A 2007 Giants Retrospective

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Seubert was a 2001 undrafted free agent who had started at guard for some time before a horrific injury in 2003 (Eagles defensive end N.D. Kalu stepped on the back of his leg) which broke his tibia and fibula.  After reconstructive surgery, Seubert slowly came back as a backup to Chris Snee before starting again at guard late in the 2006 season.  In 2007 he resumed his starting spot after nearly 3 seasons since the injury.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Seubert was known for his silence and resilency.  His most memorable play is something most Giant

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Jeremy Shockey was a 2002 first round pick under Ernie Accorsi and one of the more dominant tight ends in Pro Football, having been selected to the Pro Bowl in 4 of his first 5 seasons.  Shockey had grabbed 84 passes for just under 900 yards as a rookie and while his seasons since were less sensational, they were very good.  In 2007 Shockey started the first 14 games of the season, snagging 57 passes for 619 yards and 3 TDs.  He suffered a broken leg in Washington in Week 15 which ended his season.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Shockey was turning in a very solid season in 2007 prior to the injury, but he was often vocal in his displeasure with teammates and coaches alike.  He is widely remembered for calling former Giants head coach Bill Parcells a

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2007 Synopsis:  Steve Smith was a 2007 draft pick, a 2nd round pick out of USC and an immediate contributor to the Giants in 2007.  Having traded Tim Carter in the off-season, the Giants were looking for slot options and grabbed Smith quickly in the draft.  Behind him on the depth chart were disappointments in Sinorice Moss, and special teamer David Tyree.  He played sparsely during the 2007 regular season, only playing in 5 weeks (1,2,15,16, and 17) due to hamstring issues.  He turned in a marvelous post-season with 14 catches for 152 yards and a number of big plays.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  For such a small sample size, and for being a rookie, Smith made a HUGE impact on the 2007 Giants.  Memorable plays?  How about in the Divisional round after the Cowboys had just scored before the half, with the defense on the ropes he snagged a huge reception for 22 yards and was face-masked on the play which continued the drive where the Giants scored a TD to tie the game.  In the Superbowl he had 5 catches for 50 yards, his most important being a reception on the game winning drive on a 3rd down where he tight roped the sideline before getting hammered out of bounds, for a first down.   
After 2007:  With Plaxico Burress being pre-occupied with incarceration and Amani Toomer getting very long in the tooth, Smith took on a more prominent role in the subsequent years, most notably in 2009 where he caught 107 passes for 1220 yards and earned a Pro Bowl nod.  Smith was having another fine season in 2010 before he suffered an injury that would require micro-fracture surgery.  In the off-season, as a free agent, he chose to ignore the advice of the Giants

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Chris Snee was a 2004 draft pick, in the second round from Boston College after the Giants had acquired Eli Manning in the first round.  He was an instant starter (a very safe pick) and played 11 games as a rookie before having to sit with an issue with an inflamed gland.  He had started every game in 2005 and 2006, and was considered among the best right guards in the league going into 2007. 
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Snee made headlines as a draftee because he had a child with Tom Coughlin

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Strahan was a 2nd round pick in 1993 under George Young.  The longest tenured Giant heading into the 2007 season, there was some speculation that Strahan would retire as he skipped all of training camp before coming back to the team prior to Week 1.  Despite his advanced age, Strahan turned in a solid season with 9 sacks and 57 tackles.  His leadership and mentoring of the other defensive lineman was an invaluable contribution. 
Memorable Plays and Notes: Strahan

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Dave Tollefson was a 7th round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2006, who spent his whole first season on the practice squad.  After being cut by the Packers he was on the Raiders

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Amani Toomer was a 2nd round pick in 1996 out of Michigan and after a slow start to his career, became a dependable 1,000 yard receiver.  By 2007 Toomer was now a #2 option in an offense featuring some other playmakers in their prime, including Plaxico Burress, Jeremy Shockey and some hungry young receivers like Steve Smith.  Toomer completed the 2007 season with 760 yards and 3 TDs.  In the post-season, Toomer proved that despite being long in the tooth he was still a fine receiver, grabbing 3 TDs and 280 yards in the 4 games.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Toomer really rose to the occasion in the playoffs

