You may have noticed Giants head coach Joe Judge wearing a United States Marine Corps hat on the sidelines for Sunday’s exhibition finale, or captains Jabrill Peppers, Blake Martinez, and Nick Gates wearing hats saluting other branches of the Armed Forces as well as FDNY during the coin toss.
The reason for the Giants’ salute to service? Judge explained, referencing the 13 soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan last week:
Judge’s Giants will play their 2021 season opener at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, September 12, one day after the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that led the U.S. back into Afghanistan.
The 13 U.S. soldiers – Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak and Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss – were killed during a suicide bombing at Karzai International Airport in Kabul, those 13 counted among the nearly 200 people killed as they tried to help evacuate stranded Americans and Afghani citizens.
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