Sunday’s game for The New York Giants could be bittersweet. Even if The
Giants are able to defeat The Philadelphia Eagles, they would still need
The Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, and Dallas Cowboys to all lose in
order to qualify for the playoffs. The Giants are staring a tough
off-season in the face after a mediocre season so far. For one Giant in
particular it could be the end of his career with the team. Two-time Pro
Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora is in the final year of his contract
and if Sunday’s game is indeed his swan song with Big Blue he has
enjoyed a tremendous decade with the team.
coach Jim Fassel. The Giants selected Umenyiora in the second round of
The 2003 National Football League Draft from Troy University. A year
later Umenyiora was the center of attention at The 2004 NFL Draft. The
San Diego Chargers owned the first overall pick and they were determined
to take Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning. Manning didn’t want to be in
San Diego and The Chargers knew that he wanted to join The Giants. The
Giants owned the fourth overall pick and they agreed to draft North
Carolina State University quarterback Phillip Rivers. As compensation,
Chargers general manager A.J. Smith wanted Umenyiora to be included in
the deal, but then Giants assistant general manager Jerry Reese
persuaded his boss in former Giants general manager Ernie Acorsi to keep
Umenyiora as a Giant. Umenyiora stayed with the Giants while The
Chargers received draft picks for Manning.
Giants legacy of ferocious defense. Umenyiora’s 75 career sacks are
fourth on The Giants all-time list as he trails former Giant defensive
end Leonard Marshall by just two sacks for third place. Umenyiora made a
name for himself in the mid 2000’s playing alongside former Giants
defensive end Michael Strahan. The two combined for 26 sacks in 2005 as
both men earned Pro-Bowl honors. In 2007, Umenyiora was a member of the
pass rush that did the impossible of sacking New England Patriots
quarterback Tom Brady. The Giants defense led The NFL that season with
53 sacks as Umenyiora totaled 13 by himself. The Giants came into Super
Bowl 42 as 12-point underdogs to the undefeated Patriots, but Umenyiora
and his teammates on the defensive line made life miserable on that
Sunday evening in Arizona for Brady. Umenyiora did not record a sack in
the game, but he did recover a fumble by Brady in the second quarter.
The Giants would go on to win the game by a score of 17-14.
Winston Justice to school as he sacked Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb
six times in a 16-3 Giants victory. Umenyiora’s 2008 campaign was over
before it got started when he injured his left knee in a preseason game
against The New York Jets. By 2010, Umenyiora was back to his old self
as he had 11.5 sacks. That season also saw Umenyiora force 10 fumbles.
An injury plagued 2011 limited Umenyiora to only 9 games in the regular
season, but once The Giants made the playoffs the old Osi returned. In
The Giants 24-2 Wild Card victory over The Atlanta Falcons, Umenyiora
sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan once and he was also a key cog in
The Falcons going 0-for-3 on fourth down. In The Divisional Round
against The Green Bay Packers, Umenyiora sacked Packers quarterback
Aaron Rodgers twice and a he forced a fumbled in The Giants 37-20
victory. Umenyiora recorded .5 sack in The Giants 20-17 overtime victory
over The San Francisco 49ers in The NFC Championship Game as Big Blue
was headed back to The Super Bowl to take on The Patriots. Umenyiora
wasn’t a presence in The Giants 21-17 victory over The Patriots in Super
Bowl, but he was important coming down the stretch in helping the team
to get there.
At 31-years of age, Umenyiora’s production has
slowed down this season as he only has 6 sacks. I expected Umenyiora to
have a bigger year on the defensive line being that he is entering
free-agency after a tense battle with Reese who has since been promoted
to Giants general manager. During last year’s NFL Lockout, Umenyiora
signed an affidavit in which he claimed that Reese agreed to
re-negotiate his deal. This caused controversy, but entering this year
both parties were able to clear the air. Umenyiora still has some
football in him, but more than likely it won’t be with The Giants. Giant
fans should never forget his contributions as he helped to bring the
franchise two Super Bowl Championships. He might don a new uniform in
2013, but he will always be a Giant.
Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com
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