Giants RB Cam Skattebo talks anticipated return to the game 'The NFL Report'
New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo talks his ankle recovery, love for the game, and anticipated return on "The NFL Report."
Video Transcript
There's no second effort.
It's all first efforts with this kid.
Hand off, Scatabo, runs up into the end zone.
Do my little boo thing.
Cam Scatabo.
Cuts back inside.
Scatabo to the five, into the end zone.
Touchdown Giants.
Joining us on the NFL Report, Giants running back Cam Scatabo.
Cam, how the heck are you, man?
I'm doing good.
Enjoying the moment, enjoying the time.
Obviously we're building something new here in New York, so, it's been great and, you know, I've, I've been happier than ever, so I'm excited.
Well, it's good to hear that you're happy.
This week kind of feels weird.
We are all talking around the building here at the NFL headquarters in LA how, like, we need a game this week.
It's Labor Day weekend, it's a holiday weekend.
It's like this weird in between.
Don't, don't you, don't you feel like we should be playing this weekend?
Yeah, I mean, obviously, we get some college football, I think, this week, right?
So, I'm excited to sit back on the couch and watch some college football, but, I think it's time to hurry up and get the season rolling.
I'm excited for it.
You know, come Sunday Night Football, I'm super, super excited to be out there and get ready to go.
Absolutely, and it's great that you are gonna be back week one.
You guys open up against the Cowboys on Sunday night in prime time.
As you have battled back, Cam, from this, this, I would have to imagine, tough rehab.
How brutal has this process been for you?
Yeah, I mean, it's been, it's been hard.
I've been able to, obviously build connections outside of football and, really, you know, get to a point where I'm able to find myself and find my happiness, my internal happiness, and where what I wanna do in life and, you know, kind of find who I am as a football player and, looking back at clips and stuff and, you know, seeing what I did and, you know, what I could have done differently.
So, I'm excited to get back out there and I've been able to, you know, really find who I am and enjoy the moment.
So.
Yeah.
The, the highlights are fun, and Giants fans enjoy the moment.
Are, are you back on the football field?
Let's talk about that first.
Are you back to being you?
Do you feel the same?
I'm not back to being me.
I'm back to being better me.
I think you're gonna see a little bit different me this year.
Obviously you're gonna see crazy, physical, hard-nosed, tough football.
But I think you're gonna see a little more.
So you only got to see really only five full games of me playing football, so, you're gonna see a little bit more from me this year and, I think I'm gonna take that next step into being able to, to continue to play football in this league and show people that, I'm built for this.
All right.
You used the word crazy right there, so I'll go there.
Cam, you were on the podium last week a- and I was watching your presser last night, you said, "Everyone loves to talk about me because I'm crazy."
Do you ever feel the need to prove them right?
Like, it's almost, "Hey, they say I'm crazy.
I, I guess I am.
I have to live up to that."
No, I don't ever think I feel the need to prove them right, but I do think that I feel the need to, allow them to enjoy it, 'cause I know they get to laugh at, at it.
They get to, you know, talk about it to their friends and, you know, enjoy the moment and, there's moments that I'm giving to people that people don't realize that they're gonna look back at and be like, "Holy crap, remember when Scat did this?"
as a Giants fan.
So, I'm gonna continue to give people moments to laugh at, people moments to think about and, at the end of the day, they're gonna know who I really am, when this is all said and done and, what I'm about and, you know, who, who I like to be as a person, outside of football.
I love that, and we, we, we saw your, your running buddy there, Jackson Dart, in the video before you came on the screen here.
What is he about?
Like, for someone who has never met Jackson Dart, and they say, "Cam, what's his deal?"
What do you tell them?
Yeah, I mean, that he's the one person, that I've met, honestly, outside of a couple coaches, that loves this game and i- is probably in the building more than anybody I've ever met.
He's a tough kid.
He's hard-nosed player.
If he didn't have the arm that he has, he would definitely play running back because he's built for it.
He's strong, he's physical, and, you know, he's somebody that loves this game so much.
He lays it out, all out on the line for, his teammates and his coaches and his players, that he plays with.
And, I'm excited to, you know, see him build into year two and see what steps he's gonna take to make this football team better.
He's got a big personality.
You have a big personality.
Odell Beckham Jr. Has a big personality as well.
He has now officially made the team.
I mean, the idea that that was a conversation just, I don't know, kind of blows my mind, but he made the team.
You were 12, Cam, I looked it up, when Odell made that ridiculous catch on Monday Night Football.
