Tag: Brandon Jacobs

A look at Cadillac Williams’ dominating history against Mississippi State

Carnell Williams is set to lead his alma mater as head coach on Saturday at Mississippi State and hopes to return to the same success he had as a player against the Bulldogs.

[autotag]Carnell Williams[/autotag] has been named interim coach of his alma mater’s football program. He becomes the first Auburn alum to take the role since Ralph “Shug” Jordan when he became the head coach at Auburn in 1951.

Before joining the coaching world, Williams had a storied career that saw him rush for 3,831 yards and 45 touchdowns from 2001-04. He dominated the running game alongside [autotag]Ronnie Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Jacobs[/autotag], and [autotag]Tre Smith[/autotag] during his career.

One program that Williams had massive success against was Mississippi State. Williams played the Bulldogs four times during his career and was on the winning side of the game each time. In those four games, Williams accumulated 421 rushing yards and found the end zone ten times.

Here is a breakdown of Williams’ success against Mississippi State during his time as a running back for the Auburn Tigers.

[lawrence-related id=56557,51568,56557]

Ex-Giant Brandon Jacobs drawing interest from several NFL teams?

Three teams have reportedly expressed an interest in bringing in former New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs, now a DE, during training camp.

Back in May, retired New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs announced that he was eyeing an NFL comeback.

Drawing on motivation and inspiration from Tim Tebow, who switched from quarterback to tight end and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacobs said he would be moving to defensive end.

[lawrence-related id=669566,669499,664311]

Many believed it was a joke at first, but Jacobs has made it abundantly clear that he’s serious. And for the past month, he’s been working out every day and attempting to get his body back into football shape.

With four weeks to think about it, Jacobs is feeling as confident as ever.

“I think my ability as a defensive end, as an old man as they regard me, I think I can be one of the best in the league right now,” Jacobs said, via Houma Today.

Despite that level of certainty, Jacobs, who was inducted into the Terrebonne General Bayou Region Athletic Hall of Fame last week, admits that he’s only ever taken three snaps at defensive end.

“I played three snaps of defense and that was about it,” Jacobs said, recalling his high school career.

Ironically, Jacobs’ desire to play running back in college led him to Auburn as opposed to LSU. Had he signed on with Nick Saban, there was a strong chance he would have been transitioned to defensive end.

“Michael Clayton was one of the best quarterbacks in the state, moved to wide receiver. Corey Webster played quarterback at St. James, changed to corner back. Marcus Spears played tight end, changed to defensive end,” Jacobs said. “That was one of the reasons I didn’t go. Looking back at it, I wish I had did it.”

Jacobs went on to have a solid NFL career as a running back, winning two Super Bowl titles as a member of the Giants. But this journey isn’t over yet, it seems. There are three teams apparently interested in bringing him in during training camp.

Jacobs said his agent has heard from three teams who are interested in bringing him into training camp. No matter how his comeback quest goes, he is grateful for the life and family that he has.

“I don’t want to throw names out there just yet because I was told not to, but it’ll be a shock,” Jacobs said. “If I don’t get an opportunity, it’s fine. I’m currently coaching high school football and running a youth program, which I’m perfectly content with doing the rest of my life.”

It’s anyone’s guess who those three teams could be, but could you imagine if, say, the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles came calling? That certainly would be a shock.

[vertical-gallery id=670237]

The Tim Tebow effect: Ex-running back Brandon Jacobs wants NFL comeback … as defensive end

He says he’s serious!

First Tim Tebow, and now … Brandon Jacobs?

It seems like Jacobs — the bruising former running back who scored 60 touchdowns in his career with the New York Giants and won two Super Bowls — is serious about coming back to the NFL as a defensive end.

He was listed at 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds when the 38-year-old last played on the offensive side of the ball, and his initial Twitter announcement — see below — almost felt like it was trolling Tebow, who’s going from QB to tight end after not playing the latter position ever.

But could Jacobs do the same at DE? He really does think so!

He even told Josina Anderson he’s going for it:

We’ll see if a team gives him a shot like Tebow got from Urban Meyer.

