- 6 hours ago
Giants being the ultimate spoilers
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
IG: aj_mckenzie416
Twitter: AJMckenzie94847
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
02:00I said, you know, if I ever played in the Super Bowl and was in the state of Florida, I'd
02:06be the most valuable player.
02:08Now, I made that statement not knowing that I was going to get drafted by the Cardinals.
02:16They didn't play in the championship game for 60 years.
02:49The Cardinals' first-round pick.
03:17The Cardinals' first-round pick.
03:19The Cardinals' first-round pick.
03:20No way you'd trade your franchise player.
03:24After the Cardinals lost to drop to 0-5, Anderson was excused from practice to answer a phone call in
03:30the training room.
03:32I said, hello?
03:33And his voice said, hey, kid.
03:36I said, hello?
03:37He said, hey, kid.
03:38I said, how you doing?
03:40He said, fine.
03:41I said, what is this?
03:42He says, Coach Parcells.
03:43You want a trade?
03:45I see a good joke, and I hug her at the phone.
03:48Click.
03:48Like, yeah, right.
03:50And then I turn around looking at the trainers and go, you guys are good.
03:53I mean, this is one of the best practice of the jokes you guys have done all year.
03:56This takes the cake.
03:58Anderson would learn the phone call and the trade were real.
04:02The Cardinals now believed he had become a locker room cancer with declining skills.
04:07They sent him to the Giants for two undisclosed draft picks.
04:11Do you guys feel like he's already reached his peak and he's on the downhill side?
04:14Oh, I don't think there's any question.
04:16We got him for insurance purposes.
04:18That's what he was told.
04:21This guy's got a few pelts on his horse, you know.
04:24Anderson went from OJ, number 32, the Cardinals franchise back, to Otis, number 24, the Giants
04:33disenfranchised backup.
04:35We had to sort of break him in because he had sort of a rough edge to him when he
04:39first came.
04:40I remember on an airplane ride, we were throwing pillows, hitting him while he was trying to sleep.
04:45You know, Otis was this stern guy and, you know, who threw the pillow at me?
04:49Who threw it?
04:50You coward, stand up, coward.
04:52And so he went back to sleep and everybody on the plane started throwing pillows at him.
04:57Then he woke up again and just started laughing and I think that broke the ice and he became one
05:01of the guys.
05:03Carl Banks was one of the team captains during the Giants' 1990 championship season.
05:09When he was a rookie in 1984, he too had a tough time endearing himself to his teammates.
05:15His first step was to introduce himself to future Hall of Fame linebackers Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor.
05:23I'm like, hi, Mr. Carson, hi, Mr. Taylor, I'm Carl Banks.
05:27And Harry Carson looks at me and says, so, what are you going to do to get on the football
05:32field?
05:33And Lawrence says, yeah, homeboy, what are you going to do to get on the field?
05:37We're pretty good at linebacker here.
05:39Two rounds after selecting Banks with the third overall pick in the 1984 draft,
05:45the Giants took Jeff Hostetler.
05:48At his first practice, Coach Bill Parcells arranged for Hostetler to get a special greeting from the team's most intimidating
05:55player.
05:57Parcells decided that, hey, the quarterback's live.
06:00And I can remember Lawrence looking at Parcells and saying, we just tap him or what?
06:04And Parcells, no, it's live.
06:06It's live.
06:06You hit him.
06:07Took a five-step drop and didn't hit my fifth step when LT just drove me in the back, face
06:14down in the mud.
06:15My helmet turned sideways.
06:17I remember seeing Parcells have to turn to try to hide him chuckling and laughing.
06:21And I thought, hello, hey, welcome to the NFL.
06:25Wow.
06:31Hostetler was in his third year as the team's third-string quarterback.
06:35What?
06:36He was so desperate to get on the field, he volunteered to play other positions.
06:45Two months before Super Bowl XXI, he broke his leg while playing receiver.
06:50Ended up healing, ended up practicing, ended up going to the Super Bowl.
06:55They were telling me we had a wide receiver that had missed some meetings.
06:57They were going to deactivate him and activate me.
07:00I worked my butt off.
07:01I wanted to be on that field.
07:03I wanted to be part of it.
07:04And was told Friday afterwards that I wasn't going to be activated.
07:10I was going to be IR.
07:11And that we were going to sit in the stands.
07:12I remember calling George Young up and saying, hey, how can you do this?
