Old buddy kept Hagan's receiving skills sharp

Chris Hamilton is not an NFL quarterback. He wasn't even a high school quarterback. And he didn't get the chance to play any football position in college.

But when Eli Manning threw a spiral over the middle to Derek Hagan in the back of the end zone last Sunday night in Philadelphia, giving the Giants a 17-16 lead early in the fourth quarter, Hamilton felt as if there were a little bit of himself in that pass. As if he had a role - maybe not one as big as Manning's or Hagan's, but a role nonetheless - in that touchdown.

For a while, Hamilton was Manning. Or at least the closest thing Hagan could find to a Manning.

Hagan was out of football for two months, but he knew he had plenty of snaps left in his career. So he continued to work out and train, waiting for the next opportunity to present itself. A receiver needs to run routes and keep in condition, but he also needs to catch footballs. Given that there isn't really a rental market for quarterbacks who want to throw to out-of-work receivers, Hagan turned to Hamilton, his closest friend.

Several times a week, Hamilton and Hagan would head to the old high school field where they played together in Palmdale, Calif., and run routes. Hamilton, who was a safety when they played together, would throw as best he could and Hagan would catch. When Palmdale was getting ready for its playoff games, the two were bumped to an open space next to the high school grounds where they would go through the same workouts.

"He's my best friend," Hamilton told Newsday this past week. "We've been playing youth football since we were kids. We've been together for a while, so I did my best to throw some NFL-like passes to him. It wasn't much. It was more of a bad-ball drill if you ask me. But we made the best out of it."

Hagan smiled and agreed that the quality of Hamilton's passes was not what he had become accustomed to in his first four seasons in the NFL. "I wouldn't say he has the best of arms. He doesn't have an Eli Manning arm or a Vick arm," Hagan said. "But as long as I'm out there catching and I have somebody throwing the ball to me, I'll be just fine."

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Hagan often would tell Hamilton to throw the ball harder, particularly on close-proximity drills. But ultimately Hagan was happy to just have somebody who would get him the ball.

They were supposed to be three, Hamilton said. They invited the guy who played quarterback with them at Palmdale to throw the passes. Hamilton was supposed to cover Hagan on his routes. "But he kept flaking on us," said Hamilton, who has a career as a banker. So he started chucking them.

Hagan was cut by the Giants in early September, just before the start of the regular season. He still lived in Hoboken, though, flying back and forth to California to visit with family and get in those workouts with Hamilton. He finally moved out of his place in New Jersey on Oct. 29.

About two weeks later, he got the call from the injury-mauled Giants to come back, just after he finished up an early-morning workout with Hamilton. Hagan called Hamilton with the good news, then asked for a ride to the airport.

Hagan took the place of Ramses Barden on the roster and was the No. 3 receiver Sunday against the Eagles. This week, with Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith sidelined by injuries, he's already gotten a promotion and is likely to be the starting receiver opposite Mario Manningham against the Jaguars.

"He's ready," Hamilton said. "That's all he said. He told me."

Part of the reason why he's ready is Hamilton.

"Just for him to have someone to just throw the ball to him, it kept him conditioned," Hamilton said. "Obviously, I know I'm not the only reason, but just to add those extra reps during the two months he was off, I have to say it had to have helped. I would like to say so."

Hamilton even said that as the workouts went on, he felt his quarterbacking improve. He was able to throw the ball about 50 yards by the end. He was putting some zip on those close-range passes, too.

He's thrilled, too, that he no longer has to do it. Because that means Hagan no longer needs him.

"I'm his biggest fan, and he knows that," Hamilton said. "I support him every way possible. It was really good to see him on the field. I miss him, but I know he's much happier catching passes from Eli rather than me."

And when Hagan did catch that welcome-back touchdown pass from Manning against the Eagles, Hamilton was hosting some friends and watching the game on television. He jumped up, yelled and gave high-fives to everybody he could find.

He couldn't have been more excited had he thrown the pass himself.