EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As much as Jayron Hosley talked about his 77-yard interception return after the New York Giants’ preseason win over the New York Jets, there was something else that made the Virginia Tech rookie cornerback stand out. It was the walking boot on his right foot.
Hosley seemingly hurt the foot on his game-breaking, second-quarter play Saturday night, and he wasn’t sure about the extent of his injury after the Giants’ 26-3 win over their local rivals.
“I couldn’t tell you right now,” Hosley said when asked how he hurt his foot. “I felt a little something in it and just went to the trainer. Got to get more tests on it.”
It was unknown when the third-round draft pick would have the tests.
The obvious fear for the Giants would be a broken foot. First-round draft pick Prince Amukamara suffered a broken foot last year in training camp and missed the first half of the season.
The injury overshadowed the touchdown return on a third-and-10 from the Giants’ 24.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez dropped back to pass, was pressured and tried to hit Patrick Turner running a short crossing pattern from left to right toward the Giants bench.
Hosley was running underneath Turner and reached out, caught the ball, and had no one in front of him.
“It was an all-around good play,” said Hosley, who was playing the nickel back. “The pressure up front allowed me to stay with my man, and the quarterback threw it when he didn’t want to throw it. I stepped in and made a play. It was good pressure by the ’D’ Line, like I said. I was just going out there and doing my job. That was it.”
Hosley’s eyes widened after making the catch.
“All I saw was the end zone, and I was going to get there, and that’s what I did.”
Hosley took off and high-stepped it into the end zone when he realized no one was going to catch him. The foot never bothered him.
“I was running,” he said. “I didn’t feel anything at that point, just green grass and the fans screaming. You know I was going for the touchdown.”
The play was a little redemption for Hosley, who fumbled a punt late in the first half last week against Jacksonville that got the Jaguars back in the game.
“After something like that you want to bounce back and show the coaches that you can bounce back and be the guy,” Hosley said. “I came back with good focus and something happened to open up for me, and it worked out.”
Giants coach Tom Coughlin noticed.
“He stepped in front of the receiver in the flat, and he certainly does have the speed once he caught the ball to run down the sideline and score,” Coughlin said. “We were all cheering for him.”
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