When he drove up the New York State Thruway on his way to Albany last July, the veteran wide receiver was pulled over and issued a speeding ticket. Most players - especially those beginning a 13th NFL season - would set the cruise control and take their time heading to camp. But not Toomer.

With 39 catches for a team-high 480 yards and four touchdowns this season, he's been pedal-down the whole way. While another veteran Giants receiver is facing a little more than just a fine and points on his license these days, Toomer, 34, continues to work with a grace and professionalism that others can point to and try to emulate. He's a quiet leader, a team captain, an example guy.

He's the anti-Plax.

"I've always been proud to watch the way he goes about his business on the practice field and in the meetings," Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. "He's always sitting down there, always very attentive and always taking notes. People see him doing that and that is a good example. They see that's the way you're supposed to do it."

And now, with Plaxico Burress suspended for the rest of the season and facing felony weapons charges, Toomer's role on the team is certain to become even more significant. The Giants have five wide receivers on their roster, but the other four combined don't come close to approaching Toomer's numbers or longevity. He's the lone voice of experience in a room filled with second- and third-year players.

At the start of the season, they put a "C" on Toomer's chest. In these last four regular-season games and throughout the playoffs, he'll be asked to earn it. He's Captain Calm on - this week, at least - Team Turmoil.

After being somewhat marginalized by the Giants in terms of offensive production in recent years - when the Giants signed Burress, he became their number one receiver, and they've since drafted heavily at the position - Toomer keeps going strong.

"I feel like my job is not going to change regardless of who is out there," he said during this week of distraction. "I'm going to go out there and try to perform and help the team as much as I can. I'm not worried about who is number one, who is number two or who is number three. I think we all catch the ball the same, we all get the same amount of yards, so it doesn't really matter to me."

Part of the responsibility for grooming the young receivers who will be called upon to try to replace Burress will have to fall to the players themselves, though.

Toomer isn't a hands-on leader. He's not a guy who will pull a player aside and tell him how to improve. That role belonged to Burress, who even this past week was on the phone with Domenik Hixon and others talking about releases and route-running.

No, Toomer is more like an encyclopedia on a shelf. He's not going to volunteer information, but crack him open and there's a world of insight inside.

"Everybody has their own style and there are a lot of ways to be successful as a receiver and I realize that, so I'm not going to go up to somebody and tell them how to run something," Toomer said. "Most of the time, I wait for the people to come to me, because I know how unreceptive I was when I was a younger player. When somebody would tell me something, I would be like, 'Yeah, yeah, right, right.' But when they come to me, that's when I really feel like I can get through to them."

Toomer might be playing for more than just the satisfaction of this season. His contract with the Giants - the only team he's ever played for - expires at the end of this season. He said he definitely wants to continue playing and believes his skills have not eroded. "I think I can do everything that I did when I was younger," he said.

And with Burress' Giants future bleak, to say the least, the team might be wise to keep Toomer around a little while longer.

"I know it would be great and I really love it in New York and all that stuff," Toomer said, "but it's a business."

If things work out, maybe Toomer will head up the Thruway again next summer. Faster than ever.

McNabb vs. Giants

Donovan McNabb's career against the Giants:

DATE ATT COMP YARDS TD INT

Oct 3, 1999 7 3 38 0 0

Oct. 31, 1999 2 1 0 0 0

Sept 10, 2000 33 19 214 1 0

Oct. 29, 2000 31 10 129 1 1

Jan. 7, 2001* 41 20 181 1 1

Oct. 22, 2001 26 15 154 1 1

Dec. 30, 2001 39 21 270 3 1

Oct. 28, 2002 30 14 137 0 0

Oct. 19, 2003 23 9 64 0 1

Nov. 16, 2003 30 24 314 2 0

Sept. 12, 2004 36 26 330 4 0

Nov. 28, 2004 27 18 244 1 0

Sept. 17, 2006 45 27 350 2 0

Sept. 30, 2007 31 15 138 0 0

Dec. 9, 2007 30 20 179 1 0

Nov. 9, 2008 37 17 194 3 1

TOTALS 468 259 2,936 20 6

*- 2000 Division Playoff Game

Amani & Company

A look at the statistics of Amani Toomer and the other Giants receivers, minus the suspended Plaxico Burress:

PLAYER SEASONS REC. YARDS TD

Amani Toomer 13 659 9397 54

Steve Smith 2 51 487 1

Domenik Hixon 3 27 378 1

Sinorice Moss 3 35 347 2

Mario Manningham 1 1 6 0

Totals of all but Toomer:

Total 9 114 1218 4