[vertical-gallery id=1036378]

Remembering the Giants’ biggest training camp fights from recent years

As the New York Giants ready themselves for the first padded practice of the year, here’s a look back at some of their biggest camp fights.

The New York Giants will put on the pads for the first time on Monday, which means tempers are likely to flare and fists may begin to fly.

That may sound dramatic, but it’s just the nature of NFL training camps. And when considering the Giants will also hold intrasquad scrimmages once per week, it seems almost inevitable that a few punches will be thrown.

With that in mind, here’s a look back at some of the biggest and most memorable Giants training camp fights from recent years.

AP Photo/Adam Hunger

2019: Lorenzo Carter vs. Nick Gates

The Giants didn’t do much fighting in 2019, but there were a few dust-ups.

One such incident came last August when linebacker Lorenzo Carter and offensive lineman Nick Gates got into a bit of a scrap.

While neither player swung at the other, there were a few shoves before teammates swarmed and pulled the two apart.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Former Giants RB Brandon Jacobs: 2020 is ‘very important’ for Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley is entering the third year of his rookie deal in 2020.

If New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley wants to land himself the biggest contract extension possible down the road, he’s going to need to put up a big 2020 campaign in order to help his cause.

And former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs agrees with that sentiment, as he believes the 2020 season is “very important” for Barkley’s hopes of getting a big deal from the team.

“This year is very important. It’s his third season and he’s getting close to that contract year, and being a running back in that contract year, you’ve got to put up nine million yards in order to get something that’s worth having,” Jacobs explained on MSG 150. “This is one of those years where they can re him up by the end of the year or take him into next year and do it. But he’s definitely close and he definitely needs to have a good season.”

Barkley is entering the third year of his rookie deal, so the Giants still have plenty of time to make a decision on a contract extension.

However, it’s likely the Giants will ink Barkley before he reaches the end of his first contract in order to get the most bang for their buck, much like the Carolina Panthers did with Christian McCaffrey this offseason.

Because of his elite dual-threat ability, Barkley is going to garner a hefty sum of money. It’s quite possible he ends up being the highest-paid back in the NFL when it’s all said and done — or at least, something close to it.

Barkley dealt with a high-ankle sprain during the 2019 season that limited him to 13 games, but his production was still impressive nonetheless, and that’s especially true considering some of the Giants’ offensive woes.

The former No. 2 overall pick posted 1,441 yards (1,003 rushing) and eight total touchdowns one season after putting up over 2,000 yards in his rookie campaign.

At this point, it’s clear only injuries can stop a generational talent like Barkley, who is one of the best in the business at his position.

His importance to the Giants’ offense — and Daniel Jones’ development — can’t be understated, which is why he will eventually secure his bag.

[lawrence-related id=651515,651498,651490]

2008 Giants still tormented by what could have been

Members of the 2008 New York Giants are still tormented by what could have been more than a decade later.

When looking back on some of the greatest teams ever assembled, it’s easy to forget about the 2008 New York Giants. After all, they finished the regular season with a modest 12-4 record and were embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Still, players from that team are tormented by what could have been…

Following a Super Bowl XLII victory over the New England Patriots a year prior, the Giants started the 2008 as hot as any team in history, cruising to an 10-1 start that featured dominating win after dominating win.

“That year, I tell people all the time, was the most fun I’ve ever had playing football in my entire life,” retired center Shaun O’Hara told the New York Post. “That year we literally kicked the snot out of people. I couldn’t wait to get to the stadium on Sunday, on game day, because we were that good.

“It wasn’t like we were airing it out, either. We’re gonna run the football. They knew it, we knew it, and there was nothing they could do about it. I know we won the Super Bowl the year before but we were a better team in 2008, we were a better offense in 2008 than we were in 2007. It was by far the best team I’d ever been on.”

Entering November, the Giants had hit their stride. They felt it was a mere formality that they would become back-to-back champions and had no intention of taking their foot off the gas.

“I think that was the best team we had,” wide receiver Amani Toomer said.

“Back-to-back,” running back Brandon Jacobs also told The Post. “We were easily better than every team in the NFL that year. Easily. I’m talking about a touchdown, I’m talking about 10 points better than everybody.”