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2007 Synopsis:  Reggie Torbor was a 2004 draft pick in the 4th round under Ernie Accorsi, oft forgotten in a draft that brought in Eli Manning and Chris Snee.  Used mostly as a special teams player and a backup at linebacker, Torbor had only started 14 games in his first 3 professional seasons.  He was adept in pass coverage but lacked the

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2007 Synopsis: The 2005 draft class was very rewarding for such a small class (only 4 players), including Tuck (3rd round) amongst a haul that also included Brandon Jacobs and Corey Webster.  Tuck had not seen much success as a pro prior to 2007

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2007 Synopsis: The Giants needed a new kicker after the departure of Jay Feely as a free agent - and turned to the free agent market themselves where they signed Tynes, who had kicked for the Chiefs the previous 3 years.  The competition between him and other pre-season kickers was tight, but he did enough to earn the nod as the kicker for 2007.  He completed 85% of his field goals that season.
Memorable Plays and Notes: Tynes was a streaky kicker who could give Giants fans fits throughout the season - and his post-season remained no different.  In the NFC Championship game, where temperatures made the game the 3rd coldest in NFL history, Tynes missed two field goals, including a late attempt that would have won the game for the Giants.  In overtime, after a Corey Webster interception set up a game winning field goal try, Tynes absolutely drained a 47 yard attempt to put the Giants into the Superbowl (for you historians this was 10 years, 6 days ago, pictured above).  For a personal memory, I had a friend (also an avid Giants fan) flippantly tell me that if the Giants won the NFC Championship game he would run from his house to mine - a distance of about 1.5 miles (I laughed it off).  He made true on his promise, showing up red faced, panting, and exhausted having run that distance in the extreme cold (it was also snowing in NJ).   Sorry for the personal touch, but I'll never forget my friend bursting in out of the cold, wrapping me in a huge bear hug and planting a big kiss on my forehead and screaming "We're going to the bowl!"
After 2007:  Tynes kicked for the Giants through the 2012 season, earning another ring in 2011.  "Oh my god, twice" was his remark after the NFC Championship game against the 49ers (for the 2011 season) after he hit another overtime field goal when a fumbled punt return set the Giants up in makeable field goal range.  Tynes left the Giants in 2013, signing with the Bucs for a season before retiring.  Tynes and his family (wife and twin children) reside in Milton, Florida. 

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Tyree was a 6th round pick out of Syracuse in 2003, and was brought on to provide special teams depth.  An excellent gunner - Tyree was a 2005 Pro Bowl selection as a special teams player.  He was not widely utilized as a wide receiver, with only 50 receptions in his first four seasons.  During the 2007 regular season he had only 4 receptions and was used mostly as a blocker - being brought on to absolutely molest opposing cornerbacks in the running game.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  If I have to tell you - you've been living under a rock for the last 10 years.  The Giants were trailing the Patriots by 4 points with just over a minute remaining - driving desperately for a game winning touchdown.  On a 3rd and 5 play on their own 44 yard-line, the Giants looked doomed to a long fourth down opportunity.  The Patriots blitzed at the snap and nearly every defensive lineman won their match-up, smothering Eli Manning.  Manning somehow fought out of the sack, and heaved a duck of a pass over the middle of the field.  Tyree positioned himself under the pass, and made a basketball style reception with Patriots safety Rodney Harrison draped all over him trying to dislodge the ball.  He briefly trapped the ball against his helmet with one hand as he was dragged down, dubbing the now famous "Helmet Catch".  It went for 32 yards, and is easily the most recognizable play in Superbowl history.  He also caught a short touchdown pass earlier in the fourth quarter adding to his "one game" mystique.  Never before has a player been more defined by a single game than Tyree.
After 2007:  As story books go - the Helmet Catch was the end of the line for Tyree as a pro football player.  He suffered a training camp injury in 2008 and was lost for the season, and cut by the Giants prior to 2009.  He signed with the Ravens but didn't record a reception - the Helmet Catch was his last professional reception in either the regular or post-season.  Tyree is married, with seven children and is an evangelical Christian.  Struggling with alcohol and substance abuse early in his career he turned towards the church which he claims saved his life.  Teammates have remarked upon his hard partying ways prior to this, showing up to meetings drunk or smelling of booze and questioning his shelf life as an NFL player.  In 2014 the Giants brought Tyree back as their Director of Player Development - a post which he continues to hold.  Tyree made media headlines in 2014 when the first openly gay player, Michael Sam, was drafted as Tyree had expressed anti-homosexual sentiment previously (2011), including stating he would trade his famous catch to prevent gay marriage stating that the legalization would be "anarchy".  Tyree has subsequently softened his stance, and remains a fixture in the Giants organization.  He considers his Helmet Catch as "providence".

