There are two reasons for this. The first is that the Giants went to camp with a more realistic assessment of themselves than they did at the same time a year ago. Then, they were slightly tipsy from their second-place (tie) .500 finish of 1965. The second reason - and perhaps more far-reaching - is that they once again seem to have bailed themselves out by engineering a trade for a star.
This time, the rescuer's name is Francis Tarkenton, and while he may not make the Giant restoration complete all by himself, he will keep the customers distracted from the team's many shortcomings. And he's the kind of young and experienced quarterback with whom they can plan a happier future. Earl Morrall, who provided the Giants with efficient temporary relief in 1965, will be in the bullpen if his injured wrist is completely healed. The third quarterback is Tom Kennedy, who performed well at times last year after being recruited from the Continental League. He completed 55 passes out of 100 attempts for 748 yards and seven touchdowns.
The first time Tucker Frederickson carries the ball in earnest you can bet coach Allie Sherman will be holding his breath. The fullback, who enjoyed a brilliant rookie campaign in '65, was out all of last season with a wrecked knee; it means everything to him - physically and psychologically - to survive the first mean bump he takes. If Frederickson makes it, the backfield will have some of its old Baby Bull wallop. Chuck Mercein, a merciless but inartistic runner, is back and so is ex-Packer Allen Jacobs and third-year man Ernie Koy. The Giants also acquired halfback Bill Triplett from the St. Louis Cardinals during the off-season, and he could add outside running speed to the attack.
The Giants appear to be well-manned at the ends. The exciting Homer Jones is still gaining velocity at split end, all-purpose Joe Morrison is resourceful at flanker, and Aaron Thomas is a top clutch receiver at tight end. Freeman White, a high draft choice in 1965 who got to play linebacker last season, probably will be returned to end.
But the most critical area for the Giants is in the line, where Sherman would like to establish some consistency. The pass blocking broke down alarmingly in 1966, but Sherman believes this was due more to a loss in technique than to inadequate personnel. We'll see. It's bound to be somewhat improved with the return of Francis Peay to one of the tackle positions; he was knocked out of action midway through a promising rookie year. Soph Willie Young, who was coming along toward the end of the season, plays the other tackle. Bookie Bolin, Pete Case and Darrell Dess all played well below their abilities in '66, but they are old-pro guards who should rebound. At center, Greg Larson made a remarkable recovery from a severely damaged knee and appears to be playing at full speed again. The reserves are second-year man Charlie Harper, taxi-squader Owen Thomas and rookie Randy Staten (Minnesota) at guard, veteran Roger Davis at tackle and Joe Wellborn at center.
Paralleling the breakdown in the Giant offensive line last year was the dismemberment of their defensive line - partly through injury, partly through bad play. Jim Katcavage returns to one end; he's still plenty tough, but he may be slowing down at this stage of his career. Roosevelt Davis, who figures to start at the other end, was just reaching pro-level efficiency last season when he was kayoed by a knee injury. The tackle jobs are up for grabs among Glen Condren, Jim Moran, Don Davis and Roger Anderson, none of whom has played with much distinction in the past. Sherman is sure to test Lou Thompson, his top draft choice, at one of the tackles. Thompson is a 6-2, 240-pounder from Alabama who was rated as one of the fastest linemen in his conference last season. Bill Matan is a spare end.
Confusion and injuries decimated the linebacking corps last year. Bill Swain and Larry Vargo, the most experienced operatives, were lost for most of the season, and promising rookie Jeff Smith was hurt at the very end - all were knee cases. They're back this year, along with Mike Ciccolella, who did some good work in the middle as a rookie in '66, Stan Sczurek and newcomer Ken Avery, who was drafted as a future out of Southern Mississippi. Sherman is depending on his new defensive coach, Harland Svare, to bring some order to the chaotic linebacking situation.
