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Thoughts on Strahan when he was drafted?

RicosRoidedElbow : 5/13/2019 8:49 pm
I wasn't even born yet so I did not know how to feel about him. I started watching the Giants in 2003 and he was a mega star back then. How did you react to his name being called?
he was a second rounder  
Jolly Blue Giant : 5/13/2019 8:56 pm : link
and the draft wasn't what it is today. No real internet either. I remember reading his name in the newspaper the next day on my way out of Stewarts where I used to get my coffee in the morning. Thats it.
RE: he was a second rounder  
RicosRoidedElbow : 5/13/2019 8:57 pm : link
In comment 14442476 Jolly Blue Giant said:
Quote:
and the draft wasn't what it is today. No real internet either. I remember reading his name in the newspaper the next day on my way out of Stewarts where I used to get my coffee in the morning. Thats it.


Ha so the good old days kept fans in the dark about their draft picks?
what Jolly Blue said  
Giantsfan79 : 5/13/2019 8:58 pm : link
you have to understand how different those times were. There was no widespread internet at all. So everything was either newspapers, magazines, or tv, and ESPN was a cable network and lots of people didn't have cable back then so not everyone saw it on TV.
There were a select few  
Jolly Blue Giant : 5/13/2019 9:00 pm : link
that followed the draft, but not like today. I went to the draft when Hilliard was drafted, and when we drafted Cedric Jones. You just showed up at the theater next to MSG by 9am got a bracelet and you were guaranteed a spot to get in . they gave us little gift bags with and FM radio.
He certainly wasn't an overnight sensation...  
BMac : 5/13/2019 9:00 pm : link
...but after a few years he started to show some promise. Today he would have been labeled a reach and a bust midway through his second season.
I loved the pick  
twostepgiants : 5/13/2019 9:03 pm : link
Thought he was a steal and remember him coming on and being bery imoressive in his preseason debut vs Richmond Webb
I recall being pleased  
bluepepper : 5/13/2019 9:05 pm : link
The Giants had spent their first rounder in the supplemental draft so this was their first pick that year. All I knew was from draft guides and such but his name was definitely out there and I think I was mildly surprised we got him in the 2nd round. In those days I always loved the guys from smaller schools as I thought that they were under valued even though by 1994 they probably weren't.

The draft was a staple on ESPN by then and was pretty widely covered. Not like say, when Simms was taken.
RE: He certainly wasn't an overnight sensation...  
Big Blue '56 : 5/13/2019 9:07 pm : link
In comment 14442483 BMac said:
Quote:
...but after a few years he started to show some promise. Today he would have been labeled a reach and a bust midway through his second season.


Or on here during his first minicamp..
I remember BB'56 saying...  
bw in dc : 5/13/2019 9:10 pm : link
if George Young likes him, he likes him.
RE: he was a second rounder  
Del Shofner : 5/13/2019 9:12 pm : link
In comment 14442476 Jolly Blue Giant said:
Quote:
and the draft wasn't what it is today. No real internet either. I remember reading his name in the newspaper the next day on my way out of Stewarts where I used to get my coffee in the morning. Thats it.


lol - pretty much like this.
My recollection is that he was mocked...  
Mike in St. Louis : 5/13/2019 9:27 pm : link
To the Giants by a lot of people, which is unusual given he was a second round pick and the Giants had no first rounder...
RE: I remember BB'56 saying...  
Big Blue '56 : 5/13/2019 9:30 pm : link
In comment 14442503 bw in dc said:
Quote:
if George Young likes him, he likes him.


Murderer!
Strahan  
Nomad Crow on the Madison : 5/13/2019 9:30 pm : link
was the second-best second round pick in Giants history (at least since 1967). Leonard Marshall was the best second round pick.
He was highly regarded  
Marty866b : 5/13/2019 9:31 pm : link
He didn't have great measurables as far as size and speed but he was very productive at Texas Southern and was viewed by many, Dave Te' included, as a very good selection at the spot he was selected in.
Strahan  
Scott in Seattle : 5/13/2019 9:31 pm : link
Well, there was no first round pick that year - they gave it up to pick Dave Brown in the supplemental draft - but if you can get a Hall of Fame player with your second pick, you'd take it every time. But Dave Brown... Ugh.
Started out somewhat slow...  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 5/13/2019 9:31 pm : link
But came on in the late '90s.

