1975 Profile: Chuck Crist

Strong Safety
No. 24
Penn State
"Crist came to the Giants as a free agent in 1972 and falls into the category of NFL players who never played college football. He was a three-year basketball letterman at Penn State and was recommended for a tryout by Johnny Bach, the Penn State coach. Not only did Chuck make the club his rookie year, but he proved to be one of the best special team players and also came up with an interception in a reserve role.
For the past two seasons, he has been a frequent starter at strong safety, leading the club in interceptions last season with three for 20 yards returned. Chuck's three-year totals show six interceptions for 40 yards returned and five fumble recoveries. He can also double as a punt return man if called upon, and remains a sure and deadly tackler on special teams.
Chuck won three letters at Penn State in basketball and was captain in his senior year, winning acclaim for his rebounding and defensive abilities. He earned a degree in physical education there with an eye towards an eventual career in coaching.
Crist was born in Salamanca, New York and played all sports at Salamanca Central High School after also participating in Little League. He's an avid golfer."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Don Clune

Wide Receiver
No. 88
Pennsylvania
"The No. 5 pick in the 1974 draft after an All-Ivy League career at Penn, Clune is another secondary player who won a spot on the club with fine work in training camp and during preseason work. He enjoyed several fine games in that preseason, particularly in a win over the New England Patriots where he caught five passes for 78 yards. Don did not see much action in the regular season, but nonetheless has all the tools required to make it in the NFL.
A highly versatile athlete, Don won All-Ivy League honors in both football and track at Penn. His three-year career totals show 121 pass receptions for 2,158 yards, including 53 receptions for 882 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior year, when he additionally won All-East laurels and was named to play in the East-West Game. Also a hurdler and high-jumper in track, Clune clocked 9.8 in the 100, was a member of the IC4A 440-yard relay title team and has cleared 6'5" in the high jump.
Born in Havertown, Pennsylvania, Clune was an all-around star at Cardinal O'Hara High School in his hometown. He was an English major at Penn and still resides in Havertown."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Karl Chandler

Center
No. 61
Princeton
"Signed as a free agent after an impressive performance in a preseason tryout camp at Fordham, Chandler proved to be a valuable addition in his rookie season. When starter Bob Hyland was injured in the season opener, Chandler stepped right in alongside rookie guards John Hicks and Tom Mullen and did a solid job. All told, he started four games during the season and appeared in all 14 as a special teams player as well. Line coach Ray Wietecha feels Chandler has top potential.
Chandler earned varsity letters in both football and wrestling at Princeton, playing offensive tackle with the Tigers. In wrestling, Karl had an imposing record, losing only two matches in three years and setting Princeton records for points scored, career.
Karl was born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania and starred at Newton High School in Newton Square, PA where he still resides. He is a fine handball and squash player, likes to sail and plans on entering the construction engineering business after his football career."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Bobby Brooks

Cornerback
No. 37
Bishop
"The No. 11 draft choice in 1974, Brooks came to the Giants on the recommendation of scout Emlen Tunnell who was impressed with his size and potential. Bobby won himself a spot in the training camp and came up with a 26-yard interception for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers in preseason play.
During the regular season, he was a key man on special teams and also got in some playing time at the right corner. Bobby had five kickoff returns for 106 yards and also returned a punt nine yards. He's expected to make a strong bid for a starting cornerback job this season.
Brooks was a safetyman for three seasons at Bishop, earning his good ratings for hitting ability and strength as well as for his good speed in covering opponents' top receivers. He was clocked in 4.7 for the 40 while in college.
Bobby was born in Dallas and played his high school sports at I.M. Terrell High School in Big D. He still resides in Dallas during the off-seasons."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Pete Athas

Cornerback-Punt Returner
No. 45
Tennessee
"Athas came to the Giants as a free agent prior to the 1971 season and won a spot as a defensive back and return man. He's been the starting left cornerback since and led the club in interceptions in 1973 with five for 52 yards returned, and in punt returns with 20 for 153 yards.
Pete also shared the club lead in interceptions in 1972 with four, and of his 13 interceptions in four years, one went for a touchdown- a 37-yard return against Dallas in 1971. The Cowboys had drafted Athas No. 10 in 1969, but released him during the preseason. He spent the next two seasons in the Continental League, winning All-League honors twice.
Athas had an extremely brief collegiate career, first at Dade Junior College in Miami and then at Tennessee where he played just one season of freshman football after going out for the team without the benefit of a scholarship. He had three interceptions against the Georgia frosh in his very first game.
Pete was born in Hackensack, New Jersey and later moved to Miami where he starred in all sports at Edison High School. He resides in Miami."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Vinnie Swerc

Administrative Assistant
"A retired sales and purchasing executive, Vinnie Swerc has been affiliated with the Giants since the 1933 season ... giving him four decades of being around the club. During that period, Swerc has assisted in many ways, initially working in the clubhouse on game days and assisting on the field, and now as a full-time administrative assistant at the club's Pace University training facility where he assists in such areas as preparation of contracts, purchasing of orders and public relations, as well as continuation of his game day work.
Vinnie is a native of Elm Park, Staten Island, graduated from Port Richmond High School there and played on championship basketball teams on Staten Island for several years thereafter. His arrival with the Giants in 1933 coincided with that of Ken Strong, the NYU All-American. Swerc served for many years as the head of sales and as a purchasing agent for George H. McFaddon Cotton Merchants in New York until his retirement in 1972.
Vinnie lives in Port Richmond and his favorite pastime, other than the Giants, is travel, particularly in the Caribbean area."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Julius Horai

