DRAFT REVIEW
"They gambled and gambled. Brad Van Pelt is a first-round athlete, potential linebacker standout, but he was being courted by big baseball money. Most clubs felt all-everything middle guard Rich Glover couldn't do the job as linebacker. The Giants play man over center a lot, but Glover's kind of small for that in the pros.
A Leon McQuay-Ron Johnson backfield may be an expolsive sight- in 1975. McQuay has two years to go on his Canadian League pact. Another gamble was basketballer Rod Freeman- who will be tried at tight end. Defensive tackle George Hasenohrl could surprise. The best thing about the Giants' was the 1972 trade of their No. 1 pick for Jack Gregory, who had a big year. Rating: 3 1/2 (Under 4 is poor, 4-5 fair, 6-7 good, over 7 excellent)"
-Ed Stone, Football Digest, June 1973
TEAM DIRECTORY
President: Wellington T. Mara
General Manager: Raymond J. Walsh
Head Coach: Alex Webster
Assistant Coaches: Jim Garrett, Ray Wietecha, Joe Walton, Emlen Tunnell, Jim Katcavage, Matt Hazeltine
Trainers: John Johnson and John Dziegiel
Office: 10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
Colors: Red, White, Blue
Training Camp: Monmouth College, Long Branch, New Jersey
-The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1973) Edition
Satisfied as near any coach can be with his offense, Alex Webster sought to stiffen his defense when he went to the draft. He used nine of his 15 selections to pick defensive players: five defensive linemen, two defensive backs and two linebackers.
Just as rookie defensive tackles John Mendenhall and Larry Jacobson became starters by mid-season last year, Webster hopes to see his No. 1 and No. 2 picks become starters by at least mid-season of 1973. The first choice was Brad Van Pelt from Michigan State, a unanimous All-American defensive back. At 6-5 and 235, Van Pelt will be used at outside linebacker.
'He could play 22 positions in football, plus he could kick off or kick field goals,' says his ex-coach Duffy Daugherty. 'He's the best all-around football player I've ever coached.' Van Pelt was the winner of the Maxwell Trophy and the Giants had to outbid the baseball Cardinals to get him. The No. 2 choice was the winner of the Outland Trophy as the nation's outstanding lineman: Rich Glover of Nebraska, called by his coach Bob Devaney 'the greatest defensive lineman I've ever seen.' That says a lot since Devaney also coached Jacobson, the previous winner of the Outland Trophy. Glover is 6-1 and 240. Most scouts thought he would fit best at linebacker but the Giants would like to use his quickness on the pass rush, as they did with Mendenhall, who is Glover's size."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
OFFENSIVE BACKFIELD
"Norm Snead led NFL quarterbacks in passing, completing 60.3% and having only 12 of his 235 passes intercepted. Snead is now 34 but he is hardy and may be coming into his great years, as did Y.A. Tittle with the Giants in the early 1960s. Ron Johnson is another who made the Giant traders look smart. Obtained from Cleveland several years ago for Homer Jones, Johnson had mushy knees in 1971 but came back last season to finish second in NFC rushing behind Larry Brown, averaging four yards a try. Charlie Evans was the other running back until he was injured and replaced by Joe Orduna and, later, rookie Vin Clements. With the veteran Joe Morrison retired, Evans, Orduna, Clements or Rocky Thompson figure to line up with Johnson.
Snead threw mostly to tight end Bob Tucker, second in the NFC in receptions with 55. Ron Johnson caught 45 and wide receiver Don Herrmann 20. Rich Houston is the other wide receiver. Bob Grim, unhappy during his first year in New York, is a very capable receiver, as he proved for years with the Vikings."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
OFFENSIVE LINE
"The Giant quarterback was dumped only 10 times, the third lowest total in NFL history. Add to that the fact that the Giants were the seventh-best rushing team in the conference and you know the Giants have a strong forward wall. The tackles are Joe Tafoni and Willie Young, the guards Dick Enderele and Doug Van Horn, and the center Greg Larson. Guard Mark Ellison and tackle John Hill, two rookies last season, are in reserve."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
DEFENSIVE LINE
"The Giants ranked only ninth in total defense- seventh against the rush and tenth against the pass- so there figure to be changes throughout the entire unit. Last year the ends were Henry Reed and Jack Gregory (a Pro Bowler), the tackles Larry Jacobson and John Mendenhall. Returning after being out all season with injuries is tackle Jim Kanicki. Also returning are tackle Dan Goich and end Dave Tipton. With Rich Glover on hand, look for a fierce struggle, especially for Reed's left end spot."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD
"Linebacker Jim Files was on the left, Ron Hornsby in the middle and Pat Hughes on the right side. Carter Campbell and John Douglas were the backups. The Giants seem a little shorthanded here. Rookies Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelly, a Little All-America (California Lutheran) will get good chances.
Safety Scott Eaton missed all of 1972 with injuries but figures to return to contest Richmond Flowers for his job. Getting a job here won't be easy- Flowers, Spider Lockhart and the two corners, Pete Athas and Willie Williams, were tied for fifth in NFC interceptions with four each. Two of last year's rookies, Eldridge Small and Chuck Crist, will be back with added experience. The Giants gave up a high of 19 touchdowns by passing (compared with a league average of 15) and Webster will look to his deep backs to reduce that toll."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
SPECIALISTS
"After an off year in 1971 (6-for-17), Pete Gogolak came back to rank third in NFC field goal kicking with 21-of-31, including 5-of-8 from the 40 to the 49. Tom Blanchard is an excellent punter, and kick returner Rocky Thompson is among the best."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
OUTLOOK
"If the defense continues to improve, look for the Giants to battle for first in the NFC East."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
New York Giants' Big Play
"The Giants call this the split end under. While the running back and the tight end draw people out of the area, the split end cuts under the safeties for a short pass."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition
"OFFENSE: The Giants, a promising young team, appear to be snakebit. Not only do they lack a suitable place to play but they also are locked in the same division as two powerhouses, Washington and Dallas. Still, they have an offense that could roll them into the playoffs. After being cast off by Washington, Philadelphia and Minnesota, quarterback Norm Snead found himself last season with the Giants, winning the NFL passing title with a completion percentage of 60.3. Ron Johnson continues as one of the NFL's most productive running backs. In 1972, he rushed for 1,182 yards, second only to Washington's Larry Brown in the NFC, led the conference in touchdowns with 14 and ranked eighth in the NFC in receiving with 45 catches.
