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1981 New York Giants

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Record: 9-7-0, Finished 3rd in NFC East Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 295 points (18.4/g), 22nd of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 257 points (16.1/g), 3rd.
 Differential of 38 points (2.4/g), 13th.
 Expected W-L: 9.3-6.7.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -2 (-0.1/g), 16th.

Simple Rating System: Total 3.4, Offense: -2.2, Defense: 5.5, SoS: 1.0, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Ray Perkins (9-7-0)
 Defensive Coordinator: Bill Parcells
 Other Notable Asst.: Bill Belichick (Special Teams/Linebackers) and Romeo Crennel (Special Teams/Defensive Assistant)

Training Camp: Pace University (Pleasantville, New York)

Starters

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters
QB Phil Simms 27 2 10 172 for 316, 2,031 yards, 11 td, 9 int, & 19 rushes for 42 yards and 0 td New York Giants / 1st / 7th pick / 1979
QB Scott Brunner 24 1 6 79 for 190, 978 yards, 5 td, 11 int, & 14 rushes for 20 yards and 0 td New York Giants / 6th / 145th pick / 1980
RB Leon Perry 24 1 8 72 rushes for 257 yards, 0 td, & 13 catches for 140 yards and 1 td
FB Rob Carpenter 26 4 8 190 rushes for 748 yards, 5 td, & 24 catches for 201 yards and 0 td Houston Oilers / 3rd / 84th pick / 1977
WR Mike Friede 24 1 15 18 catches for 250 yards, 1 td Detroit Lions / 3rd / 62nd pick / 1980
WR Johnny Perkins 28 4 14 51 catches for 858 yards, 6 td, & 2 rushes for -1 yards and 0 td New York Giants / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1977
TE Gary Shirk 31 5 14 42 catches for 445 yards, 3 td
LT Brad Benson 26 3 10 New England Patriots / 8th / 219th pick / 1977
LT Jeff Weston 25 2 5 Miami Dolphins / 9th / 244th pick / 1979
LG Roy Simmons 25 2 10 2 fumbles recovered New York Giants / 8th / 201st pick / 1979
LG Billy Ard 22 Rook 6 1 fumble recovered New York Giants / 8th / 221st pick / 1981
C Ernie Hughes 26 3 10 2 fumbles recovered San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 79th pick / 1978
C Jim Clack 34 10 6
RG J.T. Turner 28 4 16
RT Gordon King 25 3 16 1 fumble recovered New York Giants / 1st / 10th pick / 1978
 Defensive Starters
LDE Curtis McGriff 23 1 14
LDE George Martin 28 6 6 0 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered New York Giants / 11th / 262nd pick / 1975
NT Bill Neill 22 Rook 16 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered New York Giants / 5th / 115th pick / 1981
RDE Gary Jeter 26 4 11 New York Giants / 1st / 5th pick / 1977
LOLB Brad Van Pelt 30 8 13 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered New York Giants / 2nd / 40th pick / 1973
LILB Brian Kelley 30 8 16 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered New York Giants / 14th / 353rd pick / 1973
RILB Harry Carson* 28 5 16 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered New York Giants / 4th / 105th pick / 1976
ROLB Lawrence Taylor*+ 22 Rook 16 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered New York Giants / 1st / 2nd pick / 1981
LCB Mark Haynes 23 1 16 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered New York Giants / 1st / 8th pick / 1980
RCB Terry Jackson 26 3 16 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered New York Giants / 5th / 120th pick / 1978
SS Bill Currier 26 4 14 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Houston Oilers / 9th / 232nd pick / 1977
FS Beasley Reece 27 5 16 4 interceptions, 5 fumbles recovered Dallas Cowboys / 9th / 264th pick / 1976
 Special Teams Starters
K Joe Danelo 28 6 0 24 of 38 field goals & 31 of 31 extra points Miami Dolphins / 10th / 257th pick / 1975
P Dave Jennings 29 7 0 97 punts for a 43.3 average, 0 blocked
PR Leon Bright 26 Rook 1 52 punt returns for a 7.9 average and 0 td
KR Leon Bright 26 Rook 1 25 kick returns for a 19.2 average and 0 td

