Former Giants wide receiver David Tyree — best known for making a catch against his helmet during Super Bowl XLII — spoke out against gay marriage Wednesday, claiming it is the first step towards “anarchy.”
In an interview with anti-gay group the National Organization for Marriage, Tyree also said two men or two women were incapable of raising a child, TMZ reported.
“You can’t teach something that you don’t have, so two men will never be able to show a woman how to be a woman,” Tyree said.
The issue of same-sex unions is currently under the spotlight in New York, with the state assembly late Wednesday passing a gay marriage bill that will next go before state senators.
Tyree, asked what he thought would happen if gay marriage was legalized across the United States, said, “This will be the beginning of our country sliding toward, it’s a strong word, but anarchy.
“How can marriage be marriage for thousands of years and now all the sudden because a minority, an influential minority, has a push or agenda … and totally reshapes something that was not founded in our country,” he added.
Tyree, 31, a devout Christian, has a wife and four children. He retired in 2010 as a one-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, but is best remembered for his helmet catch in the Giants’ 17-14 Super Bowl XLII win against the New England Patriots, which led to quarterback Eli Manning’s game-winning 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress 24 seconds later.
It would be Tyree’s last catch in an NFL game as injury hampered the remainder of his career.
Recent polls have shown more than 50 percent of New Yorkers support gay marriage, The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week.
Tyree’s former Giants teammate Michael Strahan recently publicly lent his support for gay marriage in a video message.
If the bill passes, New York — with a population of 19 million — would be the sixth and by far the most populous state with gay marriage.
Five states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont — along with the District of Columbia now grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples, while the issue is before the courts in California.