Cool article on the Savior of the Giants Defense

[Balloonknot]

http://espn.go.com/n...rney-super-bowl

 

 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- He has the kind of personal story that happens to rank-and-file NFL players so often it's easy to overlook the toll they go through sight unseen. Their sagas make the agate type, not big headlines. But put yourself in linebacker Chase Blackburn's place for just a minute. Consider how the longest long shot on this long shot Giants team got back to the Super Bowl.

He's only 28 years old, and he has a wife and two infant sons back home. He was the Giants' special-teams captain, a man well-liked throughout the locker room for his team-first attitude, sharp grasp of game plans and ability to step in as a spot starter and impeccably make all the right defensive calls. He was with the Giants for six good years. Then last summer's NFL lockout ended and all of a sudden he wasn't.

 

There was no announcement. No big stir. No formal explanation given for why the Giants let him walk as a free agent. "And I still haven't asked," he admitted.

Like a lot of unsung players, Blackburn just slipped off the radar. He was gone like a wisp of smoke. Three other NFL teams -- the St. Louis Rams, Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions -- all brought him in for workouts in subsequent weeks, but they didn't sign him, either. He was at a crossroads, and he knew it. But this is the part of being a professional athlete that often goes unnoticed, too: Success is more often explained by what you do when nobody's looking.

Do you know what Blackburn did as he waited and waited back home in Dublin, Ohio?

When the Giants went to training camp without him, Blackburn was still lifting and working out by himself. Every day. And when the regular season began and injuries began to stack up across the league and he was still without a job, Blackburn would sit on the sofa each Sunday watching NFL games and literally call out the defensive signals when the Giants' games happened to be on TV -- predicting to his wife, Megan, what was going to happen next, what this guy could've done or where that guy should've been.

Even when their second son, Bentley, was born three months ago, Blackburn just adjusted his schedule if Bentley or his brother Landyn, now just 17 months, were having a bad day or refused to sleep through the night or his wife needed help. Sometimes it would be 10 or 11 p.m. before Blackburn could get to Avery Park near his house, but he always still went and did his pass drops and footwork drills in the dark. Still always by himself.

Blackburn didn't have an NFL job but he still thought like a pro athlete. His mindset didn't change. He was all the things -- dedicated, persevering, hard-minded and tough -- that jocks always talk about being. He controlled what he could control. Slammed the door on personal doubts and anxieties as best he could. Flushed disappointments as quickly as they came. Chase Blackburn and his wife Megan never stopped believing the NFL would come calling again.

But Blackburn stresses he's a husband and father, too. And he also had enough humility when he was still out of work by October to be open-minded when a former youth coach of his who's now a middle school principal approached him after he gave a little talk to the kids at his school. He asked Blackburn if he'd be interested in taking a temporary job as an eighth-grade math teacher, filling in as a permanent sub for a woman due to go on maternity leave.

"It wasn't anything that was said and done, but we were going through the steps," Blackburn said.

"We kinda said, 'OK, maybe, we need a job. We need to support our kids. This is good for now,'" Megan said. "But honestly, we didn't think it was the end. It was hard for me to see him go to those other tryouts and then come back home disappointed. I was the one who found it nerve-wracking. But seeing how positive Chase was helped me stay positive, too."

Blackburn was still that guy who had a reputation among the Giants for trying to do everything right. He kept in touch with numerous players, especially close buddies like Dave Tollefson and Zak DeOssie, Lawrence Tynes and Justin Tuck. And it mattered that they acted the way athletes often do, sight unseen, too. The other Giants privately rallied around Blackburn and supported him, texting with him week after week, telling him he wasn't forgotten, urging him: "Keep your head up, you'll be somewhere. You should be somewhere. You still have years left in you."

"That belief meant a lot," Blackburn admitted.

Why Blackburn initially fell through the cracks with the Giants seems simple when you look at it: The team drafted three linebackers in the offseason with nice upsides, management already knew what he was and planned to start veterans Clint Sintim and Jonathan Goff alongside Michael Boley this year. Then Sintim and Goff both suffered season-ending injuries. But instead of bringing back Blackburn right away, the Giants at first tried plugging in rookies Greg Jones, Jacquian Williams and Mark Herzlich.

The Giants even got by during their 6-2 start. But the defense was still having numerous breakdowns for big plays and the Giants were staring at a murderous stretch run, which began with an upset win in New England, followed by a very, very bad 49-24 dismantling by the New Orleans Saints that the Blackburns watched on "Monday Night Football."

 

 

A game against then-unbeaten Green Bay lay just six days ahead. Chase was in the basement at home, playing with Landyn on the floor. Megan was sitting on the couch, looking on, when Chase's cell phone rang beside her.

