New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson has been at the forefront of the battle to create racial equality in both society and the NFL the past several decades.
The former Giants captain and Super Bowl XXI champion was asked about the latest allegations cast by Brain Flores’ lawsuit, which claims that Carson’s old team used racist hiring practices this offseason.
“The mere fact that the Jets can have two African-American coaches [Herm Edwards and Todd Bowles], and the Giants have not had one, that is disappointing,” Carson said. “It has not been lost on me that the Giants have not hired a minority [head] coach.”
Flores, the son of Honduran parents who was born in Brooklyn, interviewed for the Giants’ head coaching vacancy last week, a position that ultimately went to former Buffalo Bills offense coordinator, Brian Daboll.
In his discrimination lawsuit, which includes the Giants as well as other teams and the NFL, Flores contends the Giants had no intention of hiring him and went through with his interview to comply with the “Rooney Rule”.
The Giants answered with an official statement on Thursday to refute Flores’ allegations.
As for Carson, he and others have a short memory when it comes to the Giants and their hiring history.
The Giants have never had a Black head coach or starting quarterback but it certainly hasn’t been from a lack of trying. The franchise’s history refutes the current narrative making the rounds.
The Giants were run by general manager Jerry Reese for 11 seasons and many of their front office positions have been held by minorities. Marc Ross was in charge of college scouting under Reese and Ronnie Barnes, the senior vice president of medical services who has been with the team since 1976.
This week, the Giants hired a woman, Laura Young, as their new director of coaching operations.
When Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon was a free agent coming out of the CFL in 1984, the Giants were one of four teams bidding for his services.
Moon and his agent, Leigh Steinberg, chose the highest bidder, the Houston Oilers, forcing the Giants to recommit to Phil Simms, which ended up working out for all parties.
In 2016, when the Giants were seeking to replace Tom Coughlin as their head coach, they were high on Hue Jackson but were spurned at the 11th hour when Jackson decided to take the Cleveland Browns’ job and canceled his flight to New Jersey.