As the Giants learned so painfully in 1966, a good defense is predicated on a tough pass rush and a resourceful crew of linebackers. If there's any improvement up front, it will make the quartet in the secondary more effective than it has been. Spider Lockhart and Clarence Childs are a pair of speedy, gambling cornerbacks, and Henry Carr and Wendell Harris are alert at the safeties. Carr is expected to change places with Lockhart this season, and Harris, the greybeard of the group, is a steadying influence. He could be pushed by second-year man Phil Harris (no relation). The rookies are Peterson Matthews (Grambling), Scott Eaton (Oregon State) and Ted Holman (Syracuse).
But don't expect too much from Giant rookies as a whole. The Giants traded away their first three draft choices, and didn't get to pick until the fourth round."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1967
IN BRIEF
Probable 1967 Finish: 3rd
Strengths: good pass receiving, paced by Homer Jones, and a springy set of defensive backs.
Biggest Needs: help on both interior lines and a workable team of linebackers.
1966 finish: 8th
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1967
WHILE ALLIE SHERMAN DOESN'T MIND THE SINGING OF THE LOYAL FANS, HE DOES HOPE TO CHANGE THEIR TUNE IN '67.
"New York, New York is a wonderful town. Where else do the football fans, unhappy with the performance of their heroes, sing to their coach? They sound nothing at all like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, or even The Grateful Dead, but warmed by alcohol and absolute certainty that they know considerably more about football than Allie Sherman, they sing with feeling: 'Goodbye, Allie ...' After years of watching their heroes dominate the Eastern Conference, the loyal fans have not taken kindly to hard times. Last season the Giants, while giving up more than 500 points (an average of some 35 per game), won only one ballgame. They did tie one, but that didn't exactly save the season for the loyal fans. It didn't exactly save the jobs of four Giant assistant coaches, either. Pop Ivy, Ed Kolman, Tom Scott and Harry Wright have been replaced by Harland Svare, Jim Trimble, Jack Patera and Alex Webster. Sherman returns for another series of concerts, but they should not be as persistent this season.
The Giants will be a much better ballclub in '67. Francis Tarkenton at quarterback improves the team a great deal by himself. Only 27 years old and with six pro seasons behind him, Tarkenton is the ideal man for the Giants. He has proven that he can complete passes even when his blocking breaks down. He will give the singers something else to sing about. He completed 54 percent of 1,899 passes for 14,579 yards and 113 touchdowns with the Vikings. And it is doubtful that he ever had a set of receivers in Minnesota to match the current set he will be working with in New York.
Split end Homer Jones occasionally forgets what he's about, but he has tremendous speed and hands. Last season he caught 44 passes for 1,044 yards (a league-leading average 21.9 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns. Although he had to fill in at running back for several games, flanker Joe Morrison caught 46 passes for 724 yards and six touchdowns. Tight end Aaron Thomas caught 43 passes for 683 yards and four touchdowns.
At running back the Giants should be stronger with Bill Triplett at halfback (acquired from St. Louis) and Tucker Frederickson at fullback (reclaimed from the hospital). Chuck Mercein (327 yards), Allen Jacobs (273 yards) and Ernie Koy are capable reserves. There is also depth at quarterback, assuming Earl Morrall's wrist operation was successful.
However, there is little depth in the offensive line, a most troublesome area for the Giants all last season. Greg Larson is a quality center, and Bookie Bolin, Pete Case and Darrell Dess are competent guards. At the tackles, though, two players who took a terrible pounding as rookies in '66, Francis Peay and Willie Young, appear to be the regulars. Sherman says hopefully, 'We expect Peay and Young to display more consistency as second-year players. Both have the potential to be fine pro tackles.' Roger Davis, who has been primarily a reserve in six NFL seasons, is the backup man on paper.
If the quality of the offensive line is questionable, the quality of the defensive line rests on the rather broad but aging shoulder-guards of one man- defensive end Jim Katcavage. The last of the fine Giant rush linemen, Katcavage will again find himself consistently double-teamed unless tackles Glen Condren, Jim Moran and Don Davis or ends Rosey Davis or Bill Matan come on. Roger Anderson, a former Giant who expanded to Atlanta in '66 and was cut and emigrated to Canada, returns for another trial at tackle.
