Giants Sign NFL Veteran K Steve Christie
Team looks opts for experience as season opener approaches; Practice squad additions announced.
By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

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September 7, 2004

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Last Friday, Steve Christie requested his release from the Jacksonville Jaguars and contemplated retirement after 14 NFL seasons. But life after football will have to wait. The Giants today signed Christie to be their new placekicker. He will make his debut in Sunday’s season opener in Philadelphia.

“It’s great,” said Christie, who impressed the Giants in a tryout on Monday. “I’m committed to doing the best job possible I can do.”

“We felt like the veteran presence was something that we needed in terms of going down to Philadelphia, so we decided to make that move,” Coughlin said. “I spoke with Todd this morning and tried to make him understand what we were doing and make him realize that he does have a future in this league, and that sometimes, just as the quarterback position, the kicking position takes a little time to get your spot. I talked to him about what I really liked about his performance this preseason and made him understand that he is certainly a guy that would be a strong consideration for other clubs as well because of the amount of time he’s had on tape.”

But France’s body of work is minute compared to Christie’s. In 14 seasons (two with Tampa Bay, nine with Buffalo and the last three with San Diego), Christie has played in 213 games. He has made 314 of 403 field goal attempts (77.9 percent), plus 435 of 440 extra point tries. Christie kicked a career-long 59-yard field goal in 1993 and a Super Bowl-record 54-yarder for the Bills vs. Dallas in Super Bowl XXVIII.

Christie’s 1,377 points place him 15th in NFL history, three behind Jim Bakken and five behind Mark Moseley.

Perhaps most importantly, Christie won’t be intimidated by the hostile crowds in the NFC East, or the swirling winds in Giants Stadium.

“I think it helps that I was in Buffalo for so long to come to a stadium like this, which has similar conditions with the wind and the cold,” Christie said. “It was a challenge in Buffalo and it’s going to be a challenge here. But that’s something obviously I don’t seem to mind.”

Coughlin, who has been concerned about kickoff length, said Christie showed enough in his tryout to alleviate most concerns.

“He kicked off well yesterday,” Coughlin said. “You’re not talking about out of the end zone, but he kicked with the wind well and into the wind it was acceptable.”

Christie was asked how far he expects his kickoffs to go.

“We’ll have to see how it goes with the game balls and how the wind is here – it’s hard to say,” he said.

Both the Giants and, to a lesser degree, Christie exemplify the constantly-changing carousel that is kicking in the NFL. The Giants have been through four kickers since the start of training camp: Matt Bryant, Bill Gramatica, France and Christie.

Christie, whose contract with San Diego expired after the 2003 season, was signed by the Jaguars on Aug. 26, in part because young kicker Josh Scobee was struggling.

“I went in to provide a veteran insurance policy,” Christie said. “On my arrival he started to kick like he should, and I was no longer needed. So on Friday I asked for my release to hopefully land somewhere else.”

That place turned out to be Giants Stadium. On Sunday, he will give the Giants a veteran presence at a vital position when they open the season on the road against a division opponent.

“The advantage (of being a veteran) is the ability to block out things you can’t control, like the fans,” Christie said. “You can focus on whatever you’re doing and not be distracted by outside elements.”

Although he contemplated retirement, Christie is glad he has an opportunity to keep playing.

“I don’t think I have anything to prove, per se,” he said. “I just feel I still have the ability to contribute to a team right now.”

So, obviously, do the Giants.

Notes

• Coughlin liked the determination Jeremy Shockey demonstrated when the tight end said Monday he would play in Philly, but he wasn’t ready to make the same declaration today. Shockey missed the entire preseason, first while recovering from foot surgery, and then with a strained hamstring.

  “I like his attitude,” Coughlin said. “I would like to have him practice a couple of days and we’ll see how that goes before any announcement is made. He will practice today in a limited role and certainly I am looking forward to seeing how he does today and how he feels after practice and tomorrow.”
  

  Coughlin said he will listen to input from the team’s medical staff and Shockey before deciding whether the two-time Pro Bowler will play.

  “He’s been pretty accurate with that in the past in terms of my relationship with him,” Coughlin said. “So I’m going to count on that, but obviously our experts are going to tell me exactly where he is. I’ve been encouraged through this whole time in the fact that his strength has always been there. He’s never had a loss of strength, so that’s a significant thing in terms of working his way back. Obviously you have to come back…your pace has to be very controlled as you come back and you’re always looking to extend your confidence. So that’s really what it is today, it will be an opportunity to put him on the field and have some experiences for him and hopefully it will be positive.”

• Cornerback Will Allen’s availability for the game remains uncertain.

  “He actually ran well yesterday, but he has not gotten the green light to practice,” Coughlin said. “I don’t know what to expect, to be honest with you. We’re going to go day-by-day on that.”

• Coughlin was not ready to name his starters at left guard, middle linebacker and free safety.

• Coughlin said Ron Dayne will continue to be the Giants’ short-yardage back. The coach indicated that Mike Cloud, who was signed on Monday, could be ready to contribute in Philadelphia.

  “He’s not going to be totally unfamiliar with the system,” Coughlin said. “If you know the New England system, there is a fundamental backbone which is similar to both of our schemes, so I think he’ll pick it up fast. He spent the day yesterday in meetings and he did very well. It’s a different thing, of course, when you’re asked to perform at full speed, but I think he’ll respond well.”

• Rookie Mark Jones, who was awarded to the Giants on waivers Monday, will be the team’s punt returner. Jones might also get a look as a kickoff returner. Last year at the University of Tennessee, Jones ranked second in the SEC and third nationally with a 15.7-yard punt return average.

  “I’m very confident,” Jones said. “(The fans can expect to see) big things. I’m going to try to make something happen back there and give the offense good field position.”

  “He has outstanding speed, he’s demonstrated good ball security,” Coughlin said. “He’s a young man that we were surprised to see on the waiver wire and we were fortunate to get him.”

• The Giants signed six players to their practice squad: defensive tackle Mario Monds, defensive end Khaleed Vaughn (Clemson), linebackers Jim Maxwell (Garnder-Webb) and T.J. Hollowell (Nebraska), wide receiver Chris Davis (Southern), tight end Mark Anelli (Wisconsin), running back Clarence Farmer and offensive lineman Tyson Clabo (Wake Forest). Monds was released by the Giants no Monday. Vaughn, Maxwell, Hollowell and Davis were in training camp with the Giants. Anelli was a 2002 sixth-round draft choice by San Francisco. He spent part of that season on the 49ers’ active roster, but did not appear in a game. Anelli was on injured reserve much of last season and in Chicago’s camp this summer. Clabo was a rookie free agent in Denver’s training camp and Farmer was in Seattle’s training camp

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