New York Giants Players that Should Be in the Hall of Fame

In 1986, Bill Buckner gave me what remains my only true happy baseball memory and the New York Giants were kings of the NFL. The Giants were easy to cheer for as a young lad, largely because of a future Hall of Famer named Lawrence Taylor. Kids such as myself didn't know anything about Taylor at the time, other than he was exactly what we wanted to be; a dominant force that simply could not be stopped. Taylor, along with over 20 other former Giants, is now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Any list of New York Giants players that should be in the Hall of Fame must be broken down into two sections; players from this era and players from yesteryear. Arguments can be made both for and against each player listed below. The impact each man had both on the New York Giants and the NFL, however, cannot be disputed.

New York Giants Players That Should Be in the Hall of Fame #1: Amani Toomer

In the 80+ years the New York football Giants have existed, the team has never had a better receiver than Toomer. A career Giant (a brief trip to Kansas City doesn't count), Toomer has the most receptions, receiving yards (by over 4,000 yards) and receiving touchdowns in team history. In this me-first era of the NFL, it's very likely Toomer will hold all of these records for many decades to come. Toomer won't be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for a few more years, but the Giants should definitely retire Toomer's number beforehand.

As in, before the Giants open the team's new stadium in September 2010.

New York Giants Players That Should Be in the Hall of Fame #2: Tiki Barber

I'm hardly Tiki Barber's biggest fan, but I have no problem calling him the best running back in the history of the Giants (that's right, I said it). Barber is the Giants' all-time leader in rushing touchdowns, rushing yards and yards per game. Non-Giants fans may not realize Barber's greatness as a receiver. Barber trails only Toomer in team receptions (586) and is third in team receiving yards. Barber's stats are even more impressive when you consider he retired with two to three elite-to-good years left in the tank in order to become a TodayShow correspondent and adulterer.

New York Giants Players That Should Be in the Hall of Fame #3: Phil Simms

Simms' reign as the most underrated quarterback in NFL history likely dies when Eli Manning calls it a career. Currently, Simms is the Giants' team leader in all-time completions, yards and touchdowns. Simms' performance in Super Bowl XXI remains the greatest performance by any Super Bowl QB. He finished the game completing 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns. That MVP performance alone should place Simms in the HOF eventually.

New York Giants Players That Should Be in the Hall of Fame #4: Charlie Conerly

Barring some unforeseen, unfortunate injuries (knock on wood now), Eli Manning will likely surpass Conerly in every major passing statistic before Manning retires. In 2010, however, many Giants fans and "experts" call Conerly the best quarterback in team history. Conerly was the 1948 NFL Rookie of the Year, the 1959 NFL MVP, he took the Giants to 3 NFL championships and played in two Pro Bowls.

New York Giants Players That Should Be in the Hall of Fame #5: Joe Morrison

A stretch? Perhaps. Morrison, the last real two-way player in team history, played at six positions while with the Giants. He is currently sixth all-time on the Giants scoring list, third in team receptions and receiving touchdowns and fourth in Giants receiving yards. Morrison was also the lone star on some less-than-good Giants teams throughout his career.

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