Montrell Washington tells The Post why he’s a Giant worth watching

Giants free-agent wide receiver and special teams addition Montrell Washington fields some training camp Q&A from Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: Why is playing in the NFL so important to you?

A: My pop, my mom, my grand … anybody could tell you like literally at 4 years old, I told ’em I wanted to be in the NFL. That’s when I first was put on the field at 4 years old. My pop can be out there, obviously I didn’t know what I was doing, but I told him I was going to the NFL. Kept playing, never stopped playing, kind of was the underdog. Just look at us now.

Q: Why should I root for you?

A: I’m a real dawg. I know what it’s like to not be the top guy but still work to try to be a top guy.

Q: Why do you believe you belong?

A: I don’t know, I really can’t explain. … It’s a feeling. It’s something that I just know. Being on different teams, seeing what I’m doing to guys that are big-time guys, or even starters and stuff like that, that’s kind of been that mentality: I belong here. I’m going to keep working, when I get my shot, I’m going to show the world.

Q: You believe you can play with anyone?

A: I believe I can play with anybody, yes sir.

Q: Would you buy a ticket to watch you play football?

A: I will buy every ticket to watch me play football, yes sir.

Q: Why should fans buy a ticket to watch you play?

A: It can be a small, short route, intermediate route, it doesn’t mater what it is, as soon as it touches my hands, just know I’m going to make a play or at least attempt to make a play right then and there. That’s something you want to see.

Q: Why are you so fearless returning punts?

A: I was always the smallest one always growing up, playing outside with the older kids, my older cousins and things like that, so I always had that no fear-type of mentality. Being the smallest you can’t have fear. It always stuck with me … you got to catch me first (laugh).

Q: So how would you describe your on-field mentality?

A: I get in like these little moods when I’m out there, I’m not going to lie to you. You ever play against like a friend or something? Obviously you’re friends and stuff, but when it’s time to compete it’s like, hey, I feel like I turn that switch on just all the time. I’m just a competitor, to be honest with you. We’re not friends, we’re not buddies, I’ll talk to y’all after the game, things like that. I’m out there to take either your job or somebody’s else’s job, simple as that. That’s the mentality I have, to take somebody’s job, to be honest with you.

Q: What is it like when you hear 70,000 people cheering for you?

A: It’s no better feeling. It’s something obviously you dream of, you know, growing up you’re like, “Oh yeah, I want to play in front of a lot of people.” But to actually hear that crowd, like on a punt return or something, just like go from quiet to roar, it’s like that kids-at-Christmas feeling when you’re running down the steps, go get the presents.

Q: What drives you?

A: I’m a big family guy. My grandmother’s grandchild, I’m her first real oldest to get my high school, college, make it to my dream to play in the NFL. … I’m the one, in my head, keep everybody on lock, so if I can maintain keeping what I do, keep handling my business, show my little brothers and sisters the right way to do it, you can chase your dream, you can graduate all through and be something that nobody thought you could be from the situation that we used to have. … I’m a role model to my family, and I love that.

Q: What was the situation you used to have?

A: Things weren’t always good, I’m not going to say things were just always great. High school I moved in with my godparents, the Luths. My mother and father ended up moving back down to where we were in Marietta [Ga.], and I kind of wanted to stay in Cherokee County and play football. I felt like I would have a better shot of doing what I wanted to do and making it.

Q: Tell me about your grandmother, Bashaba Walker.

A: I’m a Granny baby, ah man, my granny’s my everything.

Q: Why did she become so important to you?

A: Growing up, I always wanted to be with my granny, I always stayed with my granny. Some people are Mama’s boys, I’m a Granny boy (laugh). Even if me and my granny wasn’t doing nothing, I want to be around my granny — she’s going to cook, or we’re just going to be listening to her music, hanging out, we’ll go fish.

Q: Has she watched you in person play football?

A: Yes sir, yes sir, she has. She’s actually down in Georgia now, but when I was back in Kansas City she was staying with me. I had my grandmother move in with me. I love my granny (laugh).

Q: She would cook for you in Kansas City?

A: Oh, cook for me, the boys on the team had granny cooking.

Q: Did she cook for Patrick Mahomes?

