Sunday Reading

Giants

Rosenblatt NJ.com: How does Giants’ UDFA class stack up with rest of NFL? This expert is high on 2 undrafted rookies in particular
https://www.nj.com/giants/2020/05/how-does-giants-udfa-class-stack-up-with-rest-of-nfl-this-expert-is-high-on-2-undrafted-rookies-in-particular.html

QB

NYDN: Bennie Fowler tells Daily News the only Daniel Jones story you’ll ever need to hear
https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/ny-bennie-fowler-daniel-jones-20200523-6vfowt3x6nbddkcuydypj2l4jm-story.html

FB

Clemons SI.com: Giants Player Profile | George Aston, Fullback
https://www.si.com/.amp-nygiants/nfl/giants/news/giants-player-profile-george-aston-fullback

WR

Inabinet Alabama.com: Darius Slayton missing the usual NFL offseason
https://www.al.com/sports/2020/05/darius-slayton-missing-the-usual-nfl-offseason.html

Valentine BBV: New York Giants giving Corey Coleman yet another chance
https://www.bigblueview.com/platform/amp/2020/5/23/21266151/new-york-giants-giving-corey-coleman-yet-another-chance-2020-roster-analysis

TE

Traina SI.com: Tight Ends Preview: Giants Have the Talent, But Need to Deploy It Better
https://www.si.com/.amp-nygiants/nfl/giants/news/tight-ends-preview-giants-have-the-talent-but-need-to-deploy-it-better

DT

Jason OTC: What would a contract extension for Dalvin Tomlinson look like?
“Have to see how the year plays out but Id think he would be looking at DJ Reader at $13.25M and Javon Hargrave at $13M as reasonable comps”

ILB

Schwartz NYP: Why ex-Packer Blake Martinez will be key to Giants defense
https://nypost.com/2020/05/24/why-ex-packer-blake-martinez-will-be-key-to-giants-defense/amp/

Valentine BBV: Ryan Connelly: What role will he play for Giants in 2020?
https://www.bigblueview.com/2020/5/24/21266319/ryan-connelly-what-role-will-he-play-for-ny-giants-in-2020

CB

Clemons SI.com: Giants Player Profile | Christian Angulo, DB
https://www.si.com/.amp-nygiants/nfl/giants/news/giants-player-profile-christian-angulo-db

NFL

Volin Boston Globe: Sunday Football Notes: Taking a closer look at the NFL’s new normal
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/23/sports/taking-closer-look-nfls-new-normal/

Jason OTC: Best shape for a lower cap scenario? “Colts, Chargers, Jaguars, Patriots, and either the Bengals or Redskins”
No team will benefit from a cap downfall

Jason OTC: Worst shape for a lower cap scenario? “New Orleans, Philly, Atlanta, Chicago, and Dallas if they dont re-sign Dak this year”

Philadelphia have pushed a good deal of money to the future. Currently they have the worst on paper situation in the NFL in 2021. In reality its not the worst but its not great

Remember Dallas will gain around $7M this year to carryover and $5M next year once they process that Frederick retirement. They also have other deals with flexibility but bigger thing is extending Dak by the deadline

Atlanta are just going year by year in hopes of a miracle. It happened in New Orleans with the draft but that is what they need

Jason OTC: Will the cap go down? “I think it could. Most likely the NFL and union will agree to a plan that eases the pain and allocates it over a few seasons to prevent a mass wave of cuts”

“Contracts are independent of the salary cap with the exception of players who could be tagged next year. Their salaries would fall if the cap fell”

Matt Bowen ESPN: Pre-snap checklist for DBs — Have to adjust for offensive tempo when needed.
Key is to gain an advantage before the snap.
Maybe it’s a WR in a reduced split, offensive tendency based on formation or field position, anticipating motion, etc

DB Pre-snap checklist:

1. Down & Distance
2. Offensive Personnel
3. Coverage Call
4. Game Situation (Red Zone, Backed-Up, etc.)
5. Break the Huddle
6. Offensive Formation ID & WR splits
7. Check your Stance/Alignment
8. QB Cadence
9. Motions/Adjustment
10. Eyes on your work

Basic Cover 2 reads for the Safety (deep half alignment) —
Eyes to No.1 (WR) at the snap...Read the release for run/pass key + the route.

I think the majority of veteran NFL players are dialed-in on pre-snap keys, game situation, etc. Gain an edge there.
However, as a rookie, I honestly was just trying to get lined up before the snap. Stuff moves fast

ARIZONA
Weinfuss ESPN AZ: Cardinals' Brett Toth fulfilling Army commitment at Arizona State ROTC
https://www.espn.com/blog/arizona-cardinals/post/_/id/33122/arizona-cardinals-brett-toth-fulfilling-army-commitment-at-arizona-state-rotc?

BALTIMORE
Preston Baltimore Sun: Is it time for ‘Hollywood’ to shine for Ravens?
https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/analysis/preston/bs-sp-marquise-brown-20200523-335qzelaa5fonaa46fqm7qudpq-story.html

Hensley ESPN Baltimore: Big risk? Why Ravens see Patrick Queen as a hit despite inexperience
https://www.espn.com/blog/baltimore-ravens/post/_/id/52286/big-risk-why-ravens-see-patrick-queen-as-a-hit-despite-inexperience?

BUFFALO
Talbot Syracuse.com: AJ Epenesa, Zack Moss, Gabriel Davis all have ‘chip’ that Buffalo Bills covet (4 thoughts on Bills: Embedded)
https://www.syracuse.com/buffalo-bills/2020/05/aj-epenesa-zack-moss-gabriel-davis-all-have-chip-that-buffalo-bills-covet-4-thoughts-on-bills-embedded.html

CHICAGO
Lieser Chicago Sun Times: Foles gold? Bears need quarterback to thrive, be bridge to 2022 season
https://chicago.suntimes.com/platform/amp/bears/2020/5/23/21265218/foles-gold-bears-need-quarterback-to-thrive-be-bridge-to-2022-season

CLEVELAND
Cabot Cleveland Plain Dealer: How will Baker Mayfield benefit from the Browns’ play-action attack? Hey, Mary Kay!
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/05/how-will-baker-mayfield-benefit-from-the-browns-play-action-attack-hey-mary-kay.html

Pluto Cleveland Plain Dealer: What’s the deal with Olivier Vernon? Linebackers? What’s the plan? Terry’s Talkin’ Cleveland Browns
https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/05/whats-the-deal-with-olivier-vernon-linebackers-whats-the-plan-terrys-talkin-cleveland-browns.html

DALLAS
Gehlken Dallas Morning News: Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb is known for making ‘unreal’ catches in big moments, but it’s his ‘dog’ mentality that sets him apart
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/cowboys/2020/05/23/cowboys-wr-ceedee-lamb-is-known-for-making-unreal-catches-in-big-moments-but-its-his-dog-mentality-that-sets-him-apart/?

DENVER
Newman Denver Post: Raiders’ move to Las Vegas will add juice to stale rivalry with Broncos
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/24/broncos-insider-raiders-move-to-las-vegas-add-juice-to-rivalry/amp/

Keeler Denver Post: Broncos rookie Tyrie Cleveland can’t wait to prove doubters, and NFL execs, wrong
https://www.denverpost.com/2020/05/24/tyrie-cleveland-broncos-florida-gators-nfl-draft-doubters/amp/

DETROIT
Rothstein ESPN Detroit: Lions' Aussie rookie could be first to go from AFL to NCAA to NFL
https://www.espn.com/blog/detroit-lions/post/_/id/36574/lions-aussie-rookie-could-be-first-to-go-from-afl-to-ncaa-to-nfl?