07:16How can you have guys that are busting their butt all year long?
07:20And during the Super Bowl, biggest game of the year,
07:23you're going to set us up in the stands like we're not even part of the team?
07:27Otis Anderson was active for the game, but felt like an outsider
07:30as the team's stars got all the attention.
07:34I was kind of jealous.
07:36I'm going to say that, and I may admit it that way,
07:38because I knew I'd done a lot in the NFL,
07:41and here's my opportunity to be in the Super Bowl
07:43and really don't have a role.
07:46In the final minutes of the Giants' Super Bowl 21 victory,
07:49Bill Parcells approached the 30-year-old running back.
07:52He said, you know, kid, in case you never get to here again,
07:57here's a chance for you to try to score.
08:00I want you to go in there, replace Joe Morris.
08:03The play is going to be a play up the middle with Morris leading,
08:06and here's your chance, and congratulations,
08:09and thank you for being great to us and the organization.
08:12This is what he tells me before I go on the field.
08:14All of this.
08:16Sims, there it goes.
08:17Otis Anderson, he's got a touchdown.
08:20There's Parcells' payback to O.J. for being patient.
08:23I jumped up, and I went to smack the ball for excitement
08:26and kept the ball.
08:29I kind of jogged off the field.
08:31I come on the sideline, everybody's giving me high five.
08:36It was like they were sending me off more than anything else.
08:39It was a goodbye more than anything else,
08:41and that's kind of how they thought it would end up.
08:45Otis Anderson returned in 1987, but carried the ball only two times.
08:50His past accomplishments were now a distant memory to his giant teammates.
08:55Mark Engel tapped me on the shoulder.
08:56It was his first year.
08:57He said, Otis.
08:59I said, what's up, Engel?
08:59Because that's what we called him.
09:00He said, you know what, man?
09:02St. Louis Cardinal had a great running back.
09:04He said, man, he won't know by 32.
09:06That guy, O.J. Anderson, he was my idol.
09:09I said, you kidding.
09:10He said, man, when I was growing up in my backyard,
09:13I was O.J. Anderson, man.
09:15I just loved him.
09:16You know what, whatever happened to him?
09:19And I looked at Mark and I said, Inge.
09:21I said, he ain't gonna believe it, but you talking to him.
09:24He said, yeah, you Otis Anderson.
09:25You ain't O.J. Anderson.
09:27I said, no, Inge, really.
09:28I'm the same guy.
09:29The season prior to 1990, starting running back Joe Morris broke his foot,
09:34and Parcells gave Anderson another chance to make a name for himself.
09:39I'm gonna go with the regular people.
09:41All right.
09:41You want O.J. here or tell him?
09:43Who's your back?
09:44Let's go with O.J.
09:45All right, O.J.
09:46I said, you know what, I'm gonna shock the world.
09:49In 1989, O.J. was back in name and in deed.
09:53Anderson gained over 1,000 yards, scored 14 touchdowns,
09:58and led the Giants to the NFC East title.
10:01I could have scored on that son of a...
10:03Hey, I'm more bad at that show's feet than I got smart.
10:05I could have made 20.
10:06I got smart.
10:07I could have made 20.
10:09We have a good relationship.
10:12Otis is not ready to go to the rocking chair yet.
10:15I tell you, he's been a joy to coach here.
10:16He does exactly what he's asked to do.
10:18He's always ready.
10:20That's me.
10:21That's what I needed to do right now.
10:24I certainly have a lot of confidence in him,
10:26and I think that's quite obvious to everyone connected with Giant football that I do.
10:32All the good feelings from Anderson's resurgence were wiped away in the Giants' first playoff game.
10:42Touchdown!
10:43And the game is over!
10:45And the Giants...
10:46A warm weather team...
10:48A hot weather team...
10:50In cold weather in January...
10:53Playoff football is maybe the worst thing an NFL team can do.
11:00You're not out of the playoff!
11:03Going to the locker room, looking at my career, going, it's over.
11:06I mean, whatever I said I was going to do, it's gone.
11:10Tired.
11:11Sore.
11:12Legs sore.
11:12I mean, hey, you on your age, OJ?
11:14I ain't no young pup.
11:16Anderson told teammate Maurice Carthon the loss ended his dream of winning a Super Bowl MVP award in Florida.
11:25And Maurice looked at me and he said, your dream may not be totally over.
