Cam Skattebo trash talk highlights: How Giants rookie has embraced 'little kid' attitude in NFL

David Suggs

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Cam Skattebo trash talk highlights: How Giants rookie has embraced 'little kid' attitude in NFL image

The New York Giants have a new star in their ranks. In the words of Action Bronson, he enjoys "turning chest plates to lunch meat."

In a sport marked by finesse, Cam Skattebo is a throwback. He dashes through the trenches with reckless abandon, hoping to confront a hulking presence before reaching open field. His penchant for violence on run plays has made him a hit among Big Blue supporters.

Skattebo doesn't carry a daunting frame like Derrick Henry. Nor does he have an assortment of counters like Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor. Rather, the Giants tailback relies on endeavor and a desire to impose himself on defenses to propel him to success. That has made for a winning formula so far.

Skattebo has fire in his chest, shoulders and legs. But he also has it in his voice. Not only does Skattebo want to embarrass defenders. He wants to let them know about it, too.

Here's what you need to know.

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Cam Skattebo trash talk highlights

Despite his diminutive size — at least by NFL standards — Skattebo carries plenty of bite. The Arizona State alum is a bruiser, known more for running through opposition defenders than around them.

Few things are as demeaning as being cut down by a tailback in open field. Skattebo makes that sight a regular occurrence. Understandably, he tends to bark a few words to his markers when he does.

Take the Giants' Week 4 tilt with the New Orleans Saints. Skattebo found himself quite the dance partner in Saints linebacker Demario Davis. The two jostled for position on a few occasions, none more noteworthy than after Skattebo turned upstream after fielding a pass from Jaxson Dart.

Davis read the play to perfection, dropping low to send Skattebo crashing into the turf. The wily veteran then told Skattebo just what he thought about his attempted broken tackle.

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"What do you think this is," Davis queried. "Boy, it's a grown man game! You already let it go one time."

Skattebo, ever the competitor, responded with fire.

"That's five yards, that's five yards," he said.

Davis wasn't having it.

"Man, that's one yard, boy," Davis quipped.

Davis traipsed to the sideline and explained his perception of Skattebo, who he likened to a "bad little kid."

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"You ever been to one of those football camps, and you picked up one of them bad kids, like wrestling with them," Davis asked teammate Pete Werner. "That's what [Skattebo] like.

"I can feel his little feet just back there going, it's like a bad little kid."

Davis isn't the only one to take notice of Skattebo's demeanor.

"His attitude is one of the main things that everyone is starting to understand," Giants RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. said. "It doesn't matter if you're 6'6 or a safety.

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"There's a price to pay when you're going to tackle Cam Skattebo."

His commitment to the cause is reflected in his hard-nose player. Whether he's marauding through tackles or sweeping defenders aside for Jaxson Dart runs, Skattebo always seems to be seeking contact. 

Trash talk has followed. It doesn't sting quite as bad as Skattebo runs. But it's not the easiest thing to grapple with, either.

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How tall is Cam Skattebo?

Skattebo stands at 5'11. He isn't the shortest player in the league nor is he all that close to that title. And in regular life, he would be considered average to above-average height.

But among the beanstalks who populate the NFL, Skattebo's lowly height sticks out. Fortunately, it also provides him a lower center of gravity, allowing Skattebo to turning directions on a knife's edge and get lower than defenders before crashing into their breastplate. 

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.