Giants guard Chris Snee at Media session Thursday February 2, 2012.

INDIANAPOLIS – Anyone who follows the NFL knows that it is a long season. Each team must play a minimum of 20 weekly games including preseason.

 

Add in a long run in the five-week Super Bowl tournament and it becomes an outright marathon.

Bodies are banged up and weary, minds are stressed and exhausted by the time the last two teams standing face off in the biggest sporting event in the country.

 

The New York Football Giants (12-7) will take on the New England Patriots (15-3) in Super Bowl XLVI this Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

 

For veteran guard Chris Snee, a member of the Giants 2008 Super Bowl championship team, the second time around has given him wisdom he says he has put to good use this year.

 

“I try to enjoy every part of it more,” the eight-year veteran said. “I told myself that going out to Arizona (08 Super Bowl) four years ago but…I don’t think I really enjoyed as much as I could have. This year I want to try and the enjoy Media Day, and just enjoy everything else that leads up to the game. I want to maybe soak it in a little bit more, as you get older you don’t know when your opportunities are going to come again.”

 

Snee said he is better prepared to mentally deal with the ups and downs of a long season.

“Certainly you have to take care of your body,” the Pro Bowler said. “But when it come to mentally preparing yourself, if you are focused on what your ultimate goal is and constantly strive to get to this point, win the Super Bowl, you’re able to fight through some of those tough times mentally.

 

“And physically, you have to get massages, you have to get acupuncture and get in the cold tub daily, plus eat the right food,” the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder continued. “You have to do all those little things, it is a long season.”

 

Snee said in addition to his diet, he relies on supplements, and Snee is partial to the Maximum Human Performance (MHP) line of products.

 

“I take the multi-vitamin from MHP,” said Snee, who was drafted in the first round out of Boston College. “I use the Dark Matter after practice…I usually take Track during the offseason, but not during the season. You need to keep your weight up and it’s tough to keep it on during the year. But the combination of diet and supplements help me do that. After eight years in the league, you learn exactly how to keep that weight steady.”

 

Snee said this trip to the Super Bowl has given him pause to look back at his line-mates from his first seven years and reflect on the struggles the offensive line has endured this season to get to the point of being an effective unit that has a real chance to be a championship unit. 

 

Snee said losing Shaun O’Hara and Rich Seubert after last season was very tough on him.

 

“Change happens every year,” Snee said. “We’ve been fortunate enough to have the same line for six or seven years. That was rare and it makes it tough because you’ve become so close to those guys, they are essentially brothers to you and will be for the rest of my life. That being said, this is a business and you have to move on.

 

“With the new guys and the limited time we had to work together,” Snee went on to say. “Then there was some shuffling with injuries and so forth, it took some time. It hasn’t been pretty throughout the year, but clearly we’ve done enough to get here.”