Thought it would be interesting. I met Pat Summerall at a college awards ceremony at Yale. I forget the name but I believe it is an annual event, it was long time ago. He spoke at great lengths about his struggles with alcohol. Great voice for football. Also met Michael Strahan in his second year, he was with Philippi Sparks. Was back when they still had GIANTS n the helmet. They both were very nice. Mikes arms are very long and huge!.
John Mendenhall
Lawrence Taylor
Wellington Mara
Mark Collins
Jim Burt
LT
Rosey Grier
Lionel Manuel
Philippi Sparks
Dave Brown
Sean Ohara
Strahan
Carson
The Hammer
George Martin
Jim Finn
OJ Anderson
David Diehl
Karl Nelson
Jim Burt
Bob Papa (he counts)
The Hammer
George Martin
Jim Finn
OJ Anderson
David Diehl
Karl Nelson
Jim Burt
Bob Papa (he counts)
Bob counts sure, Hammer Keith Hamilton no doubt?
Jarrod Bunch
Charles Way
Kevin Boss
David Tyree
and I didn't even know he ever played for the Giants when I met him. I knew he coached, but didn't realized he played for the Giants.
I was at a restaurant in Greenwich, CT and saw this guy at the table next to me who looked so familiar but I couldn't place him. So our waiter was very chatty and I said - is that guy someone I should know because i recognize him but can't place why I do and the waiter said - picture him with a hat on and a jacket and tie on a football sideline. Immediately it clicked for me.
I'm not one to say anything to famous people I meet, but we were walking out at the same time and we made eye contact (and I drank a ton) so I said hey coach, big fan of yours, but just so you know I'm a Giants fan, he winked and said "so am I"
My first trip to Albany started out by being in the players planking lot but not even realizing it. Strahan and Hammer were unpacking their trucks. I then ran into Bob Tisch and Fassel sitting on a golf cart during the media softball game, they both singed my hat.
I have a bunch of cool pictures and stories.
Ike Hilliard is the kindest and most personable athlete I’ve ever met in my life.
Shaun Williams told me he would come back to sign my ball “later” one day and of course I didn’t put much stock in that. The next day in a crowd of a bunch of people, Williams remembered my face and was true to his word.
JPP and Jacobs are the most physically impressive players I’ve ever been around. Jacobs was bigger than the DEs. JPP is so physically intimidating in person because of the length of his arms.
I asked Toomer about that sideline toe tap in the 07 NFC title game. He said it felt like he sprawled out in a parking lot for the ball it hurt so bad.
I have some really cool pictures of myself with Eli, Strahan, Kurt Warner and one with both Will Allen and Will Peterson which was cool before they both flopped here.
I used to see Eli, Boss and Tyler Sash (RIP) all the time in Hoboken.
Shockey was always great to the fans that I saw. Signed several things for me over the years.
I saw Ernie Accorsi at Albany one day and I got to personally thank him the Eli draft day trade. That was a big day for me as an Eli fan.
My Dad and I ran into an old man with a floppy hat around Albany. Any Giants fan would recognize who he was in 2 seconds and we did. We had no pen but Wellington did and signed our program. Another special day.
There was no place like Albany for Giants football purists. I miss that place a lot. It was a special place I got to spend with my Dad and my team.
Brian Kelly for the old timers. Picked him up at Rodney Hampton's golf tournament at Trump national. Great guy, told me a number of stories.
Two fringe guys that I can't remember their names. A DL that we signed from AZ in Shumer first year. Picked him up at the practice facility and took him home. The other was the small cb that was cut.... went to the chargers and was a story line on hard knocks. Funny thing is they both lived in the same apartment complex.
Also driven a couple Jets. Vera Tucker and Mimms. Oh and a UDFA center out of air force that was ir his rookie year.
Said hi to Justin Tuck at a bar in the city once, wouldn’t call it a convo, but he was friendly
Random, amusing non-Giants player story…buddy of mine in LA got invited to some swanky super bowl party when it was there last year. Met Zeke Elliott, Dak Prescott and Derrick Henry. He said Zeke and Dak hung out and chatted with him and his friends for a while, took pictures, couldn’t have been nicer. Conversely, he said the only thing scarier than how big Henry was how outright mean he was.
LT a few times at Spook Rock Golf Course driving range. Literally bumped into him on the path to the range the summer after he blew out his Achilles in the Packer game.
Joe Morris at the Ramapo Diner several times (not the friendliest guy).
Tiki Barber at an appearance in the Palisades Center Mall.
