GLEN RIDGE, NJ — When first-year Glen Ridge High School head football coach Manj Singh invited David Tyree to come and speak to the GRHS and Glen Ridge Athletic Association Red Dogs youth football players, the retired New York Giants iconic wide receiver and Super Bowl 42 hero didn’t hesitate.
Tyree, a 1998 Montclair High School graduate, gave an inspiring 40-minute speech to the players and their parents during a presentation at the LGI room at Glen Ridge High School on Monday afternoon, Aug. 22. Singh, who graduated from MHS in 1996, asked Tyree to speak to the football players as they get ready for their seasons. In his presentation, Tyree told the players that it was a “no-brainer” to speak to them.
Tyree made one of the most memorable catches in Super Bowl history when the Giants played the undefeated New England Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady, on Feb. 4, 2008, in Glendale, Ariz. With the Giants trailing 14-10 on third down-and-five at their own 44-yard line with a 1:15 left in the fourth quarter, Tyree outleaped a defender in catching a long pass from quarterback Eli Manning, pinning the ball against his helmet while maintaining control as he fell to the ground for a 32-yard completion to put the ball at the Patriots’ 24-yard line. That play, known as the “helmet catch,” kept alive the drive that ultimately ended with the game-winning touchdown as the Giants won 17-14, dening the Patriots’ bid for a perfect season.
Tyree spoke about his upbringing, first in East Orange and then later when he moved to Montclair as a youngster. He said he was just a “small kid on the food chain.” Montclair was big in sports, and that’s how Tyree got involved in football, basketball and baseball. At first, he said, he struggled, but he worked hard. At Montclair High School, Tyree became a football standout, ultimately accepting a football scholarship to Syracuse University.
“Every single day, there is a new opportunity,” Tyree told the Glen Ridge players.
Tyree spoke about laying a foundation for oneself.
“When you talk about laying down a foundation, it has to be firm,” he said. “It takes time to lay a foundation because you have to lay it the right way, because you are looking to build upon it.”
Tyree, a sixth-round draft pick by the Giants in 2003, said his journey was filled with “peaks and valleys,” but that he learned some of his best lessons while in the valleys.
“There are two defining characteristics when you love something,” he said. “You are committed to it. Your commitment is there. … The second thing is, you are willing to sacrifice for it.”
Relationships are part of one’s success as well.
“You have a relationship with all kinds of people that are part of your success,” Tyree said.
Tyree said learning from his mistakes as a young adult helped him become the person that he is today. He encouraged the players to have the right attitude in their goal to win a championship, much like the Giants when they were underdogs against the Patriots.
“If there is anything significant that is going to be accomplished, it’s because you have embraced the process,” he said. “You value the people, the leaders, that I like to say God has positioned in front of you.”
Tyree said being “bad” is what will help you become a leader. To Tyree, “bad” is an acronym for belief, attitude and discipline, he said.
In conclusion, Tyree told the players that opportunities are endless.
Notes: The Red Dogs fifth- and sixth-grade team competed at MetLife Stadium last Saturday, Aug. 20, against Montclair. The Red Dogs seventh- and eighth-grade team also will compete at MetLife Stadium this Saturday, Aug. 27, at 3 p.m. against Cedar Grove.
Here are the links to the videos of the Tyree’s presentation:
Photos and videos by Joe Ragozzino.
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