At face value, a random Sunday night in August 2009 likely won’t mean much to New York Giants coach John Harbaugh or rookie linebacker Arvell Reese.
Here’s how long it’s been: Harbaugh was in his second season with the Ravens, the Giants had yet to open MetLife Stadium, and Arvell Reese was a few weeks shy of his fourth birthday.
So why are we thinking about Aug. 9, 2009? Over in the Bronx, Mark Teixeira punctuated his first season with the Yankees by crushing a go-ahead, eighth-inning home run against the Red Sox to secure a four-game sweep. That night, as humid as it was, is remembered as one of the most pivotal moments in what became a championship season.
Fast forward to this Sunday night, when Harbaugh and Reese will make their Giants debuts against the Cowboys in the Meadowlands. What better message for the No. 5 pick to send than by dominating Dallas’ offensive line on national television?
New York Giants fans are about to fall in love with Arvell Reese once again
As we’ve previously discussed, first impressions are lasting, and that organizational mindset is evident throughout the Giants’ roster. Many of Harbaugh’s former players and assistant coaches followed him to New York, and those reunions are typically driven by mutual respect.
In fairness to Teixeira, he was already a fan favorite and an established All-Star first baseman by that point. For most cities, his go-ahead home run would have been a memorable highlight in an MVP-worthy season.
But we’re talking about New York, and Teixeira understood the assignment. Yankees fans old enough to understand and appreciate 2009 remember two distinct Teixeira moments: that August home run, and the walk-off homer in Game 2 of the ALDS. The season itself was his first impression, and it’s why he never lost the goodwill and support of the fan base, even as injuries gradually took their toll.
Harbaugh and Joe Schoen saw something in Reese that they felt made him worth taking, even if it meant moving him from edge rusher to linebacker. Malik Nabers publicly questioned the move on a draft-night livestream, and pundits quickly shared their doubts. Did the rebuilding Giants really want to gamble on Reese rather than take his Ohio State teammate, Sonny Styles?
Although Dak Prescott has won 14 of his 17 career games against the Giants, he’ll be shorthanded on Sunday night. The Cowboys already announced that three-time Pro Bowl guard Tyler Smith will miss at least four weeks following thumb surgery.
We’re not saying the Giants will upset the Cowboys and send sports talk shows into hysteria. But imagine the sound of MetLife Stadium if Reese blows through the backfield and sends Prescott to the ground. By that point, he’ll have made significant progress in alleviating any concerns fans might have about him playing linebacker.
Oh, and as for Teixeira? He led the Yankees to four more postseason appearances, retired on his own terms, and is now running for a House seat in Texas’s 21st Congressional District. That’s definitely an ideal career trajectory for Reese, assuming that a championship ring is involved.
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