Curtis McGriff in the parking lot at our tailgate after a game. Joined us for some grilled chicken. Dude was huge and limping like crazy but a really nice guy.
Ally Sherman. His tailgate at the old stadium was right next to ours. None of the "young guys" had a clue who he was.
Tyrone Wheatley. Believe it or not, he was the nicest of all. My cop friend knew him well. He invited us into his house for a beer and to watch the Michigan game. Left tickets for us a few times too. Really nice guy. Also joined Ty and his buds Toomer and Paterson (toast) for a bite at the Tiffany diner in Ramsey.
Gary Reasons, Chris Snee, and a few others just in passing.
Think that s it.
Michael Strahan
Jessie Armstead
Brandon Jacobs
Harry Carson
OJ Anderson
Eli Manning
Kareem McKenzie
Plaxico Burress
Keith Hamilton
Tiki Barber
Ike Hilliard
Carl Banks
I also had the pleasure to gave met Wellington Mara, John Mara , Chris Mara Mara, George Young, Ernie A , Jim Fassel, John Fox, Sean Peyton, and Tom Coughlin.
Think that s it.
And Bobby Duhon
Kerry Collins - nice guy.
Jason Garrett - nice guy
Ahmad Bradshaw - met him in a club of all places. Hah, nice guy, but he wanted to be super lowkey.
Howard Cross - one of the biggest humans I've ever seen
Zak DeOssie - nice guy.
Michael Barrow - really, really nice guy. Very engaging and super friendly.
Quincy Monk - nice guy (RIP)
Dhani Jones - funny and super friendly.
Brandon Short - surprisingly very personable and friendly. He looked intimidating, but he was engaging.
Nick Griesen - friendly guy.
Matt Bryant - don't really remember.
I think I'm forgetting some, but the only real negative interaction I had was with Amani Toomer. The Football Giants and Jets were throwing some sort of event in Bryant Park in honor of MetLife Stadium opening. A LOT more Jets (and Jets fans) showed up than Giants, and to be perfectly frank, they were wayyyyyyyyy more fan-friendly. The best were LaDanian Tomlinson (who the Jets had just acquired) and Nick Mangold. I was all decked out in my Giants gear with a Giants football. Mangold and Tomlinson were signing tons of autographs. I was in line with Jets fans because the Giants weren't really interacting with the fans, so Mangold took one look at me incredulously, looked at my Giants ball, and signed "Go Jets! Nick Mangold" - haha, it was awesome.
But Toomer was at the same event and I don't think he signed one autograph. I remember I was off to the side behind the barricades and I was yelling "Amani! Amani!" and he completely ignored me. I think all he did that day was stand around and schmooze with execs and players.
Odesa turner (talked on the phone — right after nyg win over wash 07 week 3, yea it sounds weird it was cool)
Butch woolfolk 100 years ago
Joe Morris
I met Myron guyton’s cousin (we smoked a j together cool story bro)
And last but not least Carl banks like 5 times now. It’s almost weird how many times we seem to bump Into each other. He’s probably just just trying to break the ice and wants to be friends. He can just ask.
Pat said I was maybe overreacting (paraphrase) to the loss of Jeff feagles for Matt dodge. This was late august 2010. Shit you not.
Too tall Jones is exactly that
Thomas Everett is so small you would pass him by in the street and figure he was an Insurance salemman.
In the summer it was not infrequent that my door would be knocked on by a Dallas Cowboy who heard I had schedules for the NFL probably by BBI and they would be all over it.
Pool parties in my condo's pool were epic particularly fourth of July where most of the players felt was their last opportunity to smoke weed and do other things before reporting to camp.
Karl Nelson at Wegmans in Montvale
George Martin at the garden state plaza
Joe Morris in an elevator at the stadium -Goodyear used to be partners with the giants and they’d let dealers and their families on the field for an event. It was after he retired so he took up most of the elevator. I met others that day for sure but I was too young to remember.
Dave Tolefson
Steve Smith
Leonard Marshall
Mark Collins
Phil Simms
Harry Carson
Jerry Reese
Pat Hanlon
Brandon Jacobs
Eli Manning- asked him 2 questions on practice field August 2007 camp
David Diehl
Bob Papa
Ralph Vaccihano
Mike Garafolo
Zak Deossie
Pat Traina
Kevin Boss
Brandon London… nice guy
Robert Douglas… nice guy
Will Peterson… meh
Some of these lists are unbelievable, some really cool stories.
