The most unusual aspect of the Giants 53-man roster is a trio of undrafted rookies – LB’s Mark Herzlich and Spencer Paysinger, and FB Henry Hynoski. Not only is it an oddity to have this many non-drafted rookies, but coincidentally, each of these players used adversity as inspiration, and came from behind their drafted counterparts to secure spots on the team.
Not only do these rookies have talent, they have the intangible qualities coaches crave – chutzpah, determination, commitment, and a never say die attitude. When asked about his rookies, Coach Tom Coughlin said, “It’s a good thing, it’s got to be a good thing. They bring energy, they bring vitality.”
A Boston College ACC top defensive player of the year in 2008, Mark Herzlich is 6’4,” 246 lbs, and has a titanium rod through his hip and femur. In 2009, Herzlich discovered that he had a rare bone cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma. The first option given to him was to remove part of his femur an inch above and below the tumor, and replace it with a titanium rod. This option meant no more football, ever. Herzlich asked for another option. So, in addition to chemotherapy, he underwent 50 rounds of radiation for 5 weeks, had a titanium rod inserted through his hip, bolted it down, and it worked. Herzlich is cancer free and playing football again after intensive rehab that included pulling apart muscle and bone that fused together during radiation.
Fellow LB Spencer Paysinger joins the Giants after a stellar 5 seasons with the Oregon Ducks, which included a run at the BCS title his senior year. At 6’2” and 236 lbs, the eloquent West Coaster who attended Beverly Hills High School feels his strengths are the skills he brings to special teams, and his ability to fulfill different roles in coverage and on the run. “Coach (Coughlin) said you had 4 opportunities to put good film on your resume,” Paysinger said of his preseason games. He definitely used these opportunities to showcase his talent.
Though sidelined for a couple practices with a groin injury, Paysinger was in the right place at the right time when LB Michael Boley was injured. Paysinger got called up from the 3rd team to the first to fill Boley’s spot, and at the end of preseason, he led the team in tackles.
The final undrafted rookie is FB Henry Hynoski out of Pittsburgh. Hynoski’s story starts with the firing of Pitt Panther’s Coach Dave Wannstadt his senior year. Since he had already earned his degree, Hynoski decided to enter the draft as an underclassman rather than stay the year with a new coach. His draft stock was high going into the NFL Combine, but he pulled a hamstring and couldn’t complete his testing. The injury also kept him out of Pro Day.
Tenacious, even as a child, Hynoski did not give up. Determined to follow in the footsteps of his dad, who played for Temple and the Cleveland Browns, he used the NFL lockout to heal, train, and research NFL teams in need of a fullback. He found that he could fill a Giants’ need. Coach Coughlin said of Hynoski, “That’s a pure fullback in the pure fullback position. Hopefully, he’ll be the physical presence we need.” With nicknames like, “Rhino,” “Hank the Tank,” and “Hynosceros,” it is a good bet that he will be.
