce. Competitive. But over the years grown into a calmer presence, more centered presence, unflappable.
Q: What would you say drives you?
A: Just being somebody that is an impactful person. Whether it be if people are inspired by the way I play, or whether it’s my story or things I’ve been through in life or things that I may say when I speak. Just trying to be a person that makes the world a better place, makes people feel better, feel stronger, feel like more inspired or even just safe like from being around me … being somebody that when given the opportunity is gonna impact somebody’s life in a positive way whether I know it or not.
Q: In August 2022, you tweeted: “We live in the age of miracles and you’re looking at one.”
A: If you just look at alcoholism and addiction, there’s not many people that are able to turn their lives around, to remain sober, and not only to remain sober but turn into a source of hope or inspiration for a lot of people like that. It’s just not a common thing. You can look at all types of statistics at the lives of people and see that, so I recognize that I’m kind of playing with house money as far as life is concerned. I never thought I’d be in this position. I never thought I’d be in the league period, much less eight years, or having years where I was very successful … very grateful to be here, bro (laugh).
Q: Music has been a big impact in your life.
A: Music is definitely in my blood from my great grandfather [Fats Waller]. My parents had me play the piano when I was like a toddler, and I was in like band as a kid growing up through like middle school. After middle school I didn’t do anything musically until probably after college, which was like when I really learned about who my great grandfather was and his impact and kind of realizing like I am musically inclined, and I wanted to just kind of figure out what my own journey was in that.
Q: What are you doing music-wise these days?
A: I’m recording, I’m making beats, I’m singing. I’ll have new stuff that I’m releasing in January and into February. So I’m just continuing to create, continuing to enjoy the process because it’s my favorite thing to do.
Q: Does it relax you? Is it an escape for you?
A: It just brings me immense joy. Not many things can in this life. When I create, when I’m coming up with an idea, when a song is coming together, there aren’t very many better feelings for me in my life than when it comes to that, so I just do it because I love it (laugh).
Q: Do you have a studio near you?
A: I go to a studio in Hudson Yards. Friday nights are usually my night. It’s not every Friday, once at least every couple of weeks I’ll be over there, but as far as making beats, as long as I got my laptop, I can make beats anywhere on God’s green earth. Ideas are always coming to me at random times, random places. It’s a continuous process.
Q: Do you have any common themes or common threads in your music?
A: Yeah, it’s just about anything real-life that I experience, that I think, that I feel, from whether it be overcoming, whether it be dealing with dark times, whether feeling triumphant, feeling confident in yourself. I’m all over the place. All my songs are going to sound a little bit different because I listen to a lot of different genres of music, and I experience a lot of different emotions and just life events.
Q: A post-football career?
A: Potentially. If nobody ever paid me a dollar for doing this, I would gladly be doing it. So if that were to turn into some type of career possibility, I’d be all for it. But if it doesn’t, that doesn’t make or break me or the reason why I create. I’d do it if nobody knew I did it, I never made a dollar for it.
Q: What is the most bothersome or unfair criticism you’ve heard?
A: I’ll probably say back when I was in trouble and stuff and people were like calling you a drug addict and s–t, I guess that bothered me back then. But as far as now, there’s not much criticism that’s really bothered me. I feel like people know the caliber of player I’ve shown that I am and what I’ve been able to do, so any type of opinion or anything somebody says about me being hurt, that’s s fact, I’m not going to be torn up about that.
Q: What is Christmas 2023 going to be like?
A: I don’t think there’s anything material like gift-wise I could possibly want at this point in my life. It’s more so about the experiences and time with people that I have close relationships with.
Q: What do you think Christmas Day in Philadelphia is going to be like?
A: It’ll probably be a little chilly, probably be a little hectic, a little louder than most Christmases. … It’ll be fun. Who knows how many Giants-Eagles games that I watched as a kid? Watching with my dad, his favorite team was the Giants. It’ll be a much more high-octane Christmas.
Q: Did your dad hate the Eagles?
A: My parents would call the Eagles the pigeons back in the day. They were not Eagles or Cowboys fans.
Q: Your mother was a Washington fan, so what would happen when the Giants played them?
A: My parents would watch it in different rooms.
Q: Where were you?
A: Kind of floating in between, just watching them both be kind of hysterical and best on tables and scream and yell. It was fun to witness as a kid.
Q: Describe your first Christmas with Kelsey.
A: Last year, with my parents, my sister, and my sister’s husband, and we were all in Vegas staying at the house that I was renting. We went and got something to eat like a little like breakfast-brunch out on the Vegas strip, and then came back, opened presents, hung out and watched basketball, ate a bunch of food. That was our first Christmas.
Q: Best Christmas gift?
A: When I was a kid, I was a big WWE wrestling fan, so I’d get like action figures and getting like a ring to play all in it and just having all those accessories that came with it, just having a free-for-all with all that stuff.
Q: Have you gone into Manhattan to see the tree?
