Can't help but wish the best for this kid. Also mad props to the G-Men for wearing 21 during the superbowl.
Safety Set to Blaze Path With Familiar NumberEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Kenny Phillips said he figured all the telephone calls he had made to the Giants paid off when he spotted the blue practice jersey hanging in his locker Friday morning at Giants Stadium, and the No. 21 was on it.
The number had been worn by running back Tiki Barber during a notable 10-year career with the Giants that ended in 2006. But that was not why Phillips, the team’s first-round draft pick on April 26, lobbied so hard to get it.
Phillips plays on the other side of the ball, at either safety position. He wanted the number as a tribute to a ferocious safety who preceded him at the University of Miami — Sean Taylor, who wore No. 21 when he played for the Washington Redskins.
Phillips never met Taylor, who was shot and killed during an attempted burglary in his home in suburban Miami on Nov. 27, three days after Phillips’s 21st birthday. But Phillips had kept a photo of Taylor in his locker at Coral City High in Miami. He had gone to Taylor’s funeral. He loved the way Taylor played football.
“The plays he made were crazy,” Phillips said. “I just wanted to pay my respects by having his number and trying to live up to that.”
Link for Rest of Article.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/10/sports/football/10giants.html?_r=1&ref=football&oref=slogin