He was a monster in '01.

Hated TC, then loved him. Sat out '07 camp, recorded 10 sacks or so that season, & had a huge sack of TB12 in XLII.

Retired a Super Bowl champion.

Been a huge success post NFL career.

Love #92.
Two Other Excellent Second Round Picks...  
Scott in Seattle : 5/13/2019 9:34 pm : link
Joe Morris and Tiki Barber.
The Giants we're switching to a 4-3  
larryflower37 : 5/13/2019 9:35 pm : link
And most didn't know what to expect.
It was Reeves and Nolan's defense and it wasn't overly accepted.
The transition took awhile and Strahan looked like a bust.
That was a dark time
The first rounder was Dave Brown in the Supplemental draft  
David B. : 5/13/2019 9:36 pm : link
Strahan was the 2nd rounder from a small school, Texas Southern. There wasn't much known about him due to his time in Germany, but he was highly regarded for what he was. He looked promising, but got hurt almost immediately (foot, I think) and mostly missed his rookie year. Once he got healthy and got going, it was pretty obvious he was going to be very good. But it took a year.

Mark Collins, Chris Snee,  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 5/13/2019 9:40 pm : link
Corey Webster were all 2 round picks too. All contributed to Super Bowl titles.
I think George Young picked him  
Steve in ATL : 5/13/2019 9:40 pm : link
for the most part, he was a very good drafter so I had confidence in his picks. Dave Brown was one of George's poor picks.
RE: The Giants we're switching to a 4-3  
RicosRoidedElbow : 5/13/2019 10:05 pm : link
In comment 14442526 larryflower37 said:
Quote:
And most didn't know what to expect.
It was Reeves and Nolan's defense and it wasn't overly accepted.
The transition took awhile and Strahan looked like a bust.
That was a dark time


This is a good answer. I didn't know about the 4-3, thanks for providing something instead of "We didn't know. No internet."

Thank you for the response.
Prediction  
Iamhagg1 : 5/13/2019 11:01 pm : link
I thought he predicted he was going to have 10 sacks in his rookie season only to get hurt... I could be wrong, but for some reason I think he said that when he was drafted...
I hated it  
Joey in VA : 5/13/2019 11:26 pm : link
I wanted Dan Footman from FSU or Steve Tovar from Ohio State. That's the day I learned that we know nothing about who is out there, how they may progress or what the big college bias makes us think. From that day, after Strahan struggled, got injured, got a huge contract and was ridiculed here, then went on to be the best DL this franchise has ever seen, I decided to trust the front office. I was livid when we took Luke Petitgout, but the guys I wanted before him were bums in the NFL. It's really those two events that made me realize that we as fans know about 10% of what talent evaluators do and we suck at knowing what we watch compared to them.

I remember hating the Eli pick, I wanted Big Ben and the picks, not Eli and I ended up witnessing two of the most sensational playoff runs I've ever seen and I don't regret it one bit. NFL teams are simply smarter than we are, and despite bold predictions and the occasional lucky nugget we find, they are professionals and we are idiots.
It wasn't like it was the dark ages; it was still on ESPN all day...  
sb from NYT Forum : 5/13/2019 11:59 pm : link
...and the consensus was it was a good pick.

We didn't have a first round pick that year because of Dave Brown in the supplemental draft. I was more pissed about that than anything.

Also, Jessie Armstead was the same draft. 8th rounder!
He wasn’t  
RAIN : 5/14/2019 12:56 am : link
real effective until he became stronger and switched to the strong side. He learned technique and leverage and in his third year started to look like something. He started very slowly... but back in the day, that was expected and ok.
RE: Strahan  
English Alaister : 5/14/2019 3:04 am : link
In comment 14442520 Nomad Crow on the Madison said:
Quote:
was the second-best second round pick in Giants history (at least since 1967). Leonard Marshall was the best second round pick.


