Ex-Giants WR David Tyree Recalls "Helmet-Catch" In Super Bowl XLII

A few days before making perhaps the greatest reception in Super Bowl history, David Tyree could not catch a break. In a practice for the Super Bowl XLII duel with the unbeaten New England Patriots, the New York Giants receiver was all butterfingers. "A bad day for a receiver in practice is probably to drop two balls," Tyree recalled. "I don't know what kind of day I had because I probably dropped five or six." When Tyree finally held onto one of Eli Manning's passes, his teammates mocked him with a standing ovation. On Feb. 3, 2008, at University of Phoenix Stadium, the Giants' cheers for Tyree's snares were heartfelt. First, Tyree caught a 5-yard touchdown pass from Manning to give the Giants an early fourth-quarter lead, but it was his leaping, hands-clasped-in-prayer, football-atop-helmet snare of a Manning third-down heave that made Tyree a Super Bowl legend and the 32-yard gain kept the game-winning drive alive in the Giants' 17-14 upset of the Patriots. "I never said that I was the best receiver or, you know, the greatest receiver," the now-retired Tyree, 31, recalled one morning last August in his New Jersey home. He works primarily with the International Children's Support Foundation these days. "I felt like I was the guy [who], when given the opportunity, was going to make the play."

Source: ESPN

 

I still get chills about that Super Bowl three years later.......I'll never forget it.

Greatest play in Super Bowl history......eace:

 

You obviously missed the ending of Superbowl 34 then ;)

 

No.....I did not.

But given the circumstance between both games......Tyree's Helmet catch was the greater play because it help set up the game-winning touchdown to beat the then undefeated 18-0 New England Patriots.

And that wouldn't have happened if Eli didn't escape from three Patriot defenders. It was a two-part play.....which made it even more dramatic.

 

It's that time of the year again. Tyree should look at his book sales to figure out that none of us care to hear from him.
....and Andy82 is right. Toe dragging corner endzone picture perfect game winning last second TD>>>> play should have been whistled dead, huried errant throw, freakishly impssible without stickem helmet catch for a first down.

And you can't claim I am biased because I freaking despise both teams

 

No way the Holmes catch was better. That catch is practiced. A helmet grab is not.

 

Yea... and the eagles should have won the super bowl, stupid partiot cheaters!

/excuses forever from phigs

 

Pretty much. That's why I like you Sodev. You get me!

 

Exactly.If your a fan of the game then I don't see how you can't think that. It's the pinnacle of ability and skill displayed in a game winning catch beats a string of freak strokes of luck for a first down.

 

Which is why a freak circus catch is more appealing because the chances of that happening again are millions or even billions to one while a catch like Holmes happened for the Steelers again the next year with Wallace against the Packers. It wasn't the exact same but close enough to show that a practiced play is much less rare.

 

holmes play>tyree

it must be hard for tyree to be forced to reminisce about this every year and be a nobody in the NFL today...just saying that most half decent WRs would have caught that cleanly and not bee so damn dramatic about it

 

First, Holmes' catch was amazing. Arguable the best SB play ever.

Second, how the heck could he catch it cleanly, he had Rodney Harrison raping him.

 

This is the only thing Tyree has ever done, he's absolutely terrible. And didn't he write a freaking book about it? lol

 

Didn't we have a greatest super bowl play thread once?

 

One of the premier plays in my book....so glad those guys were able to beat the Pats!:icon_cheesygrin:

 

I like the way you think......eace:

 

Great Catch. Funny to see him milking it for everything it's worth when he's really irrelevant today.

 

OR Sanchez to Holmes to beat the Patriots...