In a quest for originality, NY Giants' Xavier McKinney always keeps everyone guessing

EAST RUTHERFORD - Xavier McKinney has always wanted to be an original.

On the football field, the New York Giants' co-captain and safety prefers to play with dynamic versatility, an unmistakable flair and emotional intensity that keeps you guessing about what he is thinking, the place he is lining up and from where he is coming next.

His passion for fashion and an incredibly creative mind adds to that uniqueness.

The word McKinney and his older brother Brandon often used to describe the unwillingness to walk the same path as others was 'unprecedented,' and the pair of siblings turned that into a familial motto.

"Just always be me, no matter the situation. No matter what, just be who I am and I've always tried to do that," McKinney told NorthJersey.com as part of an interview for this week's episode of the "All In with Art Stapleton" podcast. "Being great within myself and having my own dreams. Everybody has their own story, so for me, it's running my own race. I know I want to be great. I know how great I want to be."

He paused before adding: "Be the best version of me that I can possibly be."

McKinney has taken his play to new heights during the Giants' three-game winning streak, and as they head to New Orleans on the fringe of the NFC playoff race, the narrative revolving around his future here and what to expect over the next month continues to change.

McKinney did not come out of the gates this season as he hoped, nor as the Giants needed him to play. The entire defense looked like it was searching, and McKinney was frustrated. That was becoming more obvious as the weeks went on, especially in post-game interviews when he fought to choose his words wisely while allowing cracks in that bravado to show.

He wound up thrusting himself into the speculation about the relationship between head coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, and how after a report suggested they were "not in a good place," the handling of McKinney's comments suggesting a lack of communication from Martindale and the defensive staff became part of the story.

But something happened on the way to this entire thing potentially blowing up for the Giants: Tommy DeVito provided a spark, the defense found its grove and they started winning, thanks in part to McKinney, who for the first time since before his 2022 bye week accident and serious hand injury began to play at an elite level.

"He’s playing good football," Daboll said of McKinney. "He does a great job in the film room, great job in walkthroughs, been a good leader for us. He’s played really, I’d say, the last month of the season, a high level of football, and we need him to do that."

McKinney made waves on social media for what he did this bye week, although the attention was far more complimentary. He posted a video on Instagram detailing his link-up with tattoo specialist Ganga for his latest montage, which was personally designed by McKinney himself. The images include Marvel villain Thanos, The Joker and Groot from "Guardians of the Galaxy."

Part of McKinney's creative outlet away from the game is to draw, and specifically, design artwork that he eventually turns into tattoos. He has journals filled with any ideas that come to him; it's a thought-out process, so when he ends up making his appointment with a given artist, the moment is worth it.

McKinney got his first tattoos when he was a teenager: the words "hungry" and "humble" located on his inner biceps. His torso is like a image search of characters across different genres: the Minions, Super Mario, Marvin the Martian, the Tasmanian Devil and, across his back, Big Al, the elephant mascot from the University of Alabama.

"Every one has meaning, some sort of inspiration through my life," McKinney said. "I find myself still using them all, depending on what I'm going through at the time. I'm serious when I need to be, but I still let my creativity flow."

McKinney is a pending free agent, and the prospects of whether he would leave or be back on an extension have run the gamut. When the trade deadline approached on Halloween, there was some thought from outside the organization that team brass might look to deal McKinney for a future asset. Nothing materialized.

With the way he has shown up in recent weeks, McKinney is proving he might just be the significant part of the foundation the Giants expected him to be after all.

So I asked McKinney: does he view the Giants as legit playoff contenders right now, given the odds still stacked against them?

"We've got to take it one day at a time," McKinney said. "That's the biggest thing for me, and it's kinda another reason why I've been able to play well - not thinking about stuff in the future or thinking behind me. Just taking it one day at a time and making sure I get 1 percent better each day, and I think we've done a great job as a team, and even the coaches, everybody, just taking initiative and really putting that focus on taking one day at a time, one meeting at a time. Making sure everything is clean, making sure that everybody's on the same page, and it's worked out really well for us."