Released by the Los Angeles Chargers after four seasons as an offensive-line starter, D.J. Fluker signed a one-year contract in March with the New York Giants. He's taken mostly second-team reps in training camp, but that hasn't affected his attitude.

"I'm excited," Fluker told reporters. "I don't know about you, but I'm very excited. Being able to be here and play football for the New York Giants. Where else would you want to be?"

The Chargers reached the NFL playoffs with Fluker at right offensive tackle in 2013, when he joined the team as the 11th player picked in the NFL Draft. After going 9-7 but missing the postseason in 2014, the Chargers compiled a 9-23 record over the past two seasons, when Fluker played right guard.

The Giants are coming off an 11-5 season.

"The first day you walk in the building and everybody just sits there and greets you," Fluker said. "That's when you know, 'OK, they're happy to have someone come here that wants to play.' And you've got people in here that are passionate from the organization, like all around, they're passionate about winning. ... It's about the passion, the passion when you walk in the building. They're all passionate about winning. I mean, where else can you find that?

"And when I came in, I was like, 'Shoot, I'm at Alabama all over again; I'm all fired up.' So I got the gist when I came through the door, you know?"

Fluker was a three-year starter at right tackle for Alabama, including the Crimson Tide's BCS national-title teams of the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Alabama also won the BCS national championship during Fluker's redshirt season in 2009.

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The Giants kick off their four-game preseason schedule on Friday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. NFL Network will televise the game at 6 p.m. CDT from MetLife Stadium.

Got to take it another level tonight pic.twitter.com/C9oaC3lZBG — DJ Fluker TheWarrior (@DJTheWarrior76) August 11, 2017

Where will Fluker play?

On the Giants' first preseason depth chart, he's listed as the second-team right guard behind John Jerry, a seven-year veteran who held the position last season for New York. The Giants return all of their offensive-line starters from last season.

New York coach Ben McAdoo said last week that Fluker was a "right side player for now." Bobby Hart started 13 games at right tackle in 2016, his second NFL season, when Marshall Newhouse got hurt. Newhouse is now with the Oakland Raiders, leaving Hart in the spot.

"It's wherever coach wants to put me," Fluker said. "My mindset is always different. Everybody can tell you where he wants you to be, but my mindset is it's about how bad you want something. That's how I see every day of life. ...



"The thing about it is, everybody is grinding right now. Camp, nobody has a job in camp. Anybody can move anywhere. For me, I have no job, so I'm just going in to work. That's my mentality, my mindset every single day I get up. Every morning at five o'clock, I'm going to work. You know, it's all about attitude."

Before reaching Alabama and the NFL, Fluker was a prep standout at McGill-Toolen in Mobile and Foley High School.