Hall of Fame Game Countdown: 3 Days Until Giants Football
By Adam Ganeles
Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Hall of Fame Game
In give or take 85 expeditiously ticking hours, the Giants will take the field for the Hall of Fame Game at Fawcett Stadium. A full pads practice Thursday will aim to get the rookies and roster battlers into Hall of Fame form.
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The number three has never held much significance throughout Giants history. Jesse Palmer, aka “The Bachelor”, wore #3 from 2001-2004. Predominantly a backup, Palmer finished his career 0-3 as a starter and took a sack on 11.8% of his drop-backs. He was cut by the Giants in 2005, tried his luck in the CFL, and now works as a tolerable analyst for ESPN College Football.
How about good ole Brad Daluiso? Despite being a 50/50 proposition from 40-49 yards — and with only six 50+ makes in 115 games — Daluiso managed to hang around New York for eight seasons. Hey, he was money from 20-29… a perfect 41 for 41. Eh.
Now let’s move on to some truly epic reading material — the story of placekicker Eric Schubert, who was the polar opposite of every football player who’s ever suited up in the NFL.
In late October of 1985, Schubert, who was a substitute teacher at Pace University in Pleasantville, New York, decided to take a trip down to the Giants facility and offer his services. After all, Schubert had kicked 19 field goals as a walk-on for the University of Pittsburgh from 1981-1983, and the Giants needed a healthy kicking option.
The following week, Schubert kicked 5 field goals for Big Blue in a 22-20 victory over Tampa Bay.
"I had walked on all my life, convincing people I could do something they didn’t think I could. This was no different, said Schubert."
During the ’85 postseason, however, Schubert connected on just 1/5 kicks, and his joy ride with the Giants would find its ultimate demise. In 1986 he would latch on with the Rams, but again… 3/11… short-lived.
In Deadspin.com’s “Bottom 100” piece from 2010, they ranked Schubert as the 78th worst player in NFL history, but their analysis was mostly inaccurate and ignored key details i.e. mentioning he was a substitute teacher that tried out on a whim, or that he was a walk-on for Pitt:
"Schubert earned raves at the University of Pittsburgh for his powerful leg. Accuracy? Eh, not so much. With the Cardinals in 1986, Schubert connected on three of 11 kicks. That’s 27.3 percent, for those keeping score."
Eric Schubert has a player profile on Pro Football Reference and a damn cool story. Standing at only 5’8, he’s a big winner.
Now… in my best Vince Vaughn voice from “Swingers: will Brandon McManus win the kicking job from incumbent Josh Brown in the preseason? Will the Giants be big winners in their 2014 rebound campaign? We’ll get our first taste of the new product on Sunday evening at the annual Hall of Fame Game. The wait is over. Football is BACK.