Our next spotlight on Blast From the Past is a defensive lineman who helped to lead the New York Giants to two Super Bowl wins over the New England Patriots. His finesse on the defensive line allowed him to dominate for 11 seasons with the Giants and Atlanta Falcons. Feared as a strip sack king, he is one of three British-born players to win a Super Bowl. Sometimes over-shadowed by other defensive ends such as Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck, he was added to the New York Giants Ring of Honor. His name: Osi Umenyiora.
Blast From the Past: Osi Umenyiora Edition
A second-round draft pick in 2003, Umenyiora was a force on the line of scrimmage since. For his career, he has 85 sacks along with 435 tackles and an impressive 32 forced fumbles. He is fourth in Giants’ history in sacks with 75, behind two Hall of Famers. His 32 forced fumbles ranks first in team history, and is eight more than Michael Strahan accumulated. He also had 13 passed deflected, three shy of Strahan, which ranks him sixth out of the defensive linemen.
Road to Stardom
Being drafted in the second round, Umenyiora always had lofty expectations. It didn’t take him long to acclimate to the professional game, with a breakout sophomore season. He received his first Pro Bowl nod as well as being first team All- Pro that year. He continued this streak of dominance with another Pro Bowl season in 2007 and another in 2010. He was always a key part of the defensive line until his contract expired, and played a crucial role in upsetting the 2007 undefeated New England Patriots.
Comparison to Current Player
One player who is very similar to Umenyiora is Robert Mathis. Mathis has been one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL while working in tandem with Dwight Freeney. Freeney, similar to Strahan, always got more recognition. Mathis, however, was always underrated, similarly to Umenyiora.
Both edge rushers were overshadowed during their careers while playing with elite defensive ends. Both Umenyiora and Mathis could be counted on for ten-sack seasons, and were fantastic run-stoppers as well.
Noted for his excellent footwork, he used his intelligence and finesse to beat his blocker rather than bullying him around with strength.
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