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Giants By The Numbers: 65 Is For ...

Bart Oates.

Played center for the Giants from 1985-93 and made three Pro Bowls in that time. He then went to San Francisco and made two more Pro Bowls in his final two seasons.

Oates was the anchor of offensive lines that helped the Giants win a pair of Super Bowls.

From Lew Freedman's 'New York Giants: The Complete Illustrated History,' here is a section about Oates.

Bart Oates, the 6-feet-3 inch, 265-pound rookie from Brigham Young University, took just two games in 1985 to establish himself as the full-time starting center for the Giants.

Oates never budged for eight years, and few members of opposing defenses could budge him, either. Oates was a stalwart on the New York line as the team grew into a Super Bowl contender and champion.

One of the big, strong guys who make an offensive line work smoothly, Oates also had the proper temperament to play for coach Bill Parcells. When the coach shouted, which he did a lot, Oates never took it personally, seeing much of what Parcells did as a performance.

"That's one thing about playing for him," Oates said. "If you can't take it, tough. He's just your typical, cynical guy from the Northeast who never gives anybody any credit. It's all an act. He'll come into the locker room and rant and rave, but it's just like a lawyer making his closing argument -- a lot of it is acting."

Ron Stone came to the Giants in 1996 after two years with Dallas. Stone, a bruising 6-foot-5, 325-pound guard, made two Pro Bowls in six seasons with the Giants. He then moved on to San Francisco and Oakland.

Pete Case was a lineman for the Giants from 1965-70. He had spent the first three years of his NFL career with Philadelphia.

The current occupant of the jersey is Will Beatty, the second-year offensive tackle. Let's hope he turns out to be the player Oates was.