Giants’ Jakob Johnson couldn’t be more excited for serendipitous Germany homecoming

The first point Jakob Johnson planned to do upon his return location was extremity successful an authentic German bakery. 

Johnson, a Giants fullback who lived successful Germany until he was 18 years old, lined up 52 tickets for friends and family to travel to Sunday’s crippled against nan Panthers astatine Allianz Arena — location of nan Bayern Munich shot team. 

The Giants practiced precocious Thursday afternoon, held meetings successful East Rutherford past departed for an overnight formation to Munich, landing astatine astir 10 a.m. section clip (4 a.m. EST) pinch Friday’s believe to follow. 

“This is conscionable a merry coincidence,” Johnson said of signing a free-agent woody pinch nan Giants successful August of nan twelvemonth that they play successful his homeland. “I didn’t moreover cognize they were scheduled to person nan Germany crippled erstwhile I signed, and Week 10 was a agelong measurement distant erstwhile we were successful nan preseason.” 

The Giants person trim Johnson, 29, and re-signed him 5 times since then. 

“In nan NFL, thing is taken for granted,” Johnson said of his rhythm of cuts and re-signings. “The Giants do a awesome occupation communicating, ‘We’ll effort to bring you backmost arsenic quickly arsenic we can.’ ” 

A seasoned of 70 NFL games pinch 1 profession touchdown, Johnson would request to beryllium 1 of nan Giants’ maximum 2 game-day elevations from nan believe squad to play successful his autochthonal state for nan first clip since he was a personnel of nan Stuttgart Scorpions — earlier getting an connection to play astatine nan University of Tennessee. 

Getting a triumph is No. 1 connected nan agenda, but immoderate of Johnson’s teammates person scheduled a circuit of BMW office during their downtime. It is nan 3rd consecutive twelvemonth pinch an NFL crippled successful Germany. 

“Germany waited years for this,” Johnson said. “When Germans get excited astir something, they are excited for life. With nan magnitude of kids starting to play football, nan German Football League and nan European League of Football coming together, I deliberation shot is simply a athletics that’s going to instrumentality astir successful Germany for nan agelong run.” 

Case successful constituent connected excitement: A mates of Germans sewage a tattoo of Johnson’s autograph signature connected their bodies aft attending his younker camp. 

“I was 1 of those kids that can’t beryllium still, ever getting successful problem successful school,” Johnson said. “Football believe was nan first clip that afterward my mom picked maine up and I was tired. It was nan first abstraction wherever I felt for illustration I really fresh in.” 

The NFL’s world games connected shot fields successful England and Germany person a history of slippery surfaces. 

“Our instrumentality guys person done a bully occupation of talking astir nan section conditions and things for illustration that, truthful we’ll get retired early and cheque nan field,” caput coach Brian Daboll said. “We person different sets of shoes we request to wear.” 

Daboll is expecting a large crowd. 

LT Chris Hubbard (illness), WR Darius Slayton (concussion) and WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (Achilles) did not practice.

Slayton is nan only 1 of nan 3 not expected to make nan trip. 

If Hubbard is not available, past nan Giants will move to either Josh Ezeudu (who was benched aft 1 commencement earlier this season) aliases much apt inquire RT Jermaine Eluemunor to alteration sides and insert Evan Neal successful Eluemunor’s spot. 

K Graham Gano (right hamstring) and P Jamie Gillan (left hamstring) were 2 of 9 Giants constricted successful practice.

But Gano and Gillan are expected to footwear successful nan crippled aft missing nan past 7 and four, respectively.