David Tyree
Encyclopedia
David Mikel Tyree is a retired American football
wide receiver
and special teams player. He was drafted by the New York Giants
in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Syracuse University
. Tyree has also played for the Baltimore Ravens
. He earned a Pro Bowl
selection in 2005
as a special teams player.
He is best known for his helmet catch
on the Giants' final drive of 2008 Super Bowl XLII
in the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, that was instrumental to the Giants' final-minute touchdown and a 17–14 victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots
. During the play, Eli Manning avoided being sacked and threw a deep pass over the middle of the field which Tyree caught and pinned to the top of his helmet during his jump. He managed to keep control of the ball on his way to the ground while being tackled by safety Rodney Harrison
.
, Tyree grew up in a one-bedroom house in Montclair, New Jersey
with his mother and two older sisters after his parents divorced. He played high school football
and was a three year varsity letterman at Montclair High School, where he was selected as a Blue Chip Illustrated All-America
n.
, he ranked 13th on the career receiving record list with 1,214 yards, including 229 yards against Virginia Tech
in 2002. He also developed a reputation for being an excellent special teams player, amassing six blocked punts.
During the 2007 season
, Tyree amassed 4 receptions for 35 yards with no touchdowns, however his utilization in Super Bowl XLII
was perhaps his most relevant contribution.
Tyree made two key plays in Super Bowl XLII
. First he caught a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning
, Tyree's first of the season, that gave the Giants a 10-7 lead late in the game.
Later, on a 3rd-and-5 with 1:15 remaining and trailing 14-10, Manning eluded a sack and threw 32 yards downfield toward Tyree
. In Manning's words, the ball "floated" high.
Tyree leaped and caught the ball fully extended, bringing it down against his helmet with his right hand, while the New England Patriots
' Rodney Harrison
pulled violently downward on that arm, simultaneously wrenching Tyree arching backwards towards the turf. Tyree, who managed to get a second hand on the ball during the descent, seemingly kept the ball only inches from the turf, thereafter struggling successfully for possession while Harrison tried to steal the ball away from him on the ground. "I told you. He's a gamer", Eli commented to his brother, Peyton
, regarding Tyree, after the game. ESPN Sportscenter designated it the greatest play in Super Bowl history the following day. It was later voted for the 2008 ESPY award for Play of the Year. The pass moved the Giants to the Patriots' 24-yard line. Four plays and 24 seconds later, Manning threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress
for the winning touchdown. The final score of Super Bowl XLII was Giants 17, Patriots 14. Tyree dedicated this catch, which remains the last catch he has made in an NFL game, to his mother, Thelma, who died of a heart attack that year.
In 2008, Tyree was placed on injured reserve
for a knee injury suffered during training camp after being on the physically-unable-to-perform list most of the season. Tyree was released during the final cuts on September 5, 2009.
on October 13, 2009 after working out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
.
.
Tyree battled with alcohol addiction beginning in middle school
, and in March 2004 was arrested for possession of marijuana. Leilah told him she was pregnant with their second child the day he was released from jail. Later that month, Leilah "presented Tyree with an ultimatum — her lifestyle or his." He began reading a Bible
on her bed, and "for the first time, the words on the page made sense" to him. Tyree said from that day he never drank again. He and Leilah were married in June 2004.
He is a born-again Christian and has made appearances at the 2008 and 2009 Christian concert "BattleCry". In 2006, he and his wife started Next In Line, a project that counsels teenagers in his hometown.
In 2011, Tyree became an advocate against legalization of same-sex marriage in New York
with the National Organization for Marriage
.
Tyree said in an interview that the passage of the Marriage Equality Act
would "be the beginning of our country sliding toward...anarchy". He said he would trade his famous catch and the team's Super Bowl title to keep marriage between a man and a woman.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
and special teams player. He was drafted by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Syracuse University
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
. Tyree has also played for the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
. He earned a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection in 2005
2006 Pro Bowl
The 2006 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 12, 2006 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. It marked the 27th consecutive time that the National Football League's all-star game was held in Honolulu...
as a special teams player.
He is best known for his helmet catch
Eli Manning pass to David Tyree
Eli Manning's pass to David Tyree was an American football play involving the two aforementioned New York Giants players in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It was instrumental in the Giants' 17–14 upset victory over the New England Patriots...
on the Giants' final drive of 2008 Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
in the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, that was instrumental to the Giants' final-minute touchdown and a 17–14 victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. During the play, Eli Manning avoided being sacked and threw a deep pass over the middle of the field which Tyree caught and pinned to the top of his helmet during his jump. He managed to keep control of the ball on his way to the ground while being tackled by safety Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
.
Early years
Born in Livingston, New JerseyLivingston, New Jersey
Livingston is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 29,366.Livingston was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 5, 1813, from portions of Caldwell Township and Springfield...
, Tyree grew up in a one-bedroom house in Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,977 people, 15,020 households, and 9,687 families residing in the township. The population density was 6,183.6 people per square mile . There were 15,531 housing units at an average density of 2,464.0 per square mile...
with his mother and two older sisters after his parents divorced. He played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and was a three year varsity letterman at Montclair High School, where he was selected as a Blue Chip Illustrated All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n.