"Do you want to answer it?" she asked.

"Nah, don't worry about it, it's just the Giants," Chase joked.

But the phone kept ringing. So Chase asked Megan to toss it to him. And when he looked at the number he said, "It IS the Giants!"

She still thought he was joking -- until she overheard the conversation.

Kevin Abrams, a Giants assistant general manager, asked Blackburn, "Are you in shape?"

"Yep," Blackburn said.

"Then let's go -- there's a flight in two hours," Abrams said.

Blackburn hung up and told his wife, "I have practice tomorrow!" He scrambled up the steps to pack a bag. He texted that middle school principal and told him thanks, but that eighth-grade teaching job would have to wait. The Blackburns got one of Chase's buddies to drive their car to New Jersey and Megan and the boys flew there a couple of days later. They're living now in a rented furnished apartment not far from MetLife Stadium. And their NFL life has begun -- again.

Blackburn might have even slipped back into the Giants' roster as quietly as he left if in his first game back he hadn't intercepted Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers -- one of the few picks Rodgers gave up all season -- and set up a 12-yard Giants touchdown drive. And then later, in the NFC divisional playoff, picked up a fumble and rumbled 40 yards to the Packers' 4-yard line before Rodgers, well … um … caught him.

"Rodgers didn't catch me -- he was in front of me the whole time!" Blackburn protested with half-shriek and a broad smile Thursday, drawing a lot of laughs from the reporters at his locker.

"Jordy Nelson [one of Green Bay's fleet receivers] caught me. But he wouldn't have either if Michael Boley had just given me a block."

Everyone laughed again. Soon Blackburn was grabbing his game plan out of his locker and apologizing for cutting the conversation short. He had to run. He was due at a defensive meeting in two minutes. The next day, he'd have another practice to go to. And another Super Bowl week to look forward to after that.

Amazing, right?

Blackburn is the longest long shot on this long shot Giants team. None of them were supposed to be in Super Bowl XLVI opposite New England. And like most of them, Blackburn's attitude right now is why ask why?

"All that matters is I'm here now," he explained. "I always believed."

Megan and their two boys will be at the game in Indianapolis next Sunday. She and Chase first met in high school and they dated throughout college. They were together when he first made the Giants as an undrafted free agent out of Akron. They were married just a few months after the Giants won their Super Bowl shocker against New England in '08.

So when asked if anything about Chase surprised her during all that time he was out of the NFL, Megan's answer is what you might expect from the wife of a man who's always tried to do everything right, and a guy who -- out of all the messages he might've picked when he walked into a tattoo parlor at the age of 18 -- chose the one that's now on his left shoulder. It reads, "Truly Blessed."

"Was I 'surprised' by how he's handled all this? No," Megan said.

Every once in a while, even the longest long shots come home.

[Firstnten]

Sadly he will probably go through the same thing again next year.

[Nas]

Sadly he will probably go through the same thing again next year.

 

Hopefully not... he's a pretty good back assuming we have some solid starters ahead of him.

[gmenroc]

Sadly he will probably go through the same thing again next year.

 

After the contribution he made this year...I'd be a little upset if he wasn't offered SOMETHING....but to not be invited back, would be a slap in the face.

[TrashTalker92]

HOLY shit I think I just heard Jack jizzed himself.

 

Yeah. Hes a great leader. And I think he should get a little something or sign back to the ST captain role.

[Firstnten]

After the contribution he made this year...I'd be a little upset if he wasn't offered SOMETHING....but to not be invited back, would be a slap in the face.

 

He was a captain last year, and this year he was sitting on the FA wire for pretty much the entire season. How much bigger of a slap in the face do you get?

[gmenroc]

He was a captain last year, and this year he was sitting on the FA wire for pretty much the entire season. How much bigger of a slap in the face do you get?

 

Teams are constantly trying to improve themselves. He was a victim of that. He said himself it wasn't a personal decision. But given he turned out to be a bigger and better impact this year than the rookies...to not be invited back to at least compete for the positions would be an insult...

[BIGBLUE01]

Its alarming how right Jack has been on a few things.

[Mr. P]

Its alarming how right Jack has been on a few things.

 

if you throw enough shit at the wall, something is bound to stick.

[Nas]

Its alarming how right Jack has been on a few things.

 

All of us.. have been right and wrong and a few things. For example.. I wanted Plax back.. I was livid (as was everyone) when Smith signed with the Eagles.. I wanted Fewel gone... Shit I questioned Eli Manning's progress before this season. I'm so glad Eli has put my mind at ease and Fewel has gotten his act together... as it looks Plax and Smith were made stars because of Eli.

