INDIANAPOLIS — Marc Ross has interviewed for general manager positions with the Seahawks, the Colts and the Bears. He has not landed any of those jobs, a fact which doesn’t exactly upset the Giants, who still employ Ross as their director of college scouting.
“Selfishly, we’re happy he’s staying with us,” Giants GM Jerry Reese said, “but I think some people missed out on a great opportunity for a very good GM candidate with Marc Ross.”
Reese enters tonight’s Super Bowl XLVI against the Patriots with a chance to earn his second championship ring in the five years he has been on the job, so he merits plenty of credit. But Reese praised his staff up and down this week in Indianapolis, and the 38-year-old Princeton-educated Ross is a large part of the Giants’ success.
Ross has overseen the Giants’ draft since 2008, and has secured the likes of Jason Pierre-Paul and Hakeem Nicks, for starters, along with Mario Manningham, Terrell Thomas, Kenny Phillips, Linval Joseph, Will Beatty, Jonathan Goff and Jacquian Williams.
By the way, those are just some of Ross’ picks — and all of this is in just the past four drafts.
“We have a great group of scouts, and those guys bust their butt to go out on the road. Anytime you hit on a pick, it feels great,” said Ross, who also found Brian Westbrook when he was the Eagles’ director of college scouting. “We go into each draft just feeling like, ‘Hey, we’re just going to find guys that help us out and take the best player available. Of course, it feels a lot better than missing on guys. It feels good.”
What doesn’t feel great is coming up short in the GM derbies he has been a part of. But Ross hardly views being at Super Bowl XLVI as a consolation prize.
“This is the best,” he said. “If you had to give me the choice: Get the GM job or win the Super Bowl, I’m taking win the Super Bowl every day of the week.
“Of course, going through the process, I want to be the guy that comes out on top and gets the job, but I feel confident that my time will come. And if not, I’m with a great organization. I love being here, I love working for the Giants, I love working for John Mara and Jerry Reese. I’m happy.”