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David Tyree makes his famous helmet catch in Super Bowl XLII.
Super Bowl XLII Hero David Tyree Industry

Super Bowl XLII Legend and ‘Helmet Catch’ Hero David Tyree Talks to Betting.us

Blake RobertsBy Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 14 December 2022
Blake Roberts Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief

Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.

With the 15th anniversary of the renowned ‘Helmet Catch’ fast approaching – we got in touch with the former New York Giants wideout to get his thoughts on the milestone, his playoff predictions, Odell Beckham Jr, Danny Dime’s future and more! This is an unmissable interview for New York based bettors wanting to relive the magical moment.

David shares his thoughts on:

Read the full interview below or you can watch the complete interview yourself – available at the bottom of the page.

David Tyree Interview Transcript

Exclusive Interview: David Tyree Talks to Betting.us

Patrick: We’re coming up to the 15-year anniversary of the helmet catch, now that you’ve had a bit of distance from it, what are the first things that come to mind when you recall that play?

David: Oh, my goodness. I’m actually almost still in disbelief of how big the moment was. When you’re in the game, you’re just kind of literally present in the moment and you’re expecting to go out there and make plays. I didn’t know that it was actually on my helmet. I didn’t know until I got back to the hotel and celebrated with the team and I go to get something to drink, and I see an ESPN clip, and I think that was the first time I was impressed with my own work. So now, 15 years later, it’s great to have another significant year to celebrate that with all the people that impacted.

Patrick: When I think of that 2007-2008 season, it’s hard not to look past the undefeated Patriots team. When I think of how you guys beat them in the Super Bowl, I always think back to that week 17 game when you guys played each other. I think they were playing for undefeated status. You guys were already in the playoffs at that point. Unfortunately, you guys lost. But can you tell me a bit about that game and how you think that impacted the Super Bowl?

David: Yeah, that was everything. It really set the tone. I think we didn’t need that much more buy-in from our coach, but the fact that we knew what position we were in and he’s like, hey man, we play the games to win. And of course, it was an opportunity to knock down a titan in like the 12th round, right? And so, we went for it. Significantly for me, that was my first game back after burying my mom. And I was kind of in the game plan, whereas I wasn’t much because Jeremy Shockey got hurt. So that was actually my road back. And it was almost redemptive because I should have scored a touchdown in that game. I had a nice green pass and I stumbled, and it tripped me up on the goal line. It was in so many different ways from a team standpoint, the heart, we had the belief, we gave it our best shot and they were really that good. So, it was special to make that run. Obviously, with the full expectation of getting some blood in our mouth and we were able to get that moment of redemption in the Super Bowl.

Patrick: One of your old foes from that game, Tom Brady, is still playing now this season. What are your thoughts now? Do you feel like he could still go out there and compete?

David: It’s really insane when you think about it. And obviously, even with the, if you want to call it, the drop of a season he’s having this year, it’s more that he’s still playing at a high level. It’s not even like he’s out there getting it done. So, whether he has a mutant or a wolverine gene or something behind the TB12 products, I don’t know what’s going on. That dude’s insane, but he is that much of a high-level competitor. I have a lot of respect for him as far as just breaking any kind of trends and ideas about what’s possible at the position.

Patrick: I wanted to ask you a bit about the wide receiver position in today’s NFL compared to your time. When you see the highlights that these guys are pulling off now every week, people like Justin Jefferson, Tyreek Hill, and so on, how do you compare this crop to back in your day?

David: That’s actually a very good question. It’s a new era of athlete. I would say the process is so refined of being a high-performance athlete from the science of sport, nutrition, the repetition, everything that was a secret in previous days is no longer a secret. And it’s because obviously people have shared their stories and they’ve shared their experiences and this WR position younger generation has benefited from it. So, the time that they’re able to put in, to focus on their craft for the people who are driven, it’s amazing. We were just kind of discovering stuff. You were just good, and the gritty guys made amazing plays. If you saw one hand catch, it was like, oh my goodness. It’s every week now. And it just shows that practice makes permanent. So, these guys are dynamic.

Patrick: I think it’s fair to say The Giants this season have had a pretty good season. What’s your opinion on Daniel Jones? Do you think he’s done enough to get a new deal next season?

David: I mean, Daniel Jones has done himself very well. On the one end, it’s a very easy decision to make, and on the other end, it’s actually not because you’re seeing one season of, I don’t want to even say dominance, but you’re seeing one season of, we really have something that we can trust and work in versus two or three seasons. And I think that’s a tribute to him. He didn’t get the fifth year and he performed when the pressure was on, with the team and a coach that believes in him, and he has led a dismal or, these are professionals, so with a lot of respect, there is not a lot of talent around that offense in a lot of different positions. So, it’s a big tribute to him and Saquon and the playmakers and it’s not an easy decision, but he certainly has earned the right to another opportunity.

Patrick:The Giants were actually in London this year. What’s your opinion on the International Series, and do you think that London should have its own team in the future?

