John Carney, 2008
Following their Super Bowl victory in 2007, the Giants looked to repeat as champions. A wrench was thrown into those plans when their reliable kicker, Lawrence Tynes, injured his knee in that year’s training camp.
As the team searched for his replacement, the Giants’ signed 44-year old John Carney to be the guy. What they got was one of the most reliable kickers in the entire league – Carney would go on to hit 35-38 field goals for the team.
Carney was so good during his stint with the Giants that even when Tynes recovered from his injury, Carney remained the starting kicker. Tynes would handle kick-off duties, while Carney would kick the field goals and extra-points – an unorthodox arrangement.
After his fantastic season, he would be selected to the Pro Bowl – his first since 1994. In addition, he would be selected as a second team All-Pro member, also his first selection since 1994 – when he was a first-team All-Pro.
Carney made an impact on multiple different franchises in the NFL, and his one year with the Giants was certainly memorable. He proved that even at his advanced age, he could still get the job done with the best of them.
After 2008, the Giants would go back to Tynes, while Carney finished out his NFL career with the New Orleans Saints. He’s now the owner of a Super Bowl ring courtesy of the 2010 Saints team – something that never would’ve been possible without his year in New York.