A: Well, she didn’t cook for Mahomes, some of the receivers would come over, JuJu [Smith-Schuster] came over a couple of times, Skyy Moore, Rashee [Rice] would come over. They know about Granny’s cooking. Granny could cook (laugh).

Q: Did she make cheeseburgers for Andy Reid or no?

A: That was one person I did want to get to try to some of Granny’s food, Coach Reid. I never got to make that happen.

Q: What is Granny’s best dish?

A: Aw man, my go-to, we go fried chicken, we go yams, macaroni, I like collard greens, gotta have my cornbread — got to have my cornbread. It’s a real southern-style good Sunday meal.

Q: You can’t get cornbread here can you?

A: They made some, I want to say last week, and it was actually good! I had to ask who made this, because they know something. I thought it was from down south. They said it was from up here. Hey, y’all got the recipe (laugh).

Q: What is the biggest obstacle or adversity you had to overcome?

A: He’s my cousin but we were so close I call him my brother.

Q: What happened?

A: He was killed. … He was shot, and he didn’t make it. That happened when I was in college [Samford]. I really didn’t even want to even finish college. I didn’t want to do nothing. It’s my dawg, we grew up together, every summer he’d come stay with us, things like that. It was a bond that’s just unbreakable. When he passed in college, that kind of hit me real hard, I’m not going to lie to you. I wanted to go home, I didn’t really care about going to class. Luckily I had good friends, not even just friends, my brothers at Samford University that I was able to talk to. They were definitely able to help me out and get through it.

Q: What was his name?

A: We called him Meco. His real name was Tyon Gorman.

Q: Did you think about quitting football?

A: I wouldn’t say quit, but it wasn’t something that was on my mind as heavy. When he passed, I was just hurt. It just didn’t feel right because I was always thinking about him. … I’m still here to this day. I know I’m making him proud.

Q: So that’s important to you to make Meco proud.

A: That’s very important, yes sir.

Q: What happened exactly?

A: He was shot like in front of a store. Some of my brothers and cousins went down the wrong path, as some people would say.

Q: Describe the kind of ball Jaxson Dart throws.

A: Just a dart (laugh). It’s a beautiful ball. You drop one of those, you’re mad at yourself. I dropped one in the game [last week at Buffalo], told him it’ll never happen again.

Q: What can you tell Giants fans about what they can expect from Jaxson Dart?

A: He’s like that — that’s a term that we say when you’re real good. He’s the real deal.

Q: What is Russell Wilson like in the huddle?

A: Russ is a real leader in the huddle. He’s vocal, obviously. That’s somebody you want to be around, want to learn from.

Q: Malik Nabers?

A: Malik is a real playmaker, Malik is a real route-runner, Malik is a dawg. That’s a football player, for real.

Q: Who’s taller, you or 5-foot-8 Wan’Dale Robinson?

A: (Laugh) I’m not sure.

Q: How tall are you?

A: I’m going to say 5-9. But they’re going to get to 5-10 with cleats.

Q: Brian Daboll.

A: I love the way Coach coaches. I love the enthusiasm, I love the vibe he brings.

Q: When did you start doing backflips?

A: I was always the young one flipping outside. I’ve been flipping since I was 4 or 5 years old.

Q: Have you flipped for your teammates here?

A: OTAs I did it once.

Q: If you score a touchdown, would you flip?

A: It’s crazy you say that, I told my fiancée I’m going to wait till like the regular season, so if I make 53 and things go good, I got to flip in the regular season and show the fans.

Q: Who are kick returners today you like to watch?

A: [KaVontae] Turpin at the Cowboys … he is elite.

Q: Do you like punt or kickoff return better?

A: I like punt just because I feel like punt is more riskier. Kickoff return you can look and still see the guys coming; punt I don’t know until I really like look back down, and he can be right there. I like that feeling —you gotta make a play when it touches your hand.

Q: You almost have to be a little crazy to be a punt returner.

A: That’s what they all say. I guess so. I might be (laugh).

Q: Describe your game against Florida in 2021.

A: That changed my life. That whole week of preparation and all that, my head coach can tell you, Chris Hatcher, I told everybody, I was letting them know, “I’m going to go crazy.” I told everybody, “I’m going to the NFL.” That was the first thing I told him when he came to my high school — I quote — “I’m going to the NFL, Coach.” I told him, and I told everybody at Samford when I first stepped foot on there, everybody can vouch for that.

