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David Diehl - Croatian among Giants - In N.F.C. Championship 2008
http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9435/1/David-Diehl---Croatian-among-Giants---In-NFC-Championship-2008.html
By Nenad N. Bach
Published on 01/15/2008
 
David Diehl is an American football player with Croatian and German background. He is an offensive lineman in the National Football League. Diehl is currently a starter on the offensive line for the New York Giants. See him playing for the N.F.C. Championship on TV, January 20th, 2008. Check Grb on his arm.

Tough, athletic, and versatile offensive lineman


David Diehl with Croatian Coat of Arms tattoo on his left arm


Full Name: David Michael Diehl
Born: September 15, 1980
Chicago, IL
Height: 6-5
Weight: 319 lbs.
Pronounced: DEAL
Age: 27
Pos: G
Experience: 5 years
College: Illinois
Drafted: Year:2003 Round:5 Pick:25, Giants

NFL: Tough, athletic, and versatile offensive lineman has started all 49 regular season and postseason games since he joined the Giants as a 5th-round draft choice in 2003. He is the first Giant since the introduction of the 16-game schedule in 1978 to start all 48 regular season games in his first 3 seasons... Diehl has played right guard, right tackle and left guard in his 3 years with the team... He is one of just four players from the 2003 draft class to start every game in the last three seasons. The others are Carolina tackle Jordan Gross, Jacksonville safety Rashean Mathis and Dallas cornerback Terence Newman... Diehl started 16 games at right guard as a rookie, 16 at right tackle last season and 15 games at left guard and 1 game at right tackle in 2005.

2005: Started 15 regular season games at left guard and 1 game (vs. Kansas City 12/17) at right tackle. Also started the NFC Wild Card Game at left guard... Offensive line provide enough run blocking for Tiki Barber to rush for a franchise-record 1,860 yards... Pass blocking enabled Eli Manning to pass for a 3,762 yards, the 5th-highest total in franchise history... Diehl's blocking at left guard helped Barber rush for 203 yards, including at franchise-best 95-yard touchdown run, at Oakland (12/31)...Started at right tackle in place of Kareem McKenzie vs. Kansas City (12/17) and offensive line's blocking enabled Barber to rush for a team-record 220 rushing yards... Started at left guard at Philadelphia (12/11), but moved to right tackle when McKenzie was forced to leave the game in the 2nd quarter due to injury. Offensive line allowed 1 sack and provided enough blocking and protection for the Giants to gain 437 yards of total offense... Was a key part of an offensive line that provided enough run blocking and pass protection for the Giants to gain 490 yards of total offense at Seattle (11/27). Recovered a Manning fumble after a sack in the 2nd quarter... Line did not allow a sack at San Francisco (11/6)... Diehl's blocking vs. Washington (10/30) helped the Giants rush for 262 yards, the 8th-highest total in team history and their highest total since they ran for 289 yards vs. Pittsburgh on Dec. 31, 1985... Line did not allow a sack for the 2nd time in 2005 vs. Denver (10/23). Diehl made a key block on Barber's 4-yard touchdown run... The line allowed 1 sack and provided enough pass protection and run blocking for the Giants to gain 456 yards of total offense vs. St. Louis (10/2) It was their highest total since they had 461 yards in a 10-7 overtime victory vs. Philadelphia on Dec. 28, 2002... Diehl was an integral part of the line that gave Manning time to throw for a career-high 352 yards at San Diego (9/25)... Offensive line did not allow a sack at New Orleans (9/19)

2004: Started all 16 games at right tackle after starting all 16 games at right guard as a rookie... O-lines run blocking enabled Tiki Barber to gain 95 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries vs. Dallas (1/2)... Offensive line did not allow a sack vs. Pittsburgh (12/18) for the first time since Dec. 22, 2002 at Indianapolis in a 44-27 victory... Run blocking at Minnesota (10/31) enabled the Giants to rush for 168 yards and 4 touchdowns... Offensive line's run blocking at Dallas (10/10) enabled Barber to gain 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries... Diehl missed a snap for the 1st time in his career when he left the game for a play in the 4th quarter with a cut below the eye at Green Bay (10/3). Returned to the game and helped the Giants rush for 245 yards, their highest total since they had 260 rushing yards in a 31-21 victory over Phoenix on Oct. 11, 1992... Offensive line allowed two sacks and provided enough protection for Kurt Warner to complete 22 of 33 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown vs. Washington (9/19)... Debuted at right tackle at Philadelphia (9/12)... Offensive line provided enough blocking and pass protection for the offense to gain 413 yards, their highest total since they had 413 yards in a victory over the Jets on Nov. 2, 2003.

2003: Started all 16 games at right guard...Became the first Giants rookie to start all 16 games since Mark Bavaro in 1985...Was one of 14 NFL rookies to start all 16 games in 2003... Was 1 of only 3 offensive linemen on the roster to see action in all 16 games, was 1 of only 2 to start every game during the year and was the only to start at the same position each game during the 2003 season...Offensive line had its finest game as a unit at Jets (11/2), allowing 1 sack and providing the blocking to enable the Giants to gain 413 yards... Diehl and the line helped the Giants gain a season-high 450 yards of total offense at Minnesota (10/26)...Offensive line's run blocking and pass protection at Washington (9/21) enabled the Giants to gain 399 yards of total offense... Joined fellow rookies Wayne Lucier (left guard) and Jeff Roehl (left tackle) in the starting lineup vs. Dallas (9/15), making the Giants the 1st team since the 1981 Washington Redskins to start 3 rookie offensive linemen in the same game.




David Diehel - Croatian among Giants