Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter brush off concerns of rift with Giants
· Yahoo Sports
EAST RUTHERFORD - Abdul Carter did not seek an apology from New York Giants teammate Jaxson Dart following his recent introduction of President Trump at a Rockland County campaign rally, only the opportunity to offer his perspective in the aftermath.
"I don't want him to say he's sorry," Carter said. "Stand on what you believe in, but it can't be a problem when I stand on what I believe in. That's all that matters to me. As long as we have that understanding, it's all good."
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Carter and Dart took turns speaking publicly for the first time Friday afternoon on an issue that brought polarizing reaction within the sports world and the political landscape, and not just for the two former first round picks and franchise cornerstones, but the Giants as a team.
Critics promised the perceived disagreement between Dart, their star quarterback, and Carter, an ascending linebacker who expressed displeasure with the appearance on social media last weekend, would divide the locker room. But both players brushed off that assertion, as did head coach John Harbaugh and veteran backup quarterback Jameis Winston, who also met with reporters after the Giants' OTA (organized team activity) practice.
Dart stepped to the podium and in front of the cameras and microphones after Harbaugh, issued a statement about his love for the country and respect for the office of the presidency. Carter was next, and after sharing an embrace with Dart, he explained why he took issue with what transpired and felt the need to speak out.
"I'm going to say that some things are bigger than football and this is one of those things," Carter said. "Jaxson is one of our leaders. He's the face of our franchise. He not only represents himself and what he does, but he represents all of us and that goes for anybody who wears a Giants uniform. But if he chooses to align himself with a man like President Trump, it's my responsibility based on what I believe and what I stand on to not only show my teammates that I'm against that - but to show the world.
"And that doesn't mean that we have to spread hate. It doesn't mean that me and Jaxson hate each other or we have beef," Carter continued. "I sit next to Jaxson every day, every team meeting. We're close. We talk. As long as we make sure we've got the same goal as a team and our goals align, which they do, then I feel like that's all that matters. I just want to move past this, and yeah, that's it." I'll take any questions about anything else but, in terms of this, I just want to move past this."
Dart waited for Carter, and the two left together without any team officials as they headed into the Giants' field house as Winston began his interview session. Earlier this week, the Giants held a team meeting when the players returned from Memorial Day weekend and addressed the situation.
Carter was away from the team on Tuesday and Wednesday and with his family for religious reasons, an individual with knowledge of the situation told NorthJersey.com and The Record, and his absence was completely unrelated to Dart's appearance with Trump.
Attendance is voluntary during spring workouts, but nevertheless Carter had let the Giants know in advance. He had deleted the tweet that initially called Dart's appearance into question, and the teammates said they spoke about the situation privately soon after.
"I've been somebody who's always respected the different perspectives that people may have, the backgrounds that they come from. I understand that we have such a cool opportunity as people to be in a locker room where it's a melting pot of people from everywhere, and we get to be together," Dart said. "And I think that the connections that we build are special because we're able to have vulnerable conversations. We're able to learn from each other, to support each other irrespective of the color of our skin, and we have a real brotherhood. We've had a lot of honest conversations with each other as a team, and I'd like to keep those things private between me and my teammates and just everything that's been sad. But I love these guys."
"And going forward, I can't wait for more we have to grow the culture of this team, our brotherhood," Dart continued. "And obviously we understand the biggest goal is to be the best team that we can be - to put ourselves in the best position to succeed. To chase a championship, to be the best players for coach Harbs and all the coaches here and that's our focus going forward each and every day. I can't wait to continue to do that."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Jaxson Dart and Abdul Carter say NY Giants locker room undivided