JimBob
01-20-2008, 08:58 AM
A Giant Impact
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
1/20/2008
McQuarters has been playoff star for Giants
THE NEW YORK Knicks and Washington Wizards were playing basketball, but the Madison Square Garden video board was tuned to football -- the final minutes of last week's New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys showdown at Texas Stadium.
When Giants cornerback R.W. McQuarters intercepted a Tony Romo pass in the end zone, completing New York's 21-17 triumph and sending the Giants to the NFC Championship game, the Garden crowd roared. Even the lowly Knicks, apparently inspired, responded with a victory.
Preceding the interception was McQuarters' 25-yard punt return that led to the Giants' go-ahead touchdown. After 10 seasons in the NFL, he had become an overnight sensation.
Spread over pages 38 and 39 of the current Sports Illustrated is a photo of McQuarters, celebrating with teammates and clutching the interception football that he later would give to his son Rylan, who last Sunday celebrated his 8th birthday.
"To be a winner in (New York) -- it's a big deal," said McQuarters, a Tulsa native who starred at Booker T. Washington High School and Oklahoma State. "Football drives this city. When we were 0-2, I didn't even want to leave the house. Now, the whole city is energized.
"A lot of people seem to recognize me now. It feels good to be wanted and rooted on by the city of New York and the state of New Jersey."
He did not have an interception during the regular season, but the 5-foot-10, 195-pound McQuarters has two in this postseason. Pressed into more defensive playing time than usual because of injuries in the secondary, he also picked off a pass in New York's wild-card win at Tampa Bay.
"Two weeks in a row, he has played super in the secondary," Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters.
If McQuarters is a prominent figure again on Sunday -- if he can make a signature play that propels the Giants to the Super Bowl -- his hero status in the Big Apple might become permanent.
During his childhood in Tulsa, McQuarters was a fan of the Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys. As an OSU Cowboy, he twice celebrated victories over OU. As a Giant, he was a huge factor in the demise of a 13-win Dallas team.
On Sunday, McQuarters and the Giants attempt to ruin the storybook season of Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.
Before signing with New York before the 2006 season, McQuarters spent five years with the Chicago Bears. He has experienced the frigid air of Chicago, but McQuarters has never played in the type of cold expected to bite the NFC Championship participants. When the Giants and Packers collide at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, the temperature is expected to be about 5 degrees. The predicted wind-chill index: 10-below.
"There's nothing you can do about it," McQuarters said during a Friday telephone interview. "You just get there, feel it, get used to it and then go play."
"You hope this game doesn't come down to the final play," he added. "But if it does, I'd love to be the one to make it."
The career expectancy of an NFL player is three or four years. McQuarters, who turned 31 last month, has reached the 10-year mark. He played for three years at O-State, choosing to enter the draft following his junior season. Taken in the first round by San Francisco, he was a 49er for two seasons, was in Chicago in 2000-04 and spent the 2005 season with Detroit.
"I always had a goal of getting to at least 10 years," McQuarters said. "When you get to that 10-year mark, the young guys in the league recognize it and respect it. They know how hard it is just to stick around for three years.
"It's amazing how fast the time has gone by. I've been blessed to stay healthy. I think I'll keep going. The thought of retirement really hasn't crossed my mind. My body is still good."
Under contract to remain with New York next season at a salary of $1.5 million, McQuarters is savoring his third postseason appearance.
"Three times in 10 years -- that shows you how competitive this league is," he said. "Just getting to the playoffs is an accomplishment. The two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year (Indianapolis and Chicago) -- they're not even playing anymore. Beating Green Bay would solidify us as the best team in the NFC. Playing in the Super Bowl would be a dream come true."
The father of two young sons (Robert William III and Rylan) and a daughter (Reagan), McQuarters spends most of his offseason time in Tulsa and owns The Roblan Companies LLC, a commercial development enterprise. He intends to complete his Oklahoma State education and get a degree in construction management.
This season, on Tuesday mornings, McQuarters has appeared for a football breakdown segment on the "Good Day, New York" show on New York's Fox television affiliate.
Until March, McQuarters hadn't gotten a haircut in more than eight years. The landmark haircut was executed by his children, and the lengthy hair was donated to the Locks of Love program.
"R.W. has always been a levelheaded kid, but he's definitely more mature now," said Charlie Prather, McQuarters' Tulsa-based personal attorney and adviser. "When he signed a $21 million contract (in 2002), he thought he was bullet-proof. He was probably thinking that his next deal would be $35 million. Three years later, he was released by the Bears. It was a wakeup call for him. There were a couple of points when he seemed ready to retire, but he loves football again. I think he'll play several more years."
