Former New York Giants Star Ready To Deal Heavy Hand In Vegas

As the 2-6 New York Giants embark on their road trip to Las Vegas, one of their former players is preparing his new team for a not-so-friendly welcome.

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Former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce was introduced to the media, as the interim head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, on Wednesday. The nine-year NFL veteran was an integral part of Big Blue's 2007 Super Bowl championship team. Many considered Pierce to be the heart-and-soul of the Giants defense.

As reported on nypost.com, the 45-year old is excited for the opportunity. “It’s a new day, a new era and a new chapter,” Pierce told reporters. “I’m humbled. I’m honored and don’t take that lightly. I was born for this. I’m a former player. I touch players. They’re going to feel me." If the players are like quarterbacks back in his playing days, the players will feel Pierce!

Former Giants head coach during Pierce's tenure with New York, Tom Coughlin believes his former pupil is the ripe for the opportunity before him. “He’s one of those guys that people follow and they cling to, because he’s got some swagger to him," Coughlin told Mark Cannizzaro of nypost.com. “The players that he’s coached [with the Raiders] will definitely be affected by him getting the job. He’s the kind of guy that the players know has paid the price and he’ll have a leg up in terms of respect from the players because of that.” It appears that the Giants players are prepared for a different attitude in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Big Blue safety Xavier McKinney told nypost.com, “Their (Raiders) energy level is going to be heightened with Pierce as the head coach, so we’ve got to make sure that we match that." Late Monday night, the Giants had to feel great about their match-up Sunday afternoon with Vegas. After yesterday's press conference, maybe not so much.