New York Giants Official Website

Giants Receive Rings
The team that pulled off that remarkable postseason run gathered for the final time Thursday to receive their championship rings in an emotional ceremony at Tiffany & Co.
By Mike Eisen, Giants.com

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MAY 29, 2008

NEW YORK - On a makeshift podium in the showroom of a famed Midtown Manhattan jewelry store, Giants president John Mara Thursday night called the 2007 Giants season, "the most memorable and rewarding one in my lifetime."

Considering Mara was born in 1954 and has been alive for four of the Giants' seven championships, that's a big statement. But 2007 was a big Giants season, culminating in their exhilarating victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. The team that pulled off that remarkable postseason run gathered for the final time Thursday to receive their championship rings in an emotional ceremony at Tiffany & Co., the world famous company that annually makes the Vince Lombardi Trophy and this year designed and produced the rings. And appropriately enough, the rings are big.

Soon after the Super Bowl, Michael Strahan said he wanted a "10-table ring." By that he meant a ring that could be seen from 10 tables away in a restaurant. The rings are all that and more. They seem to be twice as large as the rings members of the organization received after winning Super Bowls XXI and XXV. The rings feature white gold, diamonds and three Super Bowl trophies, one for each of the Giants' victories in the title game.

As the players and coaches slipped on their new jewelry, they flashed smiles as bright as the diamonds on the top and sides of the rings.

"It feels heavy - very heavy," said Strahan, who joined Eli Manning, Shaun O'Hara and Amai Toomer as players who helped design the ring. "After four months of waiting, it's everything I expected it to be. It feels good. I mean look at it - it is unbelievable. An unbelievable ring, we are an unbelievable team, and it was an unbelievable season."

"It is great. It is very special," Manning said. "Obviously, to win the game and to go through those emotions and kind of relive it today with all your teammates and coaches and owners and everybody here - it is just great to finally get it. We had a few weeks of meeting to go over the ring. I was privileged to be a part of that committee and it came out just like we thought it would, perfect."

The ring's top is covered in diamonds and features three Super Bowl trophies accented with marquise diamonds signifying the team's Super Bowl XXI, XXV and XLII victories, along with the team's "NY" logo in bead set round diamonds. "World Champions" is emblazoned in raised letters on the top and bottom bezel, with channel set diamonds on left and right bezel.

The ring's shanks celebrate the Giants' storybook season leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. "Eleven Straight on the Road," an NFL record; the NFL shield; player name, along with player number or season record (14-6) in raised letters appear on one shank; and the final score (NYG 17 NE 14), "Super Bowl XLII," date (02.03.08) and 'AZ' appear on the other shank.

Eighty-five rings were distributed, including 57 to players. Antonio Pierce (who was married last week), Jeremy Shockey, Reggie Torbor (now with the Miami Dolphins) and Darren Barnett did not attend the ceremony. Linebacker Kawika Mitchell and safety Gibril Wilson, who signed with Buffalo and Oakland, respectively, joined their former teammates. Wilson was with the Giants when they visited the White House last month, but this was the first time Mitchell was back since leaving the team. He was greeted with warm hugs and handshakes.

The Tiffany showroom was a distinctive setting for the private ring ceremony. As the players, coaches and other members of the organization arrived they strode on a blue carpet, with the media and some fans clamoring for attention - just as Hollywood stars do as they walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards. Just inside the entrance was a glass case that contained three rings, a maroon case with gold lettering (2007 Super Bowl Champions) that housed this year's ring and a Tiffany Blue box. Ronnie Barnes, the team's vice president of medical services, had lent his rings from the previous two Super Bowl victories for the display. Next to them was this year's ring, which was bigger and brighter. Virtually everyone entering the store peered into the case like grandparents pressed against the window of a hospital nursery, craning to get the first glimpse of a newborn grandchild.

After soft drinks, hors douvers and some ogling at the bracelets and necklaces in the showroom cases, the ceremony began. On a table directly in front of the podium were the Giants' three gleaming Lombardi trophies. Bob Papa, the voice of the Giants, spoke movingly about the Giants' determination and teamwork in their storybook season. Papa then introduced Mara, who said, "We certainly all have looked forward to this occasion since that magical evening of February 3rd," then quickly thanked Tiffany and the four players on the design committee.

"Most of all I want to thank on behalf of my family you players, you coaches, and all of our staff for making this past season the most memorable and rewarding in my lifetime," Mara said. "The first meeting that we had with the people from Tiffany, Michael walked into the room a little late and declared the ring had to be a 10 table (ring)," Mara said. "Mike Kowalski, the chairman and CEO of Tiffany, looked a little puzzled and he looked at Michael and said, 'I am not sure what that means, I have never heard that expression.' Michael explained that you have to be able to see the ring from 10 tables away. When they did the first sample ring and they brought that to a meeting I looked at it and I said, 'Don't you think it is a little too big?' Shaun O'Hara looked at me and said, 'John, it was a big win, so it has to be a big ring.' I think when you see the ring you will agree that it meets the Strahan-O'Hara standards. I want you to enjoy these rings and cherish them and realize that most NFL players and coaches never get the opportunity to wear a Super Bowl ring. You should all be proud of what you accomplished last year and I would ask that as we start a new season please remember what got you here. All that hard work you did in the offseason, during the season, and that concept of team that all of you embraced last season. Congratulations to all of you and thanks again for making 2007 such a special season in Giants history.