HOUSTON
McClain Houston Chronicle: In AFC South arms race, Texans still tops
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/texas-sports-nation/john-mcclain/article/McClain-In-AFC-South-arms-race-Texans-still-tops-15289538.php

INDIANAPOLIS
Erickson Indianapolis Star: Brought together by circumstance, Frank Reich has come to value Matt Eberflus' flexibility
https://amp.indystar.com/amp/5222426002

Walker Colts.com: Getting On The Radar When the COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of college pro days across the country, Isaiah Rodgers had to get creative. And after running a blazing 4.28-second 40-yard dash in his "virtual pro day" video sent across the league, Rodgers saw his stock rise considerably, all the way to becoming a sixth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts
https://www.colts.com/news/isaiah-rodgers-umass-cornerback-returner-covid-19-pro-day-nfl-draft

KANSAS CITZ
Bastock Toledo Blade: Patterson adapting to NFL virtually as a rookie

“After going undrafted, he had to wait a week before signing as a free agent. That was after a year in which he was named the team MVP at Michigan. In 2019, he threw for 3,061 yards, becoming just the third player in program history to surpass the 3,000-yard mark in a single year.
But the season wasn’t perfect, and compared to the year prior, his passer rating and completion percentage both dropped (149.8 to 139.4; 64.6 to 56.2). Early in the season, he battled with injuries, and after Michigan’s game against Penn State, he said that was the first time he felt “100 percent healthy.”

Patterson started in both 2018 and 2019 for Michigan after transferring from Ole Miss and earning immediate eligibility. In his two years in Ann Arbor, he threw for 5,661 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.
“It was a bit stressful during the draft process just because I didn't think I wasn't going to get picked up,” Patterson said. “But obviously I think I'm in a really good position going into a great organization. I'm just very thankful and very grateful to be able to have that opportunity.”
When it came time to sign as an undrafted free agent, talks with the Chiefs began heating up once they released Kyle Shurmur on April 27, according to Patterson’s agent Bryan Ehrlich of Priority Athletes.
The move left them with three quarterbacks on the roster, all of whom Patterson knew...”

https://www.toledoblade.com/sports/michigan/2020/05/23/shea-patterson-talks-adapting-to-nfl-virtually-as-a-rookie-kansas-city-chiefs/stories/20200523040

NEW ENGLAND
Reiss ESPN Boston: Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the Patriots and NFL (2019 second-round pick Joejuan Williams eyes jack-of-all-trades niche; Patrick Chung's extension; Dalton Keene in FB mix; Gunner Olszewski among those at Gillette; congrats to Malcolm Mitchell etc.)
https://www.espn.com/blog/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4820253/patriots-db-joejuan-williams-adds-safety-work-to-offseason-regimen

Callahan Boston Herald: Why the Patriots are well-prepared for more roster turnover and pandemic turmoil in 2021
https://www.bostonherald.com/2020/05/24/why-the-patriots-are-well-prepared-for-more-roster-turnover-and-pandemic-turmoil-in-2021/amp/

NEW ORLEANS
Just Nola.com: Saints officially agree to terms with LB Anthony Chickillo
https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/article_5ef316ce-9d03-11ea-843e-2302687a261b.amp.html

NEW YORK JETS
Cimini ESPN NY: A look at what's happening around the New York Jets: Jets' Sam Darnold will profit from additions of Joe Flacco, Frank Gore
https://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-jets/post/_/id/83202/jets-sam-darnold-will-profit-from-old-friends-joe-flacco-frank-gore?

Costello NYP: Jets’ rash of linebacker injuries could come with huge payoff
https://nypost.com/2020/05/23/jets-rash-of-linebacker-injuries-could-come-with-huge-payoff/amp/

Shipgel NYT: In Joe Flacco, Jets Get a Credible Backup for Sam Darnold
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/23/sports/football/joe-flacco-jets.amp.html

Charles Robinson Yahoo Sports: A quick look at where things stand with the Jets, Cowboys and Jamal Adams. Many hurdles. Much money. More emotion

1. Without a contract extension, Jamal Adams wants to be traded. Jets prefer to keep him and extend him in 2021. If teams are interested in Adams, they can call. But Jets are not going to shop him. His agent doesn't have the green light to set up a deal, either. Teams must call

2. Sticking point on extension is simple. Guys like Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack played four seasons (and won DPOY) before their extensions. Jets don't want to do Adams' deal after three years for the highest-paid-safety money he wants. In 2021 it could be a different story

3. Adams' trade preference is the Cowboys, but that's not the only team he'd play for. There are others. But it's been clear for a while to the Jets he'd like to be close to his home town, which is near Dallas. This feels a lot like the Earl Thomas crossroads with the Seahawks

4. The price for Adams may be more complicated than what was reported by Michael Irvin. The 1st & 3rd round pick is correct. But last year's trade deadline mess involving Adams and Cowboys left the Jets feeling burned. That could linger into the price point this time around

5. Cowboys haven't called Jets about Adams yet. And they face two possible financial hurdles if they deal for him: Either ask him to play on his rookie deal another year (like Jalen Ramsey did with the Rams to get that deal done), or get Dak Prescott signed to a long term deal

6. I firmly believe there is some family & emotion wrapped up in this. Adams has been upset since last season's trade deadline drama, and he's getting some strong trade advisement from his father George, who was a former NFL running back and first round pick. It's a little messy

https://sports.yahoo.com/if-cowboys-want-jets-jamal-adams-they-need-to-pick-up-the-phone-014148683.html

PHILADELPHIA
Kempski Phillyvoice: A look at the success of NFL quarterbacks in 4th and long situations
https://www.phillyvoice.com/a-look-at-success-of-nfl-quarterbacks-in-4th-and-long-situations/

Gallen Penn Live: Eagles’ Carson Wentz ‘excited’ about working with new assistant Rich Scangarello
https://www.pennlive.com/philadelphiaeagles/2020/05/eagles-carson-wentz-excited-about-working-with-new-assistant-rich-scangarello.html

PITTSBURGH
Fittipaldo Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Analysis: Kick tradition to the curb and bring on excitement of fourth-and-15
https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2020/05/23/A-vote-for-fourth-and-15-Let-s-kick-tradition-to-the-curb-and-bring-some-excitement-back-to-the-NFL/stories/202005220085

SAN FRANCISCO
Cohn SI.com: How DeForest Buckner's Absence will Impact the 49ers Defense
https://www.si.com/.amp-49ers/nfl/49ers/news/how-deforest-buckners-loss-will-impact-the-49ers-defense

SEATTLE
Gallant ESPN 710 Seattle: Buckle up — lawyers making Seahawks CB Quinton Dunbar’s case all that more bizarre

“May 13
• Dunbar and Giants cornerback Deandre Baker allegedly attend a cookout party in Miramar, Fla. (just outside Miami) featuring cards and video games.
May 14
• 12:20 a.m.: Police were called about an alleged armed robbery involving Dunbar that took place 45 minutes earlier.

• 9 a.m.: Dunbar did a Zoom call with sports media members from Seattle who were totally unaware of the incident.
• 4:15 p.m.: Miramar Police issue an arrest warrant for Dunbar for four counts of armed robbery with a firearm.

“Arrest warrant? Give me details, PAWL.”
• Witness 1 – who hosted the party – alleged that Baker pointed a gun at a party attendee and directed Dunbar and an unidentified man wearing a red mask to take money and valuables from the attendees.
• Witness 2 claimed that Baker and the red masked individual were armed but that Dunbar was not and that all three left together in different vehicles. He believed the cars were pre-positioned to leave the party quickly.
• Witness 3 stated that Baker, the red masked individual (who apparently goes by Shy) and Dunbar were armed, and also believed that the three left in three pre-positioned vehicles. He said that he’d met Baker and Dunbar two days before in Miami at a party where Baker and Dunbar lost $70,000 in high-stakes gambling.
• Witness 4 detailed that Baker pointed a gun at him, and while he didn’t see a firearm on Dunbar, he said he saw and heard Dunbar directing others to take valuables.

• Witness 5 – Dominick Johnson – said he’d known Baker and Dunbar since they were children. He said that Baker had a gun but that he didn’t see one in Dunbar’s possession. A police officer tried to call Baker with Johnson’s cell phone but Baker hung up.
May 15
• Dunbar’s lawyer Michael Grieco says that five witnesses signed affidavits attesting that Dunbar was not armed and did not participate in the armed robbery.
May 16
• Dunbar surrenders to Miramar Police.
May 17
• Dunbar released from jail on $100,000 bond.
May 18
• Dunbar apologizes to the Seahawks and fans for “unnecessary distractions.”
May 19
• ESPN’s Cameron Wolfe reports the robbery took place because of an illegal dice gambling game with 15 to 20 occupants and a commotion ensued after parties were accused of cheating with “loaded dice.”
Those are the facts, and they aren’t funny, especially when you consider that the Seahawks’ defense will likely need Dunbar on the field to take any kind of step forward in 2020. Plus, the whole robbery thing.

