Francis Mauigoa's practice injury scare reminded the Giants how important he is to their future

It wasn't the heat or the humidity that bothered Francis Mauigoa and forced him to leave a joint practice between the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins on Thursday. And, thankfully, it doesn't appear to be anything serious.

Mauigoa, who spent plenty of time practicing in the heat while he was an All-American with the Miami Hurricanes, had little trouble adjusting to the record-setting heat indexes after spending a few months in the New York/New Jersey area, but according to head coach Jim Harbaugh, the first-round pick had a stinger.

"It's not a serious injury," Harbaugh said after practice. "It's a stinger-type thing. He should be fine."

It was a surprising report that Mauigoa would be bothered by the heat after spending the past four years of his life n Florida, playing as a senior in high school at IMG Academy and three years with the Hurricanes, so the stinger makes a little more sense.

"It's not really as hot as Miami. That Greentree [practice field] is one of the hardest things to survive," Mauigoa said last week.

The Giants need to make sure Francis Mauigoa is healthy for the regular season

Mauigoa has had a great start to his pro career, drawing rave reviews during training camp and in his preseason debut against the Minnesota Vikings. The Giants are going to take on the Dolphins on Saturday night, and it's likely that Mauigoa will play at least the first quarter and more likely the first half. 

But it also wouldn't be surprising to see the Giants exercise some caution with Mauigoa if they aren't sure that he's 100%. After being selected with the 10th overall pick in the NFL Draft, Mauigoa is expected to be the starting left guard for this season and Harbaugh doesn't want to do anything to put that in jeopardy.

"I like playing next to him, he holds everyone accountable," stated Giants left tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. "You can tell he has that leadership trait that is rare in a young guy his age...The sky's the limit for him, too. I think he and Arvell are going to be huge players for us this year."

Miami Hurricanes are already making a name for themselves in the NFL

It's been a successful NFL offseason for the Hurricanes. Mauigoa is expected to be an immediate starter for the Giants. Rueben Bain, despite all the hoopla about his short arms, has been so dominant in practice and in games that the Bucs are likely to shut him down for the rest of the preseason. 

And Bain's former line mate, Akheem Mesidor, is showing the same kind of intensity he brought to the Hurricanes. Mesidor has been so active and impressive in camp, that his veteran teammates are taking notice. 

"Akheem, he is very explosive! He’s twitchy, and I went up to him a few times like a man good rep because he is getting off that ball good. I feel like he's got the complete package," Chargers Pro Bowl safety Derwin James said. 

Now you know if Mesidor is making a big impact with his new teammates when James, a former Florida State Seminole, starts raving about him. 

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