The welcome wagon that greeted Shane Vereen in East Rutherford today was accompanied by heavy rain and 40-degree temperatures.
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It would have been a shock to the California native's system if he hadn't spent the last four seasons in New England, which has been known to experience its share of bad weather.
Along with his new teammates, the veteran running back who signed with the Giants in March, braved the elements en route to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center on Monday, reporting for the team's first day of the voluntary offseason workout program.
"I've had enough sun," Vereen told Giants.com on his ride into the facility before pausing to think about what just came out of his mouth. "That's not true. I haven't had enough sun. But it's all good. I'm used to this East Coast lifestyle, this East Coast weather. Be ready for anything at all times. I brought a jacket, so I'll be all right. I'll figure it out."
While the conditions may not be foreign to Vereen, the time change could get him.
But he was warned beforehand about Coughlin Time.
"I was well-informed about the five-minute clock," said Vereen, referring to Coughlin setting the team's schedule five minutes fast. "And I set all my clocks actually 10 minutes fast, so that way I got no problems. Until I get used to the whole thing, I set all my clocks 10 minutes fast. I can't take the fines already. That would be bad."
In the grand scheme of things, it shouldn't be anything that Vereen can't handle after going from one Bill Parcells' disciple to another.
Originally a second-round draft choice by the Patriots in 2011, Vereen was molded under head coach Bill Belichick, who won two Super Bowls with the Giants as Parcells' defensive coordinator. Now, fresh off winning the title last year in New England, Vereen will play for Coughlin, who was the Hall of Fame head coach's wide receivers coach from 1988-90.
It was that winning pedigree -- the Patriots pulled even with the Giants in February with their fourth Lombardi Trophy -- that drew Vereen to Big Blue.
The Giants players returned to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center for offseason workouts
RB Rashad Jennings
RB Andre Williams
OL Geoff Schwartz
Kicker Josh Brown
QB Eli Manning
RB Rashad Jennings
OL Weston Richburg
WR Preston Parker
WR Preston Parker
OL Michael Bamiro
LS Zak DeOssie
WR Marcus Harris
WR Corey Washington
QB Ryan Nassib and OL Brandon Mosley
RB Rashad Jennings
RB Andre Williams
WR Marcus Harris
RB Shane Vereen
RB Shane Vereen
RB Andre Williams
QB Eli Manning
RB Rashad Jennings and OL Geoff Schwartz
FB Henry Hynoski
WR Julian Talley
QB Ryan Nassib
RB Rashad Jennings
RB Orleans Darkwa
"I was with New England, which is a great organization," Vereen said. "So the last thing I wanted to do was choose a place that wasn't used to winning, choose a place that wasn't used to success. [The Giants] are a fantastic organization, not from only from what I've heard but from what I've experienced in this short time. I'm ready to get to work. I think this is a place where I could grow as a player. I think it's an offense that I could be successful in and a locker room full of good guys that I want to be a part of. So I'm excited for the new challenge, for the new experiences, and I think it's going to be fun."
Despite all the parallels between the two organizations, there are still plenty of differences.
"Definitely, it does feel like the first day of school," Vereen said. "I'm a little nervous. But I'm more excited than anything. I've been in the same system for the last four years and so to get a chance to try something new, to get a chance to experience a new system, a new program, I couldn't be more excited or happier."