'I've played with a lot of good backs in my times,' says Snead, 'but for blocking, running, catching the ball and being a complete back, I'd have to call Ron Johnson easily the best.' Vin Clements, a 6-3 running back acquired in the Tarkenton trade, will provide stiff competition for Charlie Evans, out with a broken leg in mid-year. The Giants enjoyed their best rookie crop in years in 1972, and it helped them to an 8-6 record, their second plus-.500 mark since 1963.
Bob Tucker, who placed second in the NFC last season with 55 receptions after leading the conference in 1971 with 59, is a lesson in perseverance. Nobody ever took him seriously. He played for obscure Bloomsburg (PA) Teachers College, was cut later by New England, and taxied by Philadelphia. He then joined the Pottstown Firebirds of the Atlantic Coast League, which he led in receiving in 1968 and 1969. Rated a free agent by the NFL, he bounced around several camps before turning up with the Giants. There someone finally noticed his pass catching talent. He became Fran Tarkenton's roommate and picked his brain for all possible information that would make him a better receiver. On accepting a pass, Tucker carries the ball with one hand, using the other to stiff-arm defenders. Joe Morrison, the last of the old Giants, has retired. So have Scott Eaton, Bobby Duhon and Dick Kotite.
DEFENSE: Jack Gregory, who played out his option at Cleveland in 1971, almost went to St. Louis but finally signed with New York, is the key. Gregory, a 6-5, 210-pound end, merely led the NFL in sacks with 21, three more than the entire Giant team achieved in 1971. John Mendenhall, 6-1 and 255, and Larry Jacobson, 6-6 and 260, both rookies in '72, lent quickness and power to the defensive line last year.
Two 1973 rookies should shore up the defense, Rich Glover, 6-1, 234-pound lineman from Nebraska, and Brad Van Pelt, 6-5, 223 from Michigan State, at linebacker.
SPECIAL TEAMS: It was the Giants' signing in 1966 of Pete Gogolak, the Buffalo toe, that led to the AFL-NFL merger. Pete assured his job for another season by kicking 21 of 33 field goal attempts in 1972. Rocky Thompson, the No. 1 draft choice of 1971, ranked fourth in the NFC in kickoff returns last season. He lugged back 29 for an average of 28.3 yards, and one went back for a touchdown.
QUESTIONS: Can Snead do it again? Is Van Pelt the super athlete? Will injuries be kept to a minimum again?
STRENGTHS: In the last game of 1972, the Giants routed Dallas, 23-3, moving the ball as they pleased through the touted Cowboy defense. So the offense seems strong enough to make a run on the 1973 Eastern title.
OUTLOOK: Sunny, because of the plethora of promising young talent. And it will be sunnier when Wellington Mara can finally move his club into the $200 million sports complex being built in New Jersey."
-Jim Scott, Gridiron News 1973 Pro Yearbook
"Early in the pro football season, the Giants will be forced to evacuate Fun City. Yankee Stadium, their longtime home in New York, is to be renovated. 'Tis said that everywhere that is outside New York is Bridgeport. Well, the Giants are skedaddling right past Bridgeport. They're relocating temporarily to the boondocks in New Haven, Connecticut, site of the hallowed Yale Bowl. All of which makes timely these words out of the mouth of Alex Webster, coach of these orphans, who eventually will alight in the New Jersey meadows in a new stadium: 'Above all, I want to make football fun for my players, because that's the way I always approached the game when I was in their shoes. Football is a business but it can be fun, too.'
Fun: The Giants haven't had much fun since they last won a title. That was ten years ago.
The route to New Jersey smacks of something usurped from the playbook as prepared by the gone, but not forgotten, Francis Tarkenton. It had been presumed such geographic nonsense ended when Tarkenton was returned in exile to Minnesota last year.
In his place, the Giants received Norm Snead, who discovered how to play quarterback efficiently in his 12th pro season. The fun envisioned by Webster for the Giants hinges primarily on Snead. Was he a one-season mirage? Or will he flourish on the playing fields of Yale as he did last autumn in gloomy Yankee Stadium?
The figuring here is that Snead must suffer a relapse to normalcy. He completed more than 60 per cent of his passes and led the NFL. He was the antithesis of Tarkenton. He stood his ground and fired. He was seldom knocked down, a tribute to a line that could straighten and pass block without worrying about what zigzag trip the quarterback might take. So Snead enjoyed a rare winning season ... and so did the Giants.
They were 8-6, third behind the Redskins and Cowboys in the NFC's most strenuously difficult division. That, sadly, is about as much as they can expect again this year.
There were other pluses that contributed to the improvement of the Giants in the year of Tarkenton's departure and Snead's arrival. Ron Johnson came back to run and pass catch as good as ever. He set the club record of 1,182 yards rushing. He scored 14 touchdowns. The Giants can expect the same sort of performance from him in '73.
The addition of Jack Gregory was responsible for the Giants' best defensive handiwork in a decade. Gregory, gearing a rebuilt defensive line, caught opposing passers 21 times. John Mendenhall and Larry Jacobson also were new to the defensive line. They, too, flourished- and the Giants can expect them to improve as second-year players. Overall, the Giants' defense got to the passer 38 times.
Snead relishes the short passing game. He has the receivers for it, especially tight end Bob Tucker and runner Johnson. They are his favorite targets. The wide receivers are used mostly as decoys. But Don Herrmann, Rich Houston and Bob Grim are capable. Tom Gatewood and new vet Gary Ballman provide better-than-average depth at the wide and tight positions.
