For as terrible as they have been, the New York Giants have found hope through the over-achievement of their stout defense. They stand at 3-6 — tied with the Washington Redskins for third place in the NFC East — and are clinging to their playoff aspirations.
Much of the credit is owed to the revived play of cornerback Terrell Thomas, whose role in the Giants’ current three-game winning streak has been under-appreciated.
One would have thought that the cornerback’s career was over 16 months ago. For the second consecutive year, his season was cut short by a heart-wrenching ACL injury — the third of his young career — that would’ve doomed any athlete a decade ago. But science and hard work allowed Thomas to overcome the catastrophic injury and emerge again as one of the Giants’ star defensive players.
“I’m just blessed, man,” Thomas said following the Giants’ 24-20 win over the Oakland Raiders. “I just thank God for putting me in this position, giving me the grace to come back from three ACL surgeries and play in the fashion I am. I can’t thank the Giants enough, my teammates, everyone who believes me.”
In his first three seasons, the former Trojan had 11 interceptions and began to cement himself as one of the NFL’s up-and-coming cover corners. He was an underrated tackler as well, recording 101 tackles in 2010.
It would have been unrealistic to expect the 28-year-old to return to that level any time soon — if ever again. Yet Thomas has far exceeded expectations. Two weeks ago, he earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his Week 8 performance in a win against the Philadelphia Eagles, during which he recorded 10 tackles and a strip-sack that secured the game for the G-Men. He was everywhere on the field and seemed to make a play on every down.
This past Sunday, he didn’t have quite the same impact. However, a third-quarter interception that he returned 65 yards to the Raiders’ goal line set up running back Andre Brown’s go-ahead touchdown run which ultimately proved to be the difference maker in New York’s close win.
“He’s another guy… he showed perseverance and he knows how to deal with adversity and he continues to go out there and play ball,” Brown said of his teammate. “Last week he won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week and this week he put up good numbers and he’s playing good ball. Guys like that, you feed off of.”
Thomas’ rejuvenated career has been an inspiration to New York, who has climbed out of an 0-6 hole and now looks like a team primed to make a miraculous playoff run. And Thomas, three years removed from his last full NFL season, is finally realizing the potential that so many scouts and draft analysts saw in him before he ended up a second-round pick in the 2008 draft.
The six-year player has been far from perfect through nine games but, with each week, he shows flashes of the shutdown corner he was primed to be before his 2011 injury. In Sunday’s game, he was thrown at six times but allowed just one reception for 15 yards.
“Everyone knows his story and how he’s fought back from injuries,” said Giants defensive end Justin Tuck. “I’m hoping that he continues to do this because he’s a big part of our success.”
If Thomas’ strong play continues, he could make his mark as one of the greatest comeback stories in sports history. Few athletes have been able to overcome a torn ACL and have a successful career afterward… even less have done it after suffering that same injury on the very same knee in two consecutive seasons.
For Thomas, it’s just nice to be back out on the football field playing the game he loves.
“It was a long two years, sitting at home watching the games,” Thomas said. “So, I’m just happy to play football. It was ugly at first, but we are turning this thing around and I’m happy to be a part of it.”
Louis Musto is a reporter and sports talk host for the Sports Journey Broadcast Network. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. All quotes were acquired first hand or via team press releases unless otherwise noted. You can follow him on Twitter @LouisMusto.