Enter the lawyers. [Grabs record] [Plays circus music]
Let’s start with Dunbar’s character of a lawyer, Michael Grieco. He’s a man of bombastic words, seeming like a cross between fictional lawyers Saul Goodman and Jackie Chiles. Take his interview with 710 ESPN Seattle’s John Clayton last week where he bragged that he had “five smoking guns” in Dunbar’s favor with changed testimonies from all five witnesses in 36 hours – an event that certainly raised my enormous eyebrows. When Clayton asked Grieco about the sworn affidavits, he answered “I’m not going to speak to the type of people they are,” only to say he thought they were “scam artists” seconds later.
Greico’s been like this in a past career. Did you know he was previously Miami Beach commissioner and a legitimate Miami Beach Mayoral candidate in 2017? At least until the Miami Herald began investigating Grieco for illegally taking a donation from a foreign national. When the paper confronted him about this, Grieco said: “It is absolutely untrue. You can look right into my soul.” Strong words! At least until he stopped running for mayor the next month after the state attorney’s office began digging, resigned from his commissioner position in October, and cut a deal that barred him from public office for a year. And now? Oh, he’s a Florida state representative running for re-election in addition to his day job as a defense lawyer.

I don’t know Grieco personally. I’m not sure I want to based off the piece linked to in the paragraph above (a fascinating read) which described him as someone to be afraid of, “a destructive personality” and someone who thought he was “above the law” (not to mention like Fredo from “The Godfather”). And he’s exactly the kind of shameless self-promoter – exhibits A, B and C (that background though) – you’d expect a Saul Goodman or Jackie Chiles to be.
None of the above has anything to do with Grieco’s lawyering. But this tweet, presented on Twitter as if it was new evidence despite being available in the original arrest warrant, is misleading at best, and it’s a bit surprising that he’s representing NFL players.

“Quick update on Mr. Dunbar’s case...dispatch reports show the accusers waited at least 45 minutes before calling police.”

Why? Because he resigned as assistant state attorney in 2006 when he was found to be posting news stories about an assault charge against the late Sean Taylor, a former NFL All-Pro safety.

Isn’t this story ridiculous? There’s still more to dissect.
DeAndre Baker’s lawyer, Patrick Patel, is something else, too. I didn’t know that “Ignore that rattin’, my client was playing Madden!” could be used as a defense (he didn’t actually say that though he should have), but it’s the one that Patel pulled, angrily stating that Baker only brought his Xbox and a controller to the party.
“Far from an individual who’s going somewhere with an alleged intent to rob somebody, an armed robbery, to go there and hook up his Madden game, play the game for over an hour and then leave it there and go home,’’ Patel said to the New York Post.
Whether true or untrue, it’s one of the funniest alibis I’ve ever read. For his part, Patel is trying to collect electronic evidence that proves Baker was logged on and playing Madden and that he “bounced” when he heard a “ruckus” going on in another room of the house. Meanwhile I’m jealous of the idea that anyone would just up and leave their gaming console at someone else’s house.

Thought Grieco was done adding to the hilarity of this whole case? It just keeps getting more and more 2020 because there’s even DM sliding! That linked tweet (something that could theoretically be doctored fairly easily online) PEEVED Patel. Why? Scroll back up to Witness 3, who claimed that he’d seen Dunbar and Baker lose $70,000 in a game of dice two days before. The alleged direct message could establish an alibi for Dunbar while creating a motive for Baker.
“Baker is going to immediately file a lawsuit against Grieco for libel and slander, making everybody believe that Baker is in that picture, because his name is in the text,” Patel told the Post. “The text is complete (baloney). Read the text. You can say anybody is that person.”
Patel also wanted to make clear that the picture of the two men with smiley faces covering their face did not include Baker, saying “Look at the size of the arms and the tats . . . It’s not (Baker).”

This story began as a robbery that may have involved two NFL players. Now? It’s a laugh out loud battle between two cartoonish lawyers. So excuse me while I buy a giant bag of popcorn because with the way this case has gone thus far, I can’t wait for what’s next.”

https://sports.mynorthwest.com/843180/gallant-seahawks-dunbar-case-bizarre-lawyers/amp/

TAMPA BAY
Judge SI.com: Guest column: How the Brady Effect has already changed Tampa and the Bucs
https://www.si.com/nfl/talkoffame/nfl/the-brady-effect-and-how-it-is-changing-tampa-and-the-bucs

TENNESSEE
Scheinuk NO Advocate: Kristian Fulton's No. 26 Titans jersey to be 'a reminder' of all CBs drafted ahead of him
https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/sports/lsu/article_9e0b1f2c-9d2c-11ea-bb72-e7f3d03396b9.html

Colleges/Draft

WR
PFF: Highest graded returning power five WRs on verticals (go, post, corner) in 2019:

1. Ja'Marr Chase, LSU
2. Seth Williams, Auburn
3. David Bell, Purdue
4. George Pickens, Georgia
5. Justyn Ross, Clemson

Life

Bell USA Today: Cris Carter remembers going hungry, so he's leading NFL Hall of Famers in feeding those affected by coronavirus
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/columnist/bell/2020/05/23/nfl-hall-famer-cris-carter-going-hungry-project-isaiah-coronavirus/5250430002/

Tom Coughlin Jay Fund: We are excited to announce that EliManning will be an honoree at the 2020 Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Champions for Children Gala on Friday, October 2nd.

Former Giants News

Stephenson Alabama.com: Auburn legend Tucker Frederickson looks back on football career, success in golf real estate

“The Match: Champions for Charity” will be played Sunday at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla., a course co-designed and co-founded in 1995 by two-time British Open champion Greg Norman. But the man who put together the deal that allowed the course to be built is none other than Tucker Frederickson, an All-America football player for Ralph “Shug” Jordan at Auburn in the mid-1960s and for the last three decades a highly successful real estate developer in his native south Florida.

Frederickson also brokered the deals to build two courses in Jupiter, Fla., co-designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus — The Bear’s Club and the Jupiter Ritz Carlton Golf Club & Spa (which was sold to future President Donald Trump in 2002 and is now Trump National Golf Club Jupiter). It’s an industry Frederickson got involved in through contacts he made during his time as a broker on Wall Street, following a seven-year career with the NFL’s New York Giants.
“I left New York and I got back down here, but I was still involved with Wall Street for a couple of years,” Frederickson told AL.com this week in a phone interview from his office in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. “We had a hedge fund investment pool and we were trading stocks, making a good living. I got to know Jack Nicklaus and I got to know Greg Norman and got to know the guys around here. North Palm Beach is where all the (professional) golfers are.
“I got to know Greg and we played a lot of tennis and golf and Greg said ‘we need to do a golf course.’ … We did Medalist and then Jack said ‘we’ve got to do one.’ So I went with Jack and found a piece of property and that’s the Bear’s Club today. It just sort of happened.”

In a way, Frederickson’s Auburn career is something else that “just sort of happened.” From a family of veterinarians (his father, uncle and three cousins were all vets), Frederickson planned to take that course of study at the college level.
Frederickson was recruited by many of the top programs in the country out of South Broward High School in Hollywood, Fla., but desired to stay in the South for college. At that time, Georgia and Auburn had two of the top veterinary programs in the region.
“Georgia had a vet school and I went to see them, and Wally Butts scared me to death,” Frederickson said of the long-time Bulldogs coach. “He was tough, tough, tough. Then I took a trip to Auburn and Coach Jordan was just the opposite. He was very stately, very polite. So that’s why I went there.”
As signing day for the 1961 recruiting class approached, Frederickson took his official visit to Auburn. Bobby Hunt, then the Tigers’ star quarterback, was dispatched to Columbus, Ga., to pick up Frederickson and help show him around campus.

