No. 72 and the New York Giants Player That Wore It Best

The next installment of our countdown hands this jersey number to another one of the iconic defensive players who was a part of the Giants’ two most recent championship runs.

Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride with New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora (72) New York Giants Camp at the Timex Center. 2420232e 00006 | Corey Sipken/NorthJersey.com file

The countdown to the start of the New York Giants’ 2025 season is underway, as we’re now 72 days away from the opening kickoff against the Washington Commanders.

To count down the days until then, we look at the best players to wear the corresponding number for the Giants.

Who Wore #72 in at Least One Regular Season Game*

OT Larry Beil (1948), OT Ed Kolman (1949), OT Dick Yelvington (1952-57), OT/DT Frank Youso (1958-60), DT Chuck Janerette (1961-62), DE Andy Stynchula (1964-65), DT Jim Prestel (1966), DT Jim Colvin (1967), DT Sam Silas (1968), DT Frank Parker (1969), DE John Baker (1970), OT Joe Taffoni (1972-73), DE Carl Wafer (1974), DT George Hasenohrl (1974), DT Bill Windauer (1975), OT Gordon King (1978-85), OT Doug Riesenberg (1987-95), OG Kelvin Davis (1987), OT Roman Oben (1996-99), DE Osi Umenyiora (2003-12), OG Justin Pugh (2013), DE Kerry Wynn (2014-18), DT Olsen Pierre (2019), OT Jermaine Eluemunor (2024-present)

*Jersey numbers per Pro Football Reference.

Which Giants Player Wore It Best?

New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

During the New York Giants' two most recent championship runs in 2007 and 2011, it's hard to forget just how ferocious and versatile their defensive front was, one that stood tall as their secret weapon, most powering their unimaginable journey to the finish line of Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. 

Among the great names on those fronts, one that sometimes gets forgotten in the mix is defensive end Osi Umenyiora, our final selection for the best Giants player to ever wear the No. 72 jersey. 

Umenyiora, a native of London, England, and the team’s 2003 second-round pick out of Troy was arguably the best edge rusher in the two decades of the franchise. 

Umenyiora spent nine of his 11 NFL seasons in the Big Apple, appearing in 129 games and notching 376 total tackles (261 solo), 75 sacks, 32 forced fumbles, 13 fumble recoveries, and 13 pass deflections. 

He was always one of the most reliable players on the Giants' defense, missing no more than seven games in a single season, except for the 2011 season, when he dealt with a right knee injury for most of the season. 

In addition to his phenomenal metrics with the Giants, Umenyiora had four seasons with at least 43 tackles, three with double-digit sacks, including his career-high 14.5 during the 2005 season, four with at least four forced turnovers in the trenches, and three with a turnover returned for a touchdown (2004, 2007, 2009).

In the 2007 season, Umenyiora, while he might have been overshadowed by the presence of Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck, who had bigger name brands on the roster, led the Giants with 13 sacks, five forced fumbles, and two recoveries and was one of three players with at least nine sacks that helped New York finish with an NFL-leading 53 takedowns before adding more en route to their victory in Super Bowl XLII against the New England Patriots. 

He also set the franchise record for the most sacks in a single game of that season, notching six, just as many as his total tackles, against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 16-3 defensive win at MetLife Stadium. The overall campaign landed him a second Pro Bowl bid and made every penny of the contract extension he received in the 2006 season worth it.

The 2011 season didn’t see Umenyiora be as productive in the postseason as he was in the Giants first run to the Lombardi. However, he would still record an impressive nine sacks and two forced fumbles, which were second only to fellow defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who dominated the competition with his own record 16.5 sacks that year.  

No matter what he did on the field, Umenyiora did it with abundant enthusiasm mixed with a killer instinct when he clashed with an offensive tackle. He was always a friendly face in front of the media. Still, he was aggressive and crafty on the gridiron, doing whatever it took to gain the advantage and make life miserable for the opposing quarterback. 

While he would not finish his career with the Giants, instead moving to the Atlanta Falcons on a two-year deal in advance of the 2013 season, where he played until he finally retired at the end of the 2014 season, Umenyiora’s legacy with the franchise is marked by notable accolades. 

The most notable recognitions include his two championship rings, as well as being named a two-time Pro Bowler, a First-Team and Second-Team All-Pro (2005, 2010), and the NFL's forced fumbles leader during the 2010 season, with a career-high 10 strips. 

Beyond that, Umenyiora also currently sits fourth in the franchise history books for total career sacks (75), behind only the elite names of Michael Strahan (141.5), Lawrence Taylor (132.5), and Leonard Marshall (79.0) since the stat was first recorded in 1982. He also holds the same spot for postseason sacks with 5.5 in 10 contests, which ties him with Justin Tuck. 

Umenyiora held onto or shared the crown of the Giants’ single season sacks leader every year from 2004-2010, except for his injury-hampered 2008 season. He even became the first Giants player to lead the team in sacks since Taylor achieved the feat during his tenure from 1986 to 1990. 

Umenyiora signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Giants organization, was named into their Ring of Honor, and marked No. 32 on the Top 100 Players list.

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Who's Wearing It Now?

Aug 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Giants guard Jermaine Eluemunor (72) in action during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Since March 14, 2024, the Giants have assigned No. 72 to starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor, a free agent acquisition made during the 2024 offseason as they sought to bolster their offensive front, which was particularly struggling at the bookends with depth pieces like Joshua Ezeudu and Evan Neal. 

After Andrew Thomas, who plays on the opposite side when he is healthy, Eluemunor has helped strengthen the Giants' offensive line by being the second most efficient pass protector in the mix. Last season, he finished with a 71.0 pass-blocking grade and a 96.9 efficiency rating while allowing 29 total pressures, with only four of them resulting in sacks. 

Eluemunor has struggled as a run blocker, though, scoring a 56.9 grade in his first season in New York and earning a majority of his penalties. Still, he has convincingly improved the starting unit and provided a versatile player who can shift positions as needed throughout the season.

While he is still a relatively new face in the organization, Eluemunor has had no problems becoming one of the vocal leaders of the locker room and setting an example for the younger linemen with everything he does, both on and off the field. 

He is ensuring the quarterback under center a security blanket with Thomas on the left side, and now the focus is on the Giants bolstering the interior positions around them to finally have that cohesive unit.