11:29I said, why you say that?
11:30He said, you know where the next Super Bowl is?
11:32I said, no.
11:33Where?
11:33He said, it's in Tampa.
11:35I said, wait a minute, Tampa, Florida?
11:36He said, yes.
11:37I said, Maurice, as I sit on this stool, we're going to play in that Super Bowl.
11:41And my dream is going to come true.
11:47In the season opener against the Eagles, Hampton scored the team's first touchdown.
11:55The Giants won the game and established their formula for success.
11:59A mistake-free offense and a dominant defense that would allow the fewest points in the league.
12:09One of our big sayings that year was to make our opponent quit.
12:14In some cases, it took about a quarter.
12:17In other cases, it would take three quarters.
12:20But we could come off to a man and you'd hear a guy say, my guy just quit.
12:24We got him.
12:25The man Bill Parcells entrusted to run the defense was coordinator Bill Belichick.
12:31You with me, Carl?
12:32Yeah.
12:32I know he was looking on this side.
12:33Bill, here, before you start telling about plays, you better tell him to be alert for
12:37the hurry up.
12:38We got it, Bill.
12:38We've already been over.
12:39Okay.
12:41Belichick was allowed to be autonomous in the way he ran the defense.
12:45But yet, Bill Parcells had to put a check mark next to every game plan.
12:51No, Bill.
12:52I'm just saying.
12:52Don't leave it like that.
12:53I'll alert you to the fact that he might not be coming out.
12:56If Bill wanted to see something and Belichick overruled him, Parcells would tell him to
13:03his face in front of everyone, if it doesn't work, you're fired.
13:11Parcells may have threatened his coaches, but his strongest motivational tactics were
13:16saved for his players.
13:18Tell that undisciplined center we got to get his head out of his ass.
13:23Parcells used to tell us all the time, you're not that good.
13:25They're ready to quit.
13:27We just run for two first downs, and we keep giving them a holding penalty.
13:32Now get in the game, man.
13:33You're a mediocre team.
13:34You've been mediocre all year.
13:36You're probably going to be mediocre at the end of the year, and you need to understand
13:39that.
13:39That is sort of the relationship Bill had with his players.
13:44He would do something or say something crazy to you.
13:49It affected players differently.
13:51I went through a long period where Parcells and I, we literally hated each other for about
13:56an hour a day.
13:58I know some players to this day that just don't like Bill Parcells, but they played hard for
14:04him.
14:04When Carl Banks dislocated his wrist prior to week six, Parcells challenged him without
14:10having to say much at all.
14:12I was certain I couldn't play.
14:14Bill asked me, he says, do you think you can play?
14:17He would never pressure you.
14:19He would look you in the eye if you told him you could go.
14:21He expected your 100% best.
14:24If you couldn't, he wouldn't be upset with you.
14:27But the unspoken peer pressure put added pressure on a guy who was a competitor.
14:32And I knew from the minute I finished that conversation with Bill that I was going to go out and
14:37play.
14:37And I knew that if I could will the pain away, I would perform well.
14:44Spurred by Banks' heroics, the Giants won to climb to 5-0.
14:48But for Banks, the win came at a cost.
14:51Playing the game with one good arm, he broke his dislocated wrist.
14:56Doctors told him he'd be out at least two months, possibly the rest of the season.
15:02I said, okay, I'm making it back.
15:04Because, quite honestly, they had brought in Johnny Cook's guy that could play my position.
15:10Johnny was good.
15:11And I liked to watch Johnny play, but I didn't want Johnny to be playing in my position.
15:16The Giants' defense, without Banks, continued to tear apart opposing offenses.
15:31Phil Simms became the league's top-rated passer.
15:36The Giants continued their torrid start and ran their record to 10-0.
15:42The team looked invincible, but Parcells was not convinced.
15:49First of all, we're not back on top.
15:51We've just, we're currently leading our division, which is a very tenuous position.
15:59Parcells' skepticism seemed justified the next week.
16:03The Giants were soundly beaten by the Eagles to drop the 10-1.
16:08Banks returned for the showdown.
16:09Happy VPs like season.
16:12Showdown the following week with the 10-1, two-time defending champion, San Francisco 49ers.
16:20Down by four in the final minutes, the Giants had first and goal from the nine.
16:28The 49ers made a stand and now had bragging rights over the Giants for the NFL's best record.
