It’s been a long time coming, but Leonard Marshall is finally entering the New York Giants’ Ring of Honor.
Co-owner John Mara officially announced the news on Tuesday and noted that six others will be joining Marshall. They include Ottis Anderson, Joe Morris, Rodney Hampton, Jimmy Patton, Kyle Rote and Ronnie Barnes.
“We are proud to add these deserving and legendary figures in Giants history to our Ring of Honor,” Mara said. “Each of the players was among the very best at his position to wear a Giants uniform. All of them helped our franchise win championships and enjoy long-term success, as has Ronnie Barnes, who has been an invaluable and beloved member of our organization for decades.”
The induction ceremony will be held at halftime of a Week 3 game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium on Monday, September 26.
Marshall was a second-round pick of the Giants in 1983 NFL draft and spent 10 seasons with the team, winning two Super Bowls. He was also named to the Pro Bowl twice and earned Second-Team All-Pro honors twice.
Anderson joined the Giants via trade from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986 and spent six-plus seasons with Big Blue. He also earned two Super Bowl rings during that time and was named MVP of Super Bowl XXV.
Hampton was a first-round pick of the Giants in the 1990 NFL draft and spent the entirety of his eight-year career with the G-Men. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and picked up a championship ring with the club as a rookie.
The Giants selected Morris in the second-round of the 1982 NFL draft. The two-time Pro Bowler spent seven seasons in New York and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 1985. He was also a key part of the Super Bowl XXI team.
Joe Morris was at a loss for words when finding out that he would be inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor:
"I'm going to remember this for the rest of my life" pic.twitter.com/gH26s5rCeD
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) August 16, 2022
Patton was an eighth-round pick of the Giants in the 1955 NFL draft and spent his entire 12-year career with the team. He was a five-time First-Team All-Pro, one-time Second-Team All-Pro and earned five Pro Bowl honors. He helped lead the Giants to an NFL championship in 1956 and lead the league in interceptions in 1958.
Patton passed away in 1972 at the age of 39.
Rote was a first-round pick of the Giants in the 1951 NFL draft and he spent all 11 years of his career with the club. He earned two Second-Team All-Pro honors and was named to the Pro Bowl on four separate occasions. Like Patton, he helped lead the team to an NFL title in 1956.
Rote passes away in 2002 at the age of 73.
Barnes was hired by the Giants as an assistant athletic trainer in 1976. He was promoted to athletic trainer in 1980 and just one year later, became the first-ever full-time Black head athletic trainer in NFL history. He has been with the Giants for all four of their Super Bowls and was inducted into both the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame and the National Athletics Trainers Association Hall of Fame.
In 2019, Barnes was given a lifetime achievement award.