Running with Johnson is likely to be Charlie Evans supported by Vin Clements, a man with chronic knee trouble.
The offensive line should remain intact after some revamping last year to Snead's benefit. Dick Enderle and Joe Taffoni, veteran newcomers, helped make the line solid. They blended with Willie Young, Greg Larson and Doug Van Horn to form a safe protective cup for Snead.
Snead himself cannot be certain of steady work despite his glowing statistics of last year. He is challenged by Randy Johnson, who actually had the job won a year ago until he was injured.
The main addition to the Giants this year is Brad Van Pelt, who accepted some $300,000 of owner Wellington Mara's money to forget about pitching baseballs. Van Pelt, a lanky All-America defensive back at Michigan State, will play outside linebacker for the Giants.
Because of Van Pelt, the Giants will be able to restructure their linebacking unit. Jim Files can return to middle linebacker from the outside, placing Ron Hornsby on the bench. Pat Hughes remains as the other outside linebacker.
The only change anticipated in the secondary is at strong safety where Chuck Crist could take the assignment away from Richmond Flowers. Spider Lockhart, Willie Williams and Pete Athas are incumbents in the defensive backfield.
Pete Gogolak has regained some of his field goal-kicking abilities. But he is a liability on extra points, a ritual which is regarded as automatic in the pros. Pete missed four of them last year. Tom Blanchard, despite a lack of publicity, is one of the league's better punters."
-Dave Klein, Pro Football 1973
OFFENSE
"QUARTERBACKS: Despite Snead's league-topping stats, he is not a super-quality deep passer. Randy Johnson has some flair.
Performance Quotient: 3 [1 through 5, 1 being best]
RUNNING BACKS: Ron Johnson is a most versatile runner, a 1,000-yarder who has power, speed and dedication. And he catches passes better than most backs. Clements has chronic knee problems, but plenty of potential. Evans will likely reclaim the starting job from Clements. Evans finds the end zone. Rocky Thompson and Joe Orduna are fast kick-return specialists. Eddie Richardson is promising.
Performance Quotient: 2
RECEIVERS: Tucker is ideally suited to the short-pass offense and a superb tight receiver of All-Pro caliber who is still unrecognized on a national scope. Herrmann and Houston are the incumbent outside starters, adequate performers who are not flashy. Snead tends to prefer passing to Tucker and Johnson. Gatewood could break in at a wide spot; he is also a spare tight end. Grim has been good before. Ballman can be a valuable reserve. Linzy Cole is ordinary.
Performance Quotient: 3
INTERIOR LINEMEN: For a group without a super standout, this line has excelled as a unit. Their pass protection was so strong that the Giants led the NFL in fewest quarterback sackings (10) in 1972. The line is molded around Larson, a fine blocker and a leader. There's good maturity here and good depth. Young and Taffoni supply able pass protection and open sizable holes. Van Horn developed into an excellent guard and Enderle blended in as a newcomer in '72. Bob Hyland has experience and can help at several positions. John Hill and Mark Ellison are good prospects.
Performance Quotient: 2
KICKERS: Gogolak is still erratic; he's still troubled by medium-range field goals and PATs. Blanchard is an okay punter
Performance Quotient: 3."
-Dave Klein, Pro Football 1973
DEFENSE
"FRONT LINEMEN: The addition of Gregory in '72 gave the Giants the pass rush they lacked. It is now one of the finest lines in pro football. Gregory alone accounted for 21 sackings. With him and newcomers Mendenhall and Jacobson plus Henry Reed, the line became cohesive and should improve after a year's togetherness. Reed is mobile, Mendenhall is aggressive. Dave Tipton, back from injury, has possibilities. Carter Campbell is versatile; he can play linebacker, too. Rich Glover has the credentials to be a star.
Performance Quotient: 2
LINEBACKERS: Some rearrangement is due here. Files, a top-drawer linebacker, returns to the middle from the outside. Van Pelt, an outstanding athlete, figures to break in as an outside starter. Hughes is tough, and Hornsby is likely to become a reserve after starting at MLB. John Douglas provides experienced depth. Coaches like Brian Kelley, picked in the 14th round.
Performance Quotient: 3
CORNERBACKS: Williams covers patterns well. Athas has the interception knack, but he can be beaten at times. Eldridge Small, a good athlete, gets a shot at starting. Otto Brown has experience but cannot be considered a starting possibility.
Performance Quotient: 3
SAFETIES: Flowers returns from a good year with his job in jeopardy. Lockhart, a stellar pass defender, has his job locked up. Crist challenges Flowers on the strong side.
Performance Quotient: 3"
-Dave Klein, Pro Football 1973
DEFENSE: Jack Gregory, who played out his option at Cleveland in 1971, almost went to St. Louis but finally signed with New York, is the key. Gregory, a 6-5, 210-pound end, merely led the NFL in sacks with 21, three more than the entire Giant team achieved in 1971. John Mendenhall, 6-1 and 255, and Larry Jacobson, 6-6 and 260, both rookies in '72, lent quickness and power to the defensive line last year.
Two 1973 rookies should shore up the defense, Rich Glover, 6-1, 234-pound lineman from Nebraska, and Brad Van Pelt, 6-5, 223 from Michigan State, at linebacker.
SPECIAL TEAMS: It was the Giants' signing in 1966 of Pete Gogolak, the Buffalo toe, that led to the AFL-NFL merger. Pete assured his job for another season by kicking 21 of 33 field goal attempts in 1972. Rocky Thompson, the No. 1 draft choice of 1971, ranked fourth in the NFC in kickoff returns last season. He lugged back 29 for an average of 28.3 yards, and one went back for a touchdown.
QUESTIONS: Can Snead do it again? Is Van Pelt the super athlete? Will injuries be kept to a minimum again?
STRENGTHS: In the last game of 1972, the Giants routed Dallas, 23-3, moving the ball as they pleased through the touted Cowboy defense. So the offense seems strong enough to make a run on the 1973 Eastern title.