But then everything changed…

Just prior to a Week 13 game against the Washington Redskins, superstar wide receiver Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg with an illegal handgun while he and teammates were out at a club. He was rushed to the hospital and later sentenced to prison time.

That series of events was obviously more involved, but everyone knows that story. What they forget is that the Giants were cruising — they were unbeatable following a Week 4 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

That is, until Burress had his accident and everything fell apart.

“I think about it every year around the Super Bowl, because everyone talks about how tough it is to go back-to-back and had we won that year people would have started saying the [dynasty] word,” O’Hara said. “That’s how things would have changed. Who knows the trajectory of the franchise, how different that would have been for everybody?

“We still were a good team, but when we struggled to run the football or teams found ways to stuff us a little bit we really lost that go-to guy in the passing game. That kind of made us one-dimensional at times.”

“I thought if Plaxico didn’t shoot himself, we were the best team in the NFL that year,” defensive end Justin Tuck said.

Following a 20-19 Week 17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, several Giants player recognized that the window of opportunity had closed. The team had resigned itself to losing.

“I think going into the playoffs on a loss like that was totally different than going to play us after a hard-fought loss against the Patriots the year before,” Toomer said. “I felt like we didn’t learn from what made us great the year before. I felt aside from Plaxico shooting himself, I think we dropped the ball in a sense, we took our finger off of the trigger and kind of let up. It’s hard to turn it on and off, especially at that point we had played so much football, we had the No. 1 seed, but still, you can’t let up. I felt we let up.”

In the end, the Pittsburgh Steelers topped the Arizona Cardinals to win the Super Bowl that year, which didn’t make the Giants any less sour. After all, they had dominated each of those teams during the regular season.

“Two teams we kicked the snot out of during the regular season,” O’Hara said of Super Bowl XLIII. “If we had beat Philly, the Cardinals would have had to come up and play us at MetLife, that would have been a disaster for that offense and Kurt Warner. If we had gotten past Philly, I have no doubt we would have beaten Arizona. And we would have beaten Pittsburgh.”

“That was our best team,” former offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. “There’s no doubt about it. We were good in every aspect. I think we could have won. Whether you do win or don’t win, who knows? But we showed we were good enough to win another Super Bowl, I don’t think there was any question about that.”

It’s draining to think about what could have been for the franchise — what Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning’s legacy might have looked like if things didn’t go off the rails.

Where would Domenik Hixon’s career have gone? How different could life have been for Burress?

Unfortunately, all that remains are the what ifs.

[lawrence-related id=649801,649791,649736]

Best Giants draft picks by round since 2000

Draft season is upon us, so travel back in time as we look at some of the best New York Giants draft picks by round since 2000.

With the free agency frenzy now in the rear-view mirror and April just around the bend, it’s time to begin looking ahead (and back) at the NFL Draft, its impact and what it could mean for teams in 2020 and beyond.

While there will be weeks of coverage ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft, we here at Giants Wire decided to kick off draft season with a look back at the New York Giants’ best draft picks by round since 2000.

Here they are in reverse order:

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

Round 7: Ahmad Bradshaw (2007)

Bradshaw is far and away the Giants’ best seventh-round pick since 2000. Unless, of course, you wanted us to tab Matt Dodge or Bobby Hart for this position. No? Didn’t think so.

Bradshaw immediately took the Giants by storm in 2007 and helped propel them to a Super Bowl XLII title (and later, a Super Bowl XLVI title).

In total, Bradshaw spent seven seasons with the Giants and then three more with the Indianapolis Colts before retiring following the 2015 season.

In 103 career games, Bradshaw gained 4,928 yards and scored 36 touchdowns, adding an additional 1,493 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7

Brandon Jacobs wants more Jets involved with charity softball game

Retired New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs has called on current and former members of the Jets to take part in a 2020 charity softball game.

Beginning in 2017, former New York Giants safety Landon Collins would hold an annual celebrity softball game with the proceeds benefiting various charities, including the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund.

The game itself has become a popular event for fans of the Giants, but more than just that, it has become an extremely popular event among current and former members of the team.

