TV's been the land of the Giants

To mark the Giants' victory in the Super Bowl (is there any doubt?), we now offer a look at some of Big Blue's stars over the years who have appeared on TV in roles that didn't require wearing helmets with "NY" on them. (And of course we can only dream that Victor Cruz will be on this season's edition of "Dancing With the Stars.")

FRANK GIFFORD The telegenic running back (1952-60; 1962-64) played himself in a 1963 episode of "Hazel" called "Hazel and the Halfback." The plot: Hazel (Shirley Booth) is putting on a trick bowling exhibition at the bowling alley and tries to get Gifford to attend.

FRAN TARKENTON The scrambling quarterback (1967-71) co-hosted the freak show "That's Incredible!" (1980-84), a progenitor of today's reality TV.

LAWRENCE TAYLOR The fearsome linebacker (1981-93) played himself in a 1994 football-themed episode of "Married . . . With Children" about a grudge match between Al Bundy's old high school team and its former rival.

PHIL SIMMS The quarterback (1979-93), who led the team to victory in Super Bowl XXI, made a 2007 cameo as himself on the soap "As the World Turns." The story involved Simms showing up at the local Oakdale TV station to surprise one of the soap's characters.

JASON SEHORN The cornerback (1994-2002) appeared in a 2007 episode of "Women's Murder Club," the ABC series starring his wife, Angie Harmon. He played an NFL star who crosses paths with Lt. Lindsay Boxer (Harmon) after his close friend is murdered. He also played a firefighter on one 2001 episode of "Third Watch"; his character was killed in a warehouse blaze.

JESSE PALMER The Canadian-born backup quarterback (2001-04) was the man looking for love on season five of "The Bachelor" in 2004. He gave the final rose to Jessica Bowlin, but their courtship lasted just a few months before they broke up.

MICHAEL STRAHAN The gaptoothed defensive end (1993-2007) starred in his own Fox sitcom, "Brothers," in 2009. He played a former NFL star who moves back to his hometown and has to deal with his estranged, paraplegic brother (Daryl "Chill" Mitchell) and parents (Carl Weathers, CCH Pounder).