On Sunday at halftime the Giants will add 5 very deserving names to their Ring of Honor. They are Carl Banks, Dave Jennings, Alex Webster, Mark Bavaro and the late Brad Van Pelt.
Banks: Banks was the third overall pick in 1984 for the New York Giants out of Michigan State and played nine years for the team. He was an intregal part of both Super Bowl wins in ’86 and ’90. If you go back and watch the tape of the Buffalo Bills-Giants Super Bowl, you will see that the Giants do not win that game without the outstanding play of Carl Banks. Banks was added in 1984 to a linebacker group that already included Lawrence Taylor, and Harry Carson.
Bavaro: Bavaro, a Notre Dame product, was one of the toughest Giants to ever wear the uniform. Unfortunately Mark was slowed by serious injuries and only played 6 season for the G-Men. He had one 1,000 yard season and caught 28 touchdowns. Look on here tomorrow for a look back at the most famous play of his career.
Jennings: Jennings was the punter for the Giants from 1974-1984, and he got plenty of work. He made 4 Pro Bowls and averaged over 41 yards per punt for his career as a Giant.
Webster: Webster, who was the Head Coach when I started watching our Giants, was also a halfback and fullback earlier in life. He made two pro bowls while gaining over 7200 yards on the ground and threw the air while scoring 56 touchdowns. He won Coach of The Year in 1970.
Brad Van Pelt: The Late, Great Brad Van Pelt was my favorite player growing up. He was drafted out of Michigan State where he also played baseball and basketball. Wearing number 10 as a Linebacker, Brad was extremely versatile. He was even the kicker on kickoffs in his rookie year. He made 5 Pro Bowls in his ten years with the Giants. He was a charter member of “The Crunch Bunch” the Giants linebacking corps that included Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, and Brain Kelly. Unfortunately for Brad and his fans he was part of just one winning season while with the Giants, and was named “Player of The Decade” for the ’70’s. He played in 4 different home stadiums for the team, and for 5 Head Coaches. I always will remember meeting Brad and marveling at the size of his hands and forearms. He had 20 career interceptions and 24.5 sacks.