Justin Pugh is an offensive lineman for the New York Giants who was pressed into the starting lineup for the team’s “Sunday Night Football” game at the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 15. That’s nothing out of the ordinary, but his intro certainly was.
While the Giants offense was giving its taped introductions at the beginning of the game, Pugh decided to scrap the traditional recording of giving his name and alma mater for something more brutally honest.
“Justin Pugh, straight off the couch!” he firmly and confidently declared.
Fans on X were very amused by the line.
“Dude is an absolute legend for this,” one person wrote.
“Just for that, he deserves to start every week,” another person joked.
"I have never vibed with a football player more," someone else commented.
"New favorite player," someone chimed in.
And one person summed it best with one word to capture what everyone may have been thinking.
"Relatable," the fan wrote.
While Pugh, 33, may have made it sound like he went to BarcaLounger Tech or Futon State, he actually attended Syracuse University, and was signed to the Giants practice squad on Oct. 4, before being elevated to the active roster in time for the Bills game. His start against the Bills, which came due to injuries to the Giants offensive line, marked his first game action all season and first since Week 6 last year when he tore his ACL while a player for the Arizona Cardinals.
Pugh is no stranger to the Giants. The team picked him in the first round of the NFL Draft in 2013. He played with the franchise from 2013 until 2017 before he signed as a free agent with the Cardinals prior to the 2018 season.
Despite Pugh's chill intro, he couldn't spark the Giants to victory. The team, which came in as heavy underdogs, nearly pulled off the upset, but the Bills rallied for a tense 14-9 win, dropping the Giants to 1-5 on the season.