New York Giants Official Website

August 17, 2009

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - The Giants players have a nickname for defensive tackle Leger Douzable: Douzy. That is an apt description for the play he was involved in that enabled the Giants to win their preseason opener Monday night.

With the score tied, the Carolina Panthers lined up to run a play from their own 18-yard line with 10 seconds remaining. In the regular season they would have taken a knee and gone to overtime. But no one wants an extra period in the preseason. So Panthers quarterback Hunter Cantwell cocked his arm to pass, only to have it hit by Douzable, the second-year tackle from Central Florida who was credited with a sack and forced fumble.

The ball flew right to Tommie Hill, a rookie defensive end from Colorado State who was in full stride. He didn't stop until he had covered the 18 yards to the goal line as time expired, giving the Giants a 24-17 victory on a play that Coach Tom Coughlin called, "bizarre."

No on was about to argue, particularly the play's principal figures.

"I have never seen anything that bizarre, but I just thank God I was in the right position to make a play," Douzable said. "For me, that's number one. That's never happened to me before."

Almost everyone else playing, coaching or watching the game could probably say the same thing. After all, how many games end on a last-play fumble recovery and return?

Hill made a lot of veteran players happy. They did not want to watch an extra quarter.

"I'm going to try and get a dinner or something out of that," Hill said.

Neither Douzable (who thought Carolina would take a knee) nor Hill (who anticipated a run) expected a pass. But once Cantwell dropped back, they did the jobs they are trained to do.

"You figure (overtime is looming), but as a defensive player you always got to be ready to go out there and make a play," Douzable said. "When they snapped the ball I saw him drop back to pass. I just put on a good pass rush move and I saw the quarterback's arm and went for the ball and got it. It went in the air and luckily Tommie was there to catch it out of the air and score a touchdown for us."

Hill applied the same simple description to the play.

"It was just something that happened," he said. "It was lucky, the inside guys got push, Douzy batted the ball and hit the quarterback and I was able to get my hands on the ball. I was just trying to come underneath and Douzy hit the ball up in air and I happened to be there and make the most of it.

"He took the ball and hit the quarterback's arm. He made a great play and came with all the pressure. I was just happy to be in the right place at the right time."

Hill said it was his first touchdown since he was at Arapahoe High School in Colorado, where he scored on a blocked punt.

Douzable and Hill are both longshots to make the Giants' final roster. The defensive line is perhaps the deepest and most competitive unit on the team. But no matter what happens, they were the most important participants in a play they'll never forget.

"I'm just a rookie trying to make the team right now, so anything like that to help the team win is going to help me," he said. "It was just a fortunate situation and I made the most of it. Every player, especially at this level, wants something like that. So, this time it was me. Next time it's going to be someone else."

Next time? Well, if it happened once, why not again?

"I mean, it's football," Douzable said. "Anything can happen."

It already did.