16:35Ronnie Lott was in Phil's face at the end of the game, taunting him.
16:40And we don't forget those type of things.
16:43So it wasn't one of those deals where their players teased us.
16:46We went in the locker room and cried because we weren't good enough.
16:49It just motivated us.
16:51And we wanted to see them again.
16:55Throughout his professional career, his troubles began off the field in 1985,
17:02following the birth of his first son, Jason.
17:06Everything looked great and we were celebrating and I ended up going home probably 1, 2 o'clock in the
17:12morning.
17:13And I remember the following morning getting a frantic phone call from my wife.
17:18The doctors telling me that they didn't know whether he was going to make it.
17:21Jason was admitted for open-heart surgery, his first of four in the next 11 months.
17:28While his son battled for his life, Jeff fought for his pro football livelihood.
17:35His first chance to play quarterback in a game did not come until 1988, his fifth season.
17:42He got his first start against the Saints, ahead of veteran Jeff Rutledge.
17:47But at the start of the second half, Parcells made a change.
17:51I'm at the end of the tunnel and Parcells comes up past me and nudges me and says,
17:56I'm going to start Rutledge the second half.
17:58It has nothing to do with you.
18:00I just have a gut feeling.
18:02Well, that gut feeling right there had ended it for me.
18:05Well, are you concerned about the effect of pulling Jeff Hostetler out of the game at the end of the
18:10first half against New Orleans?
18:11If his sensitivity level is too great and he can't cope with a little adversity and a little criticisms,
18:20then, yeah, it might have an effect.
18:22I'm certainly not worried about the player's ego.
18:25And those are decisions I make.
18:27And, you know, if he's unhappy with the Giants and, you know, doesn't feel like he has a future here,
18:35well, fine, he can go somewhere else.
18:36I don't want guys that want to beat Giants.
18:37In my eyes, severed everything.
18:40I was done.
18:40I couldn't play for him.
18:44Hostetler requested a trade but was denied.
18:47Feeling dejected, he found inspiration from his now healthy three-year-old son, Jason.
18:53After all the things he'd gone through, it hit me that, you know what, if he can make it,
18:57if he can continue to struggle, continue to fight, then I'm going to continue to fight.
19:02Parcell's handling of Hostetler took an unusual turn in week four of the Giants' 1990 Super Bowl season.
19:09Where's Hostetler?
19:10Hostetler!
19:13Hostetler!
19:15Where's Hostetler?
19:19With the game still in doubt and Phil Simms playing well, Parcell's pulled him for Hostetler.
19:25Runs to the 10, he might score!
19:27Touchdown!
19:29I think he was testing me.
19:30I think he was testing me.
19:31I think he was testing my preparation.
19:32He was testing me whether I was ready to go at a moment's notice.
19:36The man's kind of like a genius, how you can just figure out scenarios before they happen.
19:40Three weeks later, with the Giants halfway to their 10-0 start, Simms was injured against the Cardinals.
19:48Hostetler entered the game and down 19-10 with six minutes left.
19:53Here we go, three seconds to go, the ball spotted at the 30, it goes up, it's cut the distance,
20:00it's good!
20:01It's a win!
20:03What a beat!
20:04To come from behind by nine points with less than six minutes to go was huge.
20:09I think I proved a lot to, not only the coaching staff and Parcell's, but I think I proved a
20:12lot to, you know, my fellow teammates.
20:16Hostetler's moment in the sun was eclipsed the very next week.
20:20A healthy Simms was back as the starter, and Hostetler returned to not playing at all.
20:26For the Giants' backup quarterback of nearly seven seasons, it was more of the same, and more than he could
20:32take.
20:33Like, seven, eight weeks go by, and about six years, six and a half years is, you know, over 2
20:38,000 days.
20:39I remember coming home after Friday practice, no reps again, sat down at the dinner table with my wife.
20:45I can remember telling her, that's it, I'm done, I'm absolutely done, I've had it.
20:50End of the year, we're moving, taking everything, I'm done with football, I'm retiring, I've had it.
20:58And I felt, I felt like I'd finally reached the end.
21:01I felt like I'd reached the bottom.
21:04There wasn't any more, any further that I could go.
21:09And season, we're playing the Bills, and all of a sudden, Phil goes down.
21:17And I'm thinking, get up, Sims, don't give me none of that.
21:21You come out now, I'll kill you.