Q: What possessed you that day against the Gators — 322 all-purpose yards, 179 returning, 124 receiving, 19 rushing and three touchdowns?

A: I just knew that was my shot. If I can do something crazy that’s unheard of against an SEC team, I gotta get a shot, they gotta give me an opportunity.

Q: The highlight was your 98-yard kickoff return.

A: I just blanked out, let’s go. Once I seen it open, you got to catch me now. It’s not too many people in this world that’s going to catch me.

Q: Did you get to meet Taylor Swift in Kansas City?

A: I didn’t get to shake her hand and meet Taylor Swift, but I did see her, for sure.

Q: What was it like standing on the sideline when the 2023 Chiefs won the Super Bowl LVIII?

A: It’s the first time I’ve ever won a championship. Obviously you want to play in that Super Bowl game, things like that. But I was blessed to just be there, to be honest with you.

Q: Where do you keep your Super Bowl ring?

A: My safe (laugh). It’s with Granny.

Q: Your godparents, brother Riley and sister Taylor, came up for Saturday night’s game. Your fiancée Angelian is in Kansas City. Have you set a wedding date?

A: Yes sir, we plan to get married in April in 2026. I can’t stop smiling. She’s my everything.

Q: Describe My Cause My Cleats your rookie year in Denver.

A: My aunt, her daughter’s son has a rare disease, and he’s like in a wheelchair and he doesn’t talk, but he’ll smile. He loves SpongeBob. So I made SpongeBob cleats and I gave it to him. We call him Juice Man. He’s doing great right now.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Devin Hester, Tyreek Hill, Denzel Washington.

Q: What did you love about Hester?

A: I just liked the way he made something out of nothing. He was going to make a play as soon as it touches his hands.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “Avatar.”

Q: Favorite rappers?

A: Key Glock, AK-Official.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: I can eat that Sunday fried chicken every day (laugh).

Q: Have you found a place around here?

A: I’ve been trying different stuff out here, I’m not going to lie. The pizza here? Way better than down where I’m at. Way better (laugh). Katz Deli might be my favorite place out here so far.

Q: What did you have there?

A: The sandwich — it’s huge!

Q: Which one did you have?

A: Pastrami. It like just melts. Oh my goodness, 10 out of 10.

Q: When you’re not eating or playing football, what do you like to do?

A: I love to fish. Love to fish.

Q: What were your emotions when the Broncos let you go before the 2023 season?

A: I wasn’t as locked in, I wasn’t in tune with things.

Q: Was it heartbreaking?

A: Yeah, it definitely was. I was drafted there, and it’s like, “I’m not a bad football player.” I didn’t have a good study habit, things like that. But going to the Chiefs, everything changed. With Coach Reid, them guys win over there. So going over there, seeing everybody’s different work ethic, how everybody interact with each other, how everybody studies, different way they study, just seeing how guys go about their day, it made me really open my eye. This is what I got to do to become or attempt to be a Travis Kelce, or attempt to be like a [Mahomes], just in that talk of being great like them guys. It’s crazy to see, but when they turn it on they turn it on. It’s amazing.

Q: How disappointing was it getting let go by the Chiefs?

A: I’m not going to lie to you, it wasn’t as disappointing for me just ’cause being there at the Chiefs, it kind of changed me completely.

Q: You enjoy silencing the doubters?

A: Oh yeah, that’s what it’s all about. That’s one thing I thrive on, I love it when they talk crazy, “Oh he should be cut” or … like the first pass I got from Jaxson, I had an angle route and I dropped it that day, I get back home, I got my friends calling me, texting me like, “Bro, they’re talking crazy about you on Twitter,” I’m just smiling. I’m like, “Y’all know I love when that happens.” After that everybody be kind of being nice, “Oh, you’re a playmaker. Who the heck is 80? Bro, 80’s good.” … Yeah, I thought so. Once I hear about it or see it, alright perfect, it’s time to show them that I’m a real baller.

Q: How long do you plan on chasing your NFL dream?

A: Till I can’t play no more.