How good was Jason Sehorn?

Not on the level of Revis or Sherman, but he was damn good. That ACL injury in '98 pretty much ruined his career. He returned & was still good, but he could have been much, much better if not for that injury.

David Boston-ian in size towards the end. Dude had to weigh 225 lbs. Yikes.

And he did score Angie Harmon so kudos there.

He spent his first two NFL seasons learning the position, which he hadn't really played in school. By 1996, he was very good, emerging as a legit #1 and play-maker after Sparks got dinged that year. By 1997, he reached the top echelon of NFL CBs, though Deion Sanders and Aeneas Williams continued to eclipse him, and much of his success was attributed to the Giants' ferocious pass rush.

Sehorn combined the effortless, anything-you-can-do athleticism of Bruce Jenner with the field command of the safety he was at USC.

The knee injury ruined him. The spectacular playoff pick-six against McNabb notwithstanding, he was never close to the same player.

In short, for close to two years, he was among the very best in the game. He didn't quite have Revis's technique and ability to get into a receiver's head, or Deion's flair for taking over a game, or Williams's uncanny anticipation and break on the ball. But for his brief prime, he was very, very good.

and he was gaining the recognition he deserved before he got hurt. I remember the pokes at his skin color - haha. Aint no way a white guy could play corner like that. :) One of my favorite players.

he decided to pack on bulk. A LOT of bulk. Entering camp at over 240 pounds which didn't seem like a great idea for someone coming back from an ACL. An unintended bad move.

Saw him at camp in person--he looked like a LB.

He just had that feel for the ball and the field. Remember that attempted onsides kick where he grabbed it off the bounce and returned it for a TD untouched?

"Species" was fun to watch.

In comment 12200106 Randy in CT said:

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he decided to pack on bulk. A LOT of bulk. Entering camp at over 240 pounds which didn't seem like a great idea for someone coming back from an ACL. An unintended bad move. Saw him at camp in person--he looked like a LB.

Wow. Was it 240? Sheesh...

while his pants were falling down

of Rod Woodson at his peak but it was really only the one season he was at his best. Although 2000 was a good bounceback year.

He and Sparks (also a tremendously talented CB) were a heck of a duo.

Is when Fassel had the team run gassers at the end of practice. He was light years in front of the rest of the team. Great athlete.

In comment 12200120 Tittle 9 20 64 said:

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Is when Fassel had the team run gassers at the end of practice. He was light years in front of the rest of the team. Great athlete.

The thing I remember most about Fassel is that he was a shtrootz when it came to Special Teams. A real shtrootz...

yes! he was a great player! And that was before the No Fun League changed the rules to favor the offense. His injury could have been prevented A crying shame. Recall the play he made on the ball falling down! great corner.

He also decided against rehabbing with the Giants and went off to Marinovich's lab in S. California to do it. Which ended up being a mistake

Sehorn said he weighed 228 at his heaviest after training with Marv Marinovich.

he was outstanding

In comment 12200108 Randy in CT said:

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He just had that feel for the ball and the field. Remember that attempted onsides kick where he grabbed it off the bounce and returned it for a TD untouched? "Species" was fun to watch.

Against TC's Jaguars..

and reminisce and their memory gets loaded with hyperbole, but not really in the case of Sehorn.

He might be the best athlete I've seen on the Giants. Besides being the closest thing to a shutdown corner I can recall as a Giant he had a knack for the big play, the tumbling INT return in Philly, he once returned an onsides kick for a TD.

He really only started 5 seasons and he had 5 TDs and as mentioned by the end he was shell of himself.

Terrell Owens IMO is a HOF WR, but that SF debacle was sad to watch. Sehorn in his prime, the Giants win that game (all other debacles aside).

putting him on the opposition's best receiver, no matter which side he lined up on.....

Who knows what kind of player he would have been if he did not run the kickoff back.....

He was a big corner who moved like a little corner. He was just getting his skill up on a par with his athletic ability when he hurt his knee, and he was never close to what he was in 1997 again.

In comment 12200102 Big Blue Blogger said:

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He spent his first two NFL seasons learning the position, which he hadn't really played in school. By 1996, he was very good, emerging as a legit #1 and play-maker after Sparks got dinged that year. By 1997, he reached the top echelon of NFL CBs, though Deion Sanders and Aeneas Williams continued to eclipse him, and much of his success was attributed to the Giants' ferocious pass rush. Sehorn combined the effortless, anything-you-can-do athleticism of Bruce Jenner with the field command of the safety he was at USC. The knee injury ruined him. The spectacular playoff pick-six against McNabb notwithstanding, he was never close to the same player. In short, for close to two years, he was among the very best in the game. He didn't quite have Revis's technique and ability to get into a receiver's head, or Deion's flair for taking over a game, or Williams's uncanny anticipation and break on the ball. But for his brief prime, he was very, very good.

+1

is a good comp. Both were taller, more physical CB's, and neither had the elite quickness Revis has.

Sehorn was really coming into his own prior to the knee injury. "Shutdown corner" is kind of a useless euphemism, IMO, but Sehorn was often left on an island against the opponent's top WR.

...even with Sehorn in his prime. So who knows what that team was capable of blowing?

He ran a great corner blitz and wasn't afraid to make the hit.

Sehorn was bordering on superstar status, because not only was he turning into a very good player, but had the looks and personality to go with it.

Then the knee injury.

He had quite a few spectacular plays, but the one that stands out to me pre knee injury was in the 97 playoff game versus Minny.

I believe on a jump ball, he out leaped Chris Carter and picked off a Randall Cunningham pass....that just showed you how athletic he was.

Interestingly enough, that INT return versus Philly and the onside kick return for a TD versus Jacksonville were both after his injury, and he never was the same and degraded quickly.