21:25I felt like it was going to be the same old thing.
21:27I'd have to go in for a little bit, and then he'll be back.
21:30I didn't realize what the extent of Phil's injury was, and I didn't realize that right in front of me
21:35was the opportunity I'd been waiting for.
21:40This time, Hostetler could not complete the comeback.
21:46The team lost for the third time in four games.
21:51Sims was finished for the year with a severely sprained foot, and many believe the Giants were too.
22:02In the 90s season, Otis Anderson split time at running back with number 27 rookie Rodney Hampton.
22:09By the end of the season, Hampton was the clear-cut starter.
22:15Anderson, despite gaining 784 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns, was primarily a short yardage back.
22:23Jeff Hostetler was now the starting quarterback.
22:28With Hostetler in command, the Giants finished the regular season with a pair of unimpressive three-point wins against two
22:35of the worst teams in the league.
22:39Are you concerned in any way about the way the Giants ended up the season, the way they played?
22:44I am somewhat concerned because they were not playing with a whole lot of emotion.
22:48You cannot just switch it on and switch it off, contrary to what a whole lot of people think.
22:53They wrote us off.
22:54I think the media just felt that we just weren't good enough, and we were just a team waiting to
22:58lose.
22:59Nobody on the bandwagon.
23:01Everybody was a pessimist.
23:02Everybody was a naysayer.
23:03Everybody was, hey, look what you've got at quarterback.
23:07Here's your weak link.
23:08He's never going to be able to do it.
23:09You know, everybody's trying to stir that up around here.
23:12You know, who's sitting, who's playing.
23:13I don't really give a s***.
23:15I've got to tell you the truth.
23:16It's unbelievable.
23:17You know, that's why sometimes I call you guys commies.
23:19That's why.
23:20That's stuff right there.
23:21There it is.
23:22Subversive from within.
23:23A lot of people outside of our locker room didn't realize everybody rooted for Jeff Hosteller.
23:29He stood in special teams huddles.
23:30He ran scout team in practice.
23:33The guy did everything, so he was every man's man.
23:36The Giants may have believed that they could win with Hosteller, but entering their first playoff game,
23:41not every player had the look of a champion.
23:44I made the mistake of putting on my practice pants, because they looked like my game pants.
23:49Had my ankles taped, had my shoes taped on.
23:52So, for me to get totally undressed to start all over, I said, I'm not going to do it.
23:58I'm going to keep on my practice pants.
24:00And the chances are, I'm not going to play anyway.
24:02While Anderson believed his time had passed, Hosteller made certain he savored every moment
24:08from the biggest game of his life to date.
24:11I can remember the first, the first offensive snap.
24:16Everything stopping, everything was silent.
24:18And looking and seeing Mike Singletary right over top of me.
24:22And saying, man, those eyes are that big.
24:27Hosteller stared down the Bears' vaulted defense and threw two first-half touchdowns.
24:36But all was not well with the Giants' offense.
24:39Rodney Hampton had injured his leg.
24:42I'm on the sideline, in my practice pants, saying to myself, there's nowhere in the world
24:47I'm going to play.
24:48And then they tell Bill, they say, Bill, Rodney is out.
24:51He said, well, give me O.J.
24:55Playing in his practice pants, Anderson carried the ball 21 times, gained 80 yards, and paved
25:04the way for Hosteller's third touchdown by blocking William the Refrigerator Perry.
25:19I'm scared.
25:20Come on, man.
25:21I ain't throwing no game.
25:22I'm too tired of no game.
25:24They said the guys were dead.
25:26They said the guys were dead.
25:27Hey, I don't understand it.
25:29They stuck a fortune out and said we were done.
25:31Hey, San Francisco, they're back.
25:33We're back.
25:34They're back.
25:37We made a statement that we're back.
25:46Got one more?
25:47One more.
25:47Nobody thinks we can win, you know.
25:49I know.
25:49It's not a title.
25:50I know they're going to give us a chance in this one.
25:53After the convincing victory, Parcells approached Hosteller and offered some words of encouragement.
26:00They weren't great comments, but Parcells didn't give a whole lot of great comments.
26:05But I can remember he made a comment.
26:07If we didn't win it, it wasn't because of the quarterback, which to me, that was a pat in the
26:11back.
26:12And he didn't give a whole lot of pat in the backs.
