NY Giants WR Hakeem Nicks Talks Steve Smith Injury

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks did not see fellow WR Steve Smith go down with a pectoral injury during a Thursday practice. As with head coach Tom Coughlin, Nicks knew very little about his fallen teammate.

"I haven't really heard anything yet," Nicks said on Thursday. "I actually didn't find out until towards the end of practice." Nicks went on to say "we just stick to the game plan until we hear otherwise. I didn't really notice what was going on, and I don't still really know what's going on. We'll find out, and I'll probably call and check on him probably a little later on. We don't know what is necessarily going on yet. Steve is a key part of the offense. Things happen, situations happen, and guys just have to step up. Personally, I don't change my game. I still do what I have to do, but I'm pretty sure coaches and guys will do a good job of stepping up."

Smith isn't the only Giants wide receiver less than 100 percent. Nicks has been dealing with an annoying ankle injury throughout the 2010 NFL regular season. He spoke about the injury, saying that "it's something that comes and goes. By now, at this time of the season, I don't plan on missing time so I'm going to do what I do to make sure that I'm ready to perform." He did say that the ankle doesn't bother him during game days.

Hakeem Nicks has been the leading receiver for the Giants thus far. There's a very good chance he'll be number one on the depth chart when Big Blue faces the Cowboys on Sunday. Don't expect Smith to take the field if he is experiencing any significant discomfort, as the team is taking his particular injury very seriously.

All quotes via New York Giants Communications Office

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