Complete bullshit...

it was in fact Chris Carter who said he was overrated because he was white.

In comment 12200271 Howyadoin said:

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Complete bullshit...

Dion returned kicks and it worked out. Hindsight is always 20/20.

He was a complete lock and load corner, imo. Not deion, but right there at the top of the league. Never the same after the injury, but as you saw with the pick against the eagles, a freakish athlete. After the rehab period spent in seclusion (when he emerged to dominate the battle of the nfl stars, or whatever that show was), his attitude seemed to change as well. Way more cocky and cavalier about things. One thing i'll never forget about the superbowl was him winking in the camera during the national anthem. Seemed socially awkward to me, despite the fact that he snared Angie.

In comment 12200102 Big Blue Blogger said:

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He spent his first two NFL seasons learning the position, which he hadn't really played in school. By 1996, he was very good, emerging as a legit #1 and play-maker after Sparks got dinged that year. By 1997, he reached the top echelon of NFL CBs, though Deion Sanders and Aeneas Williams continued to eclipse him, and much of his success was attributed to the Giants' ferocious pass rush. Sehorn combined the effortless, anything-you-can-do athleticism of Bruce Jenner with the field command of the safety he was at USC. The knee injury ruined him. The spectacular playoff pick-six against McNabb notwithstanding, he was never close to the same player. In short, for close to two years, he was among the very best in the game. He didn't quite have Revis's technique and ability to get into a receiver's head, or Deion's flair for taking over a game, or Williams's uncanny anticipation and break on the ball. But for his brief prime, he was very, very good.

I should stop posting. You are a walking NY Giants encyclopedia.

In comment 12200271 Howyadoin said:

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Complete bullshit...

Yeah! Whoever heard of a great cornerback returning kicks?

After the ACL injury but before he played the next season of football. You can tell he put on size . Defiantly a very rare athlete , legit 6'3" and very good speed at 230lbs .

In the pictures in the link , it was reported he was close to 240.
Steroids ? - ( New Window )

but it was at least 230's. Hard to track that down online but I remember him getting involved with MetRX and getting hard into protein supplementation and packing on a ton of weight.

He actually hit and tackled.

I went to the home game vs. the Cardinals that year where he had an INT with a long return, a sack and double digit tackles. He absolutely dominated the game at the CB position.

I'll also never forget how he leapt above Chris Carter in the NFC Wild Card game at home vs. Minnesota. It happened right in front of us. One of the most athletic plays I've ever seen.

was similar to Beckham in the way that he could makes plays all over the place because of his athleticism.

Not surprised Fassel let him finally return a kickoff. Sehorn had been nagging Fassel for quite some time and Fassel probably wanted to shut him up and suspected Sehorn would provide some highlights doing so.

In comment 12200284 TheCatch said:

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After the ACL injury but before he played the next season of football. You can tell he put on size . Defiantly a very rare athlete , legit 6'3" and very good speed at 230lbs . In the pictures in the link , it was reported he was close to 240. Steroids ? - ( New Window )

Oh, good find. Thanks. I'm new at the interweb thing?

He also sustained a major injury to his back while making an interception that he never fully recovered from. At his peak, he was just flat out fun to watch; in the way that LT was (I'm not, however, suggesting JS was the superstar LT was).

INT vs McMahon

The "pull up my pants instead of tackling" TD against him

The 2nd punt return in his career that ended it all

The Ravens 1st TD in the Superbowl when the SS blew the coverage.

not McMahon

In comment 12200307 BobOnLI said:

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He also sustained a major injury to his back while making an interception that he never fully recovered from. At his peak, he was just flat out fun to watch; in the way that LT was (I'm not, however, suggesting JS was the superstar LT was).

Well Bob, if not for the injury to his knee and subsequent taking of PEDs* while in special rehab, you never know how good he could have become.

* A strong suspicion I've had.

I have more sympathy for athletes who do PEDS after a serious injury. Must be really hard to have to face your own mortality when you have exceptional skills. Of course, I never had to face that never having been that skilled.

In comment 12200347 BobOnLI said:

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I have more sympathy for athletes who do PEDS after a serious injury. Must be really hard to have to face your own mortality when you have exceptional skills. Of course, I never had to face that never having been that skilled.

Interesting use of the word "mortality" here, Bob. I've often thought of how hard it must be to retire as an athlete, and Steve Nash recently said on his retirement that athletes die twice, once when they retire.

I was a kid during his time and remember being just completely devastated after the pre-season injury against the Jets.

Fun player to watch, wonderful athlete. I remember him picking up a fumble in 2001 and getting caught from behind on the return, and realizing he just didn't quite have it anymore. The SF game was tough to watch for him.

What if Brandon Marshall could cover like a top 5 corner ?? That's what he was to that era.

Before injury he was amongst the best corners. Easily in the top 20 all time. Elite speed and a very good football player. Stupid left Angie!

He was a true superstar talent. He didn't approach that level after the injury.

that, (i think it was the Jets) (Parcells, or was it lil bill or al groh) had loaded the Jets up with mean old veterans, linebackers, the works.

jason had been running around lobbying to return kicks in the press,

(fassel?) kept saying no, no, finally, relented.

he ran wide open that day, not seeking to protect himself at all.

prior to that, it was his great body control -at full speed- that really was unusual.

I was for it citing Deion as the reason. He was against citing injury risk.

For a moment that will last forever it appeared Jason was on the brink of going the distance and my scathing barrage of my brother was on my lips...then Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

.... who was vastly overrated by fans (and some media) because of the color of his skin.

the other guys cited returned punts, no kickoff returns.

Sehorn was injured on a kickoff return, which is probably the most violent single play in the NFL.