OUTLOOK: Sunny, because of the plethora of promising young talent. And it will be sunnier when Wellington Mara can finally move his club into the $200 million sports complex being built in New Jersey."
-Jim Scott, Gridiron News 1973 Pro Yearbook
"Early in the pro football season, the Giants will be forced to evacuate Fun City. Yankee Stadium, their longtime home in New York, is to be renovated. 'Tis said that everywhere that is outside New York is Bridgeport. Well, the Giants are skedaddling right past Bridgeport. They're relocating temporarily to the boondocks in New Haven, Connecticut, site of the hallowed Yale Bowl. All of which makes timely these words out of the mouth of Alex Webster, coach of these orphans, who eventually will alight in the New Jersey meadows in a new stadium: 'Above all, I want to make football fun for my players, because that's the way I always approached the game when I was in their shoes. Football is a business but it can be fun, too.'
Fun: The Giants haven't had much fun since they last won a title. That was ten years ago.
The route to New Jersey smacks of something usurped from the playbook as prepared by the gone, but not forgotten, Francis Tarkenton. It had been presumed such geographic nonsense ended when Tarkenton was returned in exile to Minnesota last year.
In his place, the Giants received Norm Snead, who discovered how to play quarterback efficiently in his 12th pro season. The fun envisioned by Webster for the Giants hinges primarily on Snead. Was he a one-season mirage? Or will he flourish on the playing fields of Yale as he did last autumn in gloomy Yankee Stadium?
The figuring here is that Snead must suffer a relapse to normalcy. He completed more than 60 per cent of his passes and led the NFL. He was the antithesis of Tarkenton. He stood his ground and fired. He was seldom knocked down, a tribute to a line that could straighten and pass block without worrying about what zigzag trip the quarterback might take. So Snead enjoyed a rare winning season ... and so did the Giants.
They were 8-6, third behind the Redskins and Cowboys in the NFC's most strenuously difficult division. That, sadly, is about as much as they can expect again this year.
There were other pluses that contributed to the improvement of the Giants in the year of Tarkenton's departure and Snead's arrival. Ron Johnson came back to run and pass catch as good as ever. He set the club record of 1,182 yards rushing. He scored 14 touchdowns. The Giants can expect the same sort of performance from him in '73.
The addition of Jack Gregory was responsible for the Giants' best defensive handiwork in a decade. Gregory, gearing a rebuilt defensive line, caught opposing passers 21 times. John Mendenhall and Larry Jacobson also were new to the defensive line. They, too, flourished- and the Giants can expect them to improve as second-year players. Overall, the Giants' defense got to the passer 38 times.
Snead relishes the short passing game. He has the receivers for it, especially tight end Bob Tucker and runner Johnson. They are his favorite targets. The wide receivers are used mostly as decoys. But Don Herrmann, Rich Houston and Bob Grim are capable. Tom Gatewood and new vet Gary Ballman provide better-than-average depth at the wide and tight positions.
Running with Johnson is likely to be Charlie Evans supported by Vin Clements, a man with chronic knee trouble.
The offensive line should remain intact after some revamping last year to Snead's benefit. Dick Enderle and Joe Taffoni, veteran newcomers, helped make the line solid. They blended with Willie Young, Greg Larson and Doug Van Horn to form a safe protective cup for Snead.
Snead himself cannot be certain of steady work despite his glowing statistics of last year. He is challenged by Randy Johnson, who actually had the job won a year ago until he was injured.
The main addition to the Giants this year is Brad Van Pelt, who accepted some $300,000 of owner Wellington Mara's money to forget about pitching baseballs. Van Pelt, a lanky All-America defensive back at Michigan State, will play outside linebacker for the Giants.
Because of Van Pelt, the Giants will be able to restructure their linebacking unit. Jim Files can return to middle linebacker from the outside, placing Ron Hornsby on the bench. Pat Hughes remains as the other outside linebacker.
The only change anticipated in the secondary is at strong safety where Chuck Crist could take the assignment away from Richmond Flowers. Spider Lockhart, Willie Williams and Pete Athas are incumbents in the defensive backfield.
Pete Gogolak has regained some of his field goal-kicking abilities. But he is a liability on extra points, a ritual which is regarded as automatic in the pros. Pete missed four of them last year. Tom Blanchard, despite a lack of publicity, is one of the league's better punters."
-Dave Klein, Pro Football 1973
OFFENSE
"QUARTERBACKS: Despite Snead's league-topping stats, he is not a super-quality deep passer. Randy Johnson has some flair.
Performance Quotient: 3 [1 through 5, 1 being best]
RUNNING BACKS: Ron Johnson is a most versatile runner, a 1,000-yarder who has power, speed and dedication. And he catches passes better than most backs. Clements has chronic knee problems, but plenty of potential. Evans will likely reclaim the starting job from Clements. Evans finds the end zone. Rocky Thompson and Joe Orduna are fast kick-return specialists. Eddie Richardson is promising.
Performance Quotient: 2
RECEIVERS: Tucker is ideally suited to the short-pass offense and a superb tight receiver of All-Pro caliber who is still unrecognized on a national scope. Herrmann and Houston are the incumbent outside starters, adequate performers who are not flashy. Snead tends to prefer passing to Tucker and Johnson. Gatewood could break in at a wide spot; he is also a spare tight end. Grim has been good before. Ballman can be a valuable reserve. Linzy Cole is ordinary.
Performance Quotient: 3
INTERIOR LINEMEN: For a group without a super standout, this line has excelled as a unit. Their pass protection was so strong that the Giants led the NFL in fewest quarterback sackings (10) in 1972. The line is molded around Larson, a fine blocker and a leader. There's good maturity here and good depth. Young and Taffoni supply able pass protection and open sizable holes. Van Horn developed into an excellent guard and Enderle blended in as a newcomer in '72. Bob Hyland has experience and can help at several positions. John Hill and Mark Ellison are good prospects.