26:16Parcells told Anderson he had regained the starting running back job under one condition.
26:20He must continue to wear his practice pants during games.
26:25And I remember Parcells telling me, I'm going to pay the fine.
26:28And because we won, you'll wear it again next week.
26:33The championship game.
26:35The Giants returned to San Francisco for a rematch with the two-time defending champion 49ers.
26:43They were the team.
26:44They were going for their three-peat.
26:46They were flashy.
26:47They seemed to be the media's choice.
26:49And the Giants were a mere formality.
26:52We were coming in to get beat and sent home.
26:55Before the game, Parcells told the players their travel options.
26:59With no week off before the Super Bowl, the winner of the championship game, instead of heading home, would fly
27:06directly to Tampa.
27:08Parcells had indicated to us that you can pack for two days or you can pack for the whole week.
27:16And I remember Parcells throwing down a suitcase.
27:19It was a big suitcase.
27:21He said, I guess you know which one I'm packing for.
27:29The Giants and 49ers stage one of the most physical games ever played.
27:45In the fourth quarter, with the 49ers leading 13-9, former Giant Jim Burt landed what appeared to be the
27:52decisive blow.
27:56My leg snaps back and twists and I can hear it pop.
27:59And I've got a burning sensation and I'm down and I'm feeling like it's over.
28:04Hostetler is down.
28:06He's hurt.
28:07He really gave him a shot.
28:08He's hurt.
28:12The trainers come out and I can't even talk to them.
28:16I can remember finally settling down a little bit and answering some of their questions and feeling a little tingling
28:21from my head down.
28:22And just saying, yeah, I can do this.
28:25He's up on his feet and walking off the field.
28:28Unbelievable after that hit.
28:31Hostetler recovered while the rest of the Giants prepared to rally around him and strike back.
28:37I knew the guys around me, you know, my offensive linemen and the offense, I knew they'd do anything for
28:43me.
28:44What I didn't realize is how that defensive unit responded to that.
28:48It was eating them up.
28:49We were angry.
28:51It probably wasn't a dirty play, but because it was Jim Burt and he was one of our guys, we
28:57were upset.
28:58It was unspoken that if you hurt one of our guys, we knew the guy to go after.
29:11If you watch that particular play, Leonard Marshall's blocked.
29:15He's down on the ground.
29:18He's down on the ground and never stops.
29:28He hit Joe and we thought he killed him.
29:35Steve Young came in for the 49ers final drive and he did only two first downs to run out the
29:41clock.
29:44I remember Mark Ingram saying, here's my chance to go to Tampa, my chance to play in the Super Bowl,
29:49and now it's going down the drain.
29:51And I said, Inge, it's my destiny.
29:53We're going to go to the Super Bowl.
29:55He said, come on, Juicy.
29:56He said, they got the ball.
29:57They're running out the clock.
29:58I said, I'm telling you, Inge, it's my destiny.
30:00It's going to happen.
30:01Something's going to happen.
30:14Offensively, we've got very little time, but we have enough time.
30:17And we know we can do it.
30:23Hostet is trying to pass.
30:24Runs away from trouble.
30:25Turns upfield.
30:26Runs to the sideline and throws on the run.
30:28And completes the ball.
30:35Jeff Hostetler passed the Giants into field goal range and a step closer to their date with Otis Anderson's destiny.
30:47All depends on Pat Marr.
30:49Oh, my goodness.
30:50If the field goal is good, they win.
30:53I can actually still see the laces coming back.
30:57I knew if I got it down, it was good.
31:00Pick is away.
31:01It's got the distance.
31:01It is good.
31:05Good.
31:06And the points are going to Tampa Bay.
31:08It's over for the three-peats.
31:10They're getting on a plane and instead of heading back to North, heading Southeast.
31:19They said good to you.
31:21I love you, baby.
31:22I love you.
31:23I love you.
31:28To be able to go in to Candlestick Park, to end the three-peat for the 49ers, to do something
31:38that everybody said no way in the world is going to happen, phenomenal feeling.
31:47They keep on telling me.
31:49They keep on telling me I can't and, you know, I'm going to the Super Bowl.
31:52The quarterback who could not get on the field was now New York's most sought-after star.
31:58Broadcaster John Madden wanted to interview him next.
32:03Bill Parcells was coming up past me.
32:06As soon as he got to the buses, the buses were taken off.
