DICK LYNCH
Cornerback
No. 22
Notre Dame
"Probably at his peak as an NFL cornerback, Dick Lynch seriously jammed an ankle early last season, which hobbled him the rest of the way. Without him back there, it was as if the Giant defensive unit was playing with only ten men.
Dick led the league in interceptions in 1961 and '63, with nine each time, and he ran three of his 1963 thefts back for touchdowns, which set a league record.
Now in his eighth season, he has earned his All-NFL rating by his intensive study of opposing receivers and his rapier-like tackles."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1965
"Dick was injured in 1964. He still intercepted four passes, returning one 37 yards.
His life record is 33 interceptions for 554 yards."
-1965 Philadelphia No. 119
ERICH BARNES
Cornerback
No. 49
Purdue
"Great anticipation, trigger-quick reflexes and blinding speed are the traits that have stamped Erich Barnes as one of the league's most gifted cornerbacks. He has intercepted 18 passes in his four seasons with the Giants, and one of these was the 102-yard touchdown caper he pulled against the Dallas Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl in 1961; the run tied an NFL record.
Erich originally was a No. 4 draft choice of the Chicago Bears in 1958 and he came to the Giants in '61, as part of a three-way trade that sent Lindon Crow to Los Angeles and Billy Wade to Chicago."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1965
"Erich Barnes plays the corner for the Giants like a stalking cougar. Quick as a cougar, he likes to gamble on the big interception; he is also one of the league's most jarring tacklers."
-Pro Football Almanac 1965, edited by Al Silverman
"Erich Barnes scarcely qualifies as the pass receiver's best friend. As a corner back with the Giants, he has smothered some of the finest talent in the league. 'The trouble with him,' one aggressive opponent complained, 'is that every time a quarterback throws a ball, Barnes thinks HE'S the receiver.'
This attitude, plus certain physical attributes, have made Erich a frequent Pro Bowl performer. With the stricken Giants last year, he shouldered an awesome load. Early in the season, the New Yorkers lost their other cornerback, Dick Lynch, due to an injured ankle, and Barnes spent the rest of the season doing his own job and helping out wherever else he could hustle to.
The Giants got Barnes after the 1960 campaign in a three-way deal that typified their shrewdness. Erich, a former Purdue star, went from the Bears to Los Angeles for quarterback Billy Wade. The Rams, in turn, traded Erich to New York for Lindon Crow. The swap also cost the Giants their first draft choice for the following season, but it was well worth it. Barnes has proven to be a slashing defensive operator, who handles the best of opposing receivers with skill and assurance."
Sports All-Stars/1965 Pro Football
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