Administrative Assistant
"A key man at the Giants' training facility operation at Pace University in Westchester County, NY is Julius 'Whitey' Horai who has been associated with the club since 1954. Whitey handles a myriad of details at the training complex, including maintenance of fields, buildings, grounds and equipment as well as serving as the coordinator of transportation and film exchanges. He's also a familiar figure on the sidelines during games.
A native of Richmond, Staten Island, Whitey graduated from Curtis High School there, then went on to Wagner College where he worked for the athletic department as equipment and field maintenance man under Jim Lee Howell. When Jim Lee came to the Giants as head coach in 1954, Horai also came in a part time capacity, then joined the club full time in 1970. Whitey still resides on Staten Island."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Sid Moret

Equipment Manager-Assistant Trainer
"For the past 26 years, Sid Moret has been an invaluable contributor to the behind-the-scenes operations of the New York Giants. He has filled a variety of necessary roles, including equipment manager, assistant trainer and director of clubhouse morale. Sid, a New Yorker all the way (via Brooklyn, that is), is a product of New York University.
He joined the staff of the Giants in 1949 (the same year as co-trainer John Johnson) and assumed the dual role of equipment man and part-time trainer. Moret worked with the NYU Athletic Association after leaving school and, during World War II, he was associated with the Gene Tunney physical fitness program in the U.S. Navy (1943-45). In 1946-47, Sid was introduced to professional sports as trainer for the Brooklyn Dodgers of the old All-America Conference. Prior to joining the Giants, Brooklyn-born Moret handled the training chores for Brooklyn College (1948-49).
At various times, Sid has also served as trainer for basketball teams visiting Madison Square Garden."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Jerry Shay

Scout
"Former Giants defensive tackle Jerry Shay serves as the Giants' scout in the Western States area, including the West Coast and several other states such as Wyoming, Montana and the Dakotas. A native of Gary, Indiana, the 31-year-old Shay played for the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and Giants before a broken leg in the final game of the 1970 season ended his career.
A 6-3, 250-pounder, Jerry was the Vikings' No. 1 draft choice in 1966 after an All-Star career at Purdue. He played two years with the Vikings, then was traded to the Falcons in 1968 where he was a starting tackle for two years. Jerry came to the Giants in 1970 and was a starter for all of that season, a 9-5 year for the Giants. He never fully recovered from the broken leg and retired after the 1971 season in which he appeared in only six games, and has served as a scout since 1972.
An All-American for two years at Purdue, Jerry was born in Gary into a family named Dzedzeji (since changed to Shay.)"

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Roosevelt Brown

Scout
"Roosevelt's appointment to the Giants' scouting staff in 1971 signaled the beginning of yet another era in his outstanding career with the New York ball club. From 1953 through 1965, Rosey ranked as one of the all-time great offensive linemen in the National Football League. He was a big, fast, wide-ranging tackle who earned All-Pro honors six times, was selected to play in the Pro Bowl on eight occasions, and in 1956 was voted Lineman of the Year in the NFL. When a phlebitis condition forced him to retire in 1966, Brown was immediately named assistant line coach by the Giants, a post he held until 1969 when he became head line coach, replacing Jim Trimble.
In 1971 Brown, along with another coaching aide, Ken Kavanaugh, left Alex Webster's staff to assume new responsibilities under Jim Lee Howell, his onetime coach, in the scouting department. Rosey, now 44, is a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey but spends a good deal of his time on the road in search of fresh talent for the Giants."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Ken Kavanaugh

Scout
"Ken Kavanaugh, one of the most famous names in National Football League history, joined the Giants' scouting staff in 1971 and brought with him a wealth of experience as both a professional player and a coach. Actually, Kavanaugh moved into the Giants' scouting department from the coaching staff, where he had been offensive end coach from 1955-68 and offensive coach from 1969-70, a total of 16 years under three head coaches, Jim Lee Howell (his current scouting superior), Allie Sherman and Alex Webster. Prior to becoming a Giant aide, the Pro Football Hall of Fame end had spent one season (1951) as end coach for his old club, the Chicago Bears, and one season (1954) at Villanova in his hometown of Philadelphia.
As a player, Ken was one of the Bear greats. He starred at end in 1940-41, left for an Air Force tour of duty and returned to make All-Pro again in 1946-47. At LSU, Kavanaugh was a four-year regular (1936-40), twice earning All-American honors."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Pop Ivy

