David Tyree, Ike Hilliard Sign with New York to Retire as Giants
Former New York Giants wide receivers David Tyree and Ike Hilliard both signed one-day contracts with the New York Giants to retire as a member of the team they spent their careers with.
It’s amazing how with one play, Tyree will live in the minds of football fans forever. In a career in which he was not known for catching many passes, he made the catch of his life and played the game of his life all on football’s biggest stage.
Tyree never even envisioned having a football career of any kind: “I never really saw my career even happening to begin with,'' said Tyree, a New Jersey native. "Once it did get off to a start it was kind of a fairytale ride for a kid out of Essex County and the story couldn't have been written any better and I was honored from the start of things even in the most shakiest of moments to have played my career with a class organization and it was only fitting that I ended there.''
Tyree played last season on special teams with the Baltimore Ravens after the Giants released him to cap off a seven-year career.
Hilliard meanwhile has spent his last four seasons in Tampa Bay.
Tyree made the play of his life and perhaps the biggest play in NFL history in Super Bowl XLII. During that whole season, Tyree caught four passes but saved his best for the championship game.
First, Tyree caught the Giants first touchdown in the game to give the Giants a 10-7 lead over the then 18-0 New England Patriots. After New England scored late to make it 14-10, the Giants were in desperation mode to drive down the field for a winning touchdown.
With the Giants running out of time and facing a third and five in their own end, quarterback Eli Manning scrambled for his life. It appeared that Manning was about to be dropped for the sack which would have severely jeopardized the Giants hopes. Somehow he escaped from the grasp of New England defenders, set his feet, and threw what looked like a prayer down the middle of the field to the Patriots 25-yard line.
There were two men who had a shot at the ball; Tyree and legendary Patriots defender Rodney Harrison. The two men leapt into the air trying to snatch the ball when something happened that will live in the game’s history forever. Tyree managed to get his hands on the ball, with it pressing up against his helmet. The ball was bound to fall out as Harrison wrestled him to the ground. Somehow Tyree held the ball against his helmet and retained possession in his fall to the ground, making the catch and pulling off the play of his life and the Giants’ history.
His catch led to the Giants go-ahead touchdown four plays later when Manning found WR Plaxico Burress in the endzone, to put the Giants ahead 17-14 with seconds remaining, sealing the win.
While Tyree’s career as a whole may not live up to that of the likes of Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin, Randy Moss and others his play will always live on and he has put his fingerprints on the history of the game.
"Obviously that is the one signature moment which I'll be remembered for as a football player, but I was definitely satisfied with the complete body of work as well,'' he said.
Tyree was drafted in 2003 as a special teams player and only caught 54 passes his entire career.
Hilliard started 92 games for the Giants, from 1997-2004 and is fifth in Giants franchise history with 368 catches. He added 178 more as a member of the Bucs. At 34-years old he is now the receivers coach for the Florida Tuskers of the UFL.
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