[Tempest]

That was a great story. Never enough of those to go around. Chase Blackburn coming in and solidifying the LB position this season is just like Kawika Mitchell back in 2007. Nothing flashy, just consistent.

[TrashTalker92]

That was a great story. Never enough of those to go around. Chase Blackburn coming in and solidifying the LB position this season is just like Kawika Mitchell back in 2007. Nothing flashy, just consistent.

 

the magic fucking word!!!!

[NeMesiS]

I've been a big critic of Chase over the years. But I must admit, he's been money this year for us. I guess it's true what they say. You don't know what you have, until you lose it.

[Treehugger]

Uhhh...it's a totally revamped defensive scheme from Fewell too. Chase has been good but he's not the sole reason for the turn-around.

[Allstarjim]

I don't know if Jack was more right than others here. I and I know others here have repeatedly stated he's a great ST'er, and a very good backup linebacker that is good enough to hold down the fort in a starting role. It was a glaring mistake on the part of the staff to not retain him. We went in to the season with 4 rookie linebackers, I believe (Jones, Williams, Herzlich, Paysinger). That's too many late round or undrafted rookies in one position group, and we cut a very good veteran linebacker who knew what he was doing. I've always liked Chase, just not as much as Jack. He's not a Pro Bowl caliber guy, but he's an asset for sure, and he really solidified the defense when he was brought back. It shouldn't have taken until week 13 to undo that mistake, in fact, he should've been back immediately after Goff tore his ACL.

[Allstarjim]

Uhhh...it's a totally revamped defensive scheme from Fewell too. Chase has been good but he's not the sole reason for the turn-around.

 

As T would say, Ayup. I would rank the reasons for the turnaround this way:

 

1.a. Fewell removes his head from his own ass.

1.b. Improved health, Boley's return and Tuck getting healthier were key here.

2. Chase's return

3. Rolle playing less nickel and more safety. This may have to do with Amukamara coming back and being able to get on the field.

 

And that pretty much covers it as far as I can tell.

[Treehugger]

As T would say, Ayup. I would rank the reasons for the turnaround this way:

 

1.a. Fewell removes his head from his own ass.

1.b. Improved health, Boley's return and Tuck getting healthier were key here.

2. Chase's return

3. Rolle playing less nickel and more safety. This may have to do with Amukamara coming back and being able to get on the field.

 

And that pretty much covers it as far as I can tell.

 

4. Improved DT play

[Tempest]

Perry Fewell didn't sit down and decide to revamp the defense around the time most people would say the defense got remarkably better, against the Jets.

Perry Fewell has never been on the field to miss a tackle, blow a coverage, or miss half the season with injury.

 

He sat the rookie linebackers down and got another veteran in there. Players got healthy and started doing what they were supposed to be doing.

[Mr. P]

Yeah the execution has been much better.

[Treehugger]

Perry Fewell didn't sit down and decide to revamp the defense around the time most people would say the defense got remarkably better, against the Jets.

Perry Fewell has never been on the field to miss a tackle, blow a coverage, or miss half the season with injury.

 

He sat the rookie linebackers down and got another veteran in there. Players got healthy and started doing what they were supposed to be doing.

 

You haven't noticed that he no longer relies on soft zone coverage? Or the lame rush-3? You haven't noticed the increased blitzing? This is a totally different scheme. Blaming the poor results earlier in the year on the players is bullshit.

[Allstarjim]

Tree is on it. Yeah, execution is better... because the scheme is better and we're relying less on rooks. But to say that Fewell's game planning wasn't part of the problem earlier in the year is really crazy. His game planning against bad QB's... well it was as if he took that week off. There is no reason that Vince Young, Rex Grossman (twice), and Tarvaris Jackson/Charlie Whitehurst should be hanging W's on this team, even without Chase Blackburn. The players alluded to it earlier in the season and if Fewell didn't change things up, things were going nuclear. That was a powder keg he was sitting on and to his credit and the players, they circled the wagons instead of totally tearing each other apart and losing this season. And now they are in the Supe. Hey, I'm a fan of this new Fewell... as long as he's learned that this is how this team operates best, we're good!

[Nas]

Perry Fewell didn't sit down and decide to revamp the defense around the time most people would say the defense got remarkably better, against the Jets.

Perry Fewell has never been on the field to miss a tackle, blow a coverage, or miss half the season with injury.

 

He sat the rookie linebackers down and got another veteran in there. Players got healthy and started doing what they were supposed to be doing.

 

Fewel had his head up his ass most of the season.