The 2nd was Tiki on June 5, 1999. I was at MSG for the Knicks-Pacers ECF game where LJ won it with the 4 point play. That was insane enough. After, I was meeting my wife (then fiancee) at the since closed Park Ave. Country Club. Right after we walked in, I see Tiki coming out of the bathroom. I said hello and I guess he was drunk enough at that point where he started talking to me. I was asking him about the Graham/Collins QB controversy, fully expecting him not to answer. Again, drunk enough to be candid and say how he wanted Collins because he was so much better.
When I told my buddy (DavidinBMNY) about it the next day, he said I had to post it on BBI. I asked him what that was and he was floored I didn't know. That is how I started posting here.
Played golf with several over the years.....at pop Warner charities,....LT, Joe Morris etc
Found myself in the Giants post Super Bowl party in 2000....when they lost to Baltimore....."met" entire team.
Actually played a weekly 2 on 2 basketball with Phil Simms.
Over the years plenty....
Summerall
T.Frederickson
Ron Johnson
Robustelli
Simms
Oates
Strahan
K. Collins
Perry Williams
Dave Brown
Carl Nelson
Billy Ard
Barvaro
Brad Benson
OJ Anderson
Dave Meggitt
Harry Carson
Shaun O'Hara
Dave Jennings
Tiki
LT
H. Cross
George Young (counts right)
Phil McConkey
Zeke Mowatt
Bob Hyland
Bob Tucker
I kid you not. These are the ones that come to mind. Thank you Dad for bringing me to games and Giants functions since I was 10 years old. Also to personal friends in the Giants front office.
I worked at the local Stop and Shop and he came to my checkout. He was bigger than I thought. His hands were absolutely huge. My friends lived not too far from him and he would play catch with them. Come to think about it, he went to my church as well. Fun times back in the mid 70s.
Also met Joe Pisarcik running in the park where I lived. He must have lived in the area? We actually chatted for a bit, as I was a runner and was able to keep up with him.
This was a year after the fumble game, I didn't dare bring it up with him. lol
I expected him to be bigger. He was plenty big enough to kick my ass, just expected bigger.
Jim Lee Howell was a pussy for NOT going for it...
Lawrence Taylor
Phil Simms
Used to see many others around North Jersey. My parents’ house was a half mile from LT’s in Upper Saddle River, and I used to see him in the late night bars in Rockland County. Became friends and used to play poker at his house until dawn after the bars closed at 4am. Also played lots of golf with him. Met a bunch of guys through him, including Brian Kelly (a jerk), Deacon Jones (an even bigger jerk), and Joe Morris (probably the biggest jerk).
Later, I was involved in a big tailgate at home games and a bunch of former players would come to it. Also played hoops in USR with Joe Morris, who was a big crybaby, Dave Jennings, who was the dirtiest player out there, and Pete Shaw, who was a great guy.
So many others. Just a product of the times and where I spent my time as a young man.
1) Giants used to practice at Pace and would hang out at Michaels Tavern in Pleasantville. People would go to eat there just to catch glimpses of them. Bobby Johnson ended up in a big brawl there trying (and I think succeeding) to pick up some guys girlfriend after dinner was over... lol. This is when I was still pretty young.
2) Harry Carson lived in Ossining and was a huge Mrs. Pac Man nut. There was an Arcade in Strictly's Ice cream and he was in there all the time playing video games. Super nice guy. And HUGE... lol
3) LT was really into Golf when he was playing and he would play at SpookRock a LOT. Many people met him there (including me and my brother)
4) My Mom lived in Rockland County right on the border of NJ and back in the early to mid 90's I used to personal train at Quest Fitness (I think it's a NYSC now) in Ramsey right off of Rt 17 behind Jimmy Reid's. This is where I met a TON of players, because they were always in and out of there:
- Number one was Joe Morris (I have told this story here more times than I can count... lol)- He used to have his own professionally calibrated weights and bar that we stored in back for him. We would have to hump it out from the back (about 700lbs worth lol) whenever he came in to lift. He was the strongest out of any of the players that came in there, at least that I saw. His bread and butter were power cleans and he would rep out with well over 300+ lbs. Also I saw someone mention above he was not a nice person. You must have caught him on a bad day because he was one of the nicest people I have ever met. He actually got me into powerlifting.
Other players in and out of that club that I met were: Phil Simms, Mo Carthon, Leonard Marshall, Erik Howard, Erik Dorsey, Jim Burt, Bart Oates (one of the trainers was his kids nanny).
Also when I was in HS, we would have a charity basketball game every year with the Jets in our HS gym (NFL teams would NEVER do this now lol). I met Freeman McNeil, Wes Walker, Bobby Humphrey, Lance Mehl, Greg Buttle.
