Keith Bulluck: I'm Ready to Get in Shape, Play for Giants

Keith Bulluck, whose high school football jersey was retired only last year at Clarkstown North High School in New CIty, will be wearing a different uniform jersey at the upcoming New York Giants training camp.

"I'll be wearing No. 53," Bulluck said early this afternoon, just two days after signing a one-year contract with Big Blue. Bulluck, who spent 10 seasons with the Tennessee Titans and who has played in virtually every type of game other than the Super Bowl, knows full well who wore that number at the middle linebacker position with the Giants.

"I know the great Harry Carson wore No. 53, but there's no pressure," Bulluck said. "I'll be fine, that's the least of my concerns. I won't ever disrespect that jersey."

Bulluck, who turned 33 in April and says "that's only a number," is coming off left knee surgery but feels he's already at 90 percent full strength.

"The only people who seem concerned (about the knee) are the reporters," laughed Bulluck. "My coaches are fine, my team, they're not concerned. I just need to get in football shape … going sideline to sideline, haven't done that since December. But I've never backed down from hard work and will do whatever is necessary."

Bulluck has made his offseason home in Rockland but now resides in Edgewater, N.J. He has two daughers:  Keira, 2 ½ years old; Kenzi, 8 months. It was in the offseason during a discussion with fullback Brandon Jacobs that Bulluck first entertained the possibility of joining the Giants.

"My agent first talked about it about two weeks ago," Bulluck said Monday. "But it was on my radar, to be honest, last year when Tennessee didn't sign me at the beginning of the year. Arizona made it a tough bargain, but they just lost the quarterback … I talked to Michael Strahan (former star with the Giants) last week, we had a 20-30 minute talk. He set me straight about everything including the media."

Bulluck's roots in Rockland are well-grounded and he said if any of his former coaches reached out, he would be there to extend a hand.

"Coach (Cliff) Tallman did much to help me at Clarkstown North … Ed Henry.  They definitely played a hand in my development. I was going to transfer once and Coach (Tallman) put an arm around me as a 14-year-old. That was important especially being in foster care. He was, they all were a positive influence on me."

Tallman, a Nanuet resident, is now a coach with the Nyack High School football program.