#‘Coach Chaos’ Sean Spencer brings intensity to Giants

Sean Spencer wanted his players to understand this was not a one-time thing. The intensity the new Giants defensive line coach brought to the workday this past Wednesday — the first time the entire 80-man roster was on the field together in training camp — was not merely a display of usual first-day eagerness.

Spencer, embarking on his NFL coaching career, could not hide his excitement. Nor did he want to.

“I can’t change, man,’’ Spencer said. “I’m coming hard every day. Those guys know about my energy, and they have gotten to experience it a little bit. I told them that wasn’t a one-time thing and that it’s going to be like that every day. It’s the way you bring it. You can bring positive energy and be excited without berating somebody. They can feel when you’re upset and feel when you’re happy. I have to coach like that. When I leave the practice field, I have to be completely sweaty or I didn’t do a good job.’’

Completely sweaty could be Spencer’s calling card. What else can be expected from someone who earned the moniker “Coach Chaos?’’

Joe Judge put together an eclectic group for his first Giants coaching staff, with assistants with varying experience in college and the NFL. For Spencer, 49 and a product of Hartford, Conn., this represents his first job in the NFL after a series of positions at an array of eastern schools — Wesleyan, Shippensburg, Trinity, UMass (twice), Holy Cross, Villanova and Hofstra — before stops at Bowling Green and Vanderbilt. He landed at Penn State in 2014, serving as defensive line coach, later adding associate head coach to his résumé.

Along the way — 11 stops and 10 different schools in a 14-year period — Spencer, sometimes simply called “Chaos,’’ has offered colorful descriptions of his players and never goes unnoticed.

“I love working with Coach Spencer so far,’’ veteran defensive tackle Leonard Williams said. “I like his energy and the way he coaches his guys. He’s real hands-on. He has that loud, deep voice that as a D-line coach, it’s kind of something that I like. I like it.’’

Spencer helped the Nittany Lions produce three consecutive 40-plus sack seasons and was perfectly happy in Happy Valley. He could not turn down the Giants, though.

“This opportunity — in terms of being a northeast kid, born and raised in the northeast and having worked at Penn State — having the opportunity to work for the New York Giants is like a dream come true,’’ Spencer said. “It’s kind of surreal.’’

Of all the position groups on the team, Spencer’s may be the most stable — with Williams, Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence all returning starters likely to fill those roles again. Though the Giants cannot match the firepower of the defensive lines of the other three teams in the NFC East, it is a more than solid group, meaning Spencer has something to work with.

“Obviously coming into it quote, unquote, we are a talented group,’’ Spencer said. “I just told them I am here to help them reach their potential and beyond. I don’t care if you were a high draft pick or you’re a free agent or a middle-round guy. I’m here to help you reach your potential, and that’s why Coach [Judge] brought me in. I’m going to work with these guys and take them to the next step, whatever that step is. I want to take them to their potential and beyond. I’m truly blessed to have such a great group my first year in the NFL and I’m just excited for it.’’

Last week, as the Giants hit Phase 2 of their gradual camp ramp-up and the practice sessions started actually resembling football, Spencer could barely contain himself.

“It got me excited. I’m walking around pre-practice in a full sweat, bouncing up and down,’’ Spencer said. “I just can’t wait to coach these guys, and then I wanted them to understand this is not something I’m just going to do on occasion, this is how they are going to get coached. That’s kind of all I was letting them know, that it wasn’t going to be a day off. I want them to match my energy every day.’’

How will Coach Chaos handle Monday, when the pads come on for the first time? He might pull a muscle from sheer excitement.

“Yeah,’’ he said. “I will get a stretch out, a roll out and I’m good to go.’’