What is David Tyree's Net Worth?
David Tyree is a retired American football player who has a net worth of $3 million. David Tyree played seven seasons in the NFL as a wide receiver, primarily with the New York Giants. He is famous for the "Helmet Catch," a late-game reception that helped the Giants win Super Bowl XLII in an upset over the undefeated New England Patriots. After officially retiring from playing in 2010, Tyree served as the director of player development for the Giants from 2014 to 2017.
Career Earnings
During his NFL career, David earned around $7 million in salary. His biggest contract was a 5-year $6.5 million deal singed with the Giants in March 2006.
Early Life and High School
David Tyree was born on January 3, 1980 in Livingston, New Jersey. After his parents divorced when he was young, he was raised by his mother in Montclair with his two older sisters. Tyree attended Montclair High School, where he was a varsity letterman on the school football team for three years.
Collegiate Career
For college, Tyree played football with the Syracuse Orange. He emerged as a star player there, amassing 1,214 receiving yards during his collegiate career. Tyree was also known as a great special teams player, recording six blocked punts.
New York Giants
In the 2003 NFL Draft, Tyree was chosen in the sixth round by the New York Giants. Most of his time with the team was spent as a backup; he never caught more than 19 passes in a single season. Instead, Tyree was best known as a special teams player, just like at Syracuse. In 2005, he earned a Pro Bowl selection as a special teams player.
(Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
Super Bowl XLII
Tyree's greatest career achievement came in early 2008 when he and the Giants appeared in Super Bowl XLII. Coming into the game, the Giants were not expected to win, as they were going up against the undefeated New England Patriots, the first team ever to win all 16 regular-season NFL games. However, Tyree made two key plays that helped his underdog team win the title. First, he caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning that put the Giants up 10-7 late in the game. Next, and most famously, Tyree caught a pass from Manning with 1:15 left on the clock, sandwiching the ball between his right hand and his helmet as he fell, struggling to keep the ball from hitting the turf. This became known as the "Helmet Catch." The catch ultimately set the stage for a touchdown pass from Manning to Plaxico Burress, giving the Giants the Super Bowl title with a score of 17-14. It was one of the biggest upsets in sports history, and the "Helmet Catch" was called one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history.
Baltimore Ravens and Retirement
Ultimately, Tyree's incredible "Helmet Catch" in Super Bowl XLII would be the final catch of his NFL career. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009, but had no receptions in his ten games with the team. Tyree eventually announced his retirement from NFL playing in the summer of 2010.
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Post-Playing Career
A year after retiring from NFL playing, Tyree joined the National Organization for Marriage to advocate against same-sex marriage in New York. He supported gay conversion therapy and said that he would trade his famous "Helmet Catch" as well as the Giants' Super Bowl title to keep people of the same sex from marrying each other.
In 2014, Tyree returned to his former NFL team the Giants to become its director of player development. He remained in that position until 2017.
Personal Life
Tyree struggled with alcohol addiction for many years, starting in middle school. In 2004, he was arrested for marijuana possession and put in jail. On the day of his release, his girlfriend Leilah told him she was pregnant with their second child. She gave him an ultimatum to turn his life around or end the relationship. Tyree responded by reading the Bible and going sober. He and Leilah got married in 2004; together, they have seven children. The couple also started Next in Line, an initiative providing counseling to teenagers in New Jersey.
