He was smart enough to get into Harvard. He was good enough to play at Alabama. Now he's a New York Giant. Throughout the season, rookie defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson will check in with Giants.com and provide an inside look at his journey of making it to the NFL. In this post, Dalvin talks about suiting up for his first game in the preseason opener.
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It was exciting. I always get butterflies before any type of game, so I expect that every game day. I'm just going out there, getting used to the new atmosphere in the NFL, getting used to the speed of the game, the plays we run, the schemes we run, the different offensive schemes we get to see, and just different things like that. So my goal was just to get used to that and just take it all in.
It was crazy putting on the full uniform for the first time. It was a crazy feeling just because I'm used to wearing crimson on game day. But going out there with that blue jersey, it was amazing. I enjoyed it, just going out there with my new teammates and it was just a great moment to take in. When I walked out of the tunnel, I had to just take a minute and take everything in because MetLife Stadium is amazing. There's nothing like an NFL game and everything that goes into it.
My first play, we got an interception. Valentino Blake got the interception, so I can't complain about that start to my career. I thought he was going to run behind me so I could get a lead block. But I saw everybody cut back across the field, I look back, he had already cut across the field, so I was like, there's nothing much else I can do right now. Definitely a great start.
I feel like, from that game, I learned it's all about the small details. I pretty much got used to the speed of the game for the most part, but the different schemes that different teams run, I just need to make sure I pick up the schemes a little bit better. That way, I can be more prepared on game day.
Now we're back grinding out the last days of camp. Training camp's training camp. There's not much to explain. It's been good. It's more chill physically than college, as you know Coach Saban can put it to you down there. It's more mental here. I also like it a lot more up here because you actually get a breeze, rather than just the heat waves you get day after day in Alabama. So I'm enjoying training camp. It's all a process.
Don't forget to follow the second-round pick on Twitter **@DalvinTomlinson**.
