The Giants announced Tuesday they will induct seven men into their Ring of Honor this fall, the biggest name being Leonard Marshall.
That likely led many fans to wonder, “Wait, Leonard Marshall isn’t in it yet?”
No, he wasn’t. Which is inexplicable. The former defensive lineman has more sacks and tackles than ROH inductees Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora. He was a key cog on the franchise’s first two Super Bowl runs. He made two Pro Bowls. He had three seasons with double-digit sack totals. His induction was a no-brainer. But it took the Giants 12 years to put him in. The reasons have been speculated on, but never confirmed. Which is likely best for the Giants, because any explanation would be ridiculous. But that is water under the bridge now. Marshall is finally receiving what he richly deserves.
The other members of the 2022 ROH class: Ottis Anderson, Rodney Hampton, Joe Morris, longtime team trainer Ronnie Barnes and the late Jimmy Patten and Kyle Rote.
So who is next?
Victor Cruz is a no-brainer. If Anderson is going in, the Giants probably have to put Brandon Jacobs in. And maybe even Ahmad Bradshaw. Zak DeOssie, David Diehl and Shaun O’Hara are dark horses from the recent Super Bowl era. There are a few players from the dark ages in the 1970s that deserve a look — Spider Lockhart comes to mind.
There is also the controversial, but deserving selection that will likely happen someday: Jerry Reese deserves to be in the ROH. He spent his entire professional career with the Giants and was the general manager for two Super Bowl wins. Yes, the core of the 2007 team was built by Ernie Accorsi before he retired. But Reese was working with him, his first draft made a major impact on that team and he retooled the roster for the 2011 run. Yes, he helped drive the team into the ground after. But on the whole he deserves induction.
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James Kratch can be reached at james.kratch@xlmedia.com
