1964 Profile: Greg Larson

Center
No. 53
Minnesota
"Pass blocking and knocking down linebackers are the main weekly pursuits practiced by Greg Larson.
The coaching staff felt he was ready to replace Ray Wietecha at center and were happy to move him back to a position he'd been trained to play since high school. A No. 6 draft choice for '61, he was forced into a tackle spot on offense and then was moved over to guard for '62, proving his balanced abilities and versatility at executing the many different moves required from each position. When Wietecha left for a coaching job with the Rams, Larson merely moved back to his old station in '63."

-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1964

"A 6'3", 250-pound graduate of Minnesota, Greg became the Giants' starting offensive center last season after old-pro Ray Wietecha retired to join the Rams' coaching staff. Occasionally criticized for faulty pass protection in previous years when was when he was positioned elsewhere in the interior offensive line, Larson blossomed, as so often happens, when he was given a job he could call his own. Coach Allie Sherman says flatly that, 'Greg developed into a top pro center in one season.' "

-Bill Wise, 1964 Official Pro Football Almanac

"When Ray Wietecha retired following the 1962 season, everyone thought the Giants would have themselves a problem at center. Everyone but Allie Sherman, that is. All he did was turn the post over to Greg Larson, who's done an ace-high job ever since and figures to keep on doing so for many moons to come.
Originally picked sixth by the Giants in '61 as a center, Greg was used at tackle in his rookie campaign, winning a starting nod. He moved to guard in '62 and played the post like he was born to it, before transferring to his present spot.
Larson was the center and linebacker for Minnesota's 1961 Rose Bowl club."

-Complete Sports 1964 New York Giants