Performance Quotient: 2
KICKERS: Gogolak is still erratic; he's still troubled by medium-range field goals and PATs. Blanchard is an okay punter
Performance Quotient: 3."
-Dave Klein, Pro Football 1973
DEFENSE
"FRONT LINEMEN: The addition of Gregory in '72 gave the Giants the pass rush they lacked. It is now one of the finest lines in pro football. Gregory alone accounted for 21 sackings. With him and newcomers Mendenhall and Jacobson plus Henry Reed, the line became cohesive and should improve after a year's togetherness. Reed is mobile, Mendenhall is aggressive. Dave Tipton, back from injury, has possibilities. Carter Campbell is versatile; he can play linebacker, too. Rich Glover has the credentials to be a star.
Performance Quotient: 2
LINEBACKERS: Some rearrangement is due here. Files, a top-drawer linebacker, returns to the middle from the outside. Van Pelt, an outstanding athlete, figures to break in as an outside starter. Hughes is tough, and Hornsby is likely to become a reserve after starting at MLB. John Douglas provides experienced depth. Coaches like Brian Kelley, picked in the 14th round.
Performance Quotient: 3
CORNERBACKS: Williams covers patterns well. Athas has the interception knack, but he can be beaten at times. Eldridge Small, a good athlete, gets a shot at starting. Otto Brown has experience but cannot be considered a starting possibility.
Performance Quotient: 3
SAFETIES: Flowers returns from a good year with his job in jeopardy. Lockhart, a stellar pass defender, has his job locked up. Crist challenges Flowers on the strong side.
Performance Quotient: 3"
-Dave Klein, Pro Football 1973
"Almost. The word for the New York Giants in 1972 was almost.
But what will it be for 1973? Sadly, it will not change. The Giants, for several reasons, will be an almost team again.
For one thing, Dallas and Washington are in the same NFC Eastern Division, which assures New York of four tough games. For another, there is still about the quarterback despite the league-leading surprise named Norm Snead. There is also a question or two in the defensive secondary ... a problem of their own making among the linebackers ... some unsettled nature to their defensive line and one or two other gray areas that must be satisfactorily resolved.
But there is much to recommend these Giants discounting the extraneous nonsense which will force them to play five 'home' games in the Yale Bowl. There is Ron Johnson at halfback ... a tough, professional offensive line ... tight end Bob Tucker ... defensive end Jack Gregory and a batch of impressive youngsters.
The offense will be all right so long as Johnson is. He came back from knee surgery to gain 1,812 yards in 1972, to lead the NFL with 14 touchdowns, to catch 45 passes for another 451 yards to rank him second to Tucker in team receiving and eighth in the NFC.
He's as much a superstar as O.J. Simpson or Larry Brown and the Giants are tough with him, lost without him.
If Snead is neither spectacular nor exciting, he is at least dependable. He did lead the league, after all, after 11 years of acquiring a reputation as a professional loser. And he did take the Giants to an 8-6 record, after their 4-10 horror of a year before. But there is something about Norman, or perhaps something not there, that leads doubt. Randy Johnson may, indeed, fight for and win the job.
Tucker is sensational and his failure to make the Pro Bowl squad for the second straight year is as flagrant an error as Ted Kwalick making it.
The offensive interior line- tackles Joe Taffoni and Willie Young, guards Doug Van Horn and Dick Enderle, center Greg Larson- will probably remain intact, but center-guard Bob Hyland and guard-tackle John Hill are waiting for a spot.
Defensively, Jack Gregory was outstanding. He caught the quarterback 21 times, leading the team with 37 sacks. He anchored a dependable foursome of Henry Reed at the other end and John Mendenhall and Larry Jacobson at the tackles. But now the team wants to use Rich Glover at Mendenhall's middle guard spot and move Mendy to end for Reed. It is a risk on two counts- Glover may not be big enough and Mendenhall on the end may have the same problem.
Linebacking? It was Ron Hornsby in the middle flanked by Pat Hughes and Jim Files. But No. 2 draft pick Brad Van Pelt, out of Michigan State, will be given every chance to take the strongside spot, since Files will be moved to the middle and, if he beats out Hornsby as expected, opening that job. Hughes seems secure as the weakside man, but once those coachly brains start cooking, who can tell?
The secondary has Willie Williams and Pete Athas on the corners, Spider Lockhart at free safety and Rich Flowers at tight safety. Athas wants to be Lockhart, the coaches wish Flowers was better, Williams is beginning to age and last year's No. 1 pick, Eldridge Small, would like to play. He's a cornerback and could be a great one.
In all, the Giants seem to be strong, perhaps even a playoff team. But until that is firmed up, 'almost' must be better than nothing.
Predicted Finish: 2nd."
-Dave Klein & the Editors, Pro Football Illustrated 1973
"A lot of things would have to fall into place for the Giants to win the East- and even then the schedule (Cleveland, Green Bay, Oakland, Minnesota) would be stacked against them.
Well-traveled Norm Snead found a home with the Giants last year, becoming the No. 1 ranked passer in the league. He'll need a comparable performance to keep them in the title chase.
Snead will be working behind a veteran line that protected him so well that he was sacked only 10 times in 1972. The Giants have fine receiving balance, led by underrated tight end Bob Tucker, and they should get more out of Bob Grim as a backup for Rich Houston and Don Herrmann.
That takes care of half the offense. The other half is Ron Johnson, but the versatile workhorse halfback needs some help. Backfield depth is suspect. Charlie Evans was doing an adequate job at fullback until hit by the seventh leg fracture of his life and second in three seasons. He'll try to beat out Vin Clements, who ran well as a late-season starter. Ex-49er Joe Orduna and return man Rocky Thompson will work behind Johnson.
The Giants got favorable results with the 'Rover' defense, featuring Jack Gregory at end, alongside rookies John Mendenhall and Larry Jacobson. Most of the competition will be in the deep secondary, where there are a couple of soft spots, and at linebacker.
