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At just 21 years old, at least until his birthday on August 21, New York Giants offensive lineman Bobby Hart is currently among the youngest non-rookie members of the team.

Despite his youth, Hart, who per Pro Football Focus played 155 snaps and started once last year—at right tackle in Week 13 against the Jets—is going to get a chance to make a name for himself this year.

This year, Hart, the Giants' seventh-round draft pick out of Florida State last year, has thrown his hat into the ring for the starting right tackle position, where his main competition will be incumbent Marshall Newhouse.

If you think Hart isn't seasoned enough to undertake this challenge, think again.

For Hart, playing with the “big boys,” or, in this case, guys who are older than him, is nothing new. On June 19, he will share his experience as well as work with local youth from his hometown, Lauderhill, Florida, during the inaugural Bobby Hart Youth Football Camp.

A Man Among Boys

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The best way to describe Hart’s earliest football years would be to picture a large family dinner gathering in which the adults sit at one table and the kids at another.

The 6'4", 334-pound Hart, although he was usually several years younger than his teammates ever since he first began playing football at the age of five, always seemed to get a seat at the grown-ups’ table.

Those opportunities that began when a five-year-old Hart was playing with kids who were six, seven and eight years old, taught him some early lessons about being tough and holding his own against his competition.

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“It just made me better,” Hart said by phone after completing the Giants’ second OTA workout last week. “Those kids, the peewees, might start crying if something happened, whereas those kids I was playing with, they really understand football—hitting harder, running faster and things like that, so I had to make that an adjustment early.”

That initial experience playing with older kids would ultimately serve as a pattern for how Hart’s football career would progress.

After starting his football journey as a defensive lineman—he also played a little bit of linebacker and tight end—Hart was routinely one of the—if not the—youngest players on his teams.

“That was good for me because it helped me grow up,” Hart said. “I graduated high school when I was 16, and when I was in college, I was younger than everyone—I started my first game when I was 17.”

Having to battle and hold his own among his teammates taught Hart a thing or two about hard work and how important it was to really apply himself in every facet of the game.

“There’s no substitute for hard work,” Hart said. “The only person you’re trying to trick if you’re not working hard is yourself, so if you put the hard work into football, it pays off 100 percent of the time at any level.

“If you’re in high school and you work hard, then you probably will get a scholarship that gives you a chance at a free education. If you’re in college and you work hard, then you might just get a chance to make it in the NFL."

Gaining the Competitive Edge

It’s not uncommon for football players at the peewee, recreational and even at the high school levels to play multiple positions on both sides of the ball.

Hart was no different. At St. Thomas Aquinas High School, he excelled as a defensive lineman, until one spring his coach asked him to make the switch to offensive line due to a shortage at that position.

He obliged, and suddenly he was able to take his game—already at a high level—up a few more notches. Because he was already familiar with how a defensive lineman attacked the ball, Hart had an advantage regarding angles and techniques necessary to neutralize defenders who dared to try to get at his quarterback.

A key member of the Raiders offensive line, Hart, who earned a 5-star rating from Scout.com, helped his team compile 5,612 yards of total offense on their way to winning the Class 5A State championship in 2010.

As he began to have success as an offensive lineman, Hart reached the point when, before he even finished high school, his dream of one day playing in the NFL suddenly didn’t look like a wild fantasy.

“I think I realized I could go to the NFL when I was in 11th grade,” he said. “That’s when I made the switch to offensive line. Initially I was just trying the position out for the spring to see how things went.

“College coaches would come to our practices, and I remember I had one play where I was playing aggressively like a defensive lineman, except I went against a defensive end and I just ran him over.”

That play was just one of many that the newly christened offensive lineman would make that continued to enchant the college coaches and recruiters who came out to see the Raiders’ spring game.

Hart’s strong showing that spring—combined with his attendance at what he estimated to be about four football camps before he would graduate from high school—opened the door for recruiting letters to start pouring in.

By the time he was ready to graduate, Hart estimated that he had about 50 offers from various college programs, and the vast amount of attention he received convinced him that if he stayed the course and worked hard, bigger things were still to come his way.

The NFL Hotspot

When one peruses ESPN’s listing of NFL players by college, the one state that is clearly head and shoulders above all others in terms of being America’s “football factory” is Florida.

The secret to the state’s success isn’t in the air or the water. It’s not even in the abundance of sunshine that has given the state its moniker, The Sunshine State.

Hart, a lifelong native of Florida, offered this logical perspective on why Florida has quietly become a NFL hotspot.

“Football is a way of life down there. We have the opportunity to play football down there because we have countless open big fields where kids can get together and have a game of flag football or where organized leagues can hold games,” he said.

“I ride around New York and New Jersey going to meetings and events, and I’m like, ‘Wow, y’all really don’t have many open fields for kids to play football.’ So it’s easy to see why kids up here are good at basketball because there are so many gyms for them to practice at, but when it comes to football, there aren’t as many open fields as there are down in Florida.”

