Believe it or not, the New York Giants once had great defenses with iconic players. Those days are long gone, we know, but the NFL is turning 100 this season and in the process of them choosing their All-Time team, the reminders of great Giant teams and players are all around.
Five former Giants are among the finalists among the league’s top defensive lineman and linebackers: Harry Carson, Sam Huff, Andy Robustelli, Michael Strahan and Lawrence Taylor.
All five are Pro Football Hall of Famers and Giants Ring of Honor inductees. Taylor is the only one of the five to have his number retired by the Giants.
The final team will be announced on Friday night at 8:00 pm on the NFL Network. It will consist of 10 quarterbacks, 12 running backs, 10 wide receivers, five tight ends, seven tackles, seven guards, four centers, seven defensive ends, seven defensive tackles, 12 linebackers (six inside, six outside), seven cornerbacks, six safeties, two kickers, two punters and kick two returners.
Huff and Robustelli were members of the Giants’ 1956 NFL Championship team and two of the cornerstones of the Giants’ defense under the tutelage of Tom Landry in the 1950s and early 1960s.
Carson and Taylor headed the “Crunch Bunch” linebacking crew of the 1980s that included Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelley, who were later replaced by Carl Banks and Gary Reasons.
Taylor is considered one of the top players — at any position — in NFL history. Carson was the Giants’ captain for the team’s first-ever Super Bowl-winning team in 1986. Taylor and Banks were staples of excellence in leading Big Blue to two Super Bowl victories.
Strahan has become a media celebrity but he was no laughing matter for offensive tackles. He still holds the NFL single-season mark for sacks and played 15 seasons for the Giants. His final game was Super Bowl XLII, when the Giants knocked off the undefeated New England Patriots in one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.
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