Brad Van Pelt, the club's top draft pick, has the size and raw talent to challenge for any of the linebacker jobs even though he was a safety in college. A planned switch for Jim Files to move from the outside back to the middle in exchange with Ron Hornsby.
It's questionable whether rookie Rich Glover can perform up to his middle-guard standards at Nebraska but he'll get the chance because the Giants use a lot of odd-man lines."
-Ed Stone, Football Digest (September 1973)
1973 NEW YORK GIANTS ROSTERS
New York Giants 1973 Preseason Veteran Roster
45 Pete Athas (CB) Tennessee
15 Tom Blanchard (P) Oregon
21 Otto Brown (CB) Prairie View
79 Carter Campbell (LB) Weber State
29 Vin Clements (RB) Connecticut
-- Linzy Cole (WR) Texas
24 Chuck Crist (S) Penn State
51 John Douglas (LB) Missouri
28 Bobby Duhon (RB) Tulane
20 Scott Eaton (S) Oregon State
65 Mark Ellison (G) Dayton
62 Dick Enderle (G) Minnesota
31 Charlie Evans (RB) USC
58 Jim Files (LB) Oklahoma
44 Richmond Flowers (S) Tennessee
83 Tom Gatewood (TE) Notre Dame
3 Pete Goglolak (K) Cornell
68 Dan Goich (DT) California
81 Jack Gregory (DE) Delta State
27 Bob Grim (WR) Oregon State
61 Charlie Harper (DT) Oklahoma State
85 Don Herrmann (WR) Waynesburg
52 John Hill (T) Lehigh
67 Ron Hornsby (LB) Southeast Louisiana
84 Rich Houston (WR) East Texas State
56 Pat Hughes (LB) Boston University
70 Bob Hyland (C) Boston College
75 Larry Jacobson (DT) Nebraska
11 Randy Johnson (QB) Texas A&I
30 Ron Johnson (RB) Michigan
73 Jim Kanicki (DT) Michigan State
87 Dick Kotite (TE) Wagner
53 Greg Larson (C) Minnesota
43 Carl Lockhart (S) North Texas State
64 John Mendenhall (DT) Grambling
40 Joe Morrison (WR) Cincinnati
49 Joe Orduna (RB) Nebraska
80 Henry Reed (DE) Weber State
18 Eldridge Small (CB) Texas A&I
16 Norm Snead (QB) Wake Forest
72 Joe Taffoni (T) Tennessee-Martin
22 Rocky Thompson (RB) West Texas State
71 Dave Tipton (DE) Stanford
38 Bob Tucker (TE) Bloomsburg (PA)
63 Doug Van Horn (G) Ohio State
78 Wayne Walton (T) Abilene Christian
41 Willie Williams (CB) Grambling
69 Willie Young (T) Grambling
-The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1973 Edition)
1973 New York Giants Rookies in Draft Order
Brad Van Pelt (LB) Michigan State
Rich Glover (DT) Nebraska
Leon McQuay (RB) Tampa
Wade Brantley (DT) Troy State
Rod Freeman (DT) Vanderbilt
George Hasenohrl (DT) Ohio State
Ty Paine (QB) Washington State
Walter Love (DB) Westminster (UT)
William Wideman (DT) North Carolina A&T
Ron Lumpkin (DB) Arizona State
Clifton Davis (RB) Alcorn A&M
Brian Kelley (LB) California Lutheran
Carl Schaukowitch (G) Penn State
Ben Nitka (K) Colorado College
John Billizon (DE) Grambling
-The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1973 Edition)
1973 New York Giants Preseason Roster
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Norm Snead (Wake Forest)
Randy Johnson (Texas A & I)
Running Backs
Ron Johnson (Michigan)
Vin Clements (Connecticut)
Charlie Evans (USC)
Rocky Thompson (West Texas State)
Joe Orduna (Nebraska)
Eddie Richardson (Southern)*
Receivers
Don Herrmann (W) (Waynesburg)
Rich Houston (W) (East Texas State)
Bob Tucker (T) (Bloomsburg)
Tom Gatewood (W-T) (Notre Dame)
Bob Grim (W) (Oregon State)
Gary Ballman (T-W) (Michigan State)
Linzy Cole (W) (TCU)
(W)-Wide Receiver (T)-Tight End
Interior Linemen
Willie Young (T) (Grambling)
Joe Taffoni (T) (Ohio State)
Dick Enderle (G) (Minnesota)
Doug Van Horn (G) Ohio State)
Greg Larson (C) (Minnesota)
Bob Hyland (C-G) (Boston College)
John Hill (T) (Lehigh)
Mark Ellison (G) (Dayton)
(T)-Tackle (G)- Guard (C)-Center
Kickers
Pete Gogolak (Cornell)
Tom Blanchard (Oregon)
DEFENSE
Front Linemen
Henry Reed (E) (Weber State)
Jack Gregory (E) (Delta State)
John Mendenhall (T) (Grambling)
Larry Jacobson (T-E) (Nebraska)
Carter Campbell (E) (Weber State)
Dave Tipton (E-T) (Stanford)
Rich Glover (T) (Nebraska)*
(E)-End (T)-Tackle
Linebackers
Brad Van Pelt (O) (Michigan State)*
Pat Hughes (O) (Boston University)
Jim Files (M) (Oklahoma)
Ron Hornsby (O-M) (Southeast Louisiana)
John Douglas (O) (Missouri)
Brian Kelley (O) (California Lutheran)*
(O)-Outside Linebacker (M)-Middle Linebacker
Cornerbacks
Pete Athas (Tennessee)
Willie Williams (Grambling)
Eldridge Small (Texas A & I)
Otto Brown (Prairie View)
Safeties
Richmond Flowers (S-W) (Tennessee)
