Super Giants Fan: 'License Plate Guy'

Many people know Clark Kent as an average guy who transforms into the hero Superman when needed by his community.

So what does Clark Kent and Joe Ruback, a 42-year-old athletic director in Yonkers, New York have in common? Well, not quite the ability to fly through the air or use x-ray vision – but the ability to transform into the New York Giants super fan, “License Plate Guy."

According to Ruback, “Giants fans are bred into the family. So if your dad is a fan and your grandpa is a fan then you're a fan."

Ruback, who was eagerly packing his Giants paraphernalia for Indianapolis, said his license plate trend came short after a dare from his dad.

"When I was 16 my dad dared me to take my plate off my car and wear it to a Giants game. He didn't believe me that I would do it, so I did and we won,” said Ruback. “So it was good luck. Was it really good luck? I don't know. But I was kinda' digging it."

Not long after, Ruback said he would start hearing the name "License Plate Guy" from some of the Giants players.

“Whenever I would go to the games and sit behind the Giants bench, some of the players would turn around and say "there's license plate guy." So I knew at that point I wasn't going to stop wearing my plates," said Ruback. 

Due to his large social media following, Ruback said although most of the plates are his, he’s been receiving plates from fans all over the country.

"I'm up to 18 plates.  I've got a total of seven plates sent to me from all around the country. I just received another one in the mail today from Virginia,” said Ruback. “So I'm actually getting them from all over the place which is really cool.”

 Although he is well known throughout the Giants fan base, the fact that he's never missed a game - home, away or playoffs in nine years has led him to meet many players, coaches and people in the Giants organization.

"The first person I became friends with was Joe Morris, former running back for the Giants. He was my original friend and we are still good friends until this day. I was 16 and I literally knocked on his door,” said Ruback. “He was really nice. Back then you really didn't have to be worried about crazy people. So I just told him I was a crazy fan and I think I ended up going there around two times a week. We became really good friends."

Although he has countless memories when it comes to the Giants, Ruback said his favorite would have to be building friendships with the players.

"Over the course of my run I have met a lot of great people. That would have to be my favorite memory along with little things like spending weekends at Chase Blackburn's house and going golfing, or going to a Yankee game with Brandon Jacobs,” said Ruback.

When asked for his Super Bowl prediction for Sunday, Ruback responded by saying, “I haven’t picked against the Giants in about 40 years.”

(Editor's note: Danielle Vollono is an East Haven resident and a Class of 2007 graduate of East Haven High School. She is a journalism major at Southern Connecticut State University, as well as a a self-proclaimed "die-hard New York Giants fan.')