Giants DL Leonard Marshall Lowered the Boom for the Big Blue Wrecking Crew

From a rookie weight battle that nearly derailed his career to back-to-back Defensive Lineman of the Year honors and the hit that ended Joe Montana's 49ers career, Marshall's decade in New York built the third-most productive pass-rushing résumé in franchise history.

Jan 04, 1987; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall (70) on the bench against the San Francisco 49ers during the NFC divisional playoff at Giants stadium. The Giants beat the 49ers 49-3. | Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images

New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells and defensive line coach Lamar Leachman saw the potential from the moment the Giants took Leonard Marshall from LSU in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. All they needed to do was to supply the motivation and discipline to get him on track.

They did just that, and it paid off in a big way.

No Giants' history book can be complete without Marshall's bone-crushing hit that knocked San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana from the fourth quarter of the 1990 NFC Championship game with a concussion, cracked ribs, and a broken hand.

The fumble-causing hit was all the more impressive because two blockers knocked down Marshall on his way into the backfield before he got up off the soft Candlestick Park field and tracked down Montana from the backside. It was a critical play in the 15-13 win that ended the 49ers' quest for a three-peat.

Shaped Into a Champion

Jan 25, 1987; Pasadena, CA, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall (70) reacts on the field against the Denver Broncos during Super Bowl XXI at the Rose Bowl. The Giants defeated the Broncos 39-20. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The game was also a far cry from how Marshall began his pro career. He made the rookie mistake of reporting to the Giants at 295 or 10 pounds over what they had prescribed for him.

It got him off on the wrong foot with the staff, which quickly decided that they'd have to use aggressive tactics to get him in line. Marshall was fined $25 per pound for each day he was over 285, put on a strict diet, and given a very hard time at practice.

Despite some rough moments, Marshall did his best to forge ahead with the understanding that the team was grooming him to become the star player he had always strived to become.

Everything clicked in 1985, his third season, when he set career highs with 99 tackles and 15.5 sacks, earning the first of two second-team All-Pro nods, and being voted by his peers as NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year.

Marshall backed up his breakout season with 63 tackles, 12 sacks, and another second-team All-Pro selection as the Giants won the Lombardi Trophy.

Marshall Harassed Denver QB John Elway in Super Bowl XXI

Oct 14, 1984; Atlanta, GA, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants defensive end Leonard Marshall (70) in action against the Atlanta Falcons at Fulton County Stadium. The Giants beat the Falcons 19-7. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Marshall delivered for 11 tackles during the postseason run while registering a sack against Washington in the NFC Championship game and dropping Denver quarterback John Elway twice in Super Bowl XXI.

Marshall played ten of his 12 NFL seasons with the Giants, earning two Pro Bowls and two second-team All-Pro honors along the way.

Marshall, who played one season each with the Jets and Washington after his stint with the Giants, is currently ranked third on the Giants’ all-time sack leader list (79.5), behind Lawrence Taylor and franchise leader Michael Strahan, and was voted No. 26 on the Giants’ top 100 players list.

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