The New York Giants showed off their new jewelry after getting their championship rings at Tiffany on Fifth Avenue Wednesday afternoon. At STK Midtown, Justin Tuck, Eli Manning, Steve Weatherford, Lawrence Tynes, Mathias Kiwanuka and Zak DeOssie had a private dinner with their wives and girlfriends and co-owner Steve Tisch. At Del Frisco’s, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Isaiah Stanback, J
ake Ballard, B
ear Pascoe, Tyler Sash, Spencer Paysinger, Will Beatty, Henry Hynoski, Greg Jones and Mark Herzlich all chowed down. Later, at Greenhouse, Ahmad Bradshaw and Jason Pierre-Paul celebrated and showed off their rings to revelers who asked to take pictures.

Justin Tuck goes after Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLVI. (Getty Images)

It’s been a busy week for New York Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck. On Thursday, he picked up the second Super Bowl ring of his career — and the night before, he was in New York City at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, for a screening of the movie, “Battleship,” to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. The WWP is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors, and Tuck was there in conjunction with SUBWAY restaurants. The movie, directed by Peter Berg (“Friday Night Lights”), stars Col. Greg Gadson, a member of the WWP who lost both his legs in Iraq in 2007, and who has been an inspirational force for the Giants ever since. We had the opportunity to speak with Tuck about the premiere, the Giants, a couple of Super Bowl wins, and his NFL future.

Shutdown Corner: First, could you talk about the “Battleship” screening?

Justin Tuck: Colonel Gadson is in the movie, and he’s meant so much to myself and to the New York Giants, it’s just a good way to support the people who are overseas, fighting for our freedoms.

SC: Colonel Gadson is the man who came to your facility during the 2007 season and proved to be such an inspiration for you, right?

JT: Right. I first met him in 2007, just before that Super Bowl, and coach Coughlin brought him in to do a motivational speech. One of our coaches at the time knew Colonel Gadson pretty well, and he just wanted an opportunity to tell his story to us. After that, he had such an impact, he became like a member of our team. He would go on the road with us, three or four games a year — as many as he could make it to — and he really had an impact on our team. So, he’s been around since 2007, I’ve known him since then, and we’ve had the opportunity to watch him battle with the struggles he’s had from serving over there. You marvel at the fact that he never complains — he’s always upbeat, and he’s always lifting us up. That’s amazing from a guy who doesn’t have any legs.

Tuck, Col. Greg Gadson, and Peter Berg at the “Battleship” premiere. (Getty Images)SC: It kind of puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?

JT: Oh, no question. You really can’t allow yourself to complain about anything, when you see a guy who could have easily given up on life, but he’s making the best of it.

SC: Obviously, we’re not talking about the same level of risk in football, but there has been a lot of talk about player safety lately. Where do you stand on the issue, and how well do you think the NFL is handling it?

JT: It’s a serious issue, The game we play is a physical sport, and we put our bodies on the line every time we go out on that that field. But it’s something … we know the dangers that come with it, but the dangers are a real issue, and I hope we’ll find ways to minimize them. That goes with a combination of the equipment we’re using, to the rules changes by Commissioner Goodell and his bunch. Just being more aware of player safety from the players’ standpoint, also.

SC: Right. People say, “Well, you guys knew what you signed up for when you decided to play this game,” but that doesn’t mean that more shouldn’t be done. Specifically, do you think there should be more of an outreach for players after they’re done with the game?

JT: I think so, because there’s one thing about players — most players won’t ask for help until it’s too late. That’s something that’s ingrained in us, and it’s unfortunate. Hopefully, we can get the word out to former players and current players that if you need help, there is help. Like with [Junior Seau], you think that could have been prevented, but unfortunately, it wasn’t. Hopefully, it’s a sign to guys who might be going through the same thing, where they say, “I want to live — I want to enjoy my life” and you get the help that is provided to you.

SC: On the positive side of that equation, your old buddy Michael Strahan has made quite the successful transition in his post-football career. How much of a mentor was he to you, and do you still talk a lot?

JT: Oh, we definitely talk a lot. He’s back and forth to New York every month, and we talk in person and on the phone. He’s definitely meant a lot to me in my career. Coming in as a rookie, he was well-established at the time as the best defensive end in the league. It was fun to get to work with him every day, and mirror how he went about his business– on the field, and off. I give him a lot of credit for putting me in the right positions and introducing me to the right people. And inspiring me to the work ethic I have today. Because I just tried to follow in his footsteps.

SC: I was in the locker room after Super Bowl XLVI, and he was there talking to you guys, and he almost looked happier than the current players did about the result.

JT: Yeah — we were texting and talking back and forth through the whole playoff run. He just continued to congratulate us and tell us how to get prepared for these games. He’s definitely a true Giant, and he’ll always be one. When you see him on Sunday mornings [on Fox's pregame show], and he’s picking the teams, he’s always going to bleed Giant blue. He can’t help it.

SC: Watching both of the Super Bowl games the Giants won in the last five years, I had you pegged as the MVP in both cases, until Eli Manning corked off two of the most amazing throws in Super Bowl history in what turned out to be the game-winning drives each time. Obviously, you’d rather have the ring than the MVP award, but do you ever wonder what might have been?

