G-Men release Norman Hand

ToxicSkin · Post by **ToxicSkin** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 11:24 am

http://giants.com/news/eisen/story.asp?story_id=5991
Giants Release DT Norman Hand
10-year NFL veteran played one season with Big Blue.
By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

March 14, 2005

East Rutherford, NJ - The Giants today released defensive tackle Norman Hand, whose only season with the team was cut short by injury.

Hand, a 6-3, 310-pounder, joined the Giants as a free agent on April 7, 2004. Last season was his 10th in the NFL, and the Giants were his fifth team. Hand started the first 11 games of the season at left defensive tackle. But he suffered a pulled groin muscle against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 28 and never returned to the field. Hand was placed on injured reserve on Christmas Day.

Hand finished the season with 15 tackles (11 solo), one sack and one pass defensed. His best game was against Detroit on October 24, when he had three solo tackles, including a sack.

In his career, Hand has played in 115 regular season games with 88 starts and has started two postseason games. He has exactly 300 career tackles (210 solo), 22.5 career sacks and two interceptions.

The Giants last week signed defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy, who played the previous five seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Hand joined the Giants from the Seattle Seahawks, for whom he played six games with five starts in 2003. He had 10 tackles and a sack before a torn right biceps muscle forced him to go on injured reserve on November 12.

Hand joined the Seahawks in a draft-day trade with the New Orleans Saints on April 27, 2003. The Saints received a sixth-round draft choice (wide receiver Kareem Kelly). Hand played three seasons in New Orleans, starting 41 of 44 games. He helped the Saints defense record an NFL-high 66 sacks in 2000 and an NFC-high 53 in 2001. Hand was the Saints’ Man of the Year in 2002 for his work off the field, notably the help he provided the Starbright Foundation program at Children’s Hospital-New Orleans.

Hand joined the Saints as an unrestricted free agent following three seasons with the San Diego Chargers. In 1998, he enjoyed his finest NFL season with the Chargers, finishing with 49 tackles (42 solo), a career-high six sacks for 35 yards in losses and both of his career interceptions.

A product of the University of Mississippi, Hand entered the NFL as the Miami Dolphins’ fifth-round draft choice in 1995 (the 158th overall pick). He was inactive for all 16 games his rookie season. In 1996, he played in nine games as a reserve. Hand was claimed off waivers by the Chargers on Aug. 25, 1997. In his first season with the Chargers he played 15 games with one start and had 16 tackles.

Hand was a two-year starter at Mississippi after transferring from Itawamba Community College. He started every game at left defensive tackle as a senior and was named second-team All-SEC after recording 61 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three tackles for losses. As a junior, he played in all 11 games with nine starts.

spudstr04 · Post by **spudstr04** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 12:52 pm

I like this guy better than Courtney Brown...he could help us, especially since he's played in the NFC EAST

Texas Hog · Post by **Texas Hog** » Tue Mar 15, 2005 1:02 pm

except he's a DT and we need a pass rushing DE

tcwest10 · Post by **tcwest10** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 9:43 am

spudstr04 wrote:I like this guy better than Courtney Brown...he could help us, especially since he's played in the NFC EAST

I'm gonna echo TexasHog. Nothing wrong with putting a big old tub of a DT right smack in the middle of the line here and there.
I'd take Hand and Brown.

Hill66 · Post by **Hill66** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 12:42 pm

He is a HUGE body, but we don't need to waste cap money on this guy. Our DT's proved last season that they are more than capable.

Texas Hog · Post by **Texas Hog** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 2:46 pm

Hill66 wrote:He is a HUGE body, but we don't need to waste cap money on this guy. Our DT's proved last season that they are more than capable.

I agree.