Former New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson, a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker, nine-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion, and team captain, knows a thing or two about a good defense when he sees one.
Carson was part of a Giants defensive unit nicknamed the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew" in 1986, the team's first Super Bowl championship season. That year, the unit finished second in the league in points and yards allowed and was part of a team ranked No. 12 overall on the 100 greatest teams of all time presented by the NFL on its 100th anniversary.
So when he looks at the 2022 version of the Giants' defense, Carson sees a football brand that resonates with the 1986 champions deployed style.
"The thing that I like as a defensive player is a coach being able to unleash the hounds and just get after people as opposed to reading and waiting to see where the ball is going," Carson told me for the LockedOn Giants podcast.
The current Giants' defense is still a work in progress, but have certainly been a team strength. The unit is currently ranked 15th in the league despite having had injuries at outside linebacker (Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari) and cornerback (Aaron Robinson).
The unit has especially been strong on third down, allowing a 32.39 percent conversion rate which is fourth in the league, and a 40 percent conversion rate in the red zone, which is fifth in the league. New York is also ranked 11th league-wide on goal-to-goal situations and is tied for seventh in the league (with the Patriots) in average points allowed (18.8) per game.
"They play a rather aggressive brand of football, which is sort of what I like," Carson said. "They go after people and let the chips fall where they may, but are not gonna sit back and read and react the way they've done in the past. I like that. That goes back for me sort to the (Bill) Parcells- (Bill) Belichick era when we had to play within the system, but it gave us room to improvise with the talent that we had."
On a larger scale, Carson has enjoyed watching these Giants take shape under first-year head coach Brian Daboll. When the topic of the Giants record was raised, Carson praised the Giants for remaining competitive through four quarters every week.
"I think ... they have a little bit more grit behind them," he said. "I think that they believe in themselves, and they believe in one another. And I think that when you get players like that, anything can happen."
Carson has taken on many interests since hanging up his cleats after the 1988 season, one of which is his work with the Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, which will be honoring him, his wife Maribel, and others at the annual Champion for Children's Gala on October 21, 2022.
Maribel Carson sits on the TC Jay Fund's advisory board. One of the many things the Carsons do for the TC Jay Fund is host an annual dinner at their family home for the Fund's scholarship winners and their families, a meal Carson himself prepares from scratch.
"We've been doing this for a while," said Carson. "When I found out that Tom (Coughlin) wanted to recognize us (at the gala) a few months ago, I'm okay with it--I might have some surprises up my sleeve the evening of the event. But Maribel is really nervous because she's never really spoken before an audience like the Jay Fund. But I'll do my best to help her through it because I'm pretty sure it's gonna be an emotional time for both of us."
Carson is thankful to have the platform he does in helping make a difference in the lives of others, especially those stricken by serious, life-threatening illnesses like cancer. He and his family know all too well about the physical, emotional, and financial strain a potentially terminal illness can have on a family because they went through it years ago when his son Donald, his Hall of Fame presenter, was stricken with aplastic anemia.
As of July 2007, Carson announced on his website that Donald was recovering. He spoke about how thankful he was that his son got a second chance at life and how his family came together even tighter to support Donald during his treatments.
"As a family, we had to bind ourselves together, much like a team, and work to support Donald through his period of treatment," Carson recalled. "We were very lucky to get a second chance.
"These families that we have worked with, they're very lucky to have a second chance. And I'm just happy that we're in a position to just make a difference and to show these young people that we care, show the families that we care, and hopefully give them the incentive to keep up the fight."
For more information about the TC Jay Fund and its annual events, visit tcjayfund.org.
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