Giants' Will Hill fails another drug test, could be facing lengthy suspension: Report

Will Hill, the troubled New York Giants safety who has received drug-related suspensions each of the past two seasons, has apparently failed another test. 

According to a person familiar with the situation — who requested anonymity in order to speak freely on the matter — the team has been informed of the incident, according to NJ.com.

It is unclear if Hill failed for performance enhancing drugs like he did in 2012 (Adderall), or if he failed for drugs like he did in 2013. Hill has been candid about his use of marijuana and its calming effects on his mind.

Either way, Hill could be facing a more significant suspension. He will appeal.

Hill was arrested toward the end of the 2013 season for being delinquent on his child support payments. When police pulled over a car he was riding in, they detected an odor of marijuana and found cigar shavings all over the vehicle, "suggesting that marijuana was prepared and smoked in the vehicle."

It was the latest in a long line of missteps for Hill, quite possibly the Giants' most athletically gifted defensive player, but also one of their most troubled.

Hill, a former New Jersey high school standout, started nine games for the Giants last season, registering 60 tackles and two interceptions.

Luckily for the Giants, the team currently has an abundance of safeties after re-signing Stevie Brown to a one-year deal. Newly acquired Quintin Demps, Antrel Rolle and Cooper Taylor and Brown will all compete for the starting spots if Hill is suspended.

Antrelle Rolle has strong words of support for Tom Coughlin

After the humiliating 23-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, one New York Giants player spoke out on the team's heart, passion and head coach Tom Coughlin's brutal assessment that the offense was "pathetic."

"Coach Coughlin can't  take any of this blame. I won’t allow that," Antrelle Rolle said after the game. "He can’t take any of this blame. Coaches coach and they did a phenomenal job getting us prepared for this. We had a great week of practice. Everything that we saw out there from their offense we went over with our coaches and they did an exceptional job of preparing us for today. 

"Coach Coughlin, you know, he’s a coach but he can’t coach heart. He can’t make a player have heart. He can’t make a player have passion about this game and that’s what we were lacking out there today. Coach can say what he wants, but personally I won’t allow him to take that. Coaches coach. Players play the game." 

It was then mentioned to Rolle that Coughlin praised the effort of the defense, and the strong safety agreed.

"I think the defense came out and played extremely hard," Rolle said.

He then was asked if he was pointing a finger at the offense.

"You all saw the game," Rolle said. "I don't have to say anything. This isn't about pointing fingers, but you saw the game. You know what you saw."

This week's practices should be a lot of fun.

Chris Canty to Justin Tuck: Punch opponents not teammates

Justin Tuck recently vowed that he would punch any teammate who turns on Tom Coughlin or causes any locker-room trouble because of the Giants’ 0-4 start. But former Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty thinks Tuck should worry about punching somebody else, first.

"Justin needs to worry about punching opposing offenses in the mouth," Canty, the new Ravens defensive tackle, said on NFL Network on Wednesday night. 'The way you show that you have your coach’s back is by going out there on that football field and performing."

"I’m sure Tuck is defending his coach. Tom Coughlin is an excellent coach, he’s a great man, so obviously as a player, you want to have his back. But you’ve got to show that on the field. That’s got to be taken care of on the field."

Canty also weighed in on Antrel Rolle’s comments that some in the Giants locker room don’t believe the team can rebound from its 0-4 start.

"There are guys in that locker room that probably lack the confidence that they can win football games," Canty said. "But as we know confidence comes from demonstrated performance. They just have to go out there and win a football game to show themselves that they can overcome the adversity in that game and be successful as a team."

Eli Manning rips Saints over Bounty-gate

Eli Manning has become the first prominent NFL player to publicly speak out against the Bounty-gate scandal threatening to take down his hometown team— the New Orleans Saints.

The New York Giants quarterback is no stranger when it comes to the violence in the NFL— he has memories of his father Archie get knocked around for 11 seasons in New Orleans and has taken his share of licks himself— but from the sounds of it, Manning is sickened by the suggestion of placing bounties on NFL player's heads and ripped into the Saints if they did it.

"Obviously, it's a big deal, what's going on," said Manning before the premiere screening of the Giants official championship video, "Super Bowl XLVI Champions: New York Giants" at a Times Square theater last night. "It's not good for football and can't be a part of football.  I know [commissioner] Roger Goodell will do a good job of figuring all this out and making sure this doesn't happen again."

The two time Super Bowl MVP— who grew up in New Orleans— went on to say he has heard his own head coach Tom Coughlin instruct the Giants defense to go after opposing quarterbacks in team meetings.

"I'm kind of sitting there and I say, 'I know the opposing teams are saying the same thing about me,'" said Manning.  But when you start talking about injuring a guy and carting him off and trying to end his season or career, that's not what the game is about.  I think we should have more respect for the game than that.  It can't be a part of football."

The Giants were hammered by the Saints, 49-24, on Nov. 28 in New Orleans but Manning said he can't recall any specific foul hits on himself, so he can't say if their defensive coordinator Gregg Williams actually put a bounty on him.

Williams has been accused of collecting money to be awarded to players able to get opposing players carted off the field with injuries.

There was one vicious hit by safety Isa Abdul-Quddus in the third quarter that knocked Hakeem Nicks out of the game with a rib contusion.  Abdul-Quddus got a 15-yard penalty for hitting a defenseless player.  Nicks returned to game but looks at the hit differently now.

"It's just part of the game,' said Nicks at the screening.  "He got a good shot on me.  It wasn't the last time I got hit that hard.  I took one in the Super Bowl too.  You can't be too scared to get hit."

Asked if he thought it was a cheap attempt to injure him Nicks responded," The way he was celebrating you would probably think that regardless."

Giants safety Antrel Rolle echoed his teammate's sentiments but insisted the Giants have no bounty system and said if the accusations against the Saints are true, the tactics are "not good character."

Justin Tuck Sits Out Friday's Practice

Justin Tuck may not be completely healthy after all.  The New York Giants defensive end sat out practice on Friday while his teammates worked out.

Tom Coughlin said Tuck was just sore and it isn't a concern.  The Giants head coach said Tuck was listed as "probable" for Sunday's NFC wild card game against the Atlanta Falcons.

It was the first time Tuck sat out a practice since Antrelle Rolle's call for "all hands on deck" three weeks ago following the Giants loss to the Washington Redskins.

Tuck quietly watched, perched on the stationary bike, while the rest of the team hit the practice field and only had a "no comment" when asked what was ailing him.

An unusually reserved answer from the defensive end.

The defensive captain has battled a laundry list of physical problems all season— including neck, groin, ankle and toe injuries.

In last Sunday's win against the Dallas Cowboys, Tuck appeared to have injured a shoulder but returned to the game and recorded a sack and recovered a fumble.

Tuck has literally put his neck-to-toe pains behind him all season and missing today's practice might just be a precaution.

The Giants are counting on the defensive line to disrupt Falcons Matt Ryan's potent offense and a healthy Tuck is a happy one.

Linebacker Mark  Herzlich sat with Tuck on the side and will not play (ankle) on Sunday.

DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee), TE Jake Ballard (knee) and RB Da'Rel Scott (knee) all practiced and are expected to play Sunday.