Somehow, Frederickson’s luggage got switched with another passenger. That led to a humorous situation when he and Hunt arrived back at the on-campus cabins that served as football player housing in those days.
“I had a Samsonite (suitcase) and they all looked the same,” Frederickson recalled. “I grabbed the wrong one, or somebody else grabbed mine. It must have been a traveling salesman. We went on to Bobby Hunt’s cabin, and about that time Coach Jordan shows up and we talked for a while.
“Finally, Bobby says ‘let’s go out and get an early dinner.’ I said ‘OK, let me change clothes first.’ I opened up the Samsonite and out fell about three bottles of Jack Daniel’s. I looked up and Coach Jordan says ‘uh oh.’ I said ‘I swear, that’s not me.’ I finally got it straightened out the next day, but I had to wear the same clothes all that evening.”
Despite the first night faux pas, Frederickson hit it off with Jordan. He signed with Auburn and joined the Tigers’ freshman team that fall.
Hunt, who went on to become a standout defensive back in the AFL with the Kansas City Chiefs, was a senior for the Auburn varsity that season. He said the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Frederickson looked the part of a future college football star.

“I’ll tell you what, he was the best-looking prospect I’ve ever seen,” Hunt said. “He just had a presence about him. And that wound up being true on the field. He was a nice guy, and a great football player.”
Frederickson joined the Auburn varsity along with standout quarterback prospect Jimmy Sidle and others in 1962. The Tigers went 6-3-1 that season, but blossomed into one of the top teams in the SEC the following year.
With Sidle leading the SEC with 1,006 rushing yards and Frederickson excelling at both running back and safety, Auburn went 9-2 and finished second in the conference in 1963. The Tigers memorably stunned two-time defending SEC champion Alabama 10-8 in the Iron Bowl, with Frederickson scoring the game-winning touchdown on a pass from back-up quarterback Mailon Kent, who was filling in for the injured Sidle.
“Tucker might have been the last great two-way player in the Southeastern Conference,” said David Housel, Auburn’s long-time sports information director and later its athletics director. “I don’t think there’s been anybody at Auburn who’s been better since he played, mainly because they’re all one-way players now. Tucker played both ways and was an All-American-level player on both offense and defense. There have been better athletes maybe, but I would have to say Tucker is the best player since his time.”

Auburn capped that season with a 13-7 loss to Nebraska in the Orange Bowl in Frederickson’s hometown of Miami. Expectations were high for 1964, as the Tigers began the season ranked No. 1 nationally by Sports Illustrated.
Those dreams fizzle early, however, as Sidle was injured in the season-opener against Houston and never re-gained full effectiveness. The Tigers limped home at 6-4, with arch-rival Alabama winning the SEC and claiming the national championship.
“My junior year was really the highlight of my college career,” Frederickson said. “Senior year was very disappointing. Jimmy got hurt that first game and that was pretty much it for the year.
“Jimmy was a great athlete. It’s just too bad we didn’t throw the ball better back then. But his bread-and-butter was rolling out to pass and he was a really good runner.”

Nevertheless, Frederickson secured numerous individual honors as a senior. He was named SEC Back of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club and a first-team All-American by several organizations.
Frederickson also won the Jacobs Trophy as the SEC’s best blocker for the second straight year. Every player who has won the award since him has been an offensive lineman or tight end.
“Tucker was one heck of a blocker,” Housel said. “He just kind of crushed you when he came around the end. They had a play called ‘Selma’ — Selma Right and Selma Left, which was named for Coach Jordan’s hometown. Sidle would take the ball and run around the end, with Tucker and (halfback) Larry Rawson leading the way. They ran it all the time and it worked almost all the time.”
Jordan, who coached Auburn from 1951-75 and was an assistant for several years before that, once called Frederickson “the most complete football player I have seen in the 38 years I’ve been connected with the game.” Veteran sports writer Clyde Bolton, who covered college football for the Birmingham News from 1961-2001, wrote many times that Frederickson was the greatest player in Auburn history.

Perhaps the greatest honor, however, came from an opposing coach shortly after his senior season. Alabama’s Paul “Bear” Bryant was so happy that Frederickson’s time at Auburn had ended that he gave him a “graduation gift.”
“I was SEC Back of the Year and there was a banquet,” Frederickson said. “(Bryant) was there and I was there. I got the trophy and he gave a speech and said ‘I’m so glad to see Frederickson go.’ He gave me a package and there was a tie in it.”
As you might expect, Frederickson was one of the top prospects for the 1964-65 NFL draft, which then took place in November (the competing AFL’s draft was in early December). However, he wound up not even being the most-celebrated potential pro from his own state.
Alabama quarterback Joe Namath was a senior that same year, and signed with the AFL’s New York Jets for a then-unheard-of sum of $400,000 shortly after the Crimson Tide lost to Texas in the Orange Bowl. With Auburn not playing in a bowl game that season, Frederickson had already settled with the New York Giants for three years and $82,500 — plus a $30,000 bonus — as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

Jimmy Sidle was getting married that weekend and I was going to the wedding,” Frederickson said. “I got a call on Friday from the Giants and they said they were going to draft me No. 1. And then I got a call from Denver, which had the No. 1 pick in the AFL. I said ‘I’m going to New York,’ like a dummy and told Denver to forget it. I didn’t have an agent.
“Because (Alabama) beat us, Joe went to the Orange Bowl and couldn’t sign until after the game. … He was smarter than me. He got one of his buddies to negotiate for him and got all that money. I decided Jimmy Sidle’s wedding was more important than negotiating with the Giants. So I just told them to give me the same kind of money their No. 1 pick the year before had gotten. Not too smart.”
Like Namath, Frederickson was an immediate sensation as a rookie in New York. He rushed for 659 yards and five touchdowns while also seeing time at linebacker in 1965, earning a Pro Bowl berth.
And like Namath, Frederickson’s pro career was severely curtailed by knee injuries. He wrecked his left knee during a training camp scrimmage in July 1966, and missed the entire season.

“New York was spectacular, fantastic. It was a different world,” Frederickson said. “ … We had a good first year, so it looked like things were really picking up. But then I tore up my knee in summer practice, and that was pretty much it for my career. I had surgery and had a full-length cast from the top of my hip to my ankle for seven months. They couldn’t fix (knees) in those days the way they can now.”
Frederickson came back in 1967 and played another five years, but wasn’t the same player. He finished his career in 1971 with 2,209 yards and nine touchdowns rushing, plus 128 catches and another eight scores receiving.
While sitting out his second year while injured, Frederickson began to think about life after football. He got his brokerage license in 1967 and soon discovered he had a talent for investing and stock trading.
“After I got hurt my second year, I knew football wasn’t going to last forever,” Frederickson said. “So I passed my brokerage test and got into Wall Street and stayed another 20 years. I was making a lot more money in Wall Street than I was playing football. So it was pretty easy to quit.”

During his time in the investment world, Frederickson was able to make contacts that would serve him well in his next venture. With plenty of money in the bank and three children (he now has four), he decided it was time to move back south.
In addition to his financial management dealings and golf course land deals, Frederickson has also developed various shopping centers in the Palm Beach area. He has served on the boards of a number of youth sports and outdoor recreation organizations over the years.
Frederickson has lived back home in Florida for close to 30 years now, and turned 77 in January. He said he still occasionally makes trips back to Auburn, most recently for the 2017 Iron Bowl.
“I was up there when Jarrett Stidham and Kerryon Johnson and that bunch beat the hell out of Alabama,” Frederickson said. “I took (golf legend) Ernie Els with me. When Jay Jacobs was AD, he was always nice enough to invite me up from time-to-time. Jay’s now at Florida and we still keep in touch. He’s a great guy. And Gus Malzahn is a great guy, too.”