College career
Over Tyree's career at SyracuseSyracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
, he ranked 13th on the career receiving record list with 1,214 yards, including 229 yards against Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
in 2002. He also developed a reputation for being an excellent special teams player, amassing six blocked punts.
New York Giants
Tyree was primarily a backup for the Giants, never amassing more than 19 catches in a single season. However, he was known as an exceptional special teamer, and he earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2005 as a special teams player.During the 2007 season
2007 New York Giants season
The 2007 New York Giants season was the 83rd season for the New York Giants in the National Football League. The Giants finished the regular season 10–6 and in second place in the NFC East, improving upon their 8–8 record in 2006 in which they finished third in their division...
, Tyree amassed 4 receptions for 35 yards with no touchdowns, however his utilization in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
was perhaps his most relevant contribution.
Tyree made two key plays in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
. First he caught a five-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
, Tyree's first of the season, that gave the Giants a 10-7 lead late in the game.
Later, on a 3rd-and-5 with 1:15 remaining and trailing 14-10, Manning eluded a sack and threw 32 yards downfield toward Tyree
Eli Manning pass to David Tyree
Eli Manning's pass to David Tyree was an American football play involving the two aforementioned New York Giants players in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It was instrumental in the Giants' 17–14 upset victory over the New England Patriots...
. In Manning's words, the ball "floated" high.
Tyree leaped and caught the ball fully extended, bringing it down against his helmet with his right hand, while the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
' Rodney Harrison
Rodney Harrison
Rodney Scott Harrison is a retired professional football player of the National Football League. Harrison played safety for the San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots...
pulled violently downward on that arm, simultaneously wrenching Tyree arching backwards towards the turf. Tyree, who managed to get a second hand on the ball during the descent, seemingly kept the ball only inches from the turf, thereafter struggling successfully for possession while Harrison tried to steal the ball away from him on the ground. "I told you. He's a gamer", Eli commented to his brother, Peyton
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
, regarding Tyree, after the game. ESPN Sportscenter designated it the greatest play in Super Bowl history the following day. It was later voted for the 2008 ESPY award for Play of the Year. The pass moved the Giants to the Patriots' 24-yard line. Four plays and 24 seconds later, Manning threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Burress
Plaxico Antonio Burress is an American football wide receiver who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers eighth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
for the winning touchdown. The final score of Super Bowl XLII was Giants 17, Patriots 14. Tyree dedicated this catch, which remains the last catch he has made in an NFL game, to his mother, Thelma, who died of a heart attack that year.
In 2008, Tyree was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
for a knee injury suffered during training camp after being on the physically-unable-to-perform list most of the season. Tyree was released during the final cuts on September 5, 2009.
Baltimore Ravens
Tyree was signed by the Baltimore RavensBaltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
on October 13, 2009 after working out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
.
Retirement
Tyree signed a 1-day contract with the New York Giants to announce his retirement from the NFL as a Giant on July 29, 2010.Personal
Tyree is married to Leilah, and they have four children: two sons— Teyon and Josiah, and twin daughters— Sophia and Hannah. They reside in Wayne, New JerseyWayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....
.
Tyree battled with alcohol addiction beginning in middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, and in March 2004 was arrested for possession of marijuana. Leilah told him she was pregnant with their second child the day he was released from jail. Later that month, Leilah "presented Tyree with an ultimatum — her lifestyle or his." He began reading a Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
on her bed, and "for the first time, the words on the page made sense" to him. Tyree said from that day he never drank again. He and Leilah were married in June 2004.
He is a born-again Christian and has made appearances at the 2008 and 2009 Christian concert "BattleCry". In 2006, he and his wife started Next In Line, a project that counsels teenagers in his hometown.
In 2011, Tyree became an advocate against legalization of same-sex marriage in New York
Same-sex marriage in New York
Same-sex marriage in the U.S. state of New York became legal on July 24, 2011, under the Marriage Equality Act, which was passed on June 24, 2011, by the New York State Legislature and signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo on the same day...
with the National Organization for Marriage
National Organization for Marriage
The National Organization for Marriage is a nonprofit political association established in 2007 to work against legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States, specifically to pass California Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage in California...
.
Tyree said in an interview that the passage of the Marriage Equality Act
Marriage Equality Act
The Marriage Equality Act is a 2011 New York State law that allows gender-neutral marriages for both same- and opposite-sex couples, while prohibiting state and local courts and governments from penalizing religious and religious-supervised institutions, their employees, or clergy for refusing to...
would "be the beginning of our country sliding toward...anarchy". He said he would trade his famous catch and the team's Super Bowl title to keep marriage between a man and a woman.
See also
- Superbowl XLII
- History of the New York Giants (1994-present)
- Eli Manning pass to David TyreeEli Manning pass to David TyreeEli Manning's pass to David Tyree was an American football play involving the two aforementioned New York Giants players in the final two minutes of Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008. It was instrumental in the Giants' 17–14 upset victory over the New England Patriots...