Centenary Giants

By Peter Mann

A place so good that they named it twice and, as the New York Giants celebrate their centenary, we at The Touchdown UK will also double up, with a pair of features on a franchise that is amongst the oldest in America – here, we take a look at the famous, Crunch Bunch, which quickly went on to become known as the Big Blue Wrecking Crew.

In the early 1980s the Giants, at the time under the guidance of former Baltimore Colts wide receiver, Walter Ray Perkins (1941-2020), had amongst their roster the beginnings of a group of players who’d become known as, the Crunch Bunch.

A handful of defensive linebackers who came to the fore following the arrival of a player who’d go on to become the greatest defensive player of all time, Lawrence ‘LT’ Taylor; he’d join that of Brian Kelley, Brad Van Pelt, and Harry Carson, the first two of which had been drafted to the Giants in 1973.

The arrival of LT however, changed all that, especially after a dismal 1970s, a period in which they posted nine from ten, losing seasons (8-6 in 1972, the only winning season), then, after seventeen, long seasons without a spot in the play-offs, everything started to change.

Perkins left in 1983, and was replaced by Bill Parcells, and the Crunch Bunch was turned into the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, with a certain Bill Belichick as their defensive co-ordinator; however, despite playing together for only three seasons (1981-1983), the Crunch Bunch sure paved the way for what was to come in New York.

Of that quartet, it was only Kelley who never received a Pro Bowl selection, despite spending his entire career with the Giants (1973-1983), whilst the rest – Taylor 10x Pro Bowls (1981-1990), Van Pelt 5x Pro Bowls (1976-1980), Carson 9x Pro Bowls (1978, 1979, 1981-1987), they were just that good.

Although Kelley and Van Pelt left in ’83, the latter having short stints with the Los Angeles Raiders and Cleveland Browns, Carson stuck around until ’88 as he and Taylor added the Giants’ new breed, and led the Wrecking Crew to early success.

Belichick had been at the Giants since 1979, holding coaching posts as defensive assistant, special teams, linebackers, and, between 1985-1990, as defensive coordinator, helping the Giants to Super Bowl championships, before leading the New England Patriots to their six successes; overall he’s picked up a title in 1986, 1990, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018.

As for two of those four, early MVPs at Giants Stadium, Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor, a look at their careers in America’s Game is woven with Giants Blue through their veins.

HARRY CARSON (at the Giants, 1976-1988) now in his early 70s, Carson was a fourth-round pick in the 1976 Draft, from the South Carolina State Bulldogs, where he’d earned himself a BSc in Education, not missing a single game during his four years under Willie Jeffries, becoming the first to consecutive, defensive player of the year awards whilst helping his college to consecutive conference championships. (1974 and 1975).

As captain of the Bulldogs, Carson also set records before going on to be inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame (2002) and the Black College Football Hall of Fame (2012) for his achievements there.

After being drafted by the Giants in ’76, Carson would spend thirteen, fruitful seasons with the franchise, leading them in tackles for five of those, and captaining for ten, with former coach, Belichick, stating once that he was the best all-round linebacker he ever coach, then you take notice.

During his thirteen years with the Giants, Carson led them through four playoff appearances, as well as the 1986 NFC East, NFC Conference, and Super Bowl XXI.

LAWRENCE TAYLOR (at the Giants, 1981-1993) not only the greatest defensive player of all time, but perhaps the greatest to ever play America’s Game.

There’s been a lot of superlatives put at the feet of Lawrence Taylor over the years, and rightly so after the former North Carolina Tar Heels linebackers took the NFL by storm throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.

Now in his mid-60s, Taylor was captain of the Tar Heels in the late-70s, starting off as a defensive lineman before switching to linebacker, setting multiple records in his senior season (1980), the season he was also named in the All American first team, and the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year (only four defensive players have claimed that honour).

Of his time with the Tar Heels, then UNC assistant Head Coach, Bobby Cale, was quoted as saying of Taylor that; “As a freshman playing on special teams, he’d jump a good six or seven feet in the air to block a punt, then land on the bank of his neck.

“He was reckless, just reckless.”

Meanwhile, in 2019, ESPN writers Andrea Adelson, David M. Hale, and Chris Low released an article entitled, ‘The all-time All-ACC college football team,’ with Taylor taking one of the linebacker slots alongside Derrick Brooks (Florida State) and Luke Kuechly (Boston College), saying of Taylor that he is; “The greatest player in school history.

“Taylor is one three UNC players to be named a unanimous All-American, and he still holds the record for sacks in a season with 16. It was a switch to his favored outside linebacker position in 1979 that set Taylor off on his exceptional collegiate and NFL careers.

“In 1980, he was the ACC Player of the Year, just the fourth defensive player to win the honors. He made the ACCs 50-year anniversary team in 2002.”

Like his Giants #56 jersey, Taylor’s #98 jersey for the Tar Heels has also been retired.
Into the NFL and Taylor embarked on a pro football career that became nothing short of astonishing; he was the second pick in the first round of the 1981 Draft behind running back George Rogers (South Carolina to New Orleans Saints, won Super Bowl XXII with the Washington Redskins) and would go on to make close to two hundred appearances for the Giants over thirteen season, throughout those heady days of 1980s and early 1990s, claiming numerous, individual awards for added measure along the way.

It was even said, in a survey of NFL franchises prior to the aforementioned ‘81 Draft, that of the 27 asked, all would have chosen Taylor if they’d had first pick, only the Saints weren’t asking as they already had the first choice in the draft.

As well as making ten Pro Bowl and eight All Pro appearances, Taylor was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1981), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1981, 1982 and 1986), NFL MVP (1986), United Press International NFC Player of the Year (1983 and 1986), and the Bert Bell Award (1986).

During those thirteen seasons at Giants Stadium, Taylor and the Giants made the playoffs on seven occasions, claimed three NFC East, two NFC Conference, and two Super Bowl championships, they were heady days indeed.

Then Giants General Manager, George Young, once said of Taylor that he was;

“a player who has a great influence on an entire game, and had it from the very first game he ever played as a pro. Once you see Lawrence Taylor, you never forget him.”

Taylor was one of many, big hitting players, in that Giants defence, and the opposition knew that as well, they just couldn’t do too much about it.

Despite the success of ’86, the next two seasons were relatively quiet ones for the Giants, although the arrival, and subsequent integration of, primarily, Jim Brunt (1981-1988), Leonard Marshall (1983-1992), Gary Reasons (1984-1991) and Carl Banks (1984-1992), alongside stalwart George Martin (1975-1988), turned the Crunch Bunch into the Big Blue Wrecking Crew.

In-fact there would be four occasions during this spell of linebacker dominance that the Giants failed to make the playoffs, in 1987 and 1988, and again in 1991 and 1992; the Giants finished fifth in the AFC East in 1987 (6-9), and second in the NFC East a year later (10-6), whilst the early 1990s saw them finish fourth in the NFC East on both occasions (8-8 and 6-10).

Around those failings though, the successes of 1986 and 1990, snapshots in time for which the Giants’ defensive corps was built upon, and strived towards.

RUN TO GLORY, 1986 CHAMPIONS The stating defensive line-up for the 1986 Giants saw the following players – George Martin, Jim Burt, Leonard Marshall, Carl Banks, Gary Reasons, Harry Carson, Lawrence Taylor, Elvis Patterson, Perry Williams, Kenny Hill, Herb Welch.

Finishing first in the NFC East (14-2) ahead of the Washington Redskins, the Giants enjoyed, so much, their post-season outings; having beaten the San Francisco 49ers 21-17 at Candlestick Park during the regular season (1 December), the Giants followed it up with a thumping, 49-3 success, at Giants Stadium, just four weeks later, in the NFC Divisional game.

Three of the four quarters were shutouts, with the second and third seeing the dominating Giants post twenty-one points apiece, the Niners only score coming from an early, 26yd FG by Ray Wersching.

Raul Allegre was good with the boot for the Giants, Taylor registered a 34yd interception return for a TD score in the second quarter, running back Joe Morris claimed two rushing scores (45yds and 2yds), whilst quarterback Phil Simms connected with Mark Bavaro (24yds), Bobby Johnson (15yds), Phil McConkey (28yds), and Zeke Mowatt (29yds).

The NFC Championship game would see the Giants see off their divisional rivals, Washington Redskins, also at Giants Stadium, for the third time that season; in the regular the Giants had won 27-20 in late October, then 24-14 in early December.

This, in mid-January, was even sweeter, Bill Parcells’ side putting on a 17-0 shutout to book a place in the Super Bowl; all the points were registered in the first half, with the Giants defence at the fore throughout.

Allegre would kick the Giants into the lead with a 47yd FG, before Simms connected with Lionel Manuel (11yds) for the first TD score, and Morris rushed in from close range for the second, Allegre good with both kicks for the win.

Two weeks later, at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, the Giants opposed AFC champions, Denver Broncos, who, led by John Elway, had seen off New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns to reach the big one; however, it would be the Broncos who’d come up short, dropping a 39-20 score to the Giants in front of over 101,000 spectators.

Although the Broncos led after the first quarter, shutouts again from the Giants defence in the second and third would ultimately pave the way to victory; the Broncos were, on the main, restricted to a pair of FGs from Rich Karlis (48yds and 28yds), and Elway rushing score, and a late Elway to Vance Johnson, 47yd TD.

The Giants responded however with Simms connecting for three scores, for Mowatt (6yds), Bavaro (13yds), and McConkey (6yds), Morris and Ottis Anderson both notched close-range rushing scores, whilst George Martin sacked Elway in the endzone for a safety, just for added measure.

It was to be the Giants’ first championship win in thirty years, their last coming back in 1956 with the old NFL Championship (47-7 vs. Chicago Bears).

A paragraph a profile of the New York Giants, regarding the mid-80s set-up says that; “The linebackers continue to improve as Gary Reasons, Andy Headen, Carl Banks, and Byron Hunt complemented Taylor and Harry Carson, both of whom played in the Pro Bowl.

“This is still the best overall group of linebackers in the league. Taylor had 13 sacks in 1985, but it was considered a below average year by his Superman standards.”

In an interview with Big Blue View, Carl Banks summed up the ethos of the Giants defense when heading into the game against the Redskins, saying; “It was more the challenge each week of making your opponent quit and watching them do it and then actually having a conversation during the course of a game as to whose guy quit.

“Seriously, it was to that level. ‘OK, my guy’s about to quit.’ Or ‘My guy’s quit already.’ ‘This guy doesn’t want to block me anymore. It was that level of competitiveness we had. It wasn’t a matter of the confidence that we were so good. We were so good, we wanted our opponents to quit. To literally quit trying.”

THEY DID IT AGAIN, 1990 CHAMPIONS The Giants didn’t have to wait three decades for their next championship success though, following the ’86 win up just four years later, where the defensive line-up for the 1990 Giants saw, alongside Marshall, Banks, Reasons, and Taylor, the addition of Eric Dorsey, Erik Howard, Pepper Johnson, Mark Collins, Everson Walls, Greg Jackson, and Myron Guyton.

Again, finishing first in the NFC East, for the third time in five years, posting a 13-3 record, the Giants opposed old foes, Chicago Bears, in the Divisional Playoffs, easing their way to a 31-3 victory at Giants Stadium.

Three of the four quarters were shut-outs as the home defence restricted their visitors to a 33yd FG from Kevin Butler in the second quarter; that came after first quarter scores from Matt Bahr, with a 46yd FG, and a Stephen Baker TD off a 21yd pass from Jeff Hostetler, had opened a 10-0 lead.