In 1992, Frederickson was the top vote-getter in fan balloting for Auburn’s Team of the Century, ahead of Heisman Trophy winners Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan. Two years later, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Given the accolades he’s earned both on the field and off, Frederickson would have to be on any short list of Auburn’s all-time success stories. Housel, who enrolled as an Auburn student the semester after Frederickson left for the NFL, said Tigers fans and alums of a certain age certainly continue to hold him in high esteem.
“He works with Jack Nicklaus — that is all I need to know to say that he’s been a success,” Housel said. “… Auburn people take great pride in him, especially those old enough to remember him as a player. Tucker Frederickson is the kind of guy you want Auburn to be known for producing. He makes you proud to be an Auburn guy.”

https://www.al.com/sports/2020/05/auburn-legend-tucker-frederickson-looks-back-on-football-career-success-in-golf-real-estate.html

History

Memorial Day Weekend

Turney PFJ: Memorial Day—Al Blozis

“Al Blozis was 6-6, 250 pounds, huge by the days standard of his day. He was a tackle for the New York Giants. In retrospect, he would have been the NFL's defensive player of the year in 1943. On film, he was just dominant. We've seen just a few full games of his from that year and he always stood out. He was listed as a tackle, though alignments were different then. 

Like Arnie Weinmesiter a decade later, he lined up over an offensive tackle and today would be called a defensive end. The ends were what would not be outside linebacker in 2-point (usually) stance. Regardless, he was a dominant player. According to Mel Hein, “If he hadn’t been killed, he could have been the greatest tackle who ever played football.”

He was All-Pro in 1943 and a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team as well. After being refused entry to the military due to his excessive size he served in United States Army from 1943–1945 and was a Second lieutenant and his unit was the 28th Infantry Division SSI in World War II.

Early in 1945 one of the patrols under his command did not return. Blozis went to search for them and he never returned from that mission. Blozis was killed by German machine-gun fire during the search which was part of the battle of the Black Mountain, in the Vosges Mountains near Colmar, France.

This account is from the Georgetown University Website. This is a letter sent to a now-defunct website that appears to have been saved by Georgetown. And we are thankful and will show it in its entirety—

"Hello, Ray. 

My name is Paul Lambert, and I just stumbled on to your Website and story of Al Blozis. It was very interesting to me because I was one of the four he went looking for.

I remember the day he led us down to the little village in the valley below. It was my birthday. There were 12 of us, but a German sniper wounded one of the men just before we reached the little village.

I was a Machine Gunner. Al sent me and three others to the furthest outpost. I don't know where he sent the other seven, but evidently, they all got out of there safely. As soon as we got to the place where we were to set up the machine gun, a big old farmhouse at end of the valley, a German sniper got one of my 3 buddies and killed him. That left only three of us to manage that gun 24 hours-a-day for five days. We were pretty much exhausted and just about out of ammo and food.

On that last day, I knew I had to get back to the command post that Al had set up in the little schoolhouse at the bottom of the mountain where we entered the village. It was snowing and visibility was next to zero. I left my two buddies to man the gun and took off very cautiously toward the Command post about a quarter mile away. In the dense snow, as I got about halfway, I saw a huge form advancing toward me. I stopped with my pistol ready, and then suddenly realized it was Lt. Blozis. And he recognized me. I was about to say something, but he motioned to me to be quiet. Just then there was a blast from a German machine gun, and Lt. Blozis fell backward to the ground. I carefully crawled on my stomach to him, but he was dead. He had several bullet holes in his body. I could do nothing except getting back to my outpost.

I knew nothing about what was happening to my Company. When I got back, I told my two surviving buddies what had happened. We didn't know what to do because we had no orders or any communications. We knew that we just couldn't desert our post. If we didn't get help very soon, we were goners because the Germans were not taking any prisoners. Just toward evening, an old man from the village came to us and told us that we had to get out of there because our comrades had all left. He told us we were surrounded by Germans and he pointed out the only chance we had of getting out of there. He showed us the direction to go and where to start climbing back over the mountain that was the least German-infested route. It took us four nights of climbing in waist-high snow to get over the mountaintop and over to the American side. We only had to kill one German soldier on the way out.

The rest of the story is long and I won't get into it. However I will say, we were able to get back to our outfit just in time to join the big attack on Colmar. The ironic part of the story is that, as we were advancing under artillery fire from the Germans, I was alongside Lt. Blozis's replacement: Lt. Johns. It was his first time in battle. I had to stop along the road to adjust one of my shoes that was hurting me. A few seconds later, an artillery shell came in just about on top of the new Lt. and instantly killed him.

There is no one else that knows the end of this story except one buddy who I know is still living somewhere in Texas. These are the facts. Lt. Blozis was a Real American Hero who would never leave any of his men under any circumstances. Now you know the whole story of Lt. Blozis' life and how and why it ended. I am 83 years old and I would hate to have died and taken this with me.

Paul Lambert"

http://nflfootballjournal.blogspot.com/2019/05/memorial-dayal-blozis.html

Giants.com: Memorial Day Tribute: Al Blozis
https://www.giants.com/video/memorial-day-tribute-al-blozis-18011337

Giants.com: Memorial Day Tribute: Jack Lummus
https://www.giants.com/video/memorial-day-tribute-jack-lummus-18005599

During World War II it was estimated that over fifty members affiliated with the Giants at one time or another were serving overseas. The heroic and tragic stories of Al Blozis and Jack Lummus, who died in The Battle of the Bulge and on Iwo Jima respectively are well known.

Al Blozis "who could have been the greatest tackle who ever lived" according to Mel Hein, spent most of two seasons with the Giants. He sought and received a dispensation from military height restrictions. He was inducted into the Army on December 9, 1944. During training he set a grenade toss record, more than 3x the distance of a normal throw. On his first patrol, less than two months after what would be his final Giant game, in an encounter related to the epic Battle of the Bulge, he was killed.

More on Blozis:
http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index.ssf/2014/01/guest_opinion_blozis_a_giant_h.html

https://storify.com/DigitalFirst/athletes-who-went-to-war/elements/509d4493c57476fd250c7368

http://www.nj.com/hudson/voices/index.ssf/2014/01/guest_opinion_blozis_a_giant_h.html

Jack Lummus was a football star at Baylor and a two way end for the Giants 1941. In January 1942, he joined the Marines and became a company commander. In February 1945 he along with nearly 7,000 Americans would die in the battle to take Iwo Jima. His citation for the Medal of Honor reads as follows:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Leader of a Rifle Platoon attached to the Second Battalion, Twenty-seventh Marines, FIFTH Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 8 March 1945. Resuming his assault tactics with bold decision after fighting without respite for two days and nights, First Lieutenant Lummus slowly advanced his platoon against an enemy deeply entrenched in a network of mutually supporting positions. Suddenly halted by a terrific concentration of hostile fire, he unhesitatingly moved forward of his front lines in an effort to neutralize the Japanese position. Although knocked to the ground when an enemy grenade exploded close by, he immediately recovered himself and, again moving forward despite the intensified barrage, quickly located, attacked and destroyed the occupied emplacement. Instantly taken under fire by the garrison of a supporting pillbox and further assailed by the slashing fury of hostile rifle fire, he fell under the impact of a second enemy grenade but, courageously disregarding painful shoulder wounds, staunchly continued his heroic one-man assault and charged the second pillbox, annihilating all the occupants. Subsequently returning to his platoon position, he fearlessly traversed his lines under fire, encouraging his men to advance and directing the fire of supporting tanks against other stubbornly holding Japanese emplacements. Held up again by a devastating barrage, he again moved into the open, rushed a third heavily fortified installation and killed the defending troops. Determined to crush all resistance, he led his men indomitably, personally attacking foxholes and spider traps with his carbine and systematically reducing the fanatic opposition, until, stepping on a land mine, he sustained fatal wounds. By his outstanding valor, skilled tactics and tenacious perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, First Lieutenant Lummus had inspired his stouthearted Marines to continue the relentless drive northward, thereby contributing materially to the success of his regimental mission. His dauntless leadership and unwavering devotion to duty throughout sustain and enhance the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country."
(Signed)

HARRY S. TRUMAN

More on Lummus:

http://www.jacklummus.com/

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/jack-lummus-the-nfls-hero-iwo-jima/5223/

In a NYT article from July 7, 1944, reporter Arthur Daley recounted a conversation he had with Wellington Mara, then the Giants' secretary and talent scout. Mara at the time was serving as a radar officer aboard an aircraft carrier in the Pacific. Mara mentioned a unexpected face to face encounter with one of his own, end Jim Poole.

