Over on the Other Side Is a Giant Linebacker of Note: Carl Banks

Fans around the NFL discovered Carl Banks last weekend.

Banks, the New York Giants’ other outside linebacker, made seven tackles and single-handedly stopped a few sweeps in the Giants’ 49-3 playoff rout of the San Francisco 49ers. Banks’ domination of tight end Russ Francis early in the game helped give the Giants momentum that built throughout the day.

One reason Banks was so visible last week is that the 49ers were trying to run away from Lawrence Taylor.

That is the problem opposing coaches have playing against Giants linebackers. There are too many of them.

“We feel Carl is an All-Pro, or should be,” Taylor said of Banks. “Some of the other guys get the recognition, but nobody plays the run better than Banks.”

Banks insists his game against the 49ers was no big deal, and he doesn’t mind not making the Pro Bowl. His team is one game away from Super Bowl XXI and that makes Banks happy for now.

“I’ve had more tackles in a game (than last week),” he said. “I guess I made a few big plays, that made me stand out. I led a pretty good defense in tackles. Not making the Pro Bowl doesn’t take away from anything I’ve accomplished.”

Giants linebackers are probably the NFL’s best: Banks; Taylor, a Pro Bowl pick each of his six NFL seasons and the league’s best defensive player this season; eight-time Pro Bowl pick Harry Carson, and solid inside linebacker Gary Reasons.

And that is just for starters.

Off the bench the Giants have veterans Andy Headen, who played on passing downs until suffering a shoulder inury, and Byron Hunt, who has started 27 games the past six years. The newest addition is rookie Thomas “Pepper” Johnson, a second-round draft pick out of Ohio State.

The four starters were the Giants’ top tacklers. Banks led the way with 120, Carson had 118, Taylor 105 and Reasons 96. Taylor led the league with 20 1/2 sacks and forced three fumbles.

After lifting the Giants to a 14-2 record and NFC East title, the linebacking crew dismantled the 49ers’ celebrated offense in the playoffs.

Along with his tackles, Banks forced Joe Montana into an interception by safety Herb Welch. The turnover led to a Joe Morris’ TD run for a 14-3 second-quarter lead.

With 28 seconds left in the half, Taylor scored on a 34-yard interception return to make it 28-3. Taylor had no solo tackles and two assists in the game, yet scored his second career TD.

Johnson, who has played mainly as a blitzer this season, added a third-quarter interception. Carson led the club with nine tackles.

“We take a lot of pride in our unit,” Banks said of the Giants linebackers. “We play well as a unit. Certain players stick out more so but we’re all happy.”

“There’s a closeness of the linebackers here,” said Johnson, who began playing a key role on defense in the 12th game of the season against Washington and finished with 37 tackles and two sacks. “We just keep offenses off guard with all our talent. I took it as a compliment when the Giants drafted me. Coach (Bill) Parcells said maybe I could fit into the same mold as those guys.”

Johnson began playing after Headen was slowed by a shoulder injury. Headen will have to fight to get his position back, just as Banks did last season when he was injured and replaced by Hunt. Hunt started 11 games in 1985 but has played sparingly this season.

Carson, a 33-year-old, 11-year veteran, is the leader of the linebacking unit and the defense. He is the senior member of the unit first considered the NFL’s best when Taylor joined the team in 1981. At that time, Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelley were the other members of the unit.

Carson, who played on losing teams seven of his seasons with the Giants, is having one of his best seasons to help New York within one game of the Super Bowl.

“He’s tackling better this year,” Parcells said. “He’s been fortunate to stay healthy and he’s done a good job leadership-wise. I blame him for eveyrthing. When something’s wrong with the defense I tell him ‘Go fix it.”’

This year Carson has been a handy repair man as well as inside linebacker.