Rob Carpenter

[Shoelessjoe]

Wasn't Billy, make Ard your Guard, Ard, who was selected in the 8th round of the 1981 draft. He was a Jersey kid, and the family and friends at the draft held up signs that read Make Ard your guard.

[bamagiantfan]

I haven't been to many Giant games in person, but I was at Carpenter's first. The energy the Giants fans had walking out of that stadium was like nothing I have felt since.

[kartanoman]

Wasn't Billy, make Ard your Guard, Ard, who was selected in the 8th round of the 1981 draft. He was a Jersey kid, and the family and friends at the draft held up signs that read Make Ard your guard.

Absolutely! He was the second holdover of the OL, from the Perkins era, who would make it to Pasadena, with Brad Benson being the elder statesman.

Still I remember the lead-up to Super Bowl XXI and the New York Post ran a daily column for the players who "never got to smell the Roses," or something to that effect, to interview those who journeyed with the 1986 team but didn't make it to the end. Dave Jennings was featured. So was Rob Carpenter, Brian Kelley, Brad Van Pelt, maybe Gary Jeter, John Mendenhall, and several others. I've always felt for the players who had to endure "The Wilderness Years," those who helped dig the team out of that dark era and into 1981 and the early Parcells years but just short of Super Bowl glory. Then, there are those who gave everything for the cause but the good Lord called them home before that magical night of January 25, 1987. I'm talking about Doug Kotar (who died of an inoperable malignant brain tumor in 1983), Dan Lloyd (who lost two seasons of football, fighting lymphoma, before a comeback was ultimately derailed by injury; the Giants released him in 1983) and the tragedy of "The Irrelevant Giant," John Tuggle, whose death in 1986, after cancer relapse, hit home hard with Rob Carpenter, and Bill Parcells (NOTE: watch the ESPN "30 for 30 Short" episode), I can't, to this day, bring up Tuggle without getting emotional about him because he was an exciting, young man who brought heart, spirit and determination in the mold of a Doug Kotar. To see his life cut down by cancer, so young, breaks my heart today as it did then. That "38" on the backs of Giants helmets in 1986 said everything about the kid and where the team's heart was at. He was with them, in spirit, in that tiny locker room at the Rose Bowl celebrating with the guys after the huge win.

The following article, from 1984, features Tuggle sharing his journey in dealing with his rare form of cancer, while mentioning the other two Giants I've described above, along with Rob Carpenter, and his network, supporting him. He also talked about the impact of his divorce on his attitude in trying to stay positive in fighting the good fight with cancer.

A Giant Who Stays Behind

Another article detailing Tuggle's last days to include Carpenter's thoughts on his friend's courage through it all:

Tuggle's Fight Against Time

As I mentioned before, Carpenter's time with the Giants was bookended between running back teammates who lost their lives to cancer and, in some respects, broke his spirit before making it across the finish line to Pasadena. It's a sad ending to a player who gave so much for us fans and for our football team for the cause.

Peace!