Steve Tisch, the Giants' chairman, followed Mara to the podium.

"On behalf of the Tisch family I am proud, grateful, honored, and humbled to share this evening with the players, the coaches, and on behalf of my family I am also very honored to be here with the Mara family," Tisch said. "We are the champions. We are the champions of the world. We have the best fans in the world and we appreciate the support that our fans have given us every year and especially the 2007 season for making us aware of how strongly you believe in the New York Giants. Dallas may call themselves America's team; the New York Giants are America's dream. I don't know if I can properly acknowledge the leadership and the selfless commitment Coach Tom Coughlin has given to lead the players and his coaching staff. Tom, without your vision and your passion, we would not be here tonight. Thank you. It was a long road, but it was a great season. The regular season was thrilling, the postseason still seems a bit unbelievable. Tonight you will be given a symbol of what Super Bowl XLII meant to us and to you. Wear it with pride, with honor, and remember the New York Giants are your family and your team."

It was then time to hand out the jewelry, which had been delivered to a table next to the podium on silver trays, with 10 Tiffany boxes to a tray. At the head of the line were the first ladies of the Giants, Ann Mara and Joan Tisch, the widows of Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch, who were presented Super Bowl pendants by their sons.

At a brief news conference after the ceremony, John Mara was asked about his father, who passed away on Oct. 25, 2005.

"I said to a few of the players, especially the guys that have been with us for a long time, that he would have loved to have been here to give them their rings," Mara said. "Guys like Richie Seubert, Michael, Amani - guys that were special to him."

Next up were general manager Jerry Reese and Coughlin. They were followed by former general manager Ernie Accorsi, who acquired many of the key players on the championship team, most notably Manning in a bold trade in the 2004 NFL Draft.

Coughlin then assumed ring distribution duties. He first presented a ring to each of his 18 assistant coaches. The next man to receive a ring was Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, the brave soldier who lost both of his legs in Iraq and whose speeches and presence on the sideline inspired the team throughout the season. Gadson received a loud ovation as he walked to the podium on his prosthetic legs and with the help of two canes. Coughlin gave Gadson a bear hug after handing him the ring.

Four of the team's captains - Manning, Strahan, O'Hara and Jeff Feagles - then received their rings from Coughlin. That was followed by the procession of the remaining players by uniform number, beginning with backup quarterback Anthony Wright (No. 2) to defensive tackle Fred Robbins (No. 98).

After stepping down from the podium, the players found their wives or significant others, quickly opened the boxes and put on their rings. The room sounded as if it was filled with the proverbial kids in a candy store, but these were adults in a jewelry store. They reveled in the moment by staring at the huge rings, laughing and mugging for photos.

"There are a lot of people that play in this league that don't get to do this," said Plaxico Burress, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass with 35 seconds remaining in the Super Bowl. "I know guys who have played for 15, 16, 17 years, and haven't had a chance to even experience the playoffs or get to the NFC Championship or AFC Championship game and go to the Super Bowl, let alone win it. For a guy like myself, a little boy from Virginia Beach who had dreams and aspirations of one day being a Super Bowl Champion like Tony Dorsett and all those guys when I was little, it just means so much more when I can put this ring on my hand. I was so excited for today that I actually woke up at like 6:30, went to Starbucks, had me a cup of coffee, had a couple donuts, read a couple papers, and I was ready to roll. My wife thought I was getting ready for a football game with the way I was acting all day. I am never on time, but I actually got ready a couple hours before. I was just so excited for this day, not only for myself but for my teammates and guys that I work with. Nobody said we could do it."

"It is a really exciting night," Coughlin said. "I know everyone has been waiting for this. The players had first inquired about the ring and the design and once all of that got distributed and the players were aware of it and the pendants were also shown I think everyone was anticipating. We are certainly excited about the ring. Tiffany did a remarkable job. They spent an awful lot of time with us and they deserve great credit for the job that they did.

"The thing that is important to recognize in terms of our players and our organization is tonight we spend a lot of time talking about the ring and what the ring symbolizes, but really what it is you are going to carry this in your heart forever and that is what is important. You are the world champions, you never get tired of hearing about that, it is a tremendous, tremendous accomplishment for this group of young men and how they went about doing it, the coaching staff and the group of players that accomplished what they did."

Now that the players and coaches have their rings, the 2007 season is finally and officially closed. On Friday, the Giants will return to the field for the first time since the Super Bowl for the first of their six OTAs (organized team activities). They will lead into the full squad mini-camp from June 11-13.

"We are all very proud of (the championship) and we are getting ready to flip the page, thank you very much," Coughlin said.

No matter what happens in 2008, the rings will serve as an enduring keepsake of their tremendous achievement in 2007.

"This is very special," O'Hara said. "Winning the Super Bowl and meeting the president and all that is really special, but to have a ring to constantly remind you of what we accomplished as a team is amazing. I am not one for jewelry, but I will wear this with pride."

O'Hara, who told John Mara that a big win deserved a large ring, was asked if the rings are big enough.

"I think so," he said. "At least until next year's."