While they’ve received mixed amounts of love over the years, there’s no denying just how fantastic the New York Giants can be. The team has been winning major championships since all the way back in 1927, and even as recently as 2011. Clearly, The Giants are no strangers to what it takes to achieve greatness in the NFL.
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While the team has had periods of dominance and periods of disappointment, it’s not often that NFL fans talk about the greatest members of this team. There are a few key names that pop up again and again, but what many people will find is that the Giants have a rich history of fantastic players that many people may have never even heard of.
10 Tiki Barber
Tiki Barber was one of the most exciting running backs in the NFL from 1997-2006. During that time, Barber played for the Giants and managed to set some records for the team, two of which being all-time rushing, and receptions.
He was named to three Pro Bowls, but he was never able to help The Giants find a Super Bowl win. Unfortunately, Barber did sour his reputation a little bit after his retirement since he had some choice words for the famed quarterback Eli Manning.
9 Y.A. Tittle
Whether or not modern NFL fans are aware of him, Y.A. Tittle is a seriously big deal not just from the history of the Giants, but for football as a whole. Spending his final years with the team from 1961-1964, everyone thought Tittle had given the sport everything he had.
During his senior years in the league, Tittle was named the NFL MVP, named to three All-Pro teams, played in multiple Pro Bowls, and had one of the most impressive records of any quarterback. He might not stack up to modern standards for some people, but it’s safe to say that Tittle is a legend.
8 Sam Huff
Unlike many other all-time Giants greats, Sam Huff didn’t play for the team for his entire career. He started out with the Giants in 1956 before leaving to join Washington in 1964. While he has been honored a great deal by both teams, it’s not controversial to say his best years were with the Giants.
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If things had gone slightly differently, Huff might have not even wound up playing for the Giants, but luckily, he wound up becoming a legend. The linebacker became an NFL champion back in 1956, was named to six All-Pro teams, and was named to five Pro Bowls, four of which were while he was a Giant.
7 Roosevelt Brown
Most modern fans of the NFL may not know who Rosey Brown is, and that’s okay because the man was dominant on the field all the way back in the 1950s. That’s right, his entire playing career took place before the Super Bowl was even officially established.
Despite that fact, Brown is seen as one of the greatest players of the older eras of football. From 1953-1965, the defensive tackle played for the Giants, leading them to numerous divisional championships and one incredibly lopsided NFL Championship Game.
6 Harry Carson
Spending his entire career with The Giants, Harry Carson was a major factor in the franchise's first Super Bowl win. He was such a good linebacker that he actually acted as the team captain for ten years, managing to lead the team in tackles for about five of those years.
He had six All-Pro team nods and was selected for nine Pro Bowls. Carson is also considered to be a member of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, the name for The Giants' dominant defensive line in the mid to late eighties.
5 Michael Strahan
Love him or hate him, Michael Strahan managed to go from nothing special to one of the all-time greats for the New York Giants. Spending his whole career with the team, Strahan helped The Giants pick up a Super Bowl win back in 2008 against Tom Brady and the Patriots.
Strahan is widely regarded as one of the best players of the 2000s, and the fact that he led the league in sacks twice in that decade should make it clear why. He was named the NFL Defensive Player of the year in 2001, and he only continued to shine from there.
4 Melvin Hein
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If people weren’t sure of Rosey Brown, they probably won’t be aware of Mel Hein. The man was a linebacker for the New York Giants all the way back in the 30s and 40s. He’s a two-time NFL Champion and the NFL MVP of 1938.
He is without a doubt one of the greatest players from the thirties, and likely the kind of person no one would have wanted to bump into the wrong way. His dedication and skill saw to it that his number 7 was eventually retired by The Giants.
3 Phil Simms
Most people think of Eli Manning when they think about quarterbacks for the Giants, but Phil Simms could be argued to be just as good. Simms’ skill had him leading the team to two separate Super Bowl wins, one of which saw him being named the MVP.
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In one of his Super Bowl games, Simms managed an almost unthinkable feat, a pass completion rating of 88%, meaning he made 22 of his 25 passes. Half the time, Simms made it look like victory was coming easy for The Giants.
2 Eli Manning
Some people may take issue with Eli Manning in the number one spot, but when you take into account the caliber of players he was up against, it just makes sense. He managed to win two Super Bowls and was the VIP of both of them.
Manning played Brady twice in the biggest game of the year and took him down both times. The younger Manning has countless awards and records and is among an elite group of quarterbacks who have completed a 99-yard touchdown pass.
1 Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor spent his entire career with the Giants, and in the process became one of the greatest linebackers of not only his generation, but one of the greatest football players of all time. From the early 80s to the early 90s, Taylor dominated the field with his explosive brand of play.
The man could fill a wall with his accolades, so it’s safe to just say that Taylor is arguably one of the best players of the eighties. Like others on this list, he was a member of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, and they weren’t interested in taking prisoners.