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When choosing a college, then, it made sense for Hart to stay close to home. However, rather than follow his penchant for the University of Miami, Hart instead chose to go to Florida State, the team his father supported.

“It was just the feel I got,” Hart said of picking Florida State over the U. “I grew up a Miami fan and my dad was always a Florida State fan, so I used to always make fun of my dad. I remember the last time I rooted for Miami was, I want to say, two years before I got to Florida State, which is actually the last time Miami beat Florida State.

“The next time I went to a [Florida State] game to watch them play because I was committed to them, and they blew Miami out then, and then I went four years in a row beating them.”

The Finishing Touches

In his first season as a member of the Seminoles, Hart, who turned 17 in his first preseason camp with his new team, landed in the starting lineup due to a rash of injuries. That year, he primarily played at right tackle for the final nine games of the 2011 season.

The following season, as a true sophomore, he was mainly a reserve who saw action in eight games, as he continued to accumulate experience that would serve him well as his college career progressed.

In his junior season, Hart moved into the starting lineup at right tackle for good, where, according to his college bio, he regularly earned coaching grades of 80 or higher for his offensive line play that season.

He would go on to make 28 consecutive starts at right tackle on his way to earning All-ACC honors twice.

Hart, a team captain for the Seminoles, and the rest of his offensive line teammates were instrumental in allowing quarterback Jameis Winston to lead the ACC in passing yards and total offense in both 2013 and 2014.

One of the biggest moments of Hart’s college career was helping his then-undefeated team win the 2014 Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game over Georgia Tech, 37-35, a win that extended the Seminoles' winning streak to 29.

The Big Stage

Seventh-round NFL draft picks usually don’t become the face of the franchise. In fact, they usually have just as tough of an uphill battle as an undrafted free agent just to make the roster.

Even if they’re lucky enough to make it out of training camp, it’s not uncommon for a seventh-round draft pick to languish so deep on a team’s depth chart that come game day, he usually doesn’t get a uniform.

Moreover, many seventh-round picks are lucky if they finish their rookie contracts with the team that drafted them, let alone earning a second contract from that same team.

It’s been done before—running back Ahmad Bradshaw and, more recently, defensive tackle Markus Kuhn were two Giants seventh-round draft picks who stuck around and contributed.

The usual challenge for a seventh-round pick is trying to find out what his niche is, and that’s what Hart is currently facing. This spring, the coaches have had him primarily work at right tackle with the second-team offensive line.

However, there remains a possibility that he could get a look-see at right guard, where he would have to beat out incumbent John Jerry, if the coaches feel that playing inside is in the team’s and Hart’s best interests.

“For me, I just love football so much, so I look at it this way: When we get a play called in, I try to understand the concept of that play,” he said when asked about trying to juggle preparing to compete at multiple positions.

“When you understand the concept of what you’re trying to get done on a play, then it’s really not as hard to play different positions; you just have to be aware of your technique.

“If you specifically learn what your one position does, then it’s hard.”

As Hart awaits word from the coaching staff regarding where he’ll fit in, he remains focused and ready to roll up his sleeves and do what needs to be done to help the Giants turn their recent misfortunes around.

“The thing is the moment is never too big for me because I feel like the bigger the moment, the more I challenge myself,” he said. “Whenever it’s a big moment or a big game, I just expect more from myself. Most likely I’ll succeed because I see it, and I know that I can go get it.”

Sharing the Message

The opportunity for Hart to greet the estimated 100-plus children expected at his inaugural football camp is not just a chance to give something back to the community that helped shape his path to the NFL.

It also provides Hart with an opportunity to re-live a time in his life that put him on a path toward where he aspired to be.

In addition to Hart, the camp will feature some of Hart’s present and past teammates from both college and the Giants, with the exact coaching guest list to be unveiled the day of the camp.

Together, Hart and his fellow “coaches” will demonstrate some basic fundamentals of the game to help teach kids the proper way to play the game as safely as possible.

Hart, who is about as even-keeled off the field as one will find, is looking forward to sharing his experiences and some advice with those kids to help them reach their dreams.

“Definitely responsibility is a big one,” Hart said when asked for a preview of what he planned to present to the children. “You’re looked at as a man when you get to the NFL. This is your job. This is what you are paid to do.

“Punctuality is another big one. In college, you have some leeway because you could look at [playing football] as a pastime or hobby.

"In the NFL, you don’t want to be late to anything because it’s your job. So just more being serious and being thankful and taking the time to look back and reflect on things you’ve done to get here and just developing into a great person.”

Perhaps the biggest message that Hart wants to leave the kids with is that regardless of what their career goals might be—the NFL, becoming a doctor or whatever—nothing is impossible.

“If you believe it, you can achieve it,” Hart said. “Whatever you feel like you can do in this world, you can do, no matter what it is. You might not get it done as fast as you want to get it done, but if you put your mind to it, you can achieve whatever it is you set your heart on.”



Patricia Traina covers the Giants for Inside Football, the Journal Inquirer and Sports Xchange. All quotes for this article were obtained firsthand.

Follow me on Twitter @Patricia_Traina.