32:09So I told the guys that were with me, hey, I only do this interview if you hold the buses.
32:13And they said, don't worry about it.
32:15He's not going to leave.
32:16Nobody's going to leave.
32:18So I do the interview with Madden.
32:20I come up and I think there were four or five buses, all of them gone.
32:24Madden came up and said, what's wrong?
32:27And I told him that Bill took off.
32:30And he just started laughing.
32:32He said, I'll get you there.
32:33Well, I thought, how in the world are you going to get me there?
32:35I have no idea even where the plane is.
32:38We got on his Madden cruiser and his driver made a couple calls, pulled to the airport.
32:44And we pulled this back gate and somehow the back gate opens up.
32:48I can remember walking up onto the plane and Bill was sitting there right away in the first row.
32:54And I can remember the look in his face where he was as surprised as could be that I was
32:59there.
32:59And just the nod of approval that I'd found the way to get there was all I needed.
33:05It was the perfect metaphor for the Giants' season.
33:09The team everyone dismissed, but the quarterback everyone overlooked, had found its way to the Super Bowl.
33:20Persian Gulf War.
33:22The event altered some of the usual Super Bowl customs.
33:27Disney had interviewed all of the guys that they thought were potential MVPs the day before.
33:36And it had all asked all of us that if we were to select the MVP, we had two things
33:42that we could say.
33:43One was, I'm going to Disney, which is, you know, traditional.
33:47Or we can say, I dedicate this game to our troops.
33:51Dan, the air base here in eastern Saudi Arabia is again under attack.
33:56We must have...
33:56While Ertis Anderson watched the war from his hotel room,
34:00the Giants' coaches studied the heavily favored Buffalo Bills.
34:03They decided their best chance for an upset was to feature their 34-year-old running back.
34:10Parcells said, we're just going to pound them to death.
34:12And we want to know what plays you're comfortable with,
34:15because we're going to run those 15 to 30 times a game until we wear them down.
34:20He said, how do you feel about that?
34:22I said, Bill, I'm ready to play.
34:24Whatever you do is fine by me, and I look forward to the challenge.
34:31Bill Belichick's challenge was to slow down the Bills' offense.
34:36In their two playoff games, Buffalo had scored 44 and 51 points.
34:43He said, you guys are going to have to trust me.
34:47In order for us to win this football game,
34:50Thurman Thomas is going to have to gain 100 yards rushing.
34:54And, you know, guys are grumbling, because it's like pride.
34:57It's like, are you out of your mind?
34:59We're not letting this guy get 100 yards.
35:01And then he brings it back to reality for us.
35:07Belichick explained that he planned to employ a defense designed to punish the Bills' receivers
35:11and prevent yards after the catch at the expense of stopping the run.
35:17And then he just kind of paused and said, are you guys with me on this game plan?
35:21Okay, we're with you.
35:24And it worked.
35:28First of all, Super Bowl, without a doubt, the ultimate as far as emotions.
35:36Nothing prepares you the feelings that you have standing in that tunnel waiting to be introduced.
35:41Order back up from Washington, Virginia, to Spendish!
35:48Running out and seeing everybody holding the little American flags.
35:55I still get chills thinking about that time.
35:58And so you go from that to, boom, ready to go.
36:03Carl Banks put Belichick's plan into action.
36:09And the rest of the unit followed.
36:20The Bills' defense countered by attacking Hostetler.
36:32They cracked open the ammonia capsules and put it right underneath my nose and I didn't react.
36:37And they told me to breathe deep and didn't react.
36:40For some reason, I can remember the face on the doctors looking and rolling their eyes thinking,
36:45uh-oh, we're in trouble.
36:48Hostetler staggered back.
36:49But with Buffalo ahead by seven and the Giants pinned deep,
36:53the Bills' Bruce Smith nearly delivered the knockout.
36:57As I'm dropping back, Otis comes in a little too tight, trips me up.
37:02And then all of a sudden, I felt this big old mitt on my wrist.
37:06I didn't lose the ball.
37:07I was able to bring it back into my body.
37:09You know, they came up with a safety, but they easily had seven,
37:13which might have put an end to the game.
37:15With less than four minutes left in the half,
37:18the Giants regained possession at their own 13.
37:21We needed a score.
37:22Our defense had been doing a real good job.
37:24We had to do our part.
37:26Two former backups, Hostetler and Anderson,
37:30then led two of the most impressive drives in Super Bowl history.