The linebacking was almost as bad as the rush-line play a year ago, though a large contributing factor was the surgery that had to be performed on Larry Vargo, Jeff Smith and Bill Swain. Two youngsters who suffered the rough indoctrinations accorded rookie linebackers, Mike Ciccolella and Freeman White, will be back for the second semester.
The brightest unit on defense is the secondary. Cornerback Spider Lockhart is one of the coming stars of the league, and Henry Carr is a young weak-side safety with limitless potential. Clarence Childs, an outstanding kick returner, is the right cornerback, with veteran Wendell Harris and second-year man Phil Harris contending at the strong safety position.
Overall on his defense, Sherman says, 'We will try to develop what we have. There was more talent on defense last season than our record indicates. Our job is to mold this potential and improve with time.' Perhaps this molding job is one reason why so many coaching changes were made. Certainly, the Giants did not have a good draft, at least as far as selecting name players goes, and therefore they will have to go with what they have.
With Pete Gogolak in the Army for two years, the Giants placekicking department reverts to its haphazard status of '65. Koy and Lockhart are the Nos. 1 and 2 punters.
A final reason why the Giants will improve this year is that there seems to be no way they can suffer 29 major injuries during a second successive season. And if they stay healthy and if Frederickson plays up to his press notices and if the young linemen suddenly put it all together and if Tarkenton is consistently sensational as he has been at times and if the Giants actually win a cluster of ballgames, it will bring us to the ultimate question: Will the loyal fans sing, 'Hello, Allie ...?' "
-Berry Stainback, Pro Football Almanac 1967
"Would believe that the New York Giants were bought for $500? Well, they were. The year was 1925. The name was chosen because the new team would be co-tenants with the famous New York Giants baseball team. They both would play in the old Polo Grounds.
Now, the Baseball Giants have long gone from the baseball scene. The Polo Grounds is gone, too. And the New York Football Giants, the team bought for $500 and now worth many, many millions, has written a football saga. New York's Yankee Stadium, the home of today's Giants, is the scene of mixed emotions on Giant Days. Mostly, the fans sing 'goodbye' songs to Coach Sherman. There isn't too much cheering or encouragement for the coach or his team. The players try hard. The coach tries hard. Perhaps the fans should try harder. Maybe next year will be different."
-1967 Philadelphia Cards, No. 120
1967 NEW YORK GIANTS PRESEASON ROSTER
Roger Anderson (DT) Virginia Union
* Ken Avery (LB) Southern Mississippi
63 Bookie Bolin (G) Mississippi
27 Steve Bowman (HB) Alabama
28 Henry Carr (DB) Arizona State
65 Pete Case (G) Georgia
48 Clarence Childs (DB) Florida A&M
58 Mike Cicolella (LB) Dayton
83 Glen Condren (DE) Oklahoma
89 Bob Crespino (E) Mississippi
76 Don Davis (DT) Los Angeles State
66 Roger Davis (G) Syracuse