David: It’s hard to argue against it. I was actually part of the first London game, The Giants in 2007 against The Dolphins. So great for New York, but even better for the growth of the game as we’re seeing so many. It’s one of these things where the first one out, you couldn’t have imagined this, but now it’s actually palatable. I think this sport is unique in relation to the physical nature, the team nature, and how you can gather around American Football. So, it’s possible. It’s hard to conceive as far as will there be more beyond a London team. But at the end of the day, Europe is such a rich market and I think in relation to the growth of the game it’s pretty amazing to see through the years.

Patrick: I think that’s a very good business answer, but from an athlete’s point of view: do you think athletes today would want to play eight games a year in London?

David: I couldn’t say that they would want to, no, in my personal opinion. Could you envision two teams and could you envision the team stationed in London? Maybe, like obviously they flirted around with NFL UK for a long time as a development league. And I think with the growth of the sport of football and now there’s the international pipeline, where there’s players from Africa, players from Europe, maybe. I think it’s going to take some time, but I think it actually really could go there because it’s a very unique sport in the risk-reward and its heavy risk. But man, the rewards are great with American Football. Yeah, so it’s possible.

Patrick: One of the hottest topics bubbling under the surface this season is where will Odell Beckham Jr end up playing. There have been rumors about The Giants. There have been rumors about The Vikings. Where do you think he’s going to end up?

David: I actually just did a post because he has, call it low-level news with the airplane incident. And he’s taking a visit actually this coming Thursday to the judge. So, I would love to see Odell Beckham come back home. It kind of sucks that there was this media skirmish, and this is the time to avoid any kind of distraction or interception because The Giants are heavy, minimalize the distractions. He’s just positioned himself so well in his run with The Rams and he deserves this opportunity. So, I hope it works out well. But it’s not another easy decision coming off ACL, right? It’s like it’s the dream homecoming, but it’s not as easy as you would like it to be when you look at where The Giants are capitalized. But I do believe he’s going to come back and give himself a few great years because he’s that immensely talented.

Patrick: It’s an interesting comparison between you two, you’ve got the helmet catch and Odell’s got that unbelievable behind-the-head catch. Which one do you think was better?

David: I’m going to start creating some metrics around all these catches because significance matters in the grand scheme of everything. I don’t think there’s a “better”. Between him and Justin Jefferson, I was amazed at those two catches individually. Individual catch difficulty, the level of amazement, yeah, I was amazed with it. But the significance factor really comes into the equation where it’s almost not comparable. So, I’ll take mine. I’ll take mine ten times out of ten 1000 days over. And I’m sure they might say the same thing, but I think hitting in their heart, they wanted their catches to matter more.

Patrick:I mean Super Bowl catch and I guess they didn’t have Rodney Harrison’s arm coming up underneath them as well.

David: They got a Hall of Fame safety, you know, an undefeated team playing against. I got some things working for me.

Patrick:The NFC East this year. What is going on in this division? Who do you think comes out of it?

David: This totally blew my mind from one year to the next, because I thought surely that The Commanders might be down with Carson Wentz, really sluggish out the gate and he’s got something in his engine and he’s playing amazing football for The Commanders. This is the story to me of what makes the NFL one of the best products in the world and its soap operation and turnover from year to year. So, it’s amazing. I think The Cowboys are the best team, but I actually called that from start to finish. The Giants position themselves amazingly well. But The Eagles are the front runners, right? It’s something special. What’s going on with Dallas’s defense? It pains me to say that. I should say really, Philly’s the best team, but it’s something special about the Dallas D, and it’s just a matter of whether their offense can tick up. But, just historically, they’ve been the strongest team in the division. So, it’s amazing parity, four teams with a winning record at this point.

Patrick: Speaking of the playoffs, is there a team in the AFC or a team in the NFC that you figure could make the biggest splash? Not necessarily with the best record right now but that maybe people aren’t talking about but maybe they should be.

David: I would say if there’s a splash team, it’s tough to say this, it’s Dallas. There is the Dan Quinn evolution of the Dallas defense, and the use of players is actually very impressive. Malik Hooker was almost washed up with the Indianapolis Colts and he’s back playing high-level football. They’re just really special on defense. Philly is the front-runner and they’ve made all the right moves. And so, I can’t, kind of discredit them either. But if there’s a splash team, in my opinion, it’s The Cowboys if that can heat up. And, you’ve got Gallup, who’s back, just started to shine a little bit again. Watch out for them to make some noise. And I called them. I called The Vikings. I wasn’t expecting Green Bay to be as bad as they’ve been this year, but I actually called The Vikings as the wild card. Now obviously, they’re a front-runner, and watch out Kirk Cousins is a wild card himself. Those are two NFC teams I think that could make some noise.