Marshall was an absolute rock but objectively if you have a choice of Strahan or Marshall you take Strahan everytime. Annoys me he wasn't first ballot. bw wanted to cut/trade him in 98 of course.
RE: He certainly wasn't an overnight sensation...  
Rolyrock : 5/14/2019 3:09 am : link
+1
I think the Giants were targeting Todd Kelly (who went to the Niners)  
Milton : 5/14/2019 3:26 am : link
...and Strahan was their second choice. I recall reading in TSN prior to the draft that Strahan was a guy who was late to football (from Germany) and needed development coming from Texas Southern but that in five years he could turn out to be the best of the bunch (at the time I think they had him ranked 5th among the DE prospects). That proved to be prophetic!
Not super athletic and twitchy  
Coach Red Beaulieu : 5/14/2019 3:27 am : link
Kinda chubby looking too. He was a master craftsman.
RE: I hated it  
Coach Red Beaulieu : 5/14/2019 3:32 am : link
In comment 14442612 Joey in VA said:
Quote:
I wanted Dan Footman from FSU or Steve Tovar from Ohio State. That's the day I learned that we know nothing about who is out there, how they may progress or what the big college bias makes us think. From that day, after Strahan struggled, got injured, got a huge contract and was ridiculed here, then went on to be the best DL this franchise has ever seen, I decided to trust the front office. I was livid when we took Luke Petitgout, but the guys I wanted before him were bums in the NFL. It's really those two events that made me realize that we as fans know about 10% of what talent evaluators do and we suck at knowing what we watch compared to them.

I remember hating the Eli pick, I wanted Big Ben and the picks, not Eli and I ended up witnessing two of the most sensational playoff runs I've ever seen and I don't regret it one bit. NFL teams are simply smarter than we are, and despite bold predictions and the occasional lucky nugget we find, they are professionals and we are idiots.

I disliked the Eli trade at the time too. But the pros are wrong too, I disliked Pugh, Flowers, Wilson and wtf Apple. Or maybe our previous regime wasn't professional XD
re: Luke Petitgout  
Milton : 5/14/2019 4:02 am : link
Like Joey, I didn't want Petitgout. I wanted LJ Shelton or Aaron Gibson. I took solace in the fact that both were still available when Petitgout was selected so I knew the Giants had their choice and chose Luke. And as Joey said, they were right, I was wrong.
I watched the draft that year.  
truebluelarry : 5/14/2019 7:44 am : link
The Giants had no first round pick in 1993 because they used it on Dave Brown in the supplemental draft in 1992.

I recall Mel Kiper saying that the Giants got a bargain, he had Strahan rated with a first round value.
I didn't watch the draft at the time, but Strahan was a perfect  
barens : 5/14/2019 8:03 am : link
example of how not to react when a player doesn't come out of the gate an all pro. It took Strahan a couple of years to figure it out.
RE: I hated it  
Alan in Toledo : 5/14/2019 8:15 am : link
In comment 14442612 Joey in VA said:
Quote:
I wanted Dan Footman from FSU or Steve Tovar from Ohio State. That's the day I learned that we know nothing about who is out there, how they may progress or what the big college bias makes us think. From that day, after Strahan struggled, got injured, got a huge contract and was ridiculed here, then went on to be the best DL this franchise has ever seen, I decided to trust the front office. I was livid when we took Luke Petitgout, but the guys I wanted before him were bums in the NFL. It's really those two events that made me realize that we as fans know about 10% of what talent evaluators do and we suck at knowing what we watch compared to them.

I remember hating the Eli pick, I wanted Big Ben and the picks, not Eli and I ended up witnessing two of the most sensational playoff runs I've ever seen and I don't regret it one bit. NFL teams are simply smarter than we are, and despite bold predictions and the occasional lucky nugget we find, they are professionals and we are idiots.


Hear, hear. (applause)
He was bulky, slow, but showed power  
JonC : 5/14/2019 8:51 am : link
Actually looked more like he might better suited to DT, until he started to figure out how to play the end with leverage, ability to set the edge, and ability to chase down from the backside. He got the avalanche moving.
RE: He was bulky, slow, but showed power  
Snacks : 5/14/2019 9:13 am : link
In comment 14442827 JonC said:
Quote:
Actually looked more like he might better suited to DT, until he started to figure out how to play the end with leverage, ability to set the edge, and ability to chase down from the backside. He got the avalanche moving.