77 Roosevelt Davis (DE) Tennessee A & I
* Clarence Dearing (G) Rice
62 Darrell Dess (G) North Carolina State
* Scott Eaton (E-DB) Oregon State
24 Tucker Frederickson (FB) Auburn
Fred Freeman (DT) Mississippi Valley
* Tom Fugette (HB) Carthage
* Jim Fulgham (DT) Mississippi
61 Charlie Harper (DT) Oklahoma State
46 Phil Harris (DB) Texas
26 Wendell Harris (DB) LSU
* Chuck Hinton (C) Mississippi
* Ted Holman (DB) Syracuse
* Lynn Hughes (DB) Georgia
Allen Jacobs (FB) Utah
45 Homer Jones (E) Texas Southern
75 Jim Katcavage (DE) Dayton
18 Tom Kennedy (QB) Los Angeles State
23 Ernie Koy (HB) Texas
53 Greg Larson (C) Minnesota
43 Carl Lockhart (DB) North Texas State
84 Bill Matan (DE) Kansas State
* Peterson Matthews (DB) Grambling
33 Hartwell Menefee New Mexico State
29 Chuck Mercein (FB) Yale
* Randy Minniear (HB) Purdue
74 Jim Moran (T) Idaho
11 Earl Morrall (QB) Michigan State
40 Joe Morrison (E) Cincinnati
* Ken Motes (T) Southern
78 Francis Peay (T) Missouri
* Pete Pifer (FB) Oregon State
* Bob Post (QB) Kings Point
* Tom Reale (T) Southern Connecticut
* Gary Rowe (HB) North Carolina State
38 Stan Sczurek (LB) Purdue
* Bill Seman (G) Missouri State
85 Del Shofner (E) Baylor
* Bob Shortal (LB) Dayton
* Joe Siesel (C-LB) Bowling Green
57 Jeff Smith (LB) USC
* Randy Staten (G) Minnesota
* Dick Stebbins (E) Grambling
* Gerry Stevenson (HB) Missouri
52 Bill Swain (LB) Oregon
10 Fran Tarkenton (QB) Georgia
88 Aaron Thomas (E) Oregon State
* Owen Thomas (G) New Mexico State
Lou Thompson (DT) Alabama
Bill Triplett (HB) Miami-Ohio
25 Larry Vargo (DB) Detroit
* Hank Washington (QB) West Texas State
55 Joe Wellborn (C) Texas A & M
81 Freeman White (E-LB) Nebraska
69 Willie Young (G) Grambling
* rookie
-Pro Football 1967
1967 NEW YORK GIANTS PRESEASON DEPTH CHARTS
Offense
QB - Fran Tarkenton (Georgia) 10, Earl Morrall (Michigan State) 11, Tom Kennedy (Los Angeles State) 18
HB - Bill Triplett (Miami-Ohio), Tucker Frederickson (Auburn) 24, Ernie Koy (Texas) 23
FB - Chuck Mercein (Yale) 29, Allen Jacobs (Utah), Pete Pifer (Oregon State)*
SE - Homer Jones (Texas Southern) 45, Freeman White (Nebraska) 81
T - Willie Young (Grambling) 69, Roger Davis (Syracuse) 66
G - Bookie Bolin (Mississippi) 63, Charlie Harper (Oklahoma State) 61
C - Greg Larson (Minnesota) 53, Joe Wellborn (Texas A & M) 55, Chuck Hinton (Mississippi)*
G - Pete Case (Georgia) 65, Darrell Dess (North Carolina State) 62, Owen Thomas (New Mexico State)*
T - Francis Peay (Missouri) 78, Ken Motes (Southern)*
TE - Aaron Thomas (Oregon State) 88, Bob Crespino (Mississippi) 89
FL - Joe Morrison (Cinncinati) 40, Hartwell Menefee (New Mexico State) 33, Dick Stebbins (Grambling)*
Defense
DE - Jim Katcavage (Dayton) 75
DT - Glen Condren (Oklahoma) 83, Lou Thompson (Alabama)*
DT - Jim Moran (Idaho) 74, Don Davis (Los Angeles State) 76, Fred Freeman (Mississippi Valley State)*
DE - Roosevelt Davis (Tennessee A & I) 77, Bill Matan (Kansas State) 84
LB - Bill Swain (Oregon) 52, Jeff Smith (USC) 57
MLB - Mike Ciccolella (Dayton) 58, Ken Avery (Southern Mississippi)*
LB - Larry Vargo (Detroit) 25, Stan Sczurek (Purdue) 38
CB - Henry Carr (Arizona State) 28, Peterson Matthews (Grambling) *
