For three frustrating weeks, Justin Pugh heard the backlash as he sat out practice after practice while dealing with the first concussion of his football career. And now that the Giants' offensive guard is back, he wants everyone to know that nobody had any right to label him "soft."
"It pissed me off," Pugh said Thursday. "There's no one who wants to be out there more than I do . . . I understand from the fan's perspective: They want us out there. (But) you don't want to be labeled as a soft player. That's a personal attack on me.