By Mike Gibson
For the Wire
Justin Pugh, shown here competing for the University of Syracuse, currently is training with the New York Giants.
No one keeps track of the comparative wealth of people in small Bucks County towns but, with one stroke of a pen, it is at least conceivable that Justin Pugh may have become the richest man in Holland on July 25.
Pugh, the New York Giants’ first-round draft pick out of Council Rock South, inked what the New York Daily News called a “four-year deal worth about $8.34 million.”
Unusual wording — about $8.34 — but, when contacted, neither Pugh or his agent, Octagon Sports, would confirm any figures.
Instead, Pugh said he “couldn’t be happier.”
It’s been a busy summer for Pugh. In addition to the negotiations, he has become somewhat of a celebrity in New York City, having thrown out the first ball in a New York Yankees’ baseball game.
“My whole mindset is to be here and compete and do what I normally do,” he said.
Interestingly enough, Pugh was almost the last draft choice to sign in the National Football League this year. He signed on the afternoon of July 25 and his Syracuse University teammate, quarterback Ryan Nassib, signed that evening and was the final draft choice remaining to be signed.
Now Pugh, who gave up his final year of eligibility at Syracuse in order to enter the 2013 draft, is at the New York Giants’ camp in East Rutherford, N.J. Like the Philadelphia Eagles, who train at the NovaCare Complex in South Philadelphia, the Giants are training at their normal practice facility (the Quest Diagnostics Training Center).
Giants’ offensive coordinator coach Kevin Gilbride said that Pugh will compete for the starting right tackle job with longtime veteran David Diehl. There has also been speculation that the Giants will move Pugh over to the left guard spot, where he would compete with incumbent Kevin Boothe for that spot.
Pugh, the 19th overall selection in the draft, played right tackle throughout the spring drills. At Syracuse, Pugh played mostly left tackle. He blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in each of his three seasons and was credited with 40 touchdown-causing blocks.
“We wanted to get some young talent in there and, with Justin, we believe we’ve done that,” he said.
One of the reasons the Giants drafted Pugh was that he played both guard and tackle at Syracuse and also played on both the left- and right-tackle spots.
Now all of Holland and the Council Rock South community is pulling for him.
“He came to us as a ninth grader,” said South head coach Vince Bedesem. “Your eyes perk up any time you see someone that big that young. He was 6-foot-1, with a 200-pound frame as a ninth grader.
“We were going back and forth about whether we wanted to bring him up [to varsity], but we decided to let him play with the ninth graders and, as a sophomore, he just made leaps and bounds and started for us on the offensive line.”
Bedesem said that Temple and Syracuse were among the last two schools recruiting Pugh and that Temple was also interested in him as a defensive player.
Now Pugh is on offense to stay for a team that has won two Super Bowl rings since 2007. If he helps them get another ring, that will be a mere $88,000 check for winning that one game, not counting the $50,000 per-player-payout for each playoff win prior to that (figures according to the Associated Press).
Maybe the best part of the contract is that Pugh is only 21 and there’s a lot of earning potential ahead.
