Each year, the top four candidates for the Heisman Trophy can visit Manhattan before the announcement.
This year, Cam Skattebo was No. 5 on the list.
Therefore, there will be no trips to the big cities in mid-December.
“I wasn’t too angry about Heissmann’s situation,” Scattebo said. “They were great players, but I’m going to New York for a long time, so let’s give it a go.”
Yes, Scottebo spends plenty of time in the New York area. More specifically, they spend their time across the Hudson River in Rutherford, New Jersey.
The brutal, bullish running back was chosen by the Giants in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on Saturday, bringing a clear dimension to the way football is run.
“It’s physical, downhill, back from the end to the zone,” Scattebo said. “I love getting touchdowns, and that’s what I do.”
Last season. Bill Costron/New York Post
The Giants were no secret they wanted to add to the running backroom featuring Tyrone Tracy Jr., not veteran Devin Singletary.
The middle round is where general manager Joe Shane points out as the main property to get a running back.
Scattebo broke out towards Arizona in 2024, scrambling 2,316 all-purpose yards in a rush for a school record of 1,711 yards and 21 touchdowns.
He can catch the ball from the backfield. At 5 feet – 9¹/2 and 219 pounds, he doesn’t have a fiery speed of 4.65 on a 40-yard dash. But he might run through them.
“One of our favorite players in the draft,” Shane said.
Scattebo has a compact body with wooden trunk legs, and the scouts say he plays more like a linebacker than a running back.
Instead of moving away from contact, he enjoys it.
“You can go back and watch the movie from your back that day,” Scattebo said. “It’s always been a very physical game for me. Since I was six, I’ve been doing the same thing. Throughout my life, I’ve stuck on the path I put myself in and it worked. It’s bringing me success, so I’ll continue doing it.”
The pick comes a year after the Giants selected Tracy in the fifth round. It proved to be a great value as Tracy finished second among all NFL rookies with 839 rushing yards.
Currently, the Giants have 1-2 punches with Tracy and Scattebo.
“He plays with a great contact balance. He’s tough as a claw. You can use him in many ways,” coach Brian Dabor said. And he has a very good vision and quick feet. Run with power and toughness.”
Having a fifth and fourth pick in the backfield is a preferred way to build Shane’s offense.
The previous Giants administration chose Saquon Berkeley on the second-place overall pick in 2018, and despite a period of excellence mixed with injuries, Berkley signed with the Eagles six years later, running for 2,005 yards in a regular season to win the Super Bowl.
After running for 170 yards, three touchdowns in a 45-19 victory at Iowa, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship Game, he said, “I don’t respect the fact that I’m coming back to the best run in the country.
He was the eighth running back in the draft.
Surrounded by family and friends in a Giants hat, Scattebo bowed his head and cried when he heard his name, which was announced as his 105th overall pick.
He didn’t receive any major programs coming out of California high schools and starred in Sacramento before raising NFL stocks in Arizona.
“It shows more of the way people are suspicious of me a little. And now, as the Giants believe in me, I believe in them and what they have and what we have as a team, and I’m going to win the championship,” Scattebo said.
“I’m ready to hand over everything I have. I can’t wait to be there. That’s great.”
