JOHN MUNSON/THE STAR-LEDGER
Today makes it 13 years since the terrorist attacks on our nation and NYC and 3 years since the 9/11 memorial opened. Since the 9/11 memorial plaza opened in 2011, more than 15 million people have visited the site, including the New York Football Giants. The team shares a deep bond with the city and got a chance to visit the memorial late last month. The players, coaches, and staff members were deeply appreciative of the opportunity and the chance to spend it with teammates. Eli Manning and Victor Cruz were among the players who got a chance to speak on the trip.
“This was special to be here with the team,” Manning said. “Everybody remembers that day in 2001, 9/11. To be here in New York City and just to hear some of the phone calls that were made on the planes, the letters, or see the pictures of the firefighters and police officers who gave their lives to try to help other people, it was really powerful being there. [I’m] really glad that, as a team, we got to see it together.”
“It’s humbling to know that people risked their lives in saving people and you get to hear all those stories,” Cruz added. “I was just a kid when it happened, so you see it when you’re here walking these halls and seeing all the memorials and you really appreciate the simple fact of just being able to wake up and see your family every day. Being here is definitely humbling and saddening at the same time.”
Today Tom Coughlin spoke to the media today about what he told the team and his message of 9/11.
” I just talked to them about the significance of 9/11, 13 years since that fateful day and the fact that we had been over to the museum and just to remember to honor those brave and courageous firemen, policemen and first responders, many of whom gave their lives so that others might be saved. And then we spent a moment in respect for those that perished. And we also talked about never forgetting. Never forget 9/11, but we also honored America and the resilience and the courage shown by the country and the way that New Yorkers and all in the tri-state area rallied around each other in that point in time. I think that’s something we could all be proud of.”