Antrel Rolle is not a punk. This is the core message he attempted to get across on Sunday against the Eagles.
The Giants safety was flagged for unnecessary roughness after engaging in some extracurricular activities with tight end Brent Celek. The penalty pushed the Eagles deeper into Giants' territory, setting up a touchdown by running back LeSean McCoy.
Despite that, Rolle has no regrets.
"I felt like they were cheap-shotting a little bit, they kept trying to put their hand up in my facemask and kept grinding after the play," Rolle said, according to ESPN.com. "I just had to let them know that I am not a pushover, I am not a punk under any means and sometimes you have to put your foot down. Even if it costs you a little bit, sometimes it has to be done.
"It is more of a mental toughness and more of an attitude than anything sometimes," he continued. "That is where I was going with that. I wasn't going to get myself ejected, I wasn't going to throw any blows. At the same time I am going to stand my ground."
It's easier to use this kind of rhetoric when you win, as the Giants did on Sunday against their division rivals. Something tells us Rolle is a much quieter man this week if the Eagles come out on top.
