Malik Nabers buys house for mom: ‘Most important thing’

In a news conference following his first practice, Nabers discussed issues both moving and mundane.

The former occurred when he was asked to describe himself.

“I’m a funny person to be around,” Nabers said. “Good person to be around. I’m just a person that plays football, kind of thing that saved any life. I take it serious. I’m happy to be here. I’m finally here so just to get out there running with the guys it’s a dream come true.”

How did football save someone who turns 21 in July?

“Only thing that I felt I could do with my life,” Nabers said. “Only thing I felt like when I looked on what I wanted to do in the future, it was the only thing that I had plans to do so. Saved me and my family’s life. Put my mom in a house that she wanted. Changed my life forever so I’m happy to be here.”

Nabers has six siblings including five sisters, so taking care of them and his mother, Tonya Nabers, topped his list of priorities.

“It was very important,” he said. “That was the most important thing in my life, I would say, is having her have her own house and feel comfortable and not having to worry about bills to pay. And know that her little boy did it for her.”

Nabers is confident he will post big numbers this season, but his initial goals are modest.

“Right now, it’s just learning the playbook, interacting with my teammates and the rookies here,” Nabers said. “Trying to learn how to be a Giant, following the instructions, rules they have here. It’s just being a pro at the end of the day.”

If he produces in the NFL as he did for LSU, Nabers is going to be a splendid pro player.

“He’s got a lot to learn,” Daboll said, “and I would say learning the information and how we do things is the most important right now.”

Nabers, 6-feet and 200 pounds, concluded his career as LSU’s all-time leader in receptions (189) and receiving yards (3,003) and is one of only two players in LSU history with more than 3,000 receiving yards, joining Josh Reed (3,001 yards from 1999-2001). Nabers ranks seventh in school history with 21 touchdown catches. He led the SEC in receptions in back-to-back years with 72 as a sophomore in 2022 followed by 89 in 2023.

In 2023, Nabers started all 13 games and was a unanimous All-America as he was a first-team selection by AP, Walter Camp, FWAA, AFCA and Sporting News. He was also chosen first-Team All-SEC by the AP and SEC Coaches. Nabers led the nation with 120.7 receiving yards a game and led the FBS in plays of 20-plus yards (34) and 30-plus yards (17).

“The level that I see myself playing, as a player and as a competitive person, I’m always going to want to go fast,” Nabers said. “Coach (Brian) Daboll tells me he knows the type of player you are and you’re going to want to take in all the information at once. With this offense, you’ve got to slow it down and take it step by step. For you to be where you want to be, you’ve got to know what you’ve got to do.

“For me to play at 100 miles per hour, I still got to know what I got to do.”

The process of learning what that is began today.