Brad Benson.
I will admit I had a tough time with this one. Current Giants' center Shaun O'Hara, with Pro Bowl appearances the past two seasons, is deserving of serious consideration. So is Eric Moore, a quality lineman for the Giants from 1988-93 who spent much of his time anchoring the line at left tackle.
In the end, though, I am comfortable with the choice of Benson.
Yes Benson may be known to some of you only as the not-so-normal Hyundai car dealer. His Giants' resume, however, is what this post is about.
Benson was a starting lineman for the Giants from 1978-87, and was the left tackle for most of those seasons. Never a Pro-Bowler, he was a lunch-bucket type player who was loved by coach Bill Parcells, and typified the David Diehl-Rich-Seubert-Chris Snee type lineman the Giants still love today. Parcells loved to motivate by yelling and insulting players, and Benson was always a favorite target.
He gets the nod here, based largely on longevity. He was a starting lineman for the Giants for all of his 10 NFL seasons.
You can make a good case that O'Hara deserves this spot. He has been a Giant for the past five seasons, and has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the last two. He is a much, much better player than I realized when he came from Cleveland as a free agent. A couple more seasons as a Giant and this one probably goes to him.
You might even be able to make an argument for Moore, who started from 1988-93, splitting his time between right guard and left tackle.
Other Notables Who Wore 60
- Jon Baker was a two-time Pro Bowler as a linebacker in a short New York Giants' career that spanned 1949-52.
- Bill Austin was a guard for the Giants from 1949-57. He went to the Pro Bowl in 1954.
- Len Younce played for the Giants from 1941-48 (except for 1942). A member of the NFL's 1940s All Decade Team, Younce played linebacker, offensive lineman, placekicker and punter. Maybe some of you old-timers remember him. Some of you might even think he deserves to be the honoree here.