NY Giants Football: 2010’s All-Decade Team – Center

2. David Baas

While Shaun O’Hara was the only NY Giants center to be named to a Pro Bowl this decade, David Baas is the only center to start in and win a Super Bowl with New York this decade. That combined with the fact that he was a starter at center for multiple years with the team, boosts him to the second-ranked center this decade for the Giants.

David Baas was the top center in the nation coming out of the University of Michigan. He was drafted in the second round by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL draft. He would play for the 49ers from 2005-2010.

In July of 2011, Baas would agree to a free-agent contract with the New York Giants. He would start 11 games at center in 2011, 16 games in 2012 and only three games for the Giants in 2013. Baas would be the starting center for New York through all four of their playoff games in 2011, including the win against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.

While 2012 would arguably be the best season that Baas had in a Giants uniform, witnessing him starting all 16 games that year, 2013 would be the worst season in his tenure with the Giants, as well as of his career.

In 2013, Baas would suffer a knee injury that would end his season after just three games. Initially, it was believed that Baas would recover and return, but after further evaluation, he was deemed unable to continue his playing career due to knee and neck injuries, forcing his retirement in 2014.

While his tenure was certainly shorter than the Giants had hoped, Baas was at least able to complete two high caliber seasons with the team, which is more than most of the starting centers for the Giants over the past decade can say.  The fact that he won a Super Bowl championship lifts Baas to the second-best center for New York in the past decade.