The aircraft carrier Mara was on had dropped anchor and the officers were grumbling about having to wear ties while in port. Mara looked out and saw a solitary figure rowing out to the U.S.S. Randolph, dressed in a sun helmet and shorts, Mara admired how the individual was tastefully attired. When he boarded the ship, the man exclaimed, "Good grief, these are the first ties I have seen in two years!" It wasn't just any beachcomber but the Giants end, now lieutenant Jim Poole. Whether it was Poole's presence or not, the next day, an order was issued rescinding ties.

While Poole is the only one Mara saw, he mentioned what he knew of other Giants..."Nello Falaschi is doing a great job on some island in the South Pacific and Pete Cole is training Chinese troops somewhere in China. I recently heard George Franck reported as a Marine fighter pilot in the South Pacific...let me think, Red McClain is running a PT boat down there, and Frank Reagan is a Marine Captain in charge of all the leathernecks on one of our newest and biggest battleships. Remember Grenny Lansdell? He is now a transport pilot towing gliders somewhere in Europe."

Nello Falaschi had been a QB at Santa Clara, leading his team to a stunning upset of LSU in the 1937 Sugar Bowl. He joined the Giants in 1938 where his primary role was as a blocking back on offense and a linebacker on defense. After the Giants loss in the 1941 Championship game, Falaschi and 25 other Giants joined the military. For Falaschi it would mark the end of his pro football career, after the war he became a contractor. He is in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Pete Cole had been a guard for the Giants from 1937 until 1940. While serving as a supply officer for a Chinese-American detachment in Burma he became acquainted with members of the press using the shot-up fuselage of a C-47 as a press room. The plane provided shelter as well, from the menacing sun. Cole became a occupant of the airplane and his ability to find rations for the media was well appreciated.

George Franck was a All-American at Minnesota as a back, safety, and kick returner. He helped lead Minnesota to a 8-0 record in 1940 and the National Championship. He was the Giants first round draft pick in 1941. At halftime of the College All-Star game with the Bears he and four teammates were sworn into the naval air corps in front of 98,000 witnesses. Before a shoulder injury sidelined him in the game, he had a 46 yard kickoff return, then he caught a 22 yard touchdown pass. After being named MVP for the All-Stars in the game, the Navy brass was so thrilled with the favorable publicity their new recruit received, they delayed his entrance into the Navy so he could play the 1941 season with the Giants.

Franck would play both before and after the war, as he played parts of four seasons with the New York Giants. In 1941 he served as Ward Cuff's backup contributing the the Eastern Division champions with his speed, ability to return kicks as well as his punting. He intercepted four passes as well that season. During the war he was a captain USMCR/Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He received nine battle stars, and he survived his plane being shot down in the South Pacific in 1945, some 200 yards from a Japanese controlled island.

He returned to the Giants in 1945 and played for them until being released prior to the 1948 season. In 1946 he rushed for 270 yards averaging 4.6 yards per carry. In 1947 he caught a 88 yard touchdown pass. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Red McClain was a back out of SMU who joined the Giants for the 1941 season. He was orphaned at a early age and was raised in a Methodist home. He would serve as a lieutenant on a PT boat in the South Pacific. After the war he would coach at SMU and be a member of their Hall of Fame.

Frank Reagan was a triple threat back at Pennsylvania who also played minor league baseball. He signed with the Giants with the knowledge that he would be going into the military during the season in 1941. He had a significant impact in the five games he participated in, rushing for 146 yards and four touchdowns. When he departed his speed was missed in the Giants' backfield. After leaving the team and waiting to be sent overseas he was quoted in newspaper articles as advocating pay for collegiate players. He would spend the next 32 months As a senior Marine officer on the Battleship New Jersey in the Pacific. After four tears in the service he was discharged as a captain, having been one of the earliest NFL athletes to go to war.

By the start of training camp in 1945 it was the hope that the Giants would regain the services of several players serving in the military such as Reagan, Franck, Merle Hapes, Lou DeFilippo, Howie Yeager, and Marion Pugh. The Giants were at the time still losing standouts to military duty such as Bill Paschal and Len Younce.

Reagan made his return but not until 1946. he had to overcome a wrist injury limiting him to six games that season, rushing for 246 yards. He was also the recipient of a nasty shot by the Bears Ed Sprinkle that sent him to the hospital during the 1946 championship game. In 1947 he led the NFL with 10 interceptions. He followed that up with nine interceptions in 1948.

In 1949 he joined the hometown Eagles pulling down seven interceptions, he also recovered a crucial turnover in the 1949 Championship game when a ball slipped from Rams QB Norm Van Brocklin's hand early in the fourth quarter with the Rams at the Eagle two yard line. The Eagle go on to win that game. He ended his NFL career with the Eagles in 1951.

Grenny Lansdell was a star back at USC and the Giants number one pick in 1940. At USC he was a member of the 1939 College Championship team and the leading rusher and scorer at USC in 1938 and 1939. He had started a year of service in the Army in 1939 and joined the Giants in 1940 for training camp. A deep Giants backfield, as well as injuries led him to being sent to the Giants' farm team in Jersey City despite showing promise. He would only play In two games in 1940. After serving as a pilot in World War II he remained in aviation as s pilot for TWA.

Before the end of the war in 1945, a total of 55 former Giants had served in the military. These were just a few of the many that served.

There were those who served before they ever became Giants, including two of the greats:

Charlie Conerly

Cleveland Jackson Clarion Ledger: Conerly not only starred for Ole Miss, but as a Marine

“The late Charlie ‘Roach’ Conerly, from Clarksdale, was a football and baseball star at Ole Miss in 1941, having just finished his freshman season when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Not long after, Conerly volunteered for the Marines.

A year later, he was on a ship headed for Guadalcanal and the Pacific theatre for some of the most intense, bloody fighting of World War II.

I once talked to Conerly and two of his fellow Marines, Paul Fugate and Miller Dent, about the fighting.

What Conerly said will tell you much about one of Mississippi's most humble sports and war heroes. “I was lucky not to be killed,” Conerly said. “I didn't want to go and I was lucky to be able to come back.”

That was Conerly, a man of few words, and none more than necessary about himself.

His two buddies said far more.

Fugate told about one day when all three were on patrol in Guam.

“We were in a mortar platoon,” Fugate said. “One day we were out on a seven-man patrol, and Roach was the point man. He had two guns shot out of his hands that day and he just kept on going. He knew what his job was and he went out and did it.”

Dent went further.

“I don't know exactly how to say it, but Roach was like a magnet,” he said. “Roach was a natural leader. You just felt safe as long as you were around him. You felt as long as you were around him, you would be safe.”

Somehow, all three made it back. So many did not. Roach Conerly not only led Ole Miss to its first SEC football championship in 1947 but also led the Rebel baseball team in hitting with a .467 average. He could have played either professional football or baseball. He chose the former. And he was just as modest about his football greatness as he was his bravery in war.”

https://amp.clarionledger.com/amp/85261488

Emlen Tunnell:

US Coast Guard: History: Emlen Tunnell, an unsung hero

“Football fans across America marveled over Mr. Defense’s on field heroics, his accomplishments were hardly surprising to those who witnessed his valor and heroism as a Coast Guardsman during World War II.

Tunnell served honorably from 1943-46 as a steward’s mate aboard several ships’ twice cited for exceptional acts of heroism.
On April 27, 1944, the Coast Guard-manned cargo ship USS Etamin was unloading 6000 tons of explosives and gasoline while at anchor at Aitape Harbor, Papua New Guinea. Without warning, Etamin was attacked by Japanese aircraft and a torpedo blew a hole 27 feet by 27 feet in the ship’s starboard side.