Every year, dozens of players arrive from all over the country to take part in the game, which was kept going in 2019 despite Collins leaving the Giants to sign with the Washington Redskins.

Here in 2020, it’s unlikely Collins will be a part of the charity game, but it will persist in his absence. Who hosts it this time around remains to be seen (Saquon Barkley, anyone?), but one thing is for certain: former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs wants to see more New York Jets involved this year.

Jacobs has called for more involvement from the Jets previously, and while some players have shown up, it continues to be a very Giants-heavy event.

“We want the Jets,” Jacobs said in 2019, later sending a tweet calling for the same.

In 2015, prior to Landon Collins version of the event, the game did feature the Giants vs. the Jets as a one-off. The Giants were captained by David Wilson and the Jets by Muhamed Wilkerson, but the two sides were never able to recreate the matchup.

Could Jacobs’ calls here in 2020 finally get it done?

[lawrence-related id=640833,640817,640810]

Ex-Giant Brandon Jacobs expects Kevin Gilbride to excel in XFL

Former New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs expects big things from Kevin Gilbride in the XFL, especially with that chip on his shoulder.

Kevin Gilbride once coached at the highest level of professional football when he won two Super Bowls as the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator under head coach Tom Coughlin.

That job ended in 2013 and the 68-year-old Gilbride has been enjoying his retirement ever since. But when the XFL’s New York Guardians were looking for a head coach, Gilbride jumped at the opportunity.

When Giant fans hear his name, there’s always a mixed reaction. Some thought he was too conservative at times and others questioned his play calling almost weekly. But, the Giants had a ton of success under his stewardship so his record speaks for itself.

From the New York Post:

There’s an obvious irony in the fact Gilbride will be resuming his coaching career at MetLife, the site of some of his greatest coaching achievements, but also his unceremonious exit from the NFL.

With time, the fans who used to call him “Kevin Killdrive” may have grown to appreciate his contributions. He even says he’ll get calls now from people telling him of rekindled praise in the area.

“People all the time had these nicknames for him,” former Giants running back Brandon Jacobs told The Post. “They was outside the building. They was outside of the walls.”

Such is the dichotomy that surrounded Gilbride throughout much of his Giants stint: admired by many of the game’s important figures and reviled by many of the home fans.

Jacobs believes being spurned in New York will only serve to motivate Gilbride.

“He’s gonna remember [his exit from New York],” Jacobs said. “He was told he couldn’t do something.”

The XFL begins play this weekend with the Guardians hosting the Tampa Bay Vipers on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. It is launching as an 8-team league with the other franchises in Dallas, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle and Washington D.C.

[lawrence-related id=640107,629616,619916]

Plaxico Burress, Brandon Jacobs: Eli Manning a first ballot Hall of Famer

Retired New York Giants stars Plaxico Burress and Brandon Jacobs don’t want to hear your anti-Eli Manning Hall of Fame debate.

Don’t bring any of that anti-Eli Manning bias to retired New York Giants stars Plaxico Burress and Brandon Jacobs because they’re not interested in hearing it. In fact, if you even try to debate them on Eli’s Hall of Fame chances, you’re going to get an aggressive earful.

“Might, my [expletive],” Burress told SNY when asked if Eli “might” find his way into Canton. “He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer to me. The quarterbacks are in the Hall of Fame with less.”

Jacobs was even less interested in discussing the topic, suggesting that anyone who refused to vote for Manning should be immediately terminated and lose their vote.

“They should be out of a job,” Jacobs said bluntly.

The topic of Manning and the Hall of Fame is a contentious one in the sports world. However, it’s clear that the vast majority of Manning’s former teammates all believe he’s a shoo-in, which is an opinion shared by a large number of his opponents as well.

In fact, those who consistently argue against Manning’s Hall of Fame eligibility are those who have never competed alongside or against Eli, and know little about him other than the clips they occasionally see on television.

Manning’s legacy is one that will appreciate over time, and five years from now, the question of his Hall of Fame eligibility be far less fiery and emotionally-driven.

[lawrence-related id=639353,639347,639341]