S - Wendell Harris (LSU) 26, Phil Harris (Texas) 46
S - Spider Lockhart (North Texas) 43, Scott Eaton (Oregon State)*
CB - Clarence Childs (Florida A & M) 48, Ted Holman (Syracuse)*
*rookie
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1967
Offense
QB - Fran Tarkenton (Georgia) 10, Earl Morrall (Michigan State) 11, Tom Kennedy (Los Angeles State) 18
HB - Bill Triplett (Miami-Ohio) 38, Ernie Koy (Texas) 23
FB - Tucker Frederickson (Auburn) 24, Chuck Mercein (Yale) 29, Allen Jacobs (Utah) 30
SE - Homer Jones (Texas Southern) 45, Freeman White (Nebraska) 81
T - Willie Young (Grambling) 69, Roger Davis (Syracuse) 66
G - Pete Case (Georgia) 65, Bookie Bolin (Mississippi) 63
C - Greg Larson (Minnesota) 53, Joe Wellborn (Texas A & M) 55
G - Darrell Dess (North Carolina State) 62
T - Francis Peay (Missouri) 78, Charlie Harper (Oklahoma State) 61
TE - Aaron Thomas (Oregon State) 88, Bob Crespino (Mississippi) 89
FL - Joe Morrison (Cincinnati) 40, Hartwell Menefee (New Mexico State) 33
Defense
DE - Jim Katcavage (Dayton) 75, Bruce Anderson (Willamette) 79
DT - Glen Condren (Oklahoma) 83, Bob Lurtsema (Western Michigan)*
DT - Don Davis (Los Angeles State) 76, Jim Moran (Idaho) 74, Lou Thompson (Alabama)*
DE - Roosevelt Davis (Tennessee A & I) 77, Bill Matan (Kansas State) 84
LB - Bill Swain (Oregon) 52, Jeff Smith (USC) 57
MLB - Vince Costello (Ohio) 56, Mike Ciccolella (Dayton) 58
LB - Larry Vargo (Detroit) 25, Ken Avery (Southern Mississippi)*, Ed Weisacosky (Miami)*
CB - Henry Carr (Arizona State) 28, Scott Eaton (Oregon State)*
S - Wendell Harris (LSU) 26
S - Spider Lockhart (North Texas) 43, Phil Harris (Texas) 46
CB - Clarence Childs (Florida A & M) 48
K - Pete Gogolak (Cornell) 3
P - Ernie Koy (Texas) 23
KR - Clarence Childs (Florida A & M) 48
PR - Spider Lockhart (North Texas) 43
*rookie
1967 New York Giants Profile Summary
Head Coach - Allie Sherman
QB - Fran Tarkenton (Georgia) 10
QB - Tom Kennedy (Los Angeles State) 18
HB - Bill Triplett (Miami-Ohio) 38
HB - Ernie Koy (Texas) 23
FB - Tucker Frederickson (Auburn) 24
FB - Allen Jacobs (Utah) 30
FL - Joe Morrison (Cincinnati) 40
SE - Homer Jones (Texas Southern) 45
TE - Aaron Thomas (Oregon State) 88
C - Greg Larson (Minnesota) 53
G - Darrell Dess (North Carolina State) 62
G - Pete Case (Georgia) 65
T - Francis Peay (Missouri) 78
T - Willie Young (Grambling) 69
DT - Don Davis (Los Angeles State) 76
DT - Bob Lurtsema (Western Michigan) 71
DE - Jim Katcavage (Dayton) 75
DE - Glen Condren (Oklahoma) 70
MLB - Vince Costello (Ohio) 57
LB - Bill Swain (Oregon) 52
LB - Jeff Smith (USC) 57
CB - Henry Carr (Arizona State) 28
CB - Clarence Childs (Florida A & M) 48
S - Spider Lockhart (North Texas) 43
S - Wendell Harris (LSU) 26
K - Pete Gogolak (Cornell) 3
P - Ernie Koy (Texas) 23
KR - Clarence Childs (Florida A & M) 48
PR - Spider Lockhart (North Texas) 43
I'm looking for the OFFICIAL GAMEBOOK FOR AN October 22, 1967 Green Bay Packers 48-21 New York Giants game. its about 8-11 pages. its the game and individual players stats kept by teams straight from the field.
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