With the shell plating and shaft alley of Etamin ruptured, gasoline sprayed over the after part of the ship, creating a dangerous situation for all aboard. It was Coast Guard Steward’s Mate Emlen Lewis Tunnel who came to the aid of Machinist’s Mate First Class Fred Shaver, who was on fire, pulling him to safety and severely burning his own hands in the process.

USS Etamin

The Coast Guard-manned cargo ship USS Etamin was attacked by Japanese aircraft in 1944. Tunnell was aboard when a torpedo blew a hole 27 feet by 27 feet in the ship’s starboard side. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

Tunnell, who was known to speak in football metaphors, later recalled the sinking ship as, “a small, tough fullback, without much speed, pounding forward every minute of the game.”

On March 17, 1946, Tunnell was nominated for the Silver Lifesaving Medal for once again saving the life of a fellow shipmate.
His shipmate, Alfred Givens, fell off the dock of the Coast Guard Cutter Tampa. Without regard to his own safety, Tunnell jumped into the 32-degree seas and rescued Givens. Tunnell saved his drowning shipmate, and despite being in the water for only fifteen minutes, suffered exposure and shock.

In recognition of Tunnell’s heroic actions, the commanding officer of Tampa, Cmdr. Ralph Jenkins, nominated Tunnell for the Silver Lifesaving Medal. A momentous occasion considering African Americans were not customarily awarded medals at that time in our history. He would receive a posthumous Combat Action Ribbon and is currently being considered for a Silver Lifesaving Medal.”

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2011/02/history-emlen-tunnell-an-unsung-hero/

Less famous on the football field Frank LoVuolo E D7 1949 NYG 1949 5-01-1924

"Billeted in the luxury Villa Pr’m on Clervaux's rue Brooch was Sergeant Frank A. LoVuolo, with Battery 'B' of the 107th Field Artillery, who would later play professional football with the New york Giants. He remembered being on guard duty when the artillery barrage began. 'I could hear shell fragments striking the pavement and nearby buildings and was forced to race for protection of the villa,' he recalled. 'Crawling and running, I finally reached the front door.' He slammed it shut behind behind him. 'No one at the time knew what all the German activity really meant. We were completely out of communication with everyone, and stayed put until late morning. At that point in time we heard the clanging and creaking sound of armor coming down the Wiltz road and thought the worst.' The tanks were friendly Shermans and their commander entered LoVoulo's villa and told his group the Germans had broken through their lines in several places. 'He advised us to get out of Clervaux as quickly and as best we could to avoid encirclement. Those were the last semblance of orders I would receive until I rejoined my unit at Christmas. Without hesitation and without packing of our belongings, everyone escaped onto the hillside behind,' becoming part of the ever-growing stream of Americans moving west. 'There was mass confusion and I was a part of it,' admitted LoVoulo.

"Typical of many GI's cast adrift in those first few days Sargeant Frank LoVuolo had begun to make his what cross country in search of his unit. As he recalled, 'This began an eternity of foraging for food, sleeping in barns, sprinting across open fields, and hiding in deep woods. I decided that as long as I was on my own and under no direct orders, I would strive for three objectives, (1), stay alive (2), avoid capture, and (3), find my artillery unit...in that order I succeeded in all three.' "

pp.306-308 Snow and Steel: The Battle of the Bulge, 1944-45 by Peter Caddick-Adams

LoVuolo would also have a part in one of the biggest comebacks in Giants history...on October 30, 1949 the Chicago Cards led the Giants 28-7 at the half, but in the third quarter Jack Salscheider returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score. A minute later LoVuolo scooped up a Charlie Trippi fumble for another touchdown and the Giants would then build a 34-31 lead on two Gene Roberts plunges into the line for touchdowns. The Cards weren't finished and pulled ahead 38-31 until a Charlie Conerly 68 yard pass to Roberts set up a one yard Joe Scott run for the winning touchdown with four minutes left...

The Vietnam War

Don Holleder:

Roth Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Heroes didn't come any larger than Don Holleder: 50th anniversary of death in Vietnam (2017)

“In 1956, the Giants selected Holleder, one of just 28 Army players ever drafted by the NFL, in the same class they took Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff. But Holleder’s sights were on a military career.

For the next decade, he rose in the ranks in a variety of leadership positions, including a stint as a West Point assistant coach. Knowing combat duty would advance his career and telling a friend it would be hypocritical of him to train officers for battle and not be willing to go himself, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam at a time of escalation and protest.
Now, at the Battle of Ong Thanh, about 40 miles north of Saigon, a battalion from the First Infantry Division walked into an ambush and was nearly wiped out.

From a helicopter, Holleder saw men and wounded soldiers on the fringe of the jungle in serious trouble. Hearing the anguish in their voices over a squawking radio, Holleder implored his superiors to let him organize a rescue effort. On the ground, he gathered up a few men and a medic and rushed towards the battle, attempting to do what operations officers don’t usually do.

“I never saw him before and he said, 'Come on Doc, there's wounded in there, let's go get 'em,' '' medic Tom ‘Doc’ Hinger would recall. “I have never seen such a man. He went running ahead of us. We warned him there was still firing coming in from snipers and an AK-47 opened up out of the tree line and cut the major down.”

Supported by cover fire, Hinger reached Holleder. He had been hit in the chest and thigh.

“I tried to patch him up, but he died in my arms,” Hinger said. “I only knew him for three minutes but I will remember him and what he was trying to do that day forever.”

Holleder had been in Vietnam just three months...

https://amp.democratandchronicle.com/amp/747902001

Rochester Business Journal: Recalling the short, heroic life of Maj. Donald Holleder

“A superb receiver and defender, Holleder caught five touchdown passes his junior yearp and was named to several All-America teams. With starting quarterback Peter Vann’s eligibility up and no underclassman to fill the void, Army head coach Earl Blaik asked Holleder to make the switch to quarterback his senior season. Holleder had never played the position before, but Blaik loved his leadership skills. The move was not well received at the academy. Administrators and cadets wondered if the Hall of Fame coach had lost his marbles. The press called the experiment “Blaik’s Folly.” The criticism reached a crescendo during a late-season loss to Syracuse in which the cadets began chanting for Holleder’s backup to enter the game.

But Blaik’s unwavering faith was rewarded when the quarterback led Army to a 14-6 upset of highly ranked Navy the Saturday after Holleder’s handsome face was splashed on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In a telegram sent to Blaik following the game, a euphoric Gen. Douglas MacArthur called the victory one of the most stirring in Army history.
That winter, the New York Giants drafted Holleder in the eighth round, and Lombardi, then a Giants assistant, drove to West Point in hopes of convincing his former player to forgo his military career and play pro football. But Holleder turned him down...”

https://rbj.net/2015/05/22/recalling-the-short-heroic-life-of-maj-donald-holleder/

History continued:

Fittipaldo Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Obituary: Ex-Steeler Dave Smith was first IUP player drafted into the NFL

“Smith was known as the first IUP graduate to be drafted in the annual National Football League player selection. He was taken in the eighth round of the 1970 draft and played two seasons for the team. Smith led the Steelers in touchdown receptions in 1971. He also played for the Houston Oilers and Kansas City Chiefs.
As an IUP athlete, Smith was remembered for flying directly from catching a 62-yard touchdown pass in the 1968 Boardwalk Bowl in Atlantic City to suit up for a college basketball game, a 87-69 win at then-rival Geneva that same night. Smith played offense and defense for the IUP football team and played for the IUP baseball team as well. He was inducted to the IUP Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.”

