As the NFL celebrates its 100th season this year, college football is also enjoying a special milestone in 2019.
Wednesday is the 150th anniversary of the first college football game ever played. The matchup took place in New Brunswick and featured the College of New Jersey (now Princeton) and Rutgers, with the latter winning by a score of 6-4.
The NFL celebrated college football and its important role in the sport's past, present and future during Monday night's game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. As part of the festivities, former Giants Shaun O'Hara (Rutgers alum) and Keith Elias (Princeton) served as the game's honorary captains for the coin toss.
The Giants' current roster is well represented in the top 10 of the Associated Press rankings. The Giants have players from LSU (Russell Shepard), Alabama (Dalvin Tomlinson), Clemson (Dexter Lawrence and Wayne Gallman), Penn State (Saquon Barkley and Grant Haley), Georgia (Alec Ogletree, Lorenzo Carter and DeAndre Baker), Oklahoma (Sterling Shepard) and Florida (Jon Halapio) currently on the team.
In honor of the February National Signing Day, Giants.com looks at current players from their college days.
In this Nov. 11, 2017, file photo, Penn State's Saquon Barkley (26) hurdles Rutgers' Kiy Hester (2) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Chris Knight, File)
Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers (5) takes a snap as quarterback in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against Wisconsin at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. Michigan won 14-7. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Rutgers defensive back Logan Ryan (11) intercepts a pass intended for Cincinnati wide receiver Chris Moore (15) in the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)
Arizona running back Nick Wilson is tackled by Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
California quarterback Jared Goff, left, is sacked by Southern California defensive end Leonard Williams during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Duke quarterback Daniel Jones (17) looks to pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia Tech in Durham, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Clemson's Dexter Lawrence (90) rushes North Carolina State quarterback Ryan Finley during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017. Clemson won 38-31. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Notre Dame cornerback Julian Love, left, runs with the ball after intercepting a pass from Wake Forest quarterback John Wolford, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Old Dominion's Oshane Ximines reacts after a first down during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Virginia Tech, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018, in Norfolk, Va. Old Dominion won 49-35. (AP Photo/Jason Hirschfeld)
Georgia linebacker Lorenzo Carter (7) greets fans as he enters Sanford Stadium for the first half of an NCAA college football game against Troy Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Stanford tight end Kaden Smith (82) catches a touchdown pass in front of Notre Dame cornerback Shaun Crawford (20) during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Colorado's Nate Solder, right, gives high-fives to fans after the Buffaloes defeated Colorado State 24-3 in a NCAA college football game at Invesco Field in Denver on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010. (AP Photo/ Matt McClain)
Auburn wide receiver Darius Slayton (81) catches a pass over Mississippi defensive back Carlos Davis (23) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016. No. 15 Auburn won 40-29. (AP Photo/Thomas Graning)
UTEP's Will Hernandez (76) blocks against Oklahoma defensive tackle Marquise Overton (97) during an NCAA college football game between UTEP and Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Syracuse's Riley Dixon punts in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game against Syracuse in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015. Syracuse won 20-17. (AP Photo/Nick Lisi)
Alabama's Dalvin Tomlinson (54) sacks Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson during the first half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Mississippi tight end Evan Engram (17) pulls in a long pass completion in front of Oklahoma State cornerback Ashton Lampkin in the first half of the Sugar Bowl college football game in New Orleans, Friday, Jan. 1, 2016. (AP Photo/Jonathan Bachman)
Idaho running back Elijhaa Penny (22) breaks away from New Mexico State defensive back Jaden Wright (21) to score a touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Las Cruces, N.M., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2015. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) is stopped short of the goal line as Miami defensive lineman RJ McIntosh (80) defends during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 15, 2016, in Miami Gardens, Fla. North Carolina defeated Miami 20-13. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Auburn's Chad Slade lifts teammate Tre Mason after Mason 's touchdown run during the first half of the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game against Florida State Monday, Jan. 6, 2014, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Vanderbilt center Spencer Pulley (77) plays against Georgia in the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Texas State linebacker David Mayo during an NCAA college football game against New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)
Wisconsin offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler (70) runs against Minnesota during an NCAA football game, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia)