Scout
"With the start of the 1972 NFL season, Frank (Pop) Ivy began his second tour of duty as a scout for the Giants. A veteran of head coaching assignments in three major professional leagues (NFL, AFL and Canada), Ivy first joined the New York organization as defensive line coach in 1965. He held that post through the 1966 season and then left to head up scouting operations in the Southwest. Coach Alex Webster talked Pop back into coaching in 1971 and he returned to New York from his home in Norman, Oklahoma to tutor the offensive line. Now, for the second time in his Giant career, the veteran football man is once again the club's chief talent hunter in the Southwest.
Ivy has a broad background in pro football. He was head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos in Canada (1954-57), head coach of the Chicago Cardinals in the NFL (1958-61) and then head coach of the Houston Oilers of the AFL (1962-63). An All-American college player at the University of Oklahoma, Pop saw NFL service as an end with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Cardinals."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Harry Buffington

Scout
"During his 35-odd years in football, Harry Buffington has gained wide experience on virtually every level of the game, experience that he now brings to the Giants' scouting department. In his time, the Pryor, Oklahoma native has been a player, coach, scout, recruiter and personnel expert.
His professional playing experience includes one year with the Giants (1942) when he played running back, guard and linebacker; and three years with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the AAC (1946-48). As a collegian, Harry was an all-conference wingback and blocking back for three years at Oklahoma A & M. He received a Master's Degree in secondary school administration there in 1947.
Buffington was head coach and athletic director at Austin College in Texas from 1951-54, and from 1955-62 was defensive coach at Oklahoma State. He filled the same role at Texas Tech in 1963 and then coached the defense for the Edmonton Eskimos in Canada (1964-65). Since 1966, Harry has been an area scout with CEPO."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Dave Patton

Trainer
"The newest member of the Giants' training staff is 25-year-old Dave Patton who joined the staff last year after serving for two years as the assistant athletic trainer at West Point.
Born in Indianapolis, Dave was a defensive back at North Central High School until an illness curtailed his gridiron activities. He then got into the training field while still in high school, working with the school's trainer who had previously worked at Cincinnati University. Dave continued his education and training internship at Muskingum College in Ohio, working with all the teams at that college until his graduation. While at Muskingum, he was selected as the trainer for the All-Star Shrine Bowl game in Ohio.
After graduation, Dave served in the Army and was assigned as an enlisted man to West Point where he continued his chosen field of work, and he continued for two more years as assistant trainer at West Point for the varsity football and hockey teams until joining the Giants on a full-time basis last year. Dave still lives in Highland Falls, New York."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: John Johnson

Trainer
"John Johnson, a graduate of the Swedish Institute of Physical Therapy, has been a trainer for the Giants for the past 23 years, and during this period has also served as head trainer and physical instructor at Manhattan College.
After serving an internship period at Brooklyn Jewish and Long Island College Hospitals (1937-38), Johnson worked as a physical trainer for the Bedford YMCA and then, from 1942-46, was in charge of physical therapy and rehabilitation at a U.S. Air Force base hospital. His service hitch included duty as a physical therapy instructor, athletic trainer for post teams and as an air-sea rescue medic. From 1946-47, John was a civilian athletic trainer at the U.S. Naval Preflight School at Ottumwa, Iowa.
A member of the Eastern and National Athletic Trainers' Associations as well as the National Physical Therapy Association, Johnson has also served as a trainer for visiting teams at Madison Square Garden (1954-63). He lives in Cresskill, New Jersey."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: John Dziegiel

Physical Fitness Director
"John Dziegiel, one of the best known and widely respected trainers in the sports field, has a career that dates back over 40 years to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
John started in 1928 by assisting the regular West Point trainers with rubdowns; in 1930, he became a full-time assistant trainer and stayed at The Point until 1944. From 1946 through 1967, Dziegiel was head trainer at Fordham University, dividing his time between Rose Hill and Yankee Stadium, where he was co-trainer, along with John Johnson, for the Football Giants, a post he acquired in 1956.
An acknowledged authority on sports injuries and treatment, John helped found the National Association of Athletic Trainers and is also active in the Eastern Athletic Trainers' Association. He and his family live in Nanuet, New York.
Dziegiel now devotes his full time and energies to a year-round physical training and conditioning program for the Giants. Players living in the New York metropolitan area work regularly with John in the off-season."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide

1975 Profile: Dr. Rudy Bono

Team Physician
"As they say, Dr. Rudy Bono had a 'tough act to follow' when he joined the medical staff of the New York Giants back in 1967 as the successor to Dr. Francis J. Sweeney, who had died the previous year. Doc Sweeney had been with the ball club for over 35 years and was something of a walking legend in the NFL, and his shoes would be hard to fill. But in the ensuing years, Rudy Bono has left his own mark on the Giants and is now regarded as one of the top team physicians in the league.
The 46-year-old resident of Englewood, New Jersey forms one half of the Giants' medical team. He is responsible for the general health problems of players and coaches while his colleague, Dr. Ray Cunneff, concerns himself with the orthopedic problems.
Dr. Bono received a B.S. from Union College in 1950 and his M.D. from Albany Medical College in 1954. He did his surgical internship at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York City from 1954-55 and then served for three years as a Navy Lieutenant (1955-57). In 1965, he became Associate Attending Surgeon At St. Vincent's, and the same year was appointed Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at the New York University-Bellevue Medical Center."

-1975 New York Giants Media Guide