JT: You know, I’d rather have 10 Super Bowl trophies and no MVPs. The whole thing about having the MVP — I don’t care. I could care less, because the way I look at it, I can’t play the game by myself. If I got one, I’d probably cut it into 10 other pieces and give it to my defensive teammates.

SC: It must be a great point of pride, though, to play at your very best when it matters the most.

JT: We’re all brought up to believe that the best players show up in the biggest games, and what bigger game than the Super Bowl? I’ve just been blessed and very lucky to have two of my best games on that stage. I’m very humbled to have that opportunity, and if I get another opportunity, I’m just going to go out there like I did last time and give 100 percent.

SC: One of the most remarkable things about your play — and you seemed to be kind of a trend-setter in this regard — is that you will be seen playing well all across the formation. That’s become more common in the last few years, but how did that develop for you? Was that something you did at Notre Dame, or did it start when you got to the NFL?

JT: It started in New York, because when I came in, you had Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora on two different sides. So, it was a way for me to get on the field at first – you put your best pass-rushers on the field. I didn’t like the thought of it at first, and I wasn’t really good at it a first, but I got an opportunity to learn more about it, and learn more about how to rush from inside. it’s just something that gradually became part of my game.

SC: When you look at the Super Bowl XLII team, and the XLVI team, which one was better?

JT: I think this one has more talent — younger guys, but guys who had been there before and knew how to win those types of games — but it’s hard to compare to the 2007 team. That ’07 team had tremendous heart. Both teams had tremendous heart, but if I was to pick one of the two, I would say this last year’s team, because it seems that we have more of a talent [base].

SC: You’ve clearly done a lot in your career — what is left for you to accomplish?

JT: I just want to continue to play great football — that’s all that matters. I don’t really care about the accolades or any of that. Everything to me is about team football, and if we keep winning Super Bowl trophies, I’ll be fine.

The New Yorks Giants were presented with their Super Bowl XLVI rings on Wednesday evening (May 17) in Manhattan during a private ceremony.

Here’s a look at the Tiffany diamond and sapphire-encrusted Super Bowl rings. They feature four Marquis diamonds in four Lombardi trophies (to represent the franchise’s four titles), 37 blue sapphires and the dates of each Super Bowl title in franchise history.

The inside of the rings include the words “finish” and “all in,” psych-up words used by the team during its 2011 title run. And finally, the shanks have the score of this year’s victory over the New England Patriots, the player’s name and number, and the dates of New York’s other Super Bowl triumphs.

According to reports, the team had some input in the design of the ring. Most specifically, players wanted the color blue to be incorporated. Their last Super Bowl ring (see below, alongside the latest ring) was white gold and diamonds and looked like it could belong to the New Orleans Saints.

“The blue makes it a little different,” Eli Manning said. “We wanted some blue — the Giants are Big Blue. We definitely wanted to get a little blue to spark it up a little bit.”

The New York Giants were showing off their new Super Bowl rings Wednesday evening for the first time after receiving them at Tiffany & Co. in midtown Manhattan.

“This is my restaurant ring,” defensive end Justin Tuck told NFL Network with a laugh. “You can see from the whole restaurant — when you step in the door to the guy that’s sitting in the back.”

The Giants defeated the New England Patriots, 21-17, in Super Bowl XLVI in February. The team also defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

“They’re both beautiful and they’re both unique,” head coach Tom Coughlin said, referring to his two rings. “When the gun goes off, you know in your heart you’re Super Bowl champions.”

Tuck, however, had a different take on the meaning of having two versions of the coveted jewelry.

“I’ve got 10 fingers and some of my other fingers may be jealous,” he said.

Quarterback Eli Manning said it brought closure to the 2011 season before minicamps and organized team activities kick into gear.

“It’s one last night to celebrate and be with your teammates and coaches,” Manning said. “It’s all about getting … (the ring) on your finger.”

The biggest ring apparently belongs to offensive lineman David Diehl. The 6-foot-5, 304-pound tackle wears a size 18, according to Tuck.

“If I put it on my thumb it falls off, so that thing is huge,” Tuck said.

The New York Giants will receive their Super Bowl ring today, according to ESPN New York.

“I kind of wear it on special occasions up to the start of the season, then I put it away,” Giants star quarterback Eli Manning said. “It’s a big ring. It’s almost hard to wear.”

The Giants will receive the rings at a ceremony tonight at Tiffany & Co. in Manhattan.

New York won their second Super Bowl in four seasons after defeating the New England Patriots this January.

Chase Blackburn will be the New York Giants’ starting middle linebacker when the team begins its training camp next month, but the role has apparently shifted into a one- or two-down position, according to the New York Daily News.

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell told the newspaper on Friday that Blackburn, a seven-year veteran who was the starting middle linebacker to end the 2011 campaign, will go “back to that role” to begin camp. He added the caveat that there will be competition for the starting job.

