ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Justin Tuck no longer lives and works in the New York area. But Thursday was still an emotional day for him.

It marked the 13th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Tuck, in his first season with the Oakland Raiders, was drafted by New York Giants in 2005 and played nine seasons with them.

“If you are in New York, this day really becomes personal for you,” Tuck said Thursday. “It just hits so close to home.”

Tuck tweeted about the anniversary Thursday and was not surprised to hear that his former coach, Tom Coughlin, halted practice to remember the events of 13 years ago. When Tuck joined the Giants, there were still several players on the team who were there at the time of the attacks.

Tuck was taken in by the stories and quickly embraced the kinship the team had with law enforcements and firefighters. As he became a leader on the Giants, Tuck would enter the stadium waving the American flag and wearing a Giants firefighter’s helmet.

“There are relationships that have been built over the years,” Tuck said. “We think about 9-11 all year long. It’s become such a big part of New York. This day will always mean something to me.”