Shortly after helping about 30 kids pile toppings onto their burgers, Jalynn Hiatt realized she was hungry.
That means touchdown.
The Giants’ second-year receiver finished second in the NCAA with 15 touchdown catches in his final season at Tennessee, but failed to reach the end zone as an NFL rookie.
When is he going to end the drought?
“Week 1,” Hyatt joked to The Post, “I have a hungry mentality. I’ve never had a season in my life where I didn’t score a touchdown. That’s going to stay with me. Probably stay with me for the rest of my life. I’m ready to go.”
On Monday, Hyatt, 22, teamed up with Smashburger to treat members of the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club to lunch in Midtown.
Smashburger donated $5,000 to the organization, and Hyatt prepared individual meals.
“It’s all for the kids. That’s why I do this. It’s not for myself,” Hyatt said. “Seeing how much fun the kids are having at the Boys & Girls Club brings my childhood back. I always want to give back and make sure the kids are having fun and know they can be the same person I am today.”
A few hours before, as Hyatt was handling the salad tongs, he was holding a football that quarterback Daniel Jones had tossed during a 7 a.m. workout at the Giants’ practice facility in preparation for Jones’ return from a torn ACL.
The Giants open training camp on July 23rd.
“I’ve been with DJ for most of the offseason,” Hyatt said. “He’s feeling good, his running is back and I can’t wait to get back to camp. It’s time. It’s great to see how confident he is, especially after all the setbacks he’s had in his career. It’s fun to watch him work hard.”
The Giants will have their best receiver corps since Odell Beckham Jr.’s final season in 2018, if rookies Malik Neighbors, Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson and Hyatt stay healthy.
Veterans Allen Robinson, Isaiah Hodgins, Isaiah McKenzie and Gunner Olszewski are competing with the younger players to hold the team together.
Do people not realize that with Jones healthy and the top three players from the last three drafts (Neighbors, Robinson and Hyatt) they could improve a passing attack that was the second-worst in the NFL last season?
“Yeah,” Hyatt said. “I can say that right now, but we’ve got to go on the field and make it happen. That’s what we’re going to do — let our actions speak for themselves. We have four or five dynamic receivers. They’re all confident, they’re all wanting the ball. We’re going to be explosive this year.”
Jones, currently the Giants’ longest-tenured player, gathered offensive playmakers in North Carolina for a throwing session last month.
This was Jones’ normal annual schedule, but an unusual development given the departures of Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Sterling Shepard (Buccaneers), two players with whom he had long-standing relationships.
“It felt different without our leaders Shep and Saquon who have been here for a while,” Hyatt said. “At the same time, it’s nice to get together with your teammates and have some fun after practice. It’s best for the rookies to show their personality. When rookies come in, sometimes they can be shy and try to go with the flow. We tried to make it easy and show that we’re a family.”
Hyatt had 23 catches for 373 yards in 17 games last season.
His exceptional speed was on full display primarily on the deep ball, but there was more to his game than was masked by shortcomings in other parts of the offense.
“I’m not making excuses,” Hyatt said. “I had a lot of opportunities last year and it just didn’t work out. You can’t dwell on the past. It’s the present and the future that matter.”