Spider Lockhart (W) (North Texas State)
Chuck Crist (S) (Penn State)
(S)-Strong Side (W)-Weak Side or 'Free' Safety
* Rookie
-Pro Football 1973 published by Cord Communications Corporation
Quarterbacks
Norm Snead (Wake Forest)
Randy Johnson (Texas A & I)
Running Backs
Ron Johnson (Michigan)
Vin Clements (Connecticut)
Charlie Evans (USC)
Rocky Thompson (West Texas State)
Joe Orduna (Nebraska)
Eddie Richardson (Southern)*
Receivers
Don Herrmann (W) (Waynesburg)
Rich Houston (W) (East Texas State)
Bob Tucker (T) (Bloomsburg)
Tom Gatewood (W-T) (Notre Dame)
Bob Grim (W) (Oregon State)
Gary Ballman (T-W) (Michigan State)
Linzy Cole (W) (TCU)
(W)-Wide Receiver (T)-Tight End
Interior Linemen
Willie Young (T) (Grambling)
Joe Taffoni (T) (Ohio State)
Dick Enderle (G) (Minnesota)
Doug Van Horn (G) Ohio State)
Greg Larson (C) (Minnesota)
Bob Hyland (C-G) (Boston College)
John Hill (T) (Lehigh)
Mark Ellison (G) (Dayton)
(T)-Tackle (G)- Guard (C)-Center
Kickers
Pete Gogolak (Cornell)
Tom Blanchard (Oregon)
DEFENSE
Front Linemen
Henry Reed (E) (Weber State)
Jack Gregory (E) (Delta State)
John Mendenhall (T) (Grambling)
Larry Jacobson (T-E) (Nebraska)
Carter Campbell (E) (Weber State)
Dave Tipton (E-T) (Stanford)
Rich Glover (T) (Nebraska)*
(E)-End (T)-Tackle
Linebackers
Brad Van Pelt (O) (Michigan State)*
Pat Hughes (O) (Boston University)
Jim Files (M) (Oklahoma)
Ron Hornsby (O-M) (Southeast Louisiana)
John Douglas (O) (Missouri)
Brian Kelley (O) (California Lutheran)*
(O)-Outside Linebacker (M)-Middle Linebacker
Cornerbacks
Pete Athas (Tennessee)
Willie Williams (Grambling)
Eldridge Small (Texas A & I)
Otto Brown (Prairie View)
Safeties
Richmond Flowers (S-W) (Tennessee)
Spider Lockhart (W) (North Texas State)
Chuck Crist (S) (Penn State)
(S)-Strong Side (W)-Weak Side or 'Free' Safety
* Rookie
-Pro Football 1973 published by Cord Communications Corporation
1973 New York Revised 40-Man Roster (after final cutdown before the start of the 1973 regular season)
45 Pete Athas (CB) Tennessee
82 Gary Ballman (TE) Michigan State
15 Tom Blanchard (P) Oregon
60 Bart Buetow (T) Minnesota
79 Carter Campbell (LB) Weber State
29 Vin Clements (RB) Connecticut
24 Chuck Crist (S) Penn State
51 John Douglas (LB) Missouri
28 Bobby Duhon (RB) Tulane
65 Mark Ellison (G) Dayton
31 Charlie Evans (RB) USC
58 Jim Files (LB) Oklahoma
44 Richmond Flowers (S) Tennessee
77 Rich Glover (DT) Nebraska
3 Pete Goglolak (K) Cornell
68 Dan Goich (DT) California
81 Jack Gregory (DE) Delta State
27 Bob Grim (WR) Oregon State
85 Don Herrmann (WR) Waynesburg
52 John Hill (T) Lehigh
67 Ron Hornsby (LB) Southeast Louisiana
84 Rich Houston (WR) East Texas State
56 Pat Hughes (LB) Boston University
70 Bob Hyland (C) Boston College
75 Larry Jacobson (DT) Nebraska
11 Randy Johnson (QB) Texas A&I
30 Ron Johnson (RB) Michigan
55 Brian Kelley (LB) California Lutheran
53 Greg Larson (C) Minnesota
43 Carl Lockhart (S) North Texas State
64 John Mendenhall (DT) Grambling
49 Joe Orduna (RB) Nebraska
80 Henry Reed (DE) Weber State
18 Eldridge Small (CB) Texas A&I
16 Norm Snead (QB) Wake Forest
72 Joe Taffoni (T) Tennessee-Martin
22 Rocky Thompson (RB) West Texas State
38 Bob Tucker (TE) Bloomsburg (PA)
63 Doug Van Horn (G) Ohio State
41 Willie Williams (CB) Grambling
69 Willie Young (T) Grambling
Preseason Inactive List
62 Dick Enderle (G) Minnesota
71 Dave Tipton (DE) Stanford
10 Brad Van Pelt (LB) Michigan State
-Football Digest (December 1973)
1973 NEW YORK GIANTS DEPTH CHARTS
Offense
QB Norm Snead, Randy Johnson
RB Ron Johnson, Rocky Thompson, Joe Orduna
RB Vin Clements, Charlie Evans, Eddie Richardson
WR Don Herrmann, Tom Gatewood, Linzy Cole
T Willie Young, John Hill
G Dick Enderle, Mark Ellison
C Greg Larson, Bob Hyland
G Doug Van Horn, Bob Hyland
T Joe Taffoni, John Hill
TE Bob Tucker, Gary Ballman, Tom Gatewood
WR Rich Houston, Bob Grim, Gary Ballman
Defense
DE Henry Reed, Larry Jacobson
DT Larry Jacobson, Dave Tipton
DT John Mendenhall, Rich Glover*
DE Jack Gregory, Carter Campbell, Dave Tipton
LB Brad Van Pelt*, Ron Hornsby, John Douglas
MLB Jim Files, Ron Hornsby
LB Pat Hughes, John Douglas, Brian Kelley*
CB Pete Athas, Eldridge Small
SS Richmond Flowers, Chuck Crist
FS Spider Lockhart, Richmond Flowers
CB Willie Williams, Otto Brown
*rookie
-Pro Football 1973 published by Cord Communications Corporation
Offense
