Eli Manning is going to have to get someone new to drive him to home games, as his chauffeur and protector for a decade, David Diehl, announced his retirement on Friday.
“I’ve accomplished everything I could possibly dream of as a football player,’’ Diehl said.
The Giants hoped Diehl would one day emerge as a serviceable offensive lineman — perhaps a starter in time — when they took him out of Illinois in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
As it turned out, Diehl started from Day One of his rookie year and virtually never left the field. He remained on the scene and on the line for 11 years, was the left tackle on two Super Bowl-winning offensive lines and was a versatile, durable iron man until injuries finally started creeping in. Diehl was the longest-tenured player on the Giants as yet another link to the championships won after the 2007 and 2011 seasons moves on.
“If in 2003, anyone would have said that Dave Diehl, a fifth-round draft pick out of Illinois, would win two Super Bowls, play in the Pro Bowl and win every single Giant award possible, people would have said you’re crazy,’’ Diehl said. “I have a lot to be proud of.”
This decision was not unexpected, and the Giants’ offensive line in 2014 will undergo an extreme makeover. Only Justin Pugh is assured of a spot, with left tackle Will Beatty coming off a broken leg sustained in the final game of the season and Kevin Boothe an unrestricted free agent.
Diehl was never a dominating player — though he did make the Pro Bowl in 2009 — but, given his draft status, he gave the Giants an overwhelming return on their initial investment (the 160th overall pick in 2003). He started the first 120 regular-season games of his career, plus seven more in the preseason. It was the longest streak by a Giants player since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. Diehl ended up missing only 12 games in his 11 years.
“When I think of David Diehl what comes to mind is his indomitable spirit,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “He got the most out of his God-given ability and that’s the best way that you can judge any individual. What more can you ask of the guy?’’
Diehl started driving Manning to home games when Manning was a rookie in 2004, a ritual that continued for nearly a decade. Diehl accepted a pay cut to stay on the roster for the 2013 season and then missed the first three games following thumb surgery. He ended up starting 11 games in his final season. Diehl finished up with 164 games played (he started 160), tying Phil Simms for 12th on the Giants’ all-time list.
Known for his ability to move all along the offensive line, Diehl, in the regular season, started 65 games at left tackle, 42 at left guard, 26 at right tackle, and 27 at right guard. In the postseason, Diehl had 10 starts at left tackle, and one at left guard.
“He played so many different positions along the offensive line and never complained and never made an excuse,” Manning said. “He protected me for a long time. He’s one of my great buddies and just a true warrior. A guy you wanted out there. He was just a true professional.”
Diehl arrived at the Giants practice facility along with his 7-year-old daughter, Addison, to tell co-owner John Mara she had “allowed” her father to retire.
“I’m just very, very blessed and happy to have had the teammates and the guys around here and the coaches and the organization and to be able to do it for 11 years in one place — that’s unheard of,’’ Diehl said. “You never hear that any more. I’m a New York Giant through and through.”