Where were you when that happened?
Do you remember it?
And how weird and cool is it that you're playing with this guy now?
Honestly, I absolutely hated the Cowboys growing up.
So I never, ever watched a Cowboys game unless they were playing the 49ers.
So I actually didn't see that catch until it hit social media, but I remember watching it as a kid, and everybody wanted to go outside into the street or into the grass or get on the field and re-enact that.
You know, you used to throw the ball up in the air and jump on the couch backwards and catch the ball like that.
So, being able to, you know, see him and be a part of his journey and, you know, we've built a really strong connection.
You know, receivers and running backs, work together in a lot of ways.
You know, we have to pass pro to make sure that they catch the ball and we have, they have to, you know, run block to make sure that our runs hit.
So, you know, Odell's came down in a couple preseason games and, hit a couple people that have showed me that he's ready to play some football and, you know, I've, I've built a good connection with O and, I'm excited to get on the field with him and, you know, see what he's really all about You know how many fans you just made when you said you hated the Cowboys and you refused to watch the Cowboys as a kid?
Like, well- Well, well done.
A- and I know that you love the Niners.
That's well-documented.
Your brother, like, took all the Niners stuff out of the house when they passed on you in the draft, and he ended up in New York.
You got hurt last year, I know you remember this, the week before the Niners game, so you didn't get a chance to play the 49ers.
You get 'em again this year.
Ha- have you thought about what that celly is gonna be like when you score against the 49ers?
Yeah, I'm not, I'm not really too deep into the season, quite yet.
You know, I've had some talks with Fred Warner last year.
Obviously he had the same injury I did, and, he's been able to help me through the process of, you know, kinda helping me, understand what I need to do to make sure certain things feel better.
And if I've ever had anything pop up, I'm able to text him, call him, and, you know, kinda get the, the inside of on You know, he almost played.
If they would've ended up going further into the playoffs and, you know, he almost played in that season after hurting himself in that season.
So, I know that he was doing something right that was able to make him get back on the field that fast.
So, he's been a big part of being able to help me, enjoy, you know, find myself, and also understand what I need to do to, get certain things feeling right.
And, you know, I'm excited to play against him, man.
We've talked a lot and, you know, he was excited to play against me before we both got hurt.
And you know, I met him on my 21st birthday, in Vegas when he was, in Vegas for the Pro Bowl.
So, I sent him a picture of when I was a kid, when I was 21 years old in college, just begging for a picture from Fred Warner to him.
He got a good laugh out of it, after our injury, so- That's awesome I'm excited to play the 49ers again, just simply the fact that, you know, I n- I feel like I have a friend over there now and, I have a team that passed on me that I'm able to beat up on, beat up on a little bit, so.
Dude, I love that.
That's a little bit further down the line.
I- in the present, you're doing stuff here with State Farm.
I saw the commercial.
I think you're a heck of an actor.
I think you have a future.
We could do like a Netflix, HBO, gritty, gritty crime kinda Sunday night show.
I think you have a future.
Tell me how fun it was to work with them and how fun it was to headbutt maitre d's and, and, and show us your acting chops.
Yeah, I mean, it was awesome.
Being able to be a part of that, you know, they've State Farm has really done a good job of, you know, creating a personal price plan for me, and just allowing me to be who I am.
You know, throughout that whole commercial I was able to, you know, work with Jake, and he was able to make me feel comfortable, and, I think I kinda threw him off with some crazy stuff I was doing, like you said earlier.
But, he was, he was somebody that helped me understand what State Farm is trying to do and create a personal price plan for so many different individuals and that not all personal price plans are the same.
And the fact that, you know, he, he was able to kinda understand that and help me with that and also make me feel comfortable on set, it was awesome, man.
I'm, I'm super excited to be a part of this thing with State Farm, and they've done a really good job of making me, or allowing me to be who I am.
I think you're a better actor than Mahomes.
I know you're a better actor than Andy Reid.
Kurt Signetti, he needs some work.
I- dude, you got a future in this.
Don't give it up.
Yeah, I, I, I go home sometimes when my mom or dad visit.
You know, I tell 'em now I'm, I'm an actor first, football player second, so.
You know, that was It's obviously a joke, but, I know if all else fails, I can at least try to get into acting at some point.
Acting.
He's got a future.
He's also got a future- week one on Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys.
Cam Skattebo, good to have you back.
Thanks for doing this, man.
Good luck this year.
Absolutely.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Have a good one.