Oklahoma wide receiver Sterling Shepard (3) pulls in a touchdown reception in front of Alabama defensive back Landon Collins (26) in the second half of the NCAA college football Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Notre Dame wide receiver Golden Tate, right, makes a catch for a touchdown over San Diego State safety Vonnie Holmes, in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in South Bend, Ind. Saturday, Sept. 6, 2008. Notre Dame won 21-13. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond)
Clemson's Wayne Gallman (9) pushed into the end zone for a touchdown run during the second half of the NCAA college football playoff championship game against Alabama Monday, Jan. 11, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
North Carolina State defensive tackle B.J. Hill (98) chases Boston College quarterback John Fadule (14) during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Boston, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell (52) tackles UNLV running back Tim Cornett (35) in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, in Logan, Utah. Utah State defeated UNLV 35-13. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Connecticut offensive lineman Matt Peart (65) sets up to block during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Central Florida Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Alabama defensive back Xavier McKinney (15) stands next to the MVP trophy for the defensive player of the game during the Orange Bowl NCAA college football game, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2018, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Alabama defeated Oklahoma 45-34. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Penn State linebacker Cam Brown (6) reacts after making a stop against Indiana in the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Nov.16, 2019. Penn State defeated 34-27. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger)
Georgia offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (71) plays against Missouri during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)
South Carolina linebacker T.J. Brunson (6) celebrates an interception during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Vanderbilt, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Sean Rayford)
Minnesota linebacker Carter Coughlin (45) celebrates his sack against Miami (Ohio) with Tai'yon Devers (12) and Julian Huff (20) in the first half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Minneapolis. Minnesota won 26-3. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
Oregon offensive lineman Shane Lemieux (68) blocks against Stanford during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Stanford, Calif. Oregon won 21-6. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
California's Devante Downs scores a touchdown after intercepting a pass against Grambling State during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)
Kentucky quarterback Terry Wilson (3) is pressured by Georgia linebacker Tae Crowder (30) during the second half an NCAA college football game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Bryan Woolston)
Ohio State wide receiver Austin Mack (11) makes a reception, defended by Michigan defensive backs Tyree Kinnel (23) and Brandon Watson (28), in the third quarter of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. Ohio State won 31-20. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
UCLA defensive back Darnay Holmes returns a kick while Texas A&M linebackers Braden White and Buddy Johnson tackle him during an NCAA college football game, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, in Pasadena, Calif. UCLA won 45-44. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
Stanford offensive tackle Cameron Fleming (73) in action against California defensive lineman Deandre Coleman (91) during the second half in an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Auburn running back Corey Grant (20) tries to gets around Samford defensive back James Bradberry (21) during the first half of an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Iowa's Casey Kreiter (61) reacts to a call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012. Northwestern won 28-17. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Florida State kicker and Bowl MVP Graham Gano (43) kicks an extra point from the hold of Shawn Powell (45) during the NCAA football game at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008 between the University of Wisconsin Badgers and the Florida State Seminoles. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)
Nebraska offensive lineman Nick Gates (68) participates in a drill on the first day of NCAA college football spring practice in Lincoln, Neb., Saturday, March 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Pittsburgh freshman running back Dion Lewis (28) plays against Connecticut in the NCAA college football game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy celebrates the team's 28-10 win over Oklahoma in their football game, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Earlier this season, we caught up with several members of the 2019 New York Giants to discuss some of their favorite memories from their college football days.
QB Daniel Jones, Duke
"Looking back on my college experience, being a part of the Duke-Carolina rivalry and going 3-0 in my time there, I'd say. So I think those memories, each of those games are games I'll always remember, look back fondly. But just to be a part of those rivalries in college athletics, and for Duke it was against Carolina, I think is what makes a lot of those games special and I'll definitely remember those."
