Ereck Flowers first Giants OL to catch a pass since 1984
New York Giants tackle Ereck Flowers speaks to the media during training camp at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, NJ, on Wednesday, Aug 5, 2015. Credit: Brad Penner
It turns out Ereck Flowers is more versatile than we thought.
The rookie left tackle became the first Giants offensive lineman to catch a pass in over 30 years when he grabbed a throw from Eli Manning that bounced off the helmet of Marshall Newhouse.
What makes it so difficult for a lineman to catch a pass is that it's illegal. Newhouse, in fact, was flagged on the play for an illegal touch. But because the Eagles declined the penalty - the "reception" went for a loss of 11 yards - the catch stood.
The last Giants offensive lineman to catch a pass was center Kevin Belcher, who grabbed a ball that was batted in the air by a defender on Dec. 8, 1984, against the St. Louis Cardinals. That play went for a gain of 4 yards.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
More Giants
