Age: 23
2nd
season in pro football & with Giants
College: Notre
Dame
Height: 6’4” Weight: 245
Prelude:
Bavaro caught
55 passes for 771 yards and four touchdowns in college and received
All-American honors from the Associated Press in 1984. He was chosen by the
Giants in the fourth round of the 1985 NFL draft. With TE Zeke Mowatt lost for
the entire year due to a knee injury, Bavaro moved directly into the starting
lineup and performed well, catching 37 passes for 511 yards (13.8 avg.) and
four TDs.
1986 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 66
[16]
Most
receptions, game – 7 (for 88 yds.) at Dallas 9/8, (for 110 yds.) vs. New Orleans
9/28, (for 98 yds.) at San Francisco 12/1
Yards – 1001
[16]
Most yards,
game – 111 (on 5 catches) at Washington 12/7
Average gain
– 15.2
TDs – 4
100-yard
receiving games – 3
Scoring
TDs – 4
Points – 24
Postseason: 3 G
Pass
receptions – 8
Most pass
receptions, game – 4 vs. Denver, Super Bowl
Pass
receiving yards – 134
Most pass
receiving yards, game – 51 vs. Denver, Super Bowl
Average yards
per reception – 16.8
Pass
Receiving TDs – 2
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
2nd
team All-NFL: NEA
1st
team All-NFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl
Giants went 14-2
to finish first in the NFC East with the conference’s best record. Won NFC
Divisional playoff over San Francisco 49ers (49-3), NFC Championship over
Washington Redskins (17-0) & Super Bowl over Denver Broncos (39-20).
Aftermath:
A tough,
physical all-around tight end with good hands, Bavaro followed up with 55
catches for 867 yards (15.8 avg.) and eight touchdowns in 1987 and was again a
consensus first-team All-NFL and Pro Bowl selection. A holdout and injuries led
to a lesser season in ’88 although he still pulled in 53 passes. Bavaro was
limited to seven games in 1989 by a knee injury and, following a lesser year in
’90 playing with a degenerative knee condition, it appeared that his career
might be over as he missed the entire 1991 season. However, he caught on with
the Cleveland Browns in ’92, caught 25 passes, and moved on to the Philadelphia
Eagles for his last two seasons in 1993 and ’94, catching 43 passes with six
TDs in ’93. Overall, Bavaro caught 351 passes for 4733 yards (13.5 avg.) and 39
touchdowns, with 266 of those catches for 3722 yards and 28 TDs coming with the
Giants. He was twice a consensus first-team All-NFL choice and was also named
to two Pro Bowls. His brother David played linebacker for five seasons in the
NFL with four different teams.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
