1959 Profile: Kyle Rote

End
No. 44
SMU

"Kyle was the bonus selection of the New York Giants for 1951. One of his most spectacular feats in college was in the final game of 1949 when he scored three touchdowns for Southern Methodist against Notre Dame. Kyle was everyone's All-American in '49."

-1952 Bowman No. 28

"Kyle ranked seventh in total yards gained rushing in 1952. He was the bonus selection of the New York Giants for 1951.

One of his most spectacular feats in college was in the final game of 1949 when he scored three touchdowns for Southern Methodist against Notre Dame. Kyle was everyone's All-American in '49."

-1953 Bowman No. 25

"Kyle ranked number one with the Giants last year in the pass receiving department. He was the bonus selection of the New York Giants for 1951.

Despite the fact that he has been hampered during his three-year professional career by injury, he ranks as one of the great halfbacks of the League. He was selected to the Pro Bowl last season and was a unanimous All-American in 1949."

-1954 Bowman No. 7

"Now in his fifth season with the Giants, Rote is one of the most famous and most publicized football players of all time. Last year was his first year with the Giants that he did not receive any injury.

His specialty is pass receiving. Kyle is at his best when the team needs the big play. He's an all-around athlete who hit better than .300 in one season in the minors and shoots in the low seventies in golf.

Kyle is married, with three children."

-1955 Bowman No. 137

"Rote, Giants offensive captain, was the bonus choice of the 1951 draft and has been a star ever since. He's the all-time leading pass catcher of the Giants with 115 receptions for 1,879 yards.

He played at end as well as halfback in '55 when an emergency developed due to injuries. He caught 31 passes for 576 yards and eight touchdowns and scored twice on 71-yard aerials. As a halfback, Rote gained 46 yards on 10 carries.

A unanimous All-American at S.M.U. in 1950, Rote has an interest in several off-season businesses in Texas. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and three sons."

-1956 Jay Publishing

"Few college players have earned as much recognition for all-around athletic greatness as Kyle Rote. Now a pro, the 'Mighty Mustang' is repeating his great performances. Picked on All-Pro teams year after year, Kyle also played minor league baseball, hitting over .300, and is a top golfer."

-1956 Topps No. 29

"Offensive captain Rote, from San Antonio, Texas, will be starting his seventh season as a Giant. He was the bonus choice in the '51 draft and, as an end and halfback, is the club's all-time pass catching champion. He has caught 144 for 2,295 yards and 22 touchdowns. Rote has been an All-League selection four times. Last year, his first exclusively at end, he snagged 28 for 407 yards and four touchdowns.

A gifted athlete who excels at everything he tries, he is the team champion at golf, billiards and ping pong and is also a fine bridge player and after-dinner speaker. He was a unanimous All-American at S.M.U. in 1950 and has an interest in several off-season businesses in Texas. Rote is also the player representative of the Giants and the League's Eastern Division.

He's married, with three sons."

-1957 Jay Publishing

"Although he was one of the nation's greatest running backs in college, Kyle is now a pass catching specialist with New York. His tremendous speed makes him almost impossible to cover. A former All-American back, he became an end.

Kyle pounced on a fumble for the only East score in the 1957 Pro Bowl."

-1957 Topps No. 59

"Kyle Rote (44) is the offensive captain of the Giants and a gallant leader is he. An All-American halfback at S.M.U., the Mighty Mustang was signed as a 'bonus choice' in the 1951 college draft. Now used mainly as an end, he enters his seventh Giant season as the club's all-time pass-catching champion. He has snagged 144 for 2,295 yards and 22 touchdowns."

-1957 New York Giants Official Program (Yankee Stadium)

"The Cotton Bowl is a second home to Kyle Rote, Giant end, who has played to more than 1,300,000 fans in this Bowl. He is a great pass receiver. He was an All-American at SMU in 1950."

-1957 Chicago Bears Official Program

"This handsome crew-cut is a busy man on the field and off. A superb pass receiver with an excellent change of pace, a knee injury as a rookie limited Kyle's offensive assignments and he is no longer used as a heavy-duty ball carrier.

Kyle makes TV commercials, has several business interests in his native Texas and plays golf like a pro. He lives in San Antonio."

-Pro Football Handbook 1959

"A bonus draft choice of the Giants in 1951, Rote was a unanimous choice for All-America in 1950 as a halfback at Southern Methodist University. He won the Sportsmanship Trophy of the Southwest Conference.

Kyle injured his knee in his rookie season with New York, requiring a cartilage operation. In his ninth season in the NFL and with the Giants, he was switched to offensive end and is second only to Frank Gifford as the Giants' all-time pass receiver.

A cousin to Detroit's Tobin Rote, Kyle played minor league baseball and is an outstanding golfer. He's married and has three sons and has several business interests in Texas."

-1959 N.F.L. Pro-Football Yearbook (Jay Publishing)

"Kyle Rote (44), the bonus choice of the Giants in the 1951 draft, is another offensive key in the Giants' recent success. A triple-threat tailback at Southern Methodist, he switched from the backfield to end in 1955 and has become one of the league's top wingmen. He's become a solid blocker, a masterful faker and specializes in making impossible catches."

-1959 New York Giants Official Program (Yankee Stadium, November 1)