38:06I remember hitting Mark Ingram on a crossing route and just watching.
38:12He's got Ingram for maybe a first down.
38:14He'll try to get ready.
38:16Yes, he's got it.
38:18What if it?
38:18You know, everybody saw it.
38:20Everybody felt it.
38:22You know, we just knew.
38:25After a half-minute possession to begin the second,
38:30the Giants were ahead.
38:34But as the game went on,
38:37Marv Levy and his staff realized that
38:40Thurman Thomas could run the football,
38:42and we were conceding the run.
38:47Running play, Thurman Thomas breaks it at the 25.
38:50Still on his feet at the 20.
38:51Cuts down to the 15.
38:53The 10, the 5, and scores!
38:5431-yard touchdown run!
38:57With just over two minutes left,
38:59the Bills trailed by one
39:01and began driving for the game-winning field goal.
39:05Our defense at that point was bend but don't break
39:08because we couldn't change it.
39:10I can remember just watching once they crossed the 50,
39:13thinking, that's trouble.
39:17I'm on the sidelines saying, please, Lord, stop them.
39:19This is my destiny.
39:20You know, I predicted it.
39:21Here's my chance.
39:22Don't let this be taken away from me.
39:24With eight seconds left,
39:26the Bills had reached the New York 30.
39:30The fate of the Giants now came down
39:32to a 47-yard field goal attempt
39:35by Bills kicker, Scott Norwood.
39:40A guy from Disney was standing behind me
39:42and was saying,
39:44if you miss this kick,
39:45you're the most valuable player.
39:47And I'm like, what?
39:49He's like, if you miss this kick,
39:50I want to hear that.
39:51You know, I just kind of shook him up.
39:53I don't want to hear that.
39:54If he made it,
39:56Thurman Thomas would have been the most valuable player.
39:59I want to see if he's going to make this kick.
40:00And then on the other side of the field,
40:03they would tell that Thurman Thomas is kicked.
40:06You're the most valuable player.
40:09I went to the one end of the sideline,
40:11kneeled down,
40:13just told myself I gave everything I could.
40:16I'm going to watch.
40:17I'm just going to watch everybody,
40:18no matter what.
40:20Scott Norwood.
40:21He can fire the shot heard around the world now
40:25and win a Super Bowl.
40:28I can see the snap.
40:29I can hear the kick.
40:33He hit it good.
40:35And I remember just slow motion
40:37and just watching the ball
40:38and not being able to tell whether it was good or not.
40:48It looked good.
40:49It wasn't that big of a miss.
40:52It was maybe about a yard or two.
40:54And I couldn't see anything but the body language of the guys that were on the field.
41:09When our guys started jumping up,
41:11it was just...
41:17It went over to hug the coach.
41:20He asked for a ride.
41:21He asked for a ride.
41:34The Giants coaching staff had masterminded the perfect upset.
41:38Belichick's defensive game plan now resides in the Hall of Fame.
41:43The offense set a Super Bowl record for time of possession and Anderson gained a season high 102 yards
41:50and achieved his destiny.
41:53I lost it.
41:54I jumped.
41:55I went running.
41:56I went yelling on the field.
41:57We did it.
41:58We did it.
41:59We did it.
41:59And the guy from Disney running behind me saying,
42:03You're the MVP.
42:03You're the MVP.
42:04You're the MVP of the game.
42:05And the guy's chasing me.
42:06And I'm going like,
42:07Leave me alone.
42:07You know,
42:08We won.
42:08We won.
42:09We won.
42:11I'm dedicated this win to our troops.
42:14And everybody shouted my name.
42:18OJ MVP.
42:19OJ MVP.
42:21And I just kind of dropped tears at that point in time.
42:25Because I just couldn't believe that my dream of 12 years had finally come true.
42:31And it was in Tampa.
42:33And it was what I had predicted.
42:45I think when it really hit me was standing up on the podium with my two boys and my wife
42:50who was pregnant with our third and realizing that six weeks earlier, I was sitting at a
42:59table telling my wife that was it.
43:02You know, that kind of hit.
43:05Tighten up here.
43:05They said it can't be done.
43:08It won't be done.
43:10It was done.
43:13Something that they said would never happen, couldn't happen.
43:16Here we are.
43:18We've won the Super Bowl.
43:20And I can't feel where I came to do it.
Comments