Giants rookie wants to honor slain friend on the field

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Corey Ballentine has recovered, at least physically, to the point where he can practice without limitations.

But he’s always going to carry a weight on his heart.

The Giants rookie cornerback talked for the first time Sunday about the night he was shot, a draft-night incident which claimed the life of his Washburn College teammate Dwane Simmons.

“I don’t want to go into detail but just a tragic accident. Not an accident but just a tragic event. I lost my best friend because of it,” Ballentine said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “I don’t think it was anything I had to do with it. I just happened to be there. Nothing that I could control.

“To this day, I just kind of try not to think about it too much because there is nothing I can do at this point. I know the police are doing the best to make some peace with the families and bring justice to the families as well.”

First-degree murder and attempted murder charges have been filed against an 18-year-old man in Kansas in relation to the shooting.

Now, Ballentine has a football career to try to build. The sixth-round pick missed some offseason practice time after being shot in the rear, but has also worked with a therapist to deal with the emotional damage. He said his goal is to “play my best,” to honor Simmons.

“Yeah, because I think he helped me get here every step of the way,” Ballentine said. “When I was on the field by myself he would come out there and join me. I feel like I’m kind of doing it for both of us. I know if he was here now, he would love to see where I’m at and how I’m doing and want to visit and all that stuff. Like I said, I spent the most time with him, he was my best friend. So I’m just going to keep him in my heart but at the same time strive for the goals of the team and my personal goals and do my best.”

He said he was appreciative of the support he has gotten from the Giants organization, who gave him time to work through his injuries and grief. Now, he wants to concentrate on his job as much as he can, while carrying the memory of his friend.