“(Mark) Herzlich will have an opportunity to compete for that role. Greg Jones will have an opportunity to compete for that role,” Fewell said. “And we’re not opposed to putting Keith Rivers, giving him an opportunity to compete for that role. So there’s going to be competition.”

In the offseason, the Giants traded a fifth-round draft pick to acquire Rivers from the Cincinnati Bengals, who were reportedly unhappy that he chose to undergo a surgery at the end of the lockout rather than sooner.

“I sense that we’re going to put it up for grabs,” Fewell said. “Whoever can take the bull by the horns and lead us will have the opportunity to step up and play.”

Last season, the Giants spent most of their defensive snaps in some variation of the nickel defense to counter the spread attack that many teams are running, the Daily News reported. With just two linebackers being used in those packages, Michael Boley acted as a “middle” linebacker, directing the defense. According to the newspaper, the team is expected to play the same defense this season, meaning the starting middle linebacker will essentially be functioning in a one- or two-down role.

“I don’t think college football allows you to have a big, anchor middle linebacker anymore because of the way college football plays,” Fewell said. “And I don’t think the NFL requires that as much anymore because a lot of things change with one-back spread teams that throw the ball all over the place.”

Fewell went on to say, “We don’t have a third-down middle linebacker. What is a two-down Mike? We may have to redefine that a little bit as we continue to evaluate what offenses are doing in the National Football League.”

Fewell said the linebacking corps will be “an area of interest” for the team this summer in large part because it has so many potential personnel combinations.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants boasted that Rueben Randle was NFL-ready after they took the LSU receiver in the second round of the draft, and as the Super Bowl champions opened rookie minicamp Friday, he didn’t disappoint.

Randle went high to catch a pass along the sideline, and he later burned third-round draft choice Jayron Hosley on a “go” pattern in the morning session of Friday’s camp. Randle showed signs he might be able to replace Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham, who left to sign with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent.

Former LSU signal-caller Ryan Perrilloux, who has been on the Giants’ practice squad, has no doubt about Randle’s NFL prospects.

“He is huge — 6-foot-3, 210 ( pounds). A speedy guy, real good in and out of breaks,” Perrilloux said. “Like I said, he’s the kind of guy a quarterback can rely on because he has all that athletic ability that you need. When you get in trouble, you never go wrong just throwing his way.”

Randle, who caught 53 passes for 917 yards and eight touchdowns last season, said he’s excited to have a chance to play with a two-time Super Bowl MVP like Eli Manning.

“As a receiver, you want someone who can get you the ball because you work so hard to get open,” Randle said. “Coming in and playing with Eli, who is a great quarterback — that’s very exciting.”

With Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz starting, Randle will compete with Domenik Hixon and Ramses Barden for playing time.

“They are expecting big things from me, and I have to live up to it. I think I can get there,” Randle said of being ready to contribute this season. “I am still young and learning on the fly. With the right time and the right opportunity, I can be there.”

For the next few months, Randle will have to learn the playbook and be ready to go when the team starts training camp in Albany in late July.

“Football is football,” Randle said. “It’s just learning the terminology and seeing how they use things and run things. The routes are many of the same we ran in college.”

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants boasted that Rueben Randle was NFL-ready after they took the LSU receiver in the second round of the draft, and as the Super Bowl champions opened rookie minicamp Friday, he didn’t disappoint.

Randle went high to catch a pass along the sideline, and he later burned third-round draft choice Jayron Hosley on a “go” pattern in the morning session of Friday’s camp. Randle showed signs he might be able to replace Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham, who left to sign with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent.

Former LSU signal-caller Ryan Perrilloux, who has been on the Giants’ practice squad, has no doubt about Randle’s NFL prospects.

“He is huge — 6-foot-3, 210 ( pounds). A speedy guy, real good in and out of breaks,” Perrilloux said. “Like I said, he’s the kind of guy a quarterback can rely on because he has all that athletic ability that you need. When you get in trouble, you never go wrong just throwing his way.”

Randle, who caught 53 passes for 917 yards and eight touchdowns last season, said he’s excited to have a chance to play with a two-time Super Bowl MVP like Eli Manning.

“As a receiver, you want someone who can get you the ball because you work so hard to get open,” Randle said. “Coming in and playing with Eli, who is a great quarterback — that’s very exciting.”

With Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz starting, Randle will compete with Domenik Hixon and Ramses Barden for playing time.

“They are expecting big things from me, and I have to live up to it. I think I can get there,” Randle said of being ready to contribute this season. “I am still young and learning on the fly. With the right time and the right opportunity, I can be there.”

For the next few months, Randle will have to learn the playbook and be ready to go when the team starts training camp in Albany in late July.

“Football is football,” Randle said. “It’s just learning the terminology and seeing how they use things and run things. The routes are many of the same we ran in college.”

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

The New York Giants have signed first-round pick David Wilson, according to Pro Football Talk. The deal is a four-year deal with a team option for a fifth.

According to NJ.com, Wilson was slotted to receive a signing bonus of around $3.3 million, though financial terms of the contract were not yet available.

Wilson, 20, ran for 1709 yards and nine touchdowns last season for Virginia Tech.