After playing college football at Syracuse University, David Tyree was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Both a wide receiver and special teams player, he earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2005 for his special teams play. The six-foot-tall Tyree is best known for his incredible backwards “helmet catch” on the Giants’ final drive of Super Bowl XLII in 2008. The play, in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, was key to the Giants’ last-minute touchdown and 17-14 victory over the previously undefeated New England Patriots. ESPN Sportcenter later designated the catch as the greatest play in Super Bowl history.

David Tyree also played with the Baltimore Ravens before retiring from the NFL in 2010. In 2014, the Giants hired David as Head of Player Development. He and his wife, Leilah, reside in New Jersey with their seven children.