David Mikel Tyree (born January 3, 1980) is a former American football wide receiver and executive who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with the New York Giants. He played college football at Syracuse and was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Tyree is best known for the Helmet Catch, a late-game reception in Super Bowl XLII that helped New York secure one of the greatest sports upsets of all time. Tyree earned Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in 2005 as a special teams player, but was utilized as a backup for most of his career. Nevertheless, Tyree earned recognition during the Giants' last drive in Super Bowl XLII when he caught a third down pass by pressing the ball against his helmet. Through his reception, the Giants were able to take the lead during the game's final minutes and defeat a New England Patriots team who were the first to win all 16 regular season games. The catch would also be his last and he retired in 2009 after one season with the Baltimore Ravens. Following the conclusion of his playing career, Tyree rejoined the Giants as their director of player development, holding the position from 2014 to 2017. Early years Born in Livingston, New Jersey, Tyree grew up in a one-bedroom house in Montclair, New Jersey with his mother and two older sisters after his parents divorced. He played high school football and was a three-year varsity letterman at Montclair High School, where he was selected as a Blue Chip Illustrated All-American. College career Over Tyree's career at Syracuse, he ranked 13th on the career receiving record list with 1,214 yards, including 229 yards against Virginia Tech in 2002. He also developed a reputation for being an excellent special teams player, amassing six blocked punts. Professional career New York Giants Tyree was selected in the sixth round (211th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. While with the Giants, he was primarily a backup, never catching more than 19 passes in a single season. However, he was best known for his special teams play, earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2005 as a special teams player. In 2008, Tyree was placed on injured reserve for a knee injury suffered during training camp after being on the physically-unable-to-perform list most of the