And ANOTHER scenario, my buddy used to work at and manage Jim Kelly's bar in Buffalo around '95 or '96 (I think it was called Coach's or Sports City, or something like that). They would use the bartenders from there to tend bar in the private suites at Rich Stadium. So we would get in there and watch the games with the players wives and injured players not on the field. Well, player anyway, Jeff Burris was hanging out with us because he had torn his ACL that year. Also, after the Atlanta game I think in '95 (Craig Ironhead Heyward was RB for Atlanta then) Kelly would close his bar and have victory parties for the players, where we were able to get in and hang out (well, stand in a corner and stare at - lol) Thurman Thomas, Cornelius Bennett, Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly and a bunch of others. Actually we mostly sat with a newer fringe player named Corey Louchiey. He was an offensive tackle and was I think literally the largest human being I have ever met in person. And a super nice guy... lol. The rest of them were not very friendly at all except for Jeff Burris... lol
and I thank Eric for those opportunities
Used to see many others around North Jersey. My parents’ house was a half mile from LT’s in Upper Saddle River, and I used to see him in the late night bars in Rockland County. Became friends and used to play poker at his house until dawn after the bars closed at 4am. Also played lots of golf with him. Met a bunch of guys through him, including Brian Kelly (a jerk), Deacon Jones (an even bigger jerk), and Joe Morris (probably the biggest jerk).
Later, I was involved in a big tailgate at home games and a bunch of former players would come to it. Also played hoops in USR with Joe Morris, who was a big crybaby, Dave Jennings, who was the dirtiest player out there, and Pete Shaw, who was a great guy.
So many others. Just a product of the times and where I spent my time as a young man.
Crispino -- you are the Man!
Basically you taught him everything you know.
Used to see many others around North Jersey. My parents’ house was a half mile from LT’s in Upper Saddle River, and I used to see him in the late night bars in Rockland County. Became friends and used to play poker at his house until dawn after the bars closed at 4am. Also played lots of golf with him. Met a bunch of guys through him, including Brian Kelly (a jerk), Deacon Jones (an even bigger jerk), and Joe Morris (probably the biggest jerk).
Later, I was involved in a big tailgate at home games and a bunch of former players would come to it. Also played hoops in USR with Joe Morris, who was a big crybaby, Dave Jennings, who was the dirtiest player out there, and Pete Shaw, who was a great guy.
So many others. Just a product of the times and where I spent my time as a young man.
The Giants stay at a hotel for home games?
that is something I learned today on this thread.
Quote:
I was working for the football team making minimum wage plus meals and t shirts. He was at his I think 1st coaching jib probably making less than that. Always thought he was a nice guy and seemed pretty sharp just from shooting the shit with him.
Basically you taught him everything you know.
Yeah I assume he's posting on some private coaching forum right now about meeting me.
Since it was so early, there weren't many people in the queue, and I just happened to be right in line behind him, recognized him, introduced myself, and he was really cool. We talked for a few minutes about how crazy the parade was, and he had no idea who we drafted that year, which I thought was funny.
But all in all, it was very cool to meet him, and he was super friendly.
and I didn't even know he ever played for the Giants when I met him. I knew he coached, but didn't realized he played for the Giants.
I was at a restaurant in Greenwich, CT and saw this guy at the table next to me who looked so familiar but I couldn't place him. So our waiter was very chatty and I said - is that guy someone I should know because i recognize him but can't place why I do and the waiter said - picture him with a hat on and a jacket and tie on a football sideline. Immediately it clicked for me.
I'm not one to say anything to famous people I meet, but we were walking out at the same time and we made eye contact (and I drank a ton) so I said hey coach, big fan of yours, but just so you know I'm a Giants fan, he winked and said "so am I"
But the most random encounter was meeting Shockey at the Atlantis in the Bahamas. His act was wearing thin with the Giants by then and he was kind of an asshole. He was absolutely obliterated mid day with some 4’10 blonde he was with.
My brother actually ran into OBJ peak NYG fame during his 2nd or 3rd season they happened to be getting tattoos done at the same place in NYC. He said they talked for a few minutes and he took a picture with him.
Also met Joe Morris the next year. He was also a really nice guy.
Met Frank Gifford at the Sports Authority in Norwalk back in 2004 around Christmas time. We were waiting to pay for our kids presents. Nice man. I was more in awe of him. A real legend.
Missed my chance to go in the locker post game ... didn't know my friends had a surprise for me ... never came home to celebrate my b-day 1 yr in college