A: No, I haven’t. I figured it’s probably pretty hectic out there, and I try to avoid hectic environments if I can. … Because there’ll be many people asking for a picture, or an autograph, and I just kind of want to just blend in, and if I go somewhere just be a normal person and not have to worry about things like that all the time.
Q:. Are you recognized in public?
A: Yeah, I am recognized a fair amount. It’s not like always over-the-top, but it’s enough (laugh).
Q: You were the Raiders’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2021.
A: That means that people respect the way that I do things on the field and off the field, because I feel like how you do something is how you do everything.
Q: You’re fond of veterans who have served the country.
A: I have a cousin [Mary Griffin] who served in the army for 20 years. She was a Master Sergeant.
Q: Favorite New York City things?
A: I like Central Park a lot. I like just riding through the city, like if I’m in an Uber or something. I like the ferry, I live right by the Port Imperial ferry, it gets me to Manhattan really quick. I love my view of the skyline. A good view never gets old for me. I just like seeing like everything that’s going on in the city, all the different cultures, how there’s so many different restaurants, and just seeing how there’s so many people going on so many different directions, having so many things going on.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Fats Waller, my great grandfather; Martin Luther King [Jr.]; Jay-Z.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: The “Mission: Impossible” movies.
Q: Favorite actor?
A:.Denzel [Washington].
Q:.Favorite actress?
A: Angelina Jolie.
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer/rapper?
A: Coldplay.
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Pizza.
Q:. How would ex-teammate Davante Adams handle New York if the Jets trade hit him to play with Aaron Rodgers?
A: You put that man anywhere, he’s going to make amazing things happen. I feel like he would be just fine and the city would be on fire for him.
Q: What do you make of this Tommy DeVito story?
A: I’m excited for him, man. He’s had an opportunity to step in, and he’s made a lot of good things happen with the opportunities that he’s gotten. And just being a kid from this area, and being in the position that he’s in, that’s gotta inspire like a lot of young dudes, young women, whoever that are like this is possible. … He grew up on the street that I’m on, went to the school that I went to. Like wherever that is, like his story is a source of inspiration, and it just shows that guys that may not get as many opportunities, but guys are still incredibly talented that he may never even see take the field.
Q: What’s he like in the huddle?
A: He’s calm, confident, poised and acts like he deserves to be out there because he does.
Q: Describe coach Brian Daboll.
A: Intense guy, a guy that wants to create a fun environment for his players, a guy that wants to compete all day long every single day, and that type of energy is contagious.
Q: What have you learned about the New York Giants franchise that maybe you didn’t know?
A: You hear that it’s like family-oriented, and how good people are, and how well ran it is, but I guess until you can be around and be inside the building, you don’t really get a feel for it until you’re just around people and see how nice and involved — Mr. [John] Mara’s at practice all the time and always shakes your hand, always says hello to you. They always ask if they can do anything for you, take care of your wife, or your family. From what had been achieved in this organization, it’s one that is trying to do things at the highest level. I feel like when you’re good to people and have high standards for excellence and great tradition, I feel like that’s the greatest recipe that you could have when running an organization.
Q: What is your message to Giants fans about Darren Waller and his future?
A: There will never be a moment when Darren Waller is not giving everything that he has to try to be a better player, better teammate, better man.
Q: You would sum up this year how for you?
A: A year where I gave it the best I got, through adversity, through frustration, through whatever cards I was dealt. Somebody that still showed up with the same mindset, same purpose.
Q: Do you still believe the best is yet to come?
A: I always believe that better days lie ahead of me than behind me, and I’ve had some pretty good days so far, so yeah, that type of mindset and belief will never change.
Q: With all the good the Darren Waller Foundation has done for youth, is there one story or one young boy or girl who impacted you the most?
A: There’s so many people we put through treatment. … Last summer we got to have like a bowling event for a lot of the young people that went through the treatment program and graduated and are back out now trying to build their lives, and a lot of them had tears in their eyes, and they were thankful and sharing details of their stories about how they were on the verge of losing their kids, or they wanted to die. They felt they had nowhere to go, and being able to feel the gratitude from them, that’s a really cool thing for me. So it’s not one person that stands out, but it’s really just all of ’em in their own individual journeys.
Q: What are you most proud of today?
A: Just the fact that I’m just still trying to grow and improve as a man and just be better to myself. I’ve seen plenty of highs and lows. I worked at a grocery store, I’ve made millions of dollars, I’ve made Pro Bowls, I’ve missed games for injury, I’ve been traded, I’ve been cut. … I’ve been through a lot of things that a guy could experience in this football journey or just in a life journey. I’ve always been somebody that wanted to please other people, and wanted to show that I was valuable or show that I was OK. … Just focusing on trying to better to myself and have a more loving, compassionate relationship with myself, and that allows me to just love other people and the world around me that much better, because I already got a good source and my cup is full. I’m just trying to grow as a man and by growing as a man that means growing on every single part of my life.