A ton of former New York Giants players has made it to Super Bowl LV, whether they are a part of the Kansas City Chiefs or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For the second year in a row, that list of Giants includes a former coordinator.
Let’s take the list of Giants’ alumni.
Former New York Giants Players in Super Bowl LV
Kansas City Chiefs
Deandre Baker
Deandre Baker has had a tough year and a half. The Giants selected Baker with the 30th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Baker struggled heavily in his rookie year, partly due to the scheme mismanagement of James Bettcher.
With the addition of James Bradberry, many hoped Baker would take the next step. On May 14th, 2020, the Miramar Police Department filed a warrant for Baker’s arrest regarding his involvement in an armed robbery at a party in Florida. As stories went back and forth, the Giants cut Baker after the preseason in September.
With corruption everywhere regarding witnesses and lawyers, the charges were dropped against Baker on November 16th. Three days later, the Chiefs signed him to their practice squad and elevated him a month later. Unfortunately, Baker suffered a broken femur on January 3rd in a game against the Chargers. He was carted off the field on a stretcher.
Despite being injured, if the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baker will win a Super Bowl ring. Winning a ring in Super Bowl LV would blow everyone away after all the trouble he has been through.
Mike Remmers
Kansas City Chiefs’ right tackle Mike Remmers was apart of the team in 2019, starting 14 games at the same spot. Remmers allowed 5 sacks and combined with left tackle Nate Solder to give up 97 pressures that season, making then-rookie Daniel Jones‘ job a lot more difficult.
The Giants signed Cameron Fleming the next year instead of retaining Remmers.
Patrick Omameh
Chiefs’ practice squad Patrick Omameh right guard spent some time with New York in 2018. Dave Gettleman signed him to a three-year, $15M contract. Things did not work out for Omameh in New York, as the Giants benched him in Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons and released him two weeks later. They replaced him with former Los Angeles Rams’ guard Jamon Brown.
Antonio Hamilton
Antonio Hamilton spent two years on the New York Giants’ roster. The Giants picked him up off waivers after the preseason in 2018. Hamilton played a big part in the success of Thomas McGaughey’s special teams unit.
The Giants re-signed Hamilton in 2019. With injuries and growing pains to the young rookies, Hamilton spent some time as the second outside cornerback. The results were not pretty when Hamilton started Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. He remained on special teams until Week 17, where he started at the outside corner spot again.
The Giants did not retain him in the 2020 offseason as the Chiefs signed him in free agency.
Steve Spagnuolo
Steve Spagnuolo gained notice coordinating the 2007 New York Giants’ defense. Key players on that side of the ball included Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and others. Two years later, Spags went on to be the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.
After his failure there, he returned as the Giants’ defensive coordinator in 2015. With free-agent additions on the defensive side, Spagnuolo’s defense ranked in the top-10 in 2016 compared to 32nd in 2015.
The defense took a tremendous step backward with injuries and locker room issues in 2017. Spagnuolo took over as the interim head coach when Ben McAdoo was fired on December 4th. He went 1-3 as a head coach and was not retained the next year.
After taking a year off, Andy Reid hired Spagnuolo to coordinate the Kansas City defense. Despite their struggles in the first few games, the group made tremendous steps forward. Spagnuolo won his second ring as a defensive coordinator in 2019 with the Chiefs.
He will have the opportunity to get a third ring in Super Bowl LV.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jason Pierre-Paul
Jason Pierre-Paul will be attempting to win his second ring as a key piece in Todd Bowles‘ defense in Tampa Bay. Pierre-Paul made his third Pro Bowl this year after leading his team in sacks with 9.5.
The Giants drafted Pierre-Paul with the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft out of South Florida. Pierre-Paul became apart of the monstrous group of pass-rushers consisting of Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. As apart of the Giants in 2011, Pierre-Paul won his first Super Bowl ring.
The pass-rush production deteriorated after Super Bowl 46. The acquisitions of Cullen Jenkins, Robert Ayers, Olivier Vernon, and others did not work out. Pierre-Paul’s best season after the Super Bowl victory was 2014, where he recorded a career-high 12.5 sacks.
A couple of months into Dave Gettleman’s reign as the Giants’ general manager in 2018, he traded Pierre-Paul and a 2018 4th-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a 2018 3rd-round pick and 2018 4th-round pick. The Giants selected B.J. Hill and Kyle Lauletta with those picks.
When Pierre-Paul arrived in his new home in Tampa Bay, he immediately showed the Giants he still had it. He tied his career-high of 12.5 sacks and started all 16 games.
Three years in a Buccaneers’ uniform and he is playing with the man who he faced in Super Bowl 46, Tom Brady while competing for a second ring in Super Bowl LV.
Deone Bucannon
Deone Bucannon spent half of 2019 with the New York Giants. After having an unsuccessful first stint in Tampa Bay, the Giants signed Bucannon, most notably due to his relationship with defensive coordinator James Bettcher.
Due to the failure of the young defense, Bucannon was not used in the role he was in Arizona. Nor was he the same caliber player as years ago.
With the Giants letting go of Pat Shurmur’s staff, including Bettcher, the Giants did not retain Bucannon.
Ross Cockrell
At the end of the preseason in 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded Ross Cockrell to the Giants in exchange for a 7th-round pick. The Steelers had just picked up Joe Haden off waivers.
Cockrell played well during his tenure as a Giant, playing in all 16 games and starting nine. His snaps increased when Janoris Jenkins got hurt as well as the other cornerbacks on the roster. Cockrell recorded 5o tackles in 2017 and three interceptions. He rotated in the slot and on the outside.
Despite a well-played season, the Giants did not bring him back. There were reports in August of 2020 that both sides were interested again. However, Cockrell wanted more money than New York was willing to give him.
Andrew Adams
The New York Giants signed Andrew Adams as an undrafted free agent in 2016 out of Connecticut. Despite being waived and put on the practice squad, the Giants elevated him in Week 3. He recorded his first career interception off of Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz.
Adams sat behind Darian Thompson to start the 2017 season. With injuries all over the field, Adams’s snaps increased later in the season.
With a new coaching staff in 2018, the Giants cut Adams at the end of the preseason.
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