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/obituaries/2020/05/22/dave-smith-obituary-steelers-receiver-IUP/stories/202005220118

Johnson Nola.com: Q& A: Willie Roaf on the toughest player he ever faced and his favorite Saints memory
https://www.nola.com/sports/saints/article_be80d94c-9c5d-11ea-b9cb-03ceaef7f072.amp.html

Giants Birthdays 5-24

Zak DeOssie LS D4-Brown 2007 NYG 2007-2019 5-24-1984

Giants.com: The Drive: Ride along with Zak and Steve DeOssie
Join LS Zak DeOssie and his father, former Giant Steve DeOssie, for a special conversation about football and family (Video)
https://www.giants.com/video/the-drive-ride-along-with-zak-and-steve-deossie

McNamara Worcester Telegram: Just like his dad, Giants' Zak DeOssie executes the long snaps (10-09-2019)

“Those sunny, autumn days at Brown Stadium will forever hold a fond place in the old man's football memory bank.
He'd hop on his Harley-Davidson, roll down Route 95, stand in a corner of the old concrete stands and smoke a big, tasty cigar. Then he'd watch his son wreak havoc, sideline to sideline, as a linebacker for some pretty good Bears teams.
Steve DeOssie pinched himself every time he watched his son, Zak, suit up for the Bears. Just stepping on the campus was a scratch-your-head moment. "There was a time when I didn't think a DeOssie would ever be accepted to an Ivy League school," he said with a laugh.
When Zak graduated from Brown and reported to training camp as a fourth-round draft pick of the New York Giants in 2007, his goal was simply to make the team. He did that, seeing time on special teams but mostly as a long snapper on the punt team. That season ended with a shocking upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Not a bad rookie year.

The next season ended with a spot in the Pro Bowl. When Zak was picked for another trip to Hawaii in 2010, Steve knew his son's place in the league was firm. Now 35 years old and the father of two young boys, Zak is still snapping and in his 13th season in the NFL.
"I told Zak if they had spots for long snappers in the Pro Bowl when I played, they'd have to build me a house in Hawaii," Steve DeOssie said. "At first, this was something to do before he got a real job. Now it's just amazing. I know how difficult it is to play in the league, and stay in the league."
The DeOssies are the only father-son combo to win Super Bowl rings with the same team. Steve picked up his with the Giants in 1990. Zak owns two, both after wins over the Patriots.
There are some wonderful father-son stories in NFL history — the Patriots' Matthew Slater and his Hall of Fame dad, Jackie, come to mind — but the DeOssies are unique. How both lasted more than a decade in the league, won on the biggest stage and mastered the long-snapping game is a journey filled with odd quirks and speaks to the value of team, toughness and hard work.

Steve DeOssie was a sight to behold back at Boston College during the early 1980s, Doug Flutie years. The Boston native would work himself into a frenzy and knock ball carriers into tomorrow as a star linebacker with the Eagles. He also began snapping for Jack Bicknell's team, and when he was drafted by the Cowboys, that skill followed him through a 12-year NFL career.
Opposing coaches took notice of DeOssie's ability to snap on punts and also block 270-pound linemen. One was Bill Belichick of the Giants. He saw that because of DeOssie's ability to tie up a defensive player, Dallas began spreading its punt formation and sending "gunners" to race down the field and cover the punts.
"In a lot of respects, Steve really changed the punting game in the National Football League, and in college as well," Belichick said several years ago. "I'd say up until that point, it was usually nine against 10."
In 1989, the Giants traded for DeOssie, and Belichick and coach Bill Parcells couldn't wait to use him on their punt teams and at linebacker alongside Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks and Pepper Johnson. Parcells brought his long snapper to Foxboro, too, where his career ended after the 1995 season.

As a player at Phillips Andover Academy, Zak watched one day when his coach, Leon Modeste, asked his father to offer some snapping tips to a few players. He then went on starring as the team's quarterback, safety and punter.
Zak was a major contributor right away at Brown and matured into an All-Ivy pick at linebacker but didn't ask to snap until he approached coach Phil Estes before his senior year.
"I figured long snapping could only help my résumé if I were to have a chance in the league, but I never thought I would ever snap in the NFL. Neither did the Giants when they drafted me," Zak DeOssie said.
In his first day of training camp with the Giants, DeOssie saw 11-year veteran snapper Ryan Keihl tear his Achilles. The team sent him in to snap, but only on punts because he covered kickoffs and kickoff returns. Two years later, an injury to the "short snap'" field goal snapper gave him another job. "That's when I begrudgingly said goodbye to linebacker. I haven't looked back since," he said.

Shockingly, despite his NFL props, the father never tutored his son on the finer points of long snapping. "None, absolutely zero," Steve DeOssie says.
"I learned how to snap at the NFL level on the fly," Zak DeOssie said. "My dad never taught me technique, except for that day in high school. He's always been there for me to talk about schemes and the ebb and flow of snapping."
Not surprisingly, DeOssie has led the NFL's snappers in special teams tackles in six of the previous eight seasons. He takes great pride in those plays, and the success of the Giants special teams units that he leads as a team captain.
"Having the privilege to play this game for one of the best franchises in the world for a living makes me the luckiest person on the planet," he said.

Back at Brown, Steve DeOssie's trained eye followed his son's every move. That's not the case in the NFL. When the Giants face the Patriots on Thursday night, he'll look away when Zak takes the field.
"Hey, in college the worst case is your Saturday night isn't as much fun," he said. "Now I can't watch him snap. It's too nerve-racking. I literally turn my head. In the NFL, if you make a mistake, your team can lose, and you can lose your job."
Thursday's game will be Zak DeOssie's 194th with the Giants, the fifth most in the storied franchise's history. It's been an amazing journey, for father and son, and it's no surprise that they've kept score along the way.
"Zak called after the first game this year, and we chatted," Steve DeOssie said, "and he says 'By the way, I officially had a longer career than you did.' Before I could get my comeback out, he hung up."

https://www.telegram.com/news/20191009/nfl-just-like-his-dad-giants-zak-deossie-executes-long-snaps?

Kareem McKenzie RT FA-NYJ 2005 NYG 2005-2011 5-24-1979

NFL Player Engagement: From OT Kareem McKenzie to Dr. Kareem McKenzie

“After 11 years in the NFL McKenzie too was faced with this transition. But then, the former right tackle, who was drafted out of Penn State University in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the New York Jets and played the last seven years of his career with the New York Giants, had an epiphany; he would help others going through what he went through.
After he found counseling helpful with his own transition as well as some other life issues, McKenzie decided that with his NFL career behind him, he would become a psychologist. He is on track to earn his Masters of Education in Professional Counseling in 2016 from William Paterson University’s College of Education, after which he will pursue his doctorate. His ultimate goal is to provide counseling to professional athletes as well as retired members of the military for whom he sees similarities when it comes to the rigidity of their schedules and unrelenting performance expectations.

“I’d been in counseling prior to my retirement,” McKenzie said. “I saw how beneficial it was. To have that support, to have someone to talk to about different things I thought was very healthy. I thought if I could do the same thing in a similar capacity helping other players as well retired armed services members, I wanted to that.”
McKenzie’s hope is that he can provide the guidance and foundation many former athletes need and are seeking when they retire and find themselves adrift in their new reality. In this capacity his plan is to assist them in developing plans for the next stages of their lives.
One piece of advice he gives now, based on his own experience, is very specific.” Ideally, in my mind, if I would do it all over again I would make sure I took some form of higher education, some kind of classes every year. I would stay in school and continue to work toward something so that when I retired I would have something viable to transition into. Something that kept me grounded in terms of real world experience. The NFL is a lot different than what is typically experienced by others and that’s a shock to some people when they come out of the NFL.”
McKenzie pointed out the various types of education opportunities that are available – everything from local community college classes to the various programs offered by the NFL.
“You don’t know how long your NFL career will last,” he said, “and at the same time you want to make sure you are taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented to you in the NFL to form those relationships, to form those partnerships with other people who are like minded and want to see you continue to be successful.”
He is also aware that while the stigma is lessening, there continues to be embarrassment surrounding mental illness or even the idea that one’s problems might need outside assistance and that men especially may resist. However he is optimistic that this will continue to abate especially because he sees how advantageous counseling can be.
“I think it’s changing in terms of more individuals are realizing the importance of mental health,” he said.
“Being able to talk to someone and analyze the issues you are going through or potential issues you may go through and being more aware of yourself. Now I believe that with sports psychology and different avenues of preparation, it’s an important aspect that needs to be attended to.”

http://nfl-pe-stage.azurewebsites.net/next/articles/from-ot-kareem-mckenzie-to-dr-kareem-mckenzie/

In Memoriam

Boyd Brown TE W-DEN 1977 NYG 1977 Born 5-24-1952 Died 12-28-2014