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
67 Billy Ard 22 G 13 6 265 6-3 Wake Forest 3/12/1959 Rook New York Giants / 8th / 221st pick / 1981
78 Carl Barisich 30 DT-NT 2 0 258 6-4 Princeton 7/12/1951 8 Cleveland Browns / 11th / 281st pick / 1973
60 Brad Benson 26 T-G-C 11 10 262 6-3 Penn St. 11/25/1955 3 New England Patriots / 8th / 219th pick / 1977
45 Leon Bright 26 RB 15 1 192 5-9 Florida St. 5/19/1955 Rook
12 Scott Brunner 24 QB 16 6 206 6-5 Delaware 3/24/1957 1 New York Giants / 6th / 145th pick / 1980
64 Jim Burt 22 NT-DT 13 0 260 6-1 Miami (FL) 6/7/1959 Rook
26 Rob Carpenter 26 RB 10 8 224 6-1 Miami (OH) 4/20/1955 4 Houston Oilers / 3rd / 84th pick / 1977
53 Harry Carson* 28 LB 16 16 237 6-2 South Carolina St. 11/26/1953 5 New York Giants / 4th / 105th pick / 1976
58 Jim Clack 34 C-G 6 6 250 6-3 Wake Forest 10/26/1947 10
29 Bill Currier 26 DB 16 14 196 6-0 South Carolina 1/5/1955 4 Houston Oilers / 9th / 232nd pick / 1977
18 Joe Danelo 28 K 16 0 166 5-9 Washington St. 9/2/1953 6 Miami Dolphins / 10th / 257th pick / 1975
46 Mike Dennis 23 DB 16 0 190 5-10 Wyoming 6/6/1958 1
37 Larry Flowers 23 DB 16 2 190 6-1 Texas Tech 4/19/1958 Rook Tampa Bay Buccaneers / 4th / 102nd pick / 1980
35 Ike Forte 27 RB 5 3 203 6-0 Arkansas 3/8/1954 5 New England Patriots / 2nd / 35th pick / 1976
88 Mike Friede 24 WR 16 15 205 6-3 Indiana 9/22/1957 1 Detroit Lions / 3rd / 62nd pick / 1980
84 Alvin Garrett 25 WR-RB 9 0 178 5-7 Angelo State (TX) 10/1/1956 1 San Diego Chargers / 9th / 237th pick / 1979
83 Earnest Gray 24 WR 16 3 195 6-3 Memphis 3/2/1957 2 New York Giants / 2nd / 36th pick / 1979
36 Mark Haynes 23 DB 16 16 194 5-11 Colorado 11/6/1958 1 New York Giants / 1st / 8th pick / 1980
61 Ernie Hughes 26 C-G 10 10 259 6-3 Notre Dame 1/24/1955 3 San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 79th pick / 1978
57 Byron Hunt 23 LB 16 3 238 6-5 SMU 12/17/1958 Rook New York Giants / 9th / 224th pick / 1981
21 Louis Jackson 23 RB 11 3 195 5-11 Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo 1/27/1958 Rook New York Giants / 7th / 168th pick / 1981
24 Terry Jackson 26 DB 16 16 197 5-10 San Diego St. 12/9/1955 3 New York Giants / 5th / 120th pick / 1978
13 Dave Jennings 29 P 16 0 203 6-4 St. Lawrence 6/8/1952 7
70 Gary Jeter 26 DE-DT 12 11 259 6-4 USC 1/24/1955 4 New York Giants / 1st / 5th pick / 1977
55 Brian Kelley 30 LB 16 16 230 6-3 California Lutheran 9/1/1951 8 New York Giants / 14th / 353rd pick / 1973
72 Gordon King 25 T-G 16 16 275 6-6 Stanford 2/3/1956 3 New York Giants / 1st / 10th pick / 1978
44 Doug Kotar 30 RB 7 4 205 5-11 Kentucky 6/11/1951 7
51 Frank Marion 30 LB 16 0 227 6-3 Florida A&M 3/16/1951 4
75 George Martin 28 DE 16 6 245 6-4 Oregon 2/16/1953 6 New York Giants / 11th / 262nd pick / 1975
41 Bo Matthews 30 RB 5 1 230 6-4 Colorado 11/15/1951 7 San Diego Chargers / 1st / 2nd pick / 1974
59 Ed McGlasson 25 C 16 0 248 6-4 Maryland,Youngstown St. 7/11/1956 2 New York Jets / 10th / 263rd pick / 1979
76 Curtis McGriff 23 DE-NT 14 14 270 6-5 Alabama 5/17/1958 1
52 Joe McLaughlin 24 LB 16 0 235 6-1 Massachusetts 7/1/1957 2
85 John Mistler 23 WR 16 0 186 6-2 Arizona St. 10/28/1958 Rook New York Giants / 3rd / 59th pick / 1981
81 Tom Mullady 24 TE-WR 16 3 232 6-3 Rhodes 1/30/1957 2 Buffalo Bills / 7th / 170th pick / 1979
77 Bill Neill 22 NT 16 16 258 6-4 Pittsburgh 3/15/1959 Rook New York Giants / 5th / 115th pick / 1981
86 Johnny Perkins 28 WR 16 14 205 6-2 Abilene Christian 4/21/1953 4 New York Giants / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1977
30 Leon Perry 24 RB 16 8 224 5-11 Mississippi 8/14/1957 1
82 Danny Pittman 23 WR 8 0 205 6-2 Wyoming 4/3/1958 1 New York Giants / 4th / 90th pick / 1980
28 Beasley Reece 27 DB 16 16 193 6-1 North Texas 3/18/1954 5 Dallas Cowboys / 9th / 264th pick / 1976
87 Gary Shirk 31 TE 16 14 220 6-1 Morehead St. 2/23/1950 5
69 Roy Simmons 25 G 16 10 264 6-3 Georgia Tech 11/8/1956 2 New York Giants / 8th / 201st pick / 1979
11 Phil Simms 27 QB 10 10 216 6-3 Morehead St. 11/3/1954 2 New York Giants / 1st / 7th pick / 1979
74 Tim Stokes 31 T 3 1 252 6-5 Oregon 3/16/1950 7 Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 60th pick / 1973
80 Phil Tabor 25 DE-NT-DT 16 1 255 6-4 Oklahoma 11/30/1956 2 New York Giants / 4th / 90th pick / 1979
38 Billy Taylor 25 RB 5 3 215 6-0 Texas Tech 7/6/1956 3 New York Giants / 4th / 90th pick / 1978
56 Lawrence Taylor*+ 22 LB 16 16 237 6-3 North Carolina 2/4/1959 Rook New York Giants / 1st / 2nd pick / 1981
68 J.T. Turner 28 G 16 16 253 6-3 Duke 4/17/1953 4
10 Brad Van Pelt 30 LB 14 13 235 6-5 Michigan St. 4/5/1951 8 New York Giants / 2nd / 40th pick / 1973
73 Jeff Weston 25 T-DT 14 5 259 6-5 Notre Dame 4/10/1956 2 Miami Dolphins / 9th / 244th pick / 1979
58 Mike Whittington 23 LB 6 0 220 6-2 Notre Dame 8/9/1958 1
89 Dave Young 22 TE 11 0 242 6-5 Purdue 2/9/1959 Rook New York Giants / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1981
Team Total 25.8 16 227.0 6-2.1 3.0