Notes: Iraq vet Gadson inspires Giants

BY ARTHUR STAPLE | arthur.staple@newsday.com

February 4, 2008

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Giants coach Tom Coughlin addressed his team as he normally does at their Saturday night team meeting but he had a special guest address the Giants before Coughlin spoke.

Lt. Col. Greg Gadson, who lost his legs to an improvised explosive device in Iraq and has become a fixture on the Giants sideline in the playoffs, spoke for five minutes to the Giants about "pride, poise, team and belief," according to a person who was there.

Gadson was a West Point classmate and football teammate of Giants wide receivers coach Mike Sullivan and first spoke to the Giants the night before their 24-17, come-from-behind win over the Redskins on Sept. 23.

Coughlin also showed a 2 1/2-minute video of the Giants' three playoff wins and spoke to the Giants about his only prior Super Bowl experience, when he won a ring in Super Bowl XXV as the Giants wide receivers coach.

Spagnuolo to interview

According to a report, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will sit down with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder tomorrow, after the Giants return home from the Super Bowl.

Snyder had reportedly been waiting for the Giants season to end so he could speak with Spagnuolo, who cemented his credentials with another dominating performance by the defense last night. The Giants turned down a request by the Falcons for a chance to talk with Spagnuolo the week before the Giants' win over the Cowboys in the divisional playoff round, a decision Spagnuolo endorsed.

The Redskins already have offensive and defensive coordinators in place, fueling speculation that former Giants coach Jim Fassel, who has interviewed three times with Snyder, or former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci, who reportedly interviewed on Saturday, would be the leading candidate and not Spagnuolo, who would likely prefer to assemble his own staff.