Illinois product Diehl firmly established at left tackle with Giants

Offensive lineman David Diehl has greatly exceeded the modest expectations the New York Giants and most other NFL teams had for him when he graduated from Illinois in 2003.

Diehl was a late bloomer who didn't become a full-time starter until his senior season at Illinois, and he wasn't drafted by the Giants until the end of the fifth round. But when he lines up at left tackle against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII next Sunday, it will be his 86th straight NFL start -- every single game since the season opener of his rookie season.

Since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, no Giant has started as many as 64 straight games to begin a career. Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross is the only other player from the 2003 class who has started every game since his rookie season.

Diehl credits Bears' offensive coordinator Ron Turner and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand with helping him make a seamless transition to the NFL. Turner was the head coach and Hiestand the offensive line coach at Illinois until they joined Lovie Smith's staff in 2005.

"Coming from coach Turner's system, the Giants' system was almost identical," said the 6-foot-5, 319-pound Oak Lawn native and graduate of Brother Rice High School. "The way the Giants did things was almost identical -- exactly the same thing I was doing at Illinois, and that was a huge advantage. Learning from someone like Coach Hiestand helped me dramatically."

Having a more thorough understanding of the pro-style offense than most rookies gave Diehl a head start, but he still had to prove he belonged in an NFL lineup, and he got his chance at right guard in the third preseason game.

"I'm in the huddle with guys like Tiki Barber and Jeremy Shockey, and here I am a fifth-round pick from Illinois," Diehl said. "It set me back a little."

But obviously not too far. Diehl was obsessed with proving he belonged in the same lineup with some of the best players in the NFL, and he wasn't about to disappoint the coaches who had shown confidence in him or the teammates who depended on him.

"When you get an opportunity you have to take full advantage of it," he said. "It's about accountability. I was determined that I was going to know my assignments. The coaches already believed in me, or they wouldn't have put me on the field, but you still have to earn the respect of the veterans. I didn't want to let them down. Whatever it took, I was going to do it 100 percent: studying, paying attention in meetings, watching film, everything."

Diehl has evolved and improved to such a level that he was moved to the most important position on the offensive line this season. At left tackle, he's responsible for protecting Eli Manning's blind side in passing situations. Diehl has now started at four of the five O-line positions for the Giants, everywhere except center.

His move to left tackle has been critical to the Giants' success, but there were plenty who doubted Diehl could handle the responsibility and athletic challenges posed by the position switch. He said the critics were mostly outside the team, but he proved he belonged at left tackle in two starts at the end of the 2006 season.

"I think a lot of people on the outside were the ones doubting my abilities, the ones saying I couldn't do it," Diehl said. "The Giants were the ones who were behind me. It was the people on the outside saying, 'Aw, what are the Giants doing? Dave Diehl can't play left tackle.'

"I'm always one to take on a challenge. Go ahead, tell me I can't do something, and I am going to do everything in my power to prove you wrong."

Diehl already considers himself a fixture at left tackle and at just 27 years old, he could be there for a long time. His approach remains the same as it was when he was a lightly regarded rookie, still eager to make gains.

"Each week I try to improve as a football player, and I try to improve on my technique," he said. "What you see on film is what you get. That's what the other teams watch, and they're trying to expose things.

"The key as a competitor is that you're never complacent with yourself, and you're always working harder to become a better player. I think that's been my strong point. I'm confident playing the position. I feel that this is my position."

And he'll be happy to prove it to anyone, starting with the Patriots.