"Da'Rel Scott was very eager for the chance to work with LaDainian Tomlinson - not just because of the teaching lesson the five-time Pro Bowl selection would provide but also because Tomlinson was Scott's favorite running back growing up.

Except Scott left that last part out.

"I didn't tell him that," the Giants' rookie running back said with a laugh today after a workout at TEST Sports Clubs in Martinsville. "We're kind of like buds now. I can't tell another man that, so I keep that to myself.

"It was just a blessing, just having him help me out. He's a great back, a future Hall of Famer. I was just very blessed to be there."

Scott should feel blessed to be working with a proven NFL runner while catching passes from a veteran quarterback - albeit Tomlinson and Mark Sanchez instead of the Giants' Brandon Jacobs and Eli Manning. With the NFL lockout threatening to delay the start of training camps, any instruction and experience a seventh-round pick like Scott can receive will prepare him for his abbreviated opportunity to earn a roster spot.

Still, it's not the same as a normal rookie offseason, and Scott will be one of many late-round picks and undrafted free agents who will suffer from the loss of offseason workouts, OTAs and minicamps."