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Who’s Next for the New York Giants Ring of Honor?

Giants Ring of Honor

The New York Giants came up short in their attempt to start 3-0 for the first time since 2009 on Monday Night, but it was not a total loss for the 79,500 fans in attendance at MetLife Stadium. The franchise inducted seven new members into the New York Giants Ring of Honor at halftime. Those disappointed in watching the team lose to the rival Dallas Cowboys were, at least, treated to a trip down memory lane. Six players and a trainer spanning the years 1955 to 1997 had their names inscribed on the facade below the 300 level of the stadium. Combined with the 2021 induction of quarterback Eli Manning, the Giants Ring of Honor now contains the names of fifty men. Who, if anyone, will be next?

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New York Giants Ring of Honor: Who’s Next?

 

When MetLife opened in 2009, New York decided they would carve out space to honor Super Bowl heroes, All-Pros, and other memorable Giants. The first induction ceremony was their largest, with the inaugural class including 22 Giants players, coaches, owners, and general managers. Since then, classes have ranged from solo inductions (Manning, defensive end Justin Tuck) to groupings such as Monday’s – the largest class since the original one. Given the names already eternalized and the accomplishments of some of their teammates, it’s likely that more names will live forever in East Rutherford, NJ.

There Are No Basic Criteria for Enshrinement

A majority of the players in the Giants Ring of Honor were not elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame – though every Hall of Famer who made his name in New York has been honored. Being a standout on a championship-winning team, however, certainly helps the cause (The Giants make it a point to celebrate their four League Championships that pre-date the Super Bowl era). Players like George Martin, Mark Bavaro, Carl Banks, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Snee, Leonard Marshall, and Rodney Hampton are prime examples of this.

For head coaches and general managers, however, it’s championship or bust – at least in the Super Bowl era. Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin are responsible for all four Super Bowl titles. George Young was the general manager who assembled the first two. Ernie Accorsi was for the last two (although he stepped down before the 2007 Super Bowl season).

Like most franchises, sitting atop the leader board in a statistical category is also a near-lock for inclusion, as the Giants leaders in passing yards (Manning), rushing yards (Tiki Barber), receptions and receiving yards (Amani Toomer), sacks (Michael Strahan), interceptions (Emlen Tunnell) and tackles (Strahan), field goals (Pete Gogolak) and punts (Dave Jennings) can attest.

Of course, owning the team gets your name on the board too, but that’s exclusively been a posthumous honor – so don’t expect to see John Mara or Steve Tisch honored anytime soon. Excluding players still active (Jason Pierre-Paul, Odell Beckham Jr, Saquon Barkley), what other players and contributors may one day find themselves in the Giants Ring of Honor? Here are seven names to keep in mind:

Pre-Merger All Pros

  1. Homer Jones, WR (1964-1969). Jones – a two-time pro bowler – led all Giants wideouts in receiving yards until Amani Toomer (and eventually, Beckham Jr.) came along decades later. The vertical game in Jones’ day looks nothing like today’s pass-happy NFL, but when it comes to yardage totals,  Jones still has three of the top 25 seasons in team history. And the league played only 14 regular season games during Jones’ career.
  2.  Greg Larson, C (1961-1973). Offensive linemen are notoriously hard to statistically analyze, especially from the days before advanced analytics and modern “All 22” scouting. But Larson played 179 out of a possible 182 games in his 13-year career. He anchored a line that won three conference championships in his first three seasons. The former Pro-Bowler has a strong case for entry to the Giants Ring of Honor.

    Super Bowl Heroes

  3. Pepper Johnson, LB (1986 – 1992). Thomas “Pepper” Johnson was overshadowed for most of his Giants career by fellow linebackers Harry Carson, Carl Banks, and Taylor. Two of those men are enshrined in Canton. Banks may still someday be. But during the 1990 season, Johnson stood above them all, earning first-team All-Pro honors. He also earned his second Super Bowl ring that season. A fan favorite of the original “Big Blue Wrecking Crew,” it’s slightly surprising his number hasn’t been called yet.
  4. Brandon Jacobs, RB (2005-2011, 2013). Jacobs ranks 4th all-time in rushing yards for the franchise. The three men above him are all in the Giants Ring of Honor (Barber, Rodney Hampton, Joe Morris). As is the running back behind him (Alex Webster). He was a vocal and emotional leader for the two most recent Super Bowls. It’s likely only a matter of time.
  5. David Diehl, T/G (2003-2013). Fellow linemate Snee is already in there, and Diehl spent the bulk of his career protecting Manning’s blindside. Manning famously never missed a game due to injury. With two rings, a 2nd Team All-Pro, and a pro bowl selection on his resume, the Illinois product will likely be honored by the only franchise he ever suited up for.
  6. Victor Cruz, WR (2010-2016). Cruz would not be earning his placement based on longevity. But for a brief period in the early 2010s, nobody electrified MetLife stadium like the local kid from nearby Patterson, NJ. His 4,549 yards rank eleventh all-time for the Giants. But 99 of them on this play solidified his place in franchise lore:
  7. Lawrence Tynes, K (2007-2012). Yes, it’s time for another kicker to join Gogolak.  Tynes has four fewer field goals than him during his Giants tenure. The Scotsman holds the record for the longest playoff field goal in Lambeau Field’s history. Better yet, it was an overtime game-winner in the 2008 NFC Championship Game. Tynes added to his legend with yet another overtime-winning field goal in San Francisco four years later. He remains the only kicker in NFL history to send his team to the Super Bowl in OT twice. He belongs.

 

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