By BILL HAISTEN World Sports Writer
1/20/2008
McQuarters has been playoff star for Giants
THE NEW YORK Knicks and Washington Wizards were playing basketball, but the Madison Square Garden video board was tuned to football -- the final minutes of last week's New York Giants-Dallas Cowboys showdown at Texas Stadium.
When Giants cornerback R.W. McQuarters intercepted a Tony Romo pass in the end zone, completing New York's 21-17 triumph and sending the Giants to the NFC Championship game, the Garden crowd roared. Even the lowly Knicks, apparently inspired, responded with a victory.
Preceding the interception was McQuarters' 25-yard punt return that led to the Giants' go-ahead touchdown. After 10 seasons in the NFL, he had become an overnight sensation.
Spread over pages 38 and 39 of the current Sports Illustrated is a photo of McQuarters, celebrating with teammates and clutching the interception football that he later would give to his son Rylan, who last Sunday celebrated his 8th birthday.
"To be a winner in (New York) -- it's a big deal," said McQuarters, a Tulsa native who starred at Booker T. Washington High School and Oklahoma State. "Football drives this city. When we were 0-2, I didn't even want to leave the house. Now, the whole city is energized.
"A lot of people seem to recognize me now. It feels good to be wanted and rooted on by the city of New York and the state of New Jersey."
He did not have an interception during the regular season, but the 5-foot-10, 195-pound McQuarters has two in this postseason. Pressed into more defensive playing time than usual because of injuries in the secondary, he also picked off a pass in New York's wild-card win at Tampa Bay.
"Two weeks in a row, he has played super in the secondary," Giants coach Tom Coughlin told reporters.
If McQuarters is a prominent figure again on Sunday -- if he can make a signature play that propels the Giants to the Super Bowl -- his hero status in the Big Apple might become permanent.
During his childhood in Tulsa, McQuarters was a fan of the Oklahoma Sooners and Dallas Cowboys. As an OSU Cowboy, he twice celebrated victories over OU. As a Giant, he was a huge factor in the demise of a 13-win Dallas team.
On Sunday, McQuarters and the Giants attempt to ruin the storybook season of Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers.
Before signing with New York before the 2006 season, McQuarters spent five years with the Chicago Bears. He has experienced the frigid air of Chicago, but McQuarters has never played in the type of cold expected to bite the NFC Championship participants. When the Giants and Packers collide at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, the temperature is expected to be about 5 degrees. The predicted wind-chill index: 10-below.
"There's nothing you can do about it," McQuarters said during a Friday telephone interview. "You just get there, feel it, get used to it and then go play."
"You hope this game doesn't come down to the final play," he added. "But if it does, I'd love to be the one to make it."
The career expectancy of an NFL player is three or four years. McQuarters, who turned 31 last month, has reached the 10-year mark. He played for three years at O-State, choosing to enter the draft following his junior season. Taken in the first round by San Francisco, he was a 49er for two seasons, was in Chicago in 2000-04 and spent the 2005 season with Detroit.
"I always had a goal of getting to at least 10 years," McQuarters said. "When you get to that 10-year mark, the young guys in the league recognize it and respect it. They know how hard it is just to stick around for three years.
"It's amazing how fast the time has gone by. I've been blessed to stay healthy. I think I'll keep going. The thought of retirement really hasn't crossed my mind. My body is still good."
Under contract to remain with New York next season at a salary of $1.5 million, McQuarters is savoring his third postseason appearance.
"Three times in 10 years -- that shows you how competitive this league is," he said. "Just getting to the playoffs is an accomplishment. The two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year (Indianapolis and Chicago) -- they're not even playing anymore. Beating Green Bay would solidify us as the best team in the NFC. Playing in the Super Bowl would be a dream come true."
The father of two young sons (Robert William III and Rylan) and a daughter (Reagan), McQuarters spends most of his offseason time in Tulsa and owns The Roblan Companies LLC, a commercial development enterprise. He intends to complete his Oklahoma State education and get a degree in construction management.
This season, on Tuesday mornings, McQuarters has appeared for a football breakdown segment on the "Good Day, New York" show on New York's Fox television affiliate.
Until March, McQuarters hadn't gotten a haircut in more than eight years. The landmark haircut was executed by his children, and the lengthy hair was donated to the Locks of Love program.
"R.W. has always been a levelheaded kid, but he's definitely more mature now," said Charlie Prather, McQuarters' Tulsa-based personal attorney and adviser. "When he signed a $21 million contract (in 2002), he thought he was bullet-proof. He was probably thinking that his next deal would be $35 million. Three years later, he was released by the Bears. It was a wakeup call for him. There were a couple of points when he seemed ready to retire, but he loves football again. I think he'll play several more years."