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2007 Synopsis:  Osi Umenyiora was a 2nd round pick out of Troy in 2003.  Umenyiora came on slowly - despite appearing in 13 games as a rookie he only accrued 1 sack.  He exploded onto the scene in 2004-5, accruing 7 and 14.5 sacks respectively.  After an injury plagued 2006 - Umenyiora headed into the 2007 season as one of the premier young defensive ends in his prime.  Michael Strahan spoke frequently of "passing the torch" to Umenyiora.  He finished the season with 13 sacks and was instrumental in harassing Tom Brady in Superbowl 42.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Umenyiora holds a Giants record for most sacks in a game - with 6 which he accomplished in an early season tilt against the Eagles in 2007.  A number of memorable plays stick out in his career to me - I remember a strip sack which he recovered and returned for a touchdown.  He was also a monster in the 2011 post-season.  In the divisional round against the Packers he swatted the ball out of Aaron Rodgers' hand and if he hadn't - a streaking wideout was wide open for a touchdown.  Outside of his football play he is an interesting case in that in 2004 the Giants were trying to acquire Chargers' quarterback Eli Manning.  While considering the package of picks to trade - Ernie Accorsi was asked to include Umenyiora as part of the trade but refused.  Instead of Umenyiora as part of the package, or the 2004 2nd round pick, Accorsi gave up rights to his 2005 first round pick.  As a result, in addition to keeping Umenyiora and drafting Manning - the Giants were able to acquire Chris Snee in the 2nd round.  All three players would go on to prove pivotal in the 2007 season (and 2011 season).  The Chargers' draft picks with the picks included Nate Keading, Shawn Merriweather, and Philip Rivers. 
After 2007:  Umenyiora was also a 2011 champion with the Giants - but his relationship with the team often soured as Umenyiora routinely felt underpaid.  2011 had been a microcosm of that sentiment - with Umenyiora choosing to have surgery early in the season despite being healthy enough to play.  After a 2012 season in which he was not a starter - he signed as a free agent with the Falcons.  He played for two more seasons, before signing a one day contract to retire as a Giant.  He splits his time between his homes in Georgia and New Jersey with his wife, Leila Lopes (Miss Universe 2011).

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Ward was a 7th round draft pick by the Jets in 2004 - but he did not make the final roster and the Giants scooped him up off waivers.  His first 3 years in the league didn't amount to much, just 35 carries.  In 2007 with starter Brandon Jacobs struggling early in the season with injuries, he and Rueben Droughns formed a time share and he saw his workload increase considerably.  He finished the season with 125 carries for 600+ yards with a trio of TDs.  He was lost for the season after breaking his leg in Week 14 against the Bears - oddly enough his best game of the season with 150+ yards on 24 carries.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Ward was not along for the Superbowl ride and was never a flashy player - just a hard working backup.  Late in the 2008 season Ward rushed for 200+ yards on just 15 carries in a game that solidified the Giants as the #1 seed in the NFC.
After 2007:  2008 proved to be the best season of Wards' career.  Despite the emergence of Ahmad Bradshaw late in the 2007 season, it was Ward who won the primary backup job to Brandon Jacobs and he didn't disappoint.  He rushed for just over 1,000 yards on a mere 182 carries.  He and Jacobs made NFL history that year joining only a handful of other running back tandems to jointly rush for 1K yards each.  He signed a free agent contract in the offseason with the Bucs, but only played there a year before being cut.  He squeezed out two more years with the Texans before the NFL cast him aside.  Ward made headlines just last week after his wife made allegations that he had hit her, choked her and threatened to kill her.  He has yet to respond to the allegations.