Patrick: I’m disappointed David, The Giants were sitting right there for you. They’re the ultimate playoff splash team. Those two Super Bowl six seeds coming in…

David: Yeah, this has to be honest right? It’s like no one could have ever imagined The Giants to be in this position. And if this team could have been more healthy, I would actually call them my splash team. There have been so many injuries throughout that they actually have to overcome. It’s a miracle that they’re still sitting here at six and three. When you look at the receiver position when you look at the offensive line that has had injuries. The offensive line wasn’t even supposed to be playing as well as they played, and they still endured injuries. They should just give Brian Daboll the award at this point. And I don’t really care what happens to The Giants that’s how amazing of a turnaround this culture and franchise…so it’s kudos to them and I think they have positioned themselves, and it would almost be like a disappointment if they don’t make the playoffs which would be weird.

Patrick: I know, they’ve raised expectations a lot through their play.

David: Amazing.

Patrick: Besides the catch, obviously, we have focused on the catch. But what are the other proudest moments in your career?

David: I feel like I definitely have a couple. I think when you come into the league and I was drafted as a special teams player and when you come from my position, just being drafted…I was just looking for an opportunity. So, getting drafted was like, oh, snap, and so special teams, NFL’s special teams, Rookie of the Year was special, and then it was all about being an All-Pro, being All-Pro my third season and honestly my first three seasons I could argue were All-Pro seasons. But you got to take your lumps as a young kid coming into the league. It took me a long time because I expected to do well. It took me a long time to appreciate what being the best at something really is. And I think because I was a special teams player, you never kind of get the same praise as an All-Pro wide receiver. Understandably so. And especially at that time, where you were either a superstar or you were a guy happy to be on the roster. So those are two accomplishments that because for me, my mentality was I’m a football player. And if they put me in the game of wide receiver, I’m going to make plays. If I got to go block a punt, I’m going to make a play. It was about how I could impact the game. So that was my mentality I think which set me apart.

Patrick I’m a big proponent of special teams. Like, every play matters, as they say.

David: Yeah, trust me. I think the coach would tell you the same.

Patrick: Can you tell our readers a bit about what you’ve been up to since you retired? What’s David Tyree up to today?

David: At this point today, the last two years have been quite the whirlwind. You know, coming out in the front office, I was doing player development for The Giants from 14 to 2020. And it was a tough time under that losing environment. One playoff season in six years. So, it was a different experience from player to front office and you’re always trying to find creative ways to add value because you’re almost like a linchpin between players and management and coach. So it was a good experience, but it was also a kind of a bittersweet experience. And once Judge came in and Gettleman they didn’t really favor me for whatever reason. That’s another story. I will tell it someday. But it’s been amazing, full-fledged. Let’s allow my life, my leadership, and my journey to pave the way moving forward. And we lost the juice bar that sustained itself right in the middle of COVID. And then I was able to pivot and do some work in media, do a couple of sports gambling show, betting exchange and lines of scrimmage, just having fun in that space. A new way to look at the game. So, the media side, Catch the Moment podcast is going and is growing. We’re building that out, having amazing talks with people in their life about their moment. I’m known for a moment, there’s no one that arrives at any place of success and is just that. That’s a neat platform that we’re excited about growing and building out. And the Catch Camp is coming in Arizona in Super Bowl. So the Catch Camp is going to be football in the morning and an afternoon leadership development and careers in sports. So just letting my life, the journey to speak for itself and that’s all under DT3 Enterprises. Check out the website www.davidtyree85.com and we’ll keep building it out and finding ways to impact lives. It’ll be a lot more speaking and things of that nature, storytelling.

Patrick: Okay, David, final question. Who’s your Super Bowl pick this year? What’s your pick right now? Right after Thanksgiving.

David: I still got Kansas City. I’m still bullish on Patrick Mahomes. It’s very difficult when you look at the Josh Allen, the AFC saga. He is the Michael Jordan of the quarterback position. And I can only say that because I’m amazed at how he continues to find ways to reinvent. And it’s special to watch at the quarterback position because it’s difficult enough as it is. He makes the most insane improv but in the safest ways. It’s like he will find the safest, crazy way to throw the ball away. It’s special to watch the game at this stage. And so I’ve still got Kansas City in the big dance. And if there’s an NFC team that I had to pluck at this point, I’m going to go with my wild card team with The Cowboys. And that sounds so crazy. But I’ll say it just for a splash pick. My safe pick. I just couldn’t. It still would be the NFC East with The Eagles. And it’s tough to say those two names. But splash pick: Cowboys, safe pick: Eagles.

Patrick: You got a lot of Giants fans unfollowing you on social media right now, David.

David: Yeah, I mean, my Giants, I think they can get in as a wild card, my Giants. But, you know, the biggest concern is all the other factors, they have to pull off miracles week in and week out to get a win, and with the roster thinned out, it gets tough. So kudos to these guys. I do believe The Giants actually are going to sneak and crawl their way into the playoffs, but it’s going to be a rough stretch down the division. Go Giants always. I’ll pick them to win eight, nine times out of ten.

Patrick: Awesome. David thank you so much for the opportunity to interview.

David: I appreciate you guys for having me. We’ll catch you soon.

David Tyree Interview Video