QB Norm Snead (Wake Forest) 16, Randy Johnson (Texas A&I) 11, Tom Blanchard (Oregon) 15
HB Ron Johnson (Michigan) 30, Rocky Thompson (West Texas State) 22
FB Vin Clements (Connecticut) 29, Charlie Evans (USC) 31, Joe Orduna (Nebraska) 49
WR Bob Grim (Oregon State) 27
T Willie Young (Grambling) 69, John Hill (Lehigh) 52
G Dick Enderle (Minnesota) 62
C Greg Larson (Minnesota) 53, Bob Hyland (Boston College) 70
G Doug Van Horn (Ohio State) 63, Mark Ellison (Dayton) 65
T Joe Taffoni (Tennessee-Martin) 72, Bart Buetow (Minnesota) 60
TE Bob Tucker (Bloomsburg) 38, Gary Ballman (Michigan State) 82
WR Don Herrmann (Waynesburg) 85, Rich Houston (East Texas State) 84
Defense
DE Carter Campbell (Weber State) 79, Larry Jacobson (Nebraska) 75
DT Dan Goich (California) 68, Rich Glover (Nebraska)*
DT John Mendenhall (Grambling) 64, Dave Tipton (Stanford) 71
DE Jack Gregory (Delta State) 81
LB John Douglas (Missouri) 51, Henry Reed (Weber State) 80, Brad Van Pelt (Michigan State)*
MLB Jim Files (Oklahoma) 58, Ron Hornsby (Southeast Louisiana State) 67
LB Pat Hughes (Boston University) 56, Brian Kelley (California Lutheran)*
CB Pete Athas (Tennessee) 45, Eldridge Small (Texas A&M-Kingsville) 18
SS Chuck Crist (Penn State) 24, Richmond Flowers (Tennessee) 44
FS Spider Lockhart (North Texas) 43
CB Willie Williams (Grambling) 41
K Pete Gogolak (Cornell) 3
P Tom Blanchard (Oregon) 15
KR Rocky Thompson (West Texas State) 22, Bob Grim (Oregon State) 27
PR Pete Athas (Tennessee) 45, Bob Grim (Oregon State) 27
*rookie
1973 New York Giants Topps Checklist
No. Name
45 Pete Athas (cornerback)
15 Tom Blanchard (punter)
62 Dick Enderle (guard)
31 Charlie Evans (running back)
58 Jim Files (linebacker)
44 Richmond Flowers (safety)
3 Pete Gogolak (kicker)
81 Jack Gregory (defensive end)
67 Ron Hornsby (middle linebacker)
84 Rich Houston (wide receiver)
56 Pat Hughes (linebacker)
30 Ron Johnson (running back)
53 Greg Larson (center)
43 Spider Lockhart (safety)
16 Norm Snead (quarterback) (1972 NFC passing leader, based on various statistics)
22 Rocky Thompson (running back)
38 Bob Tucker (tight end)
63 Doug Van Horn (guard)
41 Willie Williams (cornerback)
69 Willie Young (tackle)
1973 New York Giants Profile Summary
Head Coach - Alex Webster
QB Norm Snead (Wake Forest) 16
QB Tom Blanchard (Oregon) 15
RB Ron Johnson (Michigan) 30
RB Rocky Thompson (West Texas State) 22
FB Charlie Evans (USC) 31
FB Johnny Roland (Missouri) 23
WR Bob Grim (Oregon State) 27
WR Rich Houston (East Texas State) 84
WR Linzy Cole (Texas Christian) 25
TE Bob Tucker (Bloomsburg) 38
TE Gary Ballman (Michigan State) 82
C Greg Larson (Minnesota) 53
G Doug Van Horn (Ohio State) 63
G Dick Enderle (Minnesota) 62
T Willie Young (Grambling) 69
T Joe Taffoni (Tennessee-Martin) 72
DT John Mendenhall (Grambling) 64
DT Larry Jacobson (Nebraska) 75
DE Jack Gregory (Delta State) 81
DE Rich Glover (Nebraska) 77
MLB Jim Files (Oklahoma) 58
LB Pat Hughes (Boston University) 56
LB Ron Hornsby (Southeast Louisiana State) 67
LB Brad Van Pelt (Michigan State) 10
CB Willie Williams (Grambling) 41
CB Pete Athas (Tennessee) 45
SS Richmond Flowers (Tennessee) 44
FS Spider Lockhart (North Texas) 43
K Pete Gogolak (Cornell) 3
P Tom Blanchard (Oregon) 15
H Tom Blanchard (Oregon) 15
KR Rocky Thompson (West Texas State) 22
PR Rocky Thompson (West Texas State) 22
1973 New York Giants Team Photo
Pete Athas
Gary Ballman
Bart Buetow
Tom Blanchard
Otto Brown
Carter Campbell
Vin Clements
Chuck Crist
John Douglas
John Dziegiel (trainer)
Mark Ellison
Dick Enderle
Charlie Evans
Jim Files
Richmond Flowers
Jim Garrett (coach)
Tom Gatewood
Rich Glover
Pete Gogolak
Dan Goich
Jack Gregory
Bob Grim
Matt Hazeltine (coach)
Don Herrmann
John Hill
Julius Horai (trainer)
Ron Hornsby
Rich Houston
Pat Hughes
Bob Hyland
Larry Jacobson
John Johnson (trainer)
Randy Johnson
Ron Johnson
Jim Katcavage (coach)
Brian Kelley
Greg Larson
Spider Lockhart
Walter Love
Ron Lumpkin
Stephen Mara
Wellington Mara (team president)
John Mendenhall
Sid Moret (assistant trainer)
Joe Orduna
Henry Reed
Jack Rizzo
Johnny Roland
Eldridge Small
Norm Snead
Joe Taffoni
Dave Tipton
Bob Tucker
Emlen Tunnell (coach)
Doug Van Horn
Brad Van Pelt
Joe Walton (coach)
Allan Webb (coach)
Alex Webster (head coach)
Ray Wietecha (coach)
Willie Williams
Willie Young
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