So yesterday I got real curious about this Larry Donnell guy after his name popped up during some old Giants highlights. Wondered who he actually was, ’cause honestly I kinda forgot half those late-2000s/early-2010s players. Started simple, just punched his name into Google alongside “Giants tight end.” Got a quick Wikipedia hit and clicked it.
Read through the basics first: born in ’88, played college ball at Grambling State (had to Google where that even was, ngl). Got signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2012. That surprised me – undrafted guy becoming a starter? Had to dig deeper.
Okay, So What About the Big Plays?
Wanted to find specific moments, not just stats. Remembered YouTube was better for that stuff. Typed in “Larry Donnell Giants highlights.” Scrolled through a few grainy clips from like 2014. Few things stood out:
- That crazy three-touchdown game against Washington in 2014! Seriously? A tight end hauling in three scores? Found the game footage. First TD was a classic red-zone curl route, easy grab. Second one… man, he somehow stretched out for this low ball in the end zone, looked like he was doing the splits! Third one was messy, kinda just fell into the end zone after a pile-up, but hey, it counted.
- The insane one-handed catch against the Falcons. Remembered seeing this clip ages ago! Eli just threw it way behind him, Larry reached back, full stretch, snatched it one-handed like it was nothing. Couldn’t believe he didn’t drop it. Pure luck? Or maybe he had better hands than I thought?
- That game-winner against the 49ers in 2015? Actually had to check this one twice. Yep, Week 5, overtime. Eli threw it high into the end zone, Larry went up between two defenders and muscled it down. Clutch.
Felt like I was rediscovering him. Ended up skimming through old game logs on Pro Football Reference. His 2014 season was actually decent: 63 catches, 623 yards, 6 TDs. Solid numbers for that time, especially for a guy nobody drafted. But also saw why I forgot him… stats kinda fell off a cliff after that. Injuries maybe? Hard to tell from just the surface stuff.
Got me thinking – he flashed real potential there for a bit. Those big plays weren’t accidents. Guy had size (6’6″!) and could make the tough grab. Felt kinda sad seeing how fast he faded after being the main guy for a year or so. Makes you appreciate how short some NFL careers can be, even when you see a glimpse of something special.
Ended up closing all the tabs feeling like I solved that nagging question. Went from “Larry who?” to knowing exactly which one-handed catch video to show my buddy who doubts tight ends can make circus plays. Wild ride for an undrafted dude. Wonder what he’s up to now?