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis:  Corey Webster was a 2nd round pick out of LSU in the 2005 draft.  Having traded away their first round pick that year as part of the package to acquire Eli Manning, Webster was the Giants' top selection.  Webster's career started very slowly, with many calling him a bust during the majority of the 2007 season - where he only started 4 games.  He found a rhythm late in the season something "clicked" for him because he went from backup to starter seemingly overnight and played with such technique that you wondered if you were watching the same player.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Webster probably benefitted the most from the tutelage of Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters.  He also we probably miscast in the Giants' original defensive plans when they ran more zone.  Under Steve Spagnuolo's aggressive play-calling he was really allowed to be himself and the dividends were immediate and appreciable.  He started all four post-season games and earned two interceptions - one of which set the Giants up in field goal range in overtime in Green Bay which decided the game.  Corey Webster can say he caught the last pass Brett Favre ever threw as a Packer.
After 2007: Webster was resigned by the Giants and played his full career in Giants blue - through the 2013 season.  He was part of the Superbowl 46 team (again in tandem with Aaron Ross) that again toppled the Patriots.  Late in his career he struggled with injuries and with attitude and was not the same player he was earlier in his career.  He was widely criticized following his final season where he only played in 4 games (and earned 5 million) despite not having an injury that required surgery.  Carl Banks was vocal in his criticism of Webster.  Webster retired to Baton Rouge, where he runs a company called Signature Rides - a business for after-market modifications to high end cars.

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A 2007 Players Retrospective
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2007 Synopsis: Wilson was a 5th round pick in 2004 out of Tennessee.  Due to some injuries, he started 7 games as a rookie and flashed quite a bit of potential for a 5th round pick, snagging 3 interceptions.  He started every game 2005-6.  He missed a few games in 2007, starting 13 games and grabbing 4 interceptions.  Considered under-sized for a league where safeties were pushing the 210+ range, Wilson was a solid option at safety and a player who could be relied on as a strong tackler, understood angles, and had seen enough NFL action that he wouldn't be caught off guard.
Memorable Plays and Notes:  Gibril didn't stand out on a defense that had so many stars up front - the secondary's job was to play tight man coverage until Umenyiora, Tuck or Strahan put the quarterback on his ass, which was usually pretty quickly.  He did have a memorable play late in Superbowl 42.  After the Giants scored a touchdown to go up 17-14, the Patriots attempted some long passes into double and triple coverage to Randy Moss.  Wilson broke up the last of the passes (all of which were too close for comfort) and secured the Giants' victory.  He also put pressure on Brady early in the game hitting him late, to which Brady visibly objected (pictured above).  This, among many plays, set the tone that the Giants were going to hit him all night.
After 2007:  Wilson started 17 games with the Giants in 2007 and given his status as a starter and a veteran still in his mid-twenties - Wilson drew considerable free agent interest when his contract expired (after the Superbowl).  The Giants oddly did not show significant interest in retaining him.  He signed with the Raiders on a 6 year, 39 million dollar contract which made him one of the highest paid safeties in the league.  Despite a solid season in 2008 (120+ tackles, 1.5 sacks and 2 interceptions), the Raiders cut bait after a single season, again making Wilson a free agent.  He signed with the Dolphins on a 5 year contract for 28 million.  Again Wilson was cut after a single season.  He capped his NFL career with the Bengals.  Wilson was brought back by the Giants to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2007 team, as a guest he said "Some of these guys, you haven't seen them since literally after that game.  Seeing them now and picking back up like it's a normal thing. It's great to see these guys. After winning a championship, there is a lot of bonding and a lot of love that is between the guys. It proves that 10 years later you still have that same feeling you did after you won that game."