Yes, he developed and if I remember it right he really came on once he started playing at a lower weight.
Yes  
JonC : 5/14/2019 9:18 am : link
and then he took that to another level in his 30s.
..  
GothamGiants : 5/14/2019 9:29 am : link
Pretty much nailed this one
Scouting report, Strahan - ( New Window )
IIRC, he hadn't played a lot of football,  
Section331 : 5/14/2019 9:31 am : link
and was seen as a little bit of a project, but one with a very high ceiling.
RE: I loved the pick  
RinR : 5/14/2019 9:36 am : link
In comment 14442491 twostepgiants said:
Quote:
Thought he was a steal and remember him coming on and being bery imoressive in his preseason debut vs Richmond Webb


^^^This

And I love your handle.
RE: RE: The Giants we're switching to a 4-3  
djstat : 5/14/2019 12:44 pm : link
In comment 14442552 RicosRoidedElbow said:
Quote:
In comment 14442526 larryflower37 said:


Quote:


And most didn't know what to expect.
It was Reeves and Nolan's defense and it wasn't overly accepted.
The transition took awhile and Strahan looked like a bust.
That was a dark time



This is a good answer. I didn't know about the 4-3, thanks for providing something instead of "We didn't know. No internet."

Thank you for the response.
In Strahan's rookie year the Giants were still running a 3-4. It was LT's last year. Corey Miller and LT were the OLB. Michael Brooks and Carlton Bailey were ILB. Nolan was a 1st year Defensive coordinator. Strahan was playing a hybrid and learning LT's spot. Nolan even pegged Strahan to replace LT in an interview post 1993. Problem is in '94 much of the defense was revamped. Gone were Mark Collins, Myron Guyton, Greg Jackson, LT. Also Phil Simms was gone and Dave Brown was now QB, impacting the defense even more.

Strahan had potential but did not start really showing it until mid/late '95 and taking off in '96. Different error. BTW the Giants went full blown 4-3 in '95.
Strahan started at RDE and I thought he was switched to LDE because  
Ivan15 : 5/14/2019 1:17 pm : link
of his ability to hold the edge.

Recently I read, maybe here, that he was switched to accommodate Cedric Jones blind eye.
RE: Strahan started at RDE and I thought he was switched to LDE because  
Milton : 5/14/2019 1:36 pm : link
In comment 14443326 Ivan15 said:
Quote:
of his ability to hold the edge.

Recently I read, maybe here, that he was switched to accommodate Cedric Jones blind eye.
Not true, just the opposite. He refused to switch from the left side to the right side to accommodate Cedric Jones (who was partially blind in his left eye).

The story of how Strahan wound up on the left side is an interesting one. Initially, Strahan didn't want to make the switch, but Reeves told him it was just a training camp experiment for versatility purposes. When Nolan was later interviewed, he revealed that it was a permanent move and Strahan was pissed. After that, Reeves made it a policy that assistant coaches were not allowed to speak with the media.

The irony was that once Strahan realized how well he matched up against right tackles compared to left tackles, he never wanted to switch back. Not even as part of a rotation.
I was excited when we picked Strahan.  
GGGmen : 5/14/2019 4:24 pm : link
The masses may not have followed the Draft like they do today but I have been immersed in the draft since before that time. We would buy printed material from Pro Football Weekly and other publications.

Strahan was not mocked to us...mock drafts were not what they are today. You would get a mock draft in the publications but all were static and late riser, etc were not accounted for.

When we picked Strahan they played a video of him at Texas Southern playing DT and just blowing up Guards. That was the first hat I heard of him as I am sure was the case for many.

It took him a while but a Strahan turned out to be one of the best ever. He was our best Second round pick ever.
My recollection is that the beat writer for the  
3putt : 5/14/2019 7:51 pm : link
Newark Star-Ledger, Dave Klein, had Strahan going to us in the first round. When we got him in the second, I was thrilled.

Based upon some of the other comments, I have another recollection about Stray that must be faulty. I could swear he hurt himself in preseason celebrating a sack and lost significant time his first year.
I didn't pay attention to the draft mycg back then  
Sneakers O'toole : 5/16/2019 3:36 pm : link
I would catch up on a lot of what the Giants did during the off-season during camp and preseason. That's when I'd learn about many of the new faces back then. Different time.
ha, much  
Sneakers O'toole : 5/16/2019 3:38 pm : link
.
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