When Bobby Duhon #28 arrived in New York in 1968, he didn’t know what to expect. The preseason All-American option-type quarterback out of Tulane University entered the New York Giants’ locker room a stranger to the Big Apple.
“You can only imagine the feeling of a kid going from a small town in Louisiana to the Big City,” says the now 68-year-old Duhon. “It was both amazing and scary all at once. But the team was made up of people from all across the U.S.—Texas, Seattle, Minnesota, Connecticut. And the fans were completely supportive of all of us.”
Initially, the Giants tried to convert their third-round pick to safety, but after acquiring a defensive back in a trade, Duhon’s coaches gave him a shot at running back. That’s when he began to forge real friendships with his teammates.
Duhon arrived two years after the inception of New York’s “Baby Bulls” backfield. Second-year running backs Steve Thurlow and Ernie Wheelwright were joined by rookies Tucker Frederickson, Chuck Mercein, and Ernie Koy in 1965. This fearsome fivesome got its nickname for their similarity in size (6-foot-1 to 6-foot-3) and weight (220 to 235 pounds). Considering the “running-back-by committee” approach, Duhon got the shot to make his own impact right away. In his rookie season, Duhon ran for 363 yards and three touchdowns, while hauling in 37 catches for another 373 yards and a touchdown through the air. But he missed the 1969 season with a knee injury, and after his third knee surgery, he hung up his cleats for good following the 1972 season.
But he didn’t leave New York. During his second year in the league, he started an offseason job on Wall Street that led to a very successful career. “Back then, a lot of us worked second jobs when the season came to a close,” says Duhon. “Nowadays, a single player makes the equivalent of what the entire payroll was for the ‘67 Giants.”
Living in New York for 30 years, he was able to stay close with several teammates, even working alongside several of them on the trading floor. In 1994, he moved to Atlanta, and opened his own financial management company, Peachtree Advisors. That’s where he connected with friends Jere and Bebe Mills, who introduced him to Reynolds, just 80 miles away.
“Moving to Reynolds was an easy transition for me,” says Duhon, a resident for more than six years. “The best part about this place is that no one cares who you are or where you are from. It’s just a place where we all relax and we enjoy ourselves.”
Two years ago, Duhon invited some of his old pals from New York down to Reynolds for a taste of Southern hospitality. Thurlow, Frederickson, Mercein, and Koy came down to suit up and play, only this time it was in collared shirts and with golf clubs.
Also joining the “Bulls” were one-time Giants including 1968 Pro Bowler Greg Larson, former linebacker Ralph Heck, offensive guard Charlie Harper, defensive end and former “Purple People Eater” Bob Lurtsema, cornerback Scott Eaton, and tight end Bob Tucker.
The reunion was a success and looks likely to become an annual event. This past April, the gridiron gang gathered again for barbeque, a few rounds of golf, and personalized golf instruction from Duhon’s neighbor Rob Bowser, lead instructor at The Reynolds Golf Academy. On the last night, dinner at the Creek Club Crow’s Nest featured a surprise visit from former teammate, Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who drove over from Atlanta for an evening of reminiscing and storytelling.
The once-scared kid from Abbeville, Louisiana, has come a long way. Nearly five decades later, Duhon values the memories made living out his dreams as a big-time pro-football player in the Big Apple. But what he values most are the lifelong friends he made along the way, and the opportunity to bring them together each year at Reynolds on Lake Oconee.
