Ruegamer lining up for title

Dan Marino. Tom Brady. Brett Favre.

Grey Ruegamer, a Bishop Gorman High School graduate, has centered the football for each of those NFL quarterbacks and Most Valuable Players.

Ruegamer, a nine-year NFL veteran who has played for the New York Giants the past two seasons, also has centered the ball for Eli Manning and said the fourth-year pro has the potential to join the aforementioned "Hall of Fame group."

"He has a ton of skill and a ton of talent," the 6-foot-4-inch, 299-pound Ruegamer said Monday. "Time will tell how he does, but I think he has all the tools to be a great quarterback in this league."

The 31-year-old Ruegamer has been impressed with Manning's play in the postseason, in which he hasn't thrown an interception after getting picked off 20 times during the regular season.

"Eli has really done a great job of managing the game and taking the offense up and down the field, and basically putting us in situations to win," Ruegamer said. "The biggest thing is no turnovers. That helps his focus."

Ruegamer, who saw action in all 16 regular-season games as a reserve center, guard and tight end for the Giants, started his first game of the season in New York's playoff opener at Tampa Bay.

He entered Sunday's 23-20 overtime win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game with 10 minutes remaining to replace Giants left guard Rich Seubert, who left with a knee injury.

"It was definitely exciting. Fourth quarter, we're driving down to score and get some points to try to win the game and Rich goes down," he said. "It's one of those situations you always dream about, to go get some playing time in a championship game.

"It made it even sweeter that it was at Lambeau Field, because I played there for three years."

Ruegamer had "the best view of anybody" when Lawrence Tynes kicked the game-winning 47-yard field goal in OT after missing his two previous tries, including a 36-yard attempt at the end of regulation.

"Anytime the weather gets 22 below zero, that football gets hard as a rock. It's tough to punt, to kick, to snap. It makes everything a lot harder to do," Ruegamer said in defense of Tynes. "We all understand the conditions. Thankfully, we had the opportunity to drive down and make the long field goal and we came out on top."

Ruegamer also was on the offensive line for another clutch playoff field goal -- Adam Vinatieri's game-winning 48-yarder for the New England Patriots against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

On Feb. 3, Ruegamer will face his former team in Super Bowl XLII.

The Patriots beat the Giants 38-35 in the regular-season finale for both teams, and Ruegamer said the game ignited New York's playoff run.

"We proved to ourselves that we could hang with them. We played them tough," he said. "Unfortunately, we lost, but that gave us confidence going into the playoffs. We went on a roll and now we're in the Super Bowl playing against them again.

"It was definitely a benefit having played them. We know their personnel and we'll correct our mistakes from the first game and be ready to go."

The fact the Super Bowl is played away from home might help the Giants, who have set an NFL record with 10 straight road wins after dropping their season opener at Dallas.

"To go on this road winning streak is a compliment to the guys on our team. To go into hostile environments and win games -- the focus and the concentration from everybody has to be that much greater," he said. "The team has had a great attitude every week, no matter who we're playing or where we're playing. We (don't) look ahead and we (don't) look behind. When Sunday's over, we make corrections and move on.

"The team has done a great job of preparing for that week's game, and that (has been) our approach."

Ruegamer has another approach in place regarding Super Bowl tickets for his wife Laurie's family -- which hails from Massachusetts and is comprised of Patriots fans.

"If they're coming to the game and I'm getting them tickets, they damn sure better be (cheering for the) Giants or they'll be on the first plane back to Boston," he said.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0354.