RB Saquon Barkley, Penn State
"I had two that stick out to me. One is my first college touchdown, I'll never forget that against Buffalo, on a rainy day at Biers Stadium. I visualized myself in high school when I was committed to Penn State of making plays and scoring touchdowns, and for that to actually happen was amazing. But the one that sticks out to me the most when I played at Penn State is my junior year against Michigan, white out, 110,000 people, I scored on the first possession of the game. I've never heard a stadium get that loud. You really could feel the field shaking, the energy was super high and we kind of just built off of that and were able to beat a top-20 team in Michigan that year."
QB Eli Manning, Ole Miss
"I think my favorite college moment was my senior year, playing in the Cotton Bowl, a historic bowl game there in Dallas and just winning that game and getting to celebrate with my teammates. And especially, there was I think 22 of us that signed together as freshmen, a bunch of us redshirted and there was 14 left that played in that game as seniors. All of us spent five years together, just that closeness that we had, that bond, and to kind of go out our senior year and to play in a major bowl game, to win that bowl game together was special for me. It meant something. And to be on the field together and hold that trophy and get to celebrate in the locker room and afterwards just knowing that was going to be our last football game together - some of them, their last football game they ever played in - but to have that moment was really special for me."
DT Dalvin Tomlinson, Alabama
"Oh, that's a tough one. My favorite would have to be…I could say the national championships. But I would probably have to go with my freshman year when I redshirted in the national championship versus Notre Dame just because of being in a stadium that big in Miami. And the atmosphere, the energy you felt just winning, and it was crazy. Probably beating Clemson in Arizona, those two are probably tied right now because that game was super hard fought."
C Jon Halapio, Florida
"So in my senior year, 2013, we're playing Tennessee. I got my eye poked, my right eye poked in the first quarter, so my eye puffed up. I had to leave for a couple plays, get it stitched up and I came back in. We won and the rest of the game I couldn't see out of one eye. That game will forever stick out in my mind."
LT Nate Solder, Colorado
"My favorite college football moment was we beat the University of Oklahoma at Boulder and no one thought we could do it. Actually the stands emptied out and everyone was sitting at home and it's a pretty close campus, so everyone was coming and flooding in as they saw that we could possibly win the game. So, by the end of the game, the whole stadium was packed. People were going nuts and then they rushed the field. I think Oklahoma was a top five at the time, like number three or something in the nation, and we beat them unranked. That was definitely my number one college moment."
LB Oshane Ximines, Old Dominion
"My favorite experience in college, hands down, is when we upset Virginia Tech at Old Dominion last year. They were the No. 13 team in the nation, we were 0-3, mid-major school so nobody expected us to win. So, just to give that win to our fans and to my teammates and my coaches, the smile on everybody's face after that win is going to be unforgettable. I look forward to many wins in a Giants' uniform, but that's one I'm always going to keep in the back of my mind."
LG Will Hernandez, UTEP
"My most memorable, favorite moment of college football would be my junior year of college football, we played against UTSA, University of Texas-San Antonio, and we went into five overtimes. Unfortunately, that year we hadn't been doing too well up until that game and we had come from four straight losses and that was the fifth game. We went into five overtimes and all I remember was a bunch of guys that were just tired of losing and were eager to win a game — so eager that it took five overtimes. We won the game in overtime, in the fifth overtime, and I just remember after that game, after all the hooping and hollering and everybody being happy and yelling and celebrating, my body felt the most tired it had ever felt. But also at the same time, the best that it ever felt after a game, after laying everything on the line. That was definitely my favorite college football moment."
WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame
"I've had a bunch of great college moments, but I'd say my favorite is when I caught a deep ball in the corner of our end zone and got my feet in and tried to dive onto the Michigan State band. It didn't work so well, but that was pretty fun and since then, every time we play Michigan State it's replayed, so I'm kind of in the history books for that. So that's one of my favorite moments, but I've had a ton."
Giants App
Download the Giants' official app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices
