The Sports Xchange

EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J. — The New York Giants signed receiver Myles White off their practice squad to fill the vacancy created by tight end Daniel Fells’ move to the season-ending injured reserve list following a diagnosis of a MRSA infection.

White, at 6-feet and 182 pounds, is a former Louisiana Tech star who spent the 2014 season on the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad after playing in seven games for them in 2013.

White was the Packers’ leading receiver in the preseason, with 157 yards on 16 receptions and two touchdowns. He was waived by the Packers, who replaced him with the Giants’ leading preseason receiver, James Jones.

“(He is) a young guy who knows the system very well,” head coach Tom Coughlin said of White. “Can play in the slot, play on the outside. He’s been used with our first group in the last couple of weeks; we’ve only had four receivers that can participate.

“So we get a guy who is sharp, who’s had a good preseason, who knows the system well, can adapt to all the positions, knows the signals when we’re in the no huddle. And I think we kind of just keep going with a multiple position guy.”

New York signed White to their practice squad on Sept. 9.

In 2013, White caught nine passes for 66 yards but injured his knee in the 14th week and finished the season on injured reserve.

The Giants also added tight end Dominique Jones of Shepherd University and wide receiver Julian Talley to fill the two openings on their practice squad.

The team quickly took numerous precautions following Fells’ diagnosis of an MRSA infection last week.

“We are working with infectious disease specialists, and we have defined protocols that we are following in consultation with the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network and local infectious disease specialists,” team spokesperson Pat Hanlon said.

The Giants, who scrubbed their locker, meeting and training rooms as a precaution, also held a team meeting on Wednesday at the request of the league and the NFL Players Association to provide information on their handling of the situation and to answer players’ questions.

“We had (senior vice president of medical services) Ronnie Barnes, we had team doctors, we had the person in charge of our facility in here to talk about the way the cleaning process is normally underway, and what we have done in addition to that, as well,” Coughlin said.

“The players asked a couple of questions — very good questions. I think most of the questions got answered this morning. The guys seemed to be able to go right back to work.”

While the Giants’ concerns appear to be assuaged, Coughlin said the focus is on Fells, a married father of two children, and his well-being.

“We are concerned about Daniel Fells, we’re very concerned about that,” Coughlin said, adding that Fells is in good spirits and expects to be released from the hospital on Thursday.

“We still do not know the reason for the infection or where it came from. But the players were all obviously very supportive of Daniel.

Fells becomes the latest NFL player to develop an MRSA infection. In 2013, former Giant kicker Lawrence Tynes developed the infection while he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“It’s a very serious thing, has been that way in this league for quite a few years,” Coughlin said. “Everyone has been very aware of it. … We are taking every precaution and doing everything we possibly can. They are very, very thorough in what they’ve done in terms of cleaning.”

The players were also reminded of a few basic sanitary rules that sometimes go overlooked in the course of a busy day.

“Washing of the hands, calling attention to any type of cut or anything, anything that looks like what they call a spider bite or anything of a boil nature,” Coughlin said of those precautionary that were discussed.

“Anything where the skin is turning red — those types of things.”

–The Giants will induct four members into the franchise’s Ring of Honor Sunday night in a halftime ceremony.

The four include guard Chris Snee, defensive end Osi Umenyiora, athletic trainer John Johnson and the late Jack Lummus.

Snee and Umenyiora were both part of the Giants 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl championship teams and were both Pro Bowl players.

Snee, a second-round draft pick in 2004 out of Boston College, played his entire career with the Giants before announcing his retirement a day before the team commenced its 2014 training camp.

Umenyiora, a third-round draft pick out of Troy in 2003, played with the Giants until 2012. He finished his career with the Falcons in 2014 and retired as a Giant in August of this year.

Johnson spent 60 years with the Giants organization, the longest career of any team employee with the exception of the late Wellington Mara, who was with the team from its founding in 1925 until his death in 2005.

Lummus played in only nine games for the Giants before pursuing a military career I 1942 at a time when the U.S. was involved in World War II.

Lummus lost his life while on active duty in 1945, and was awarded the Medal of Honor by U.S. President Harry S. Truman posthumously in May 1946.

NOTES: Among those who did not practice Wednesday were linebacker Devon Kennard (hamstring), cornerback Jayron Hosley (concussion), wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf), defensive end George Selvie (calf), defensive end Rober Ayers Jr. (hamstring) and cornerback Trumaine McBride (groin). … Left tackle Ereck Flowers (ankle) took his full workload in Wednesday’s practice after being able to stay in the game for 10 plays last Sunday. … Defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (knee) also took part in the full practice after missing the last three games. … Tight end Jerome Cunningham (knee) was limited in practice.