Hostetler continued his dominance over the Bears with a 5yd pass to Howard Cross, then notched a close-range rushing TD for added measure; the margin was widened in the fourth when Maurice Carthon also added a rushing score, with Bahr added the extras on all four TDs as well.

The Giants registered more than thirty-eight minutes worth of possession throughout the contest, whilst also holding Bears quarterback, Mike Tomczak, to 17/36 passing to 205yds, 2INTS, and running back Neal Anderson restricted to a season-low of 19yds on a dozen carries – the Giants defence was just that good.

Akin to the run to the ’86 Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers were in opposition, this time the Giants travelling to Candlestick Park to contest the NFC Championship; a much closer affair this time around though, the visitors edging by two, squeezing home 15-13 thanks to their second half scoring, and a stunning, fourth quarter shut-out.

It was a contest that was, quite literally, decided by the boot of the kickers, with the Niners posting the contests only TD, through John Taylor, off a 61yd, Joe Montana pass in the third; Mike Cofer added the extra point, and kicked for two FGs (47yds and 35yds) to keep the hosts in the hunt, however, Matt Bahr had that little bit more, he kicking for five scores (28yds, 42yds, 46yds, 38yds, and 42yds) to edge the Giants to another Super Bowl game, it was his last kick that would win it.

As for the big one, in late January, the Giants faced off against the AFC Champions, Buffalo Bills, at the Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida, in front of near 74,00 spectators.

As with the Championship game, this was also to be a close affair, the Giants winning by one having been down 12-10 at half-time, before winning with a 21yd FG from Bahr in the fourth quarter.

The Bills mainly had the upper-hand, after Bahr had kicked the Giants into an early lead with a 28yd FG; Scott Norwood replied with a 23yd FG of his own before Don Smith claimed two scores for the Bills.

Hostetler was, on the main, quiet, but his 14yd pass to Baker kept the Giants in the contest before the half, with Ottis Anderson snatching a close-range rushing score in the third; Thurman Thomas did the same for the Bills in the fourth, his from 31yds, but Bahr’s boot was enough to do the necessary, and give the Giants their second Super Bowl success in five years.

Three NFC East titles, two NFC Championships, and two Super Bowls, were mustered by the Giants’ defensive powerhouses, the Big Blue Wrecking Crew, throughout the second half of the eighties and early nineties, but, after that second Super Bowl success, and players moving on, the era of dominance began to unravel.

In 1991 and 1992 the Giants failed to make the playoffs, returning in 1993 when they saw off Minnesota Vikings, 17-10, in the Wild Card, before being upended by, of all franchises, San Francisco 49ers, 44-3, in the NFC Championship game – it was the fifth time in a decade the two had collided in the playoffs.

Parcells and Belichick had departed Giants Stadium following the 1990 success, former offensive backfield coach, Ray Handley, succeeding in the hot-seat in what was his only, Head Coach role in the NFL.

As for the players, those of the 1990 Super Bowl winning franchise, Dorsey left in 1992, Howard in 1994, Marshall in 1992, Banks in 1992, Reasons in 1991, Johnson in 1992, Taylor in 1993, Collins in 1993, Walls in 1992, Jackson in 1993, and Guyton in 1993.

Everything moves on, eventually, and for that bunch, those linebackers, defensive powerhouses, the story which they put together, in that place, at that time, is unequalled.

They rode the train, and took out anyone who dared get in their way.

PETER MANN

NFL ANALYST

PETER IS A LIFELONG SPORTS FAN, JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR BASED IN COUNTY DURHAM. HE HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL AND THE RAIDERS SINCE THE 1980s, AND LOVES BOTH SPORTS AND FAMILY HISTORY. PETER HAS A DEGREE IN SPORT & EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY, AND CAN BE FOUND ON TWITTER @petermannwriter

 
5/5