Tyree soars into Giants lore

Feb 4, 2008 - 1:57 PM By Tom Torrisi PA SportsTicker Pro Football Editor

GLENDALE, Arizona (Ticker) - Joe Montana and Dwight Clark had "The Catch." Eli Manning and David Tyree might have to settle for "The Play."

Tyree's spectacular catch following a great escape by Manning was the pivotal play on the winning touchdown drive as the New York Giants shocked the New England Patriots, 17-14, in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday night.

While Manning's 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds to play will go down in history as the decisive play, it would not have been possible if not for Tyree's highlight-reel reception.

"David Tyree, man, that's all you've got to say," Manning said. "David Tyree - huge catch, Plaxico on the touchdown. Everybody stepped up and made huge plays."

None was bigger than Tyree's. With New York facing a 3rd-and-5 at its own 44-yard line with 1:15 to play, Manning somehow escaped the grasp of Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green, wheeled and lobbed a pass down the center of the field.

The 6-foot Tyree leaped high and snared the ball at its apex with Patriots safety Rodney Harrison draped all over him, feverishly trying to tear the ball away.

Tyree pressed the ball against his helmed as he slammed to the ground and maintained control of it for a 32-yard gain to give the Giants a first down at the 24-yard line with 59 seconds left.

"The escape by Eli and the throw that is caught by David Tyree, that ball was challenged," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "That wasn't like he just jumped up in the air and caught the ball. You had two people ripping for the ball and he brings it down.

"That might be one of the great plays of all-time in the Super Bowl."

Hardly the most nimble of quarterbacks, Manning kept the play alive on what looked like a sure sack.

"I saw Eli break a tackle, which I don't think he has ever done before in his life," center Shaun O'Hara said. "It was very Steve Young and Joe Montana-like. I don't know how he had the composure to get away from that.

"For a second there, we weren't sure who was going to come down with that ball."

Tyree acknowledged that he might be the least likely player on New York's roster to make such a magnificent grab.

"I've probably got the worst vertical leap on the football team. It's like 30 inches or something," Tyree said. "When opportunity presents itself, that has been my motto for most of my career - 'You have to make the most of your opportunities.' You have to go up and get (the ball) at its highest point."

Harrison, a 14-year veteran, was in disbelief that Tyree managed to come down with the reception.

"I thought it was falling out. I thought it was an incomplete pass," Harrison said. "It was a whacky and crazy play. I can't even explain it."

Giants guard Chris Snee, the son-in-law of Coughlin, knew how to explain it.

"That catch won us the Super Bowl," Snee said. "That's the number one catch in my book."

The catch was so memorable that it overshadowed Tyree's other big moment in the game - a 5-yard scoring pass from Manning that gave the Giants a 10-7 lead with just over 11 minutes to play.

It was first touchdown of the season for Tyree, who has made a niche for himself with the Giants on special teams, having earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2005.

"It's a lovely feeling. I honestly came out here and I expected to have a great day," Tyree said. "A lot of people call me a special teams players. They don't give me any recognition as a wide receiver.

"I am a football player and when it comes down to it, you tell me to do something and ... I am going to find a way to get it done."

Tyree won't have to convince Giants fans of that anymore.