N.Y. 'Backers drive

The Giants didn't draft him. No one did. And Antonio Pierce won't let anyone forget it. Not the Redskins, the team that gave him a shot. Not the Giants, the team that opened the vault for him in free agency. Not any of the opponents on the Giants' schedule, all of whom may feel the wrath of a player who aims to transform the slight he feels into punishment on the field.

"It's on my mind 24-7," Pierce said. In this regard, Pierce - the newest Giants linebacker - sounds an awful lot like Jessie Armstead, a former Giants linebacker who was constantly fueled by the doubts of others. Pierce, 26, and Armstead, 34, share the same Oct. 26 birthday, they were teammates for two years in Washington and when the Giants came calling, it was Armstead who advised Pierce to accept the offer. Continue