Most players show up for media Zoom calls in t-shirts, sweatshirts, or hoodies. Not Jermaine Eluemunor. This is how the New York Giants right tackle showed up for a call to discuss the three-year, $39 million contract Eluemunor just signed to remain with the Giants.
Eluemunor is a snappy dresser to begin with. He said this was “an important event,” so he pre-emptively had the suit custom made by Gentleman’s Playbook recently in the hopes he would get to wear it when he re-signed with the Giants, the place he said he “wanted to be.”
“It means a lot. It’s something I’ve been working towards my entire career. And I just want to show them that it’s not just another day for me. It’s a combination of all the days I’ve put in, all the hard work I’ve put in,” Eluemunor said.
He called the suit “appropriate” for the day.
“I’ve been open about my story where I’ve been cut, traded on the P-Squad, cut, benched. And I’ve been doing all these different things that not a lot of players get to this position I’m in right now,” Elumunor said. “I truly just wanted to show just how important this is. You put on suits for important events, and this truly isan important event.
“I just want to show the fans, the coaches, anyone in the building just how much this meant to me and how much I truly appreciate this. And that’s why you have to dress for the occasion.”
Eluemunor detailed getting the suit made.
“I actually got it while I was on vacation in St. Lucia a couple days before free agency, so I hit up my tailor and I said, ‘hey, God willing, I’m going to sign the biggest contract of my life, and I want a suit that matches the occasion.’ I had always wanted a suit that looked like this, and I’m very glad that I get to put it on and just wear it for the day, which is an honor and I’m really grateful for it,” he said.
‘Love you hard’
Eluemunor, 31, began his NFL career as a fifth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2017. After two seasons and just three starts in Baltimore, where John Harbaugh was then head coach, the Ravens traded him to the New England Patriots. Eluemunor did not establish himself as a starting-caliber player until 2022, when he got to play right tackle almost full time with the Las Vegas Raiders.
Speaking softly, Eluemunor talked about what it means to him to rejoin Harbaugh so many years later as a better player — and person.
“Obviously I wasn’t a good enough player back when I was in Baltimore, that’s why they traded me,” Eluemunor said. “But again, standing in front of Harbs and telling him the player I’ve become and the player I’m going to be in the future, it was really cool just to be able to sit in front of him and just see him again and let him see the man I’ve become. Because I was, back when I got drafted, obviously that was almost 10 years ago now, or I guess it will be 10 years ago this season. So, I’ve grown a lot, matured a lot, and coming into my own as a player and as a person, and I’m just really glad that Coach Harbs gets to see that.”
Eluemunor knows Harbaugh well enough that he can tell his Giants teammates what to expect.
“Coach Harbs is the type of guy that’s going to love you hard, but he’s going to coach you harder,” Eluemunor said. “He’s going to hold you accountable for everything. He’s going to hold you to a certain standard and a certain expectation when you’re practicing out there, the way you carry yourself, the way you represent the franchise, and just the way you are as a person.
“He wants great players, but he also wants great men and great people, and he’s a big believer in that. I think that’s something he’s done great job of throughout his career and how long I’ve known him.”
‘I love this franchise’
Eluemunor would have gone elsewhere, of course, but did not want to.
“I wanted to be back here. I didn’t really want to go anywhere else. So, I was hoping that we could work it out where I could come back here and I could continue to do what I’ve been doing here. And now I’m just really glad it all worked out,” he said.
“I love this team, I love this franchise, I love the people in the building. I wanted to play for Coach Harbs, and I’m excited that I get the opportunity to do that again. And Coach Bloom [offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren], G-Ro [senior offensive assistant Greg Roman], Coach [Matt] Nagy, [passing game coordinator/quarterbacks] Coach [Brian] Callahan, they’re all great coaches and they’re all really, really qualified coaches, but they have a ton of experience, and so I’m really excited that I get to be a player in their offense and in their system on this team.”
A shout out for the fan base
Since he signed with the Giants in 2024, Eluemunor has been a popular player and a fun follow on social media. He said Thursday the love from the fan base has been “huge” for him.
“I don’t think it’s every day that, it doesn’t matter who you are, like a player gets the type of love and appreciation and just reception I’ve gotten from this fan base ever since I signed here,” Eluemunor said. “I didn’t do anything that was extra or anything that was kind of out of my character, I just was me, and it was really cool that the fans related with that. I guess they appreciated that and just backed me. I’ve been in a lot of places where things have been said negatively to me, or just fans just haven’t really liked me.
“So, I don’t know why that was because of, but being here in New York and the type of reception I’ve gotten and just the love that’s been shown to me that I just never expected it and it’s been really cool. Even before I re-signed here, just getting the Tweets every single day and the messages on Instagram and from fans really wanting me back here, it means a lot. And like I said, I don’t think a lot of players get to experience what I’m experiencing right now and I truly, truly appreciate it and don’t take it for granted.”
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