New York Giants legend Justin Tuck named among 1st-year nominees for Hall of Fame

Former New York Giants captain and defensive end Justin Tuck was named as one of the first-year nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Justin Tuck was one of the greatest players in the history of the New York Giants franchise. That’s why he was enshrined in their Ring of Honor in 2016.

Now, Tuck might be in store for an even bigger honor. On Wednesday, it was announced he was among the first-year nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Five other former Giants were also nominees in their first years of eligibility — running back Tiki Barber, guard Chris Snee, tight end Jeremy Shockey, and punters Sean Landeta and Jeff Feagles.

The Giants selected Tuck in the third round (No. 74 overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. He would play for Big Blue for nine seasons and established himself as one of the best pass rushers in the franchise’s history, having recorded 60.5 sacks.

He additionally played in 10 playoff games and recorded 5.5 sacks, which tied with former teammate Osi Umenyiora for fourth place on the franchise’s postseason list. Tuck twice sacked Tom Brady in both Super Bowl 42 and Super Bowl 46, when a dominant defensive line was one of the vital components in the Giants’ pair of wins over New England.

A strong case could be made that he deserved the Super Bowl MVP in both of the aforementioned victories.

Following the retirement of Michael Strahan after the Super Bowl 42 victory, Tuck would become the leader of the team. His pregame speech before Super Bowl 46 is one of the most motivating pregame speeches you’ll ever hear.

Tuck was named to the Pro Bowl in both 2008 and 2010, and was named first-team All-Pro in the former of the two seasons.

Tuck left the Giants following the 2013 campaign and spent two years with the Oakland Raiders, for whom he recorded six more sacks. He thus finished his career with 66.5 sacks.