via www.beckett.com
Mark Collins.
Remember that discussion we had about Perry Williams the other day? We can pretty much have the same discussion about Collins. A pretty good, though nowhere near great, player who did his job well enough to start for two Super Bowl winners and last 12 seasons in the NFL -- the first eight of those as a Giant.
Interestingly, Collins spent the seasons from 1986-93 manning the left corner for the Giants while -- usually -- he was paired with Williams over on the right.
Collins started nine games for the 1986 Super Bowl championship team. Then, remained a fixture at left corner until moving on to Kansas City in 1994. Collins was considered the better cover corner between he and Williams.
In a Giants.com article written several years ago, the retired Collins professed his love for the Giants organization.
"I'm known as a Giant. I still bleed Giant blue," Collins said. "Aside from my marriage and the birth of my kids, the best time I ever had in my life was when I was with the Giants. There were only two bad years, when Ray Handley was the coach. Other than that it was all good."
Have to agree on those Handley years. I doubt anyone would argue.
Other Notables who wore 25
- Butch Woolfolk: The Giants should have a hard-and-fast draft rule. Do not take Michigan running backs, especially in the first round. They drafted Woolfolk 18th in 1982, and three mostly failed years later traded him to Houston. He had four more non-descript seasons before his career ended. Woolfolk was Ron Dayne before Ron Dayne. His longest run in three seasons as a Giant was 22 yards.
- R.W. McQuarters: Wore 25 from 2006-2008 with the Giants. We remember him mostly as a sure-handed punt returner. He also filled in at corner and safety when necessary.