Sunday, January 31, 2016

1976 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 24 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."

-1976 New York Giants Media Guide

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

1976 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."

-1976 New York Giants Media Guide

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

1976 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 47-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."

-1976 New York Giants Media Guide

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

1976 Profile: Dr. Ray Cunneff

Orthopedic Surgeon
"The newest member of the club's staff is Dr. Ray Cunneff of Red Bank, New Jersey who joined the Giants as team orthopedic surgeon prior to the 1974 season. A native of Philadelphia, Ray graduated Cum Laude from St. Joseph College in Philadelphia and from Jefferson Medical College in the same city. After an internship and residency at Jefferson Hospital, Ray served in the Air Force Medical Corps as a Captain in orthopedic surgery at Bolling Air Force Base. After his discharge, he was a resident at New York Orthopedic Hospital.
Dr. Cunneff is currently engaged in his own practice in Red Bank and is also the Director of Orthopedic Surgery at Riverview Hospital in New Jersey as well as being an Associate Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York. He is also President of the New Jersey Orthopedic Society and is a Consultant at both Northern Westchester Hospital and White Plains Hospital in Westchester County.
An avid golfer, Ray is often a guest lecturer at symposiums on sports injuries at various colleges."

-1976 New York Giants Media Guide

Sunday, January 17, 2016

1976 Profile: Joe Sulaitis

Assistant Director of Personnel
"Joe Sulaitis brings to his role of Assistant Director of Personnel a broad football background that includes playing, scouting and coaching.
As a player with the Giants from 1943-45 and again from 1947-53, Joe earned a reputation as one of the most versatile men ever to play the game. He was, at various times, a wingback, end, quarterback (blocking back in the A formation) and guard on offense, while on defense he played defensive end, linebacker and defensive back. At any position, he was known as a tough, aggressive 60-minute football player. After his first three-year stint with the Giants, Joe played one year with the Boston Yanks (1946). He returned to the Giants in 1947 and put in seven more productive seasons before retiring in 1953.
Sulaitis' coaching experience included one year (1943) as head coach of North Arlington (New Jersey) High School and two years (1947-48) as backfield coach at Wagner College under Jim Lee Howell, who later became head coach of the Giants and who is now Joe's immediate superior in the club's scouting division. Sulaitis was in private business from 1953 until 1966, when he rejoined his old ball club as an area scout."

-1976 New York Giants Media Guide

Saturday, January 9, 2016

1976 Profile: John McVay

Research and Development
"The newest member of the Giants staff joined the club in March 1976 after serving as the head coach of the Memphis team of the WFL for two seasons.
The 45-year-old coach was born in Bellaire, Ohio and played his high school football at the famed Massillon High School in Ohio. He then moved on to play his college ball at Miami of Ohio under both Woody Hayes and Ara Parseghian and earned All-Midwest honors as a center. John was team MVP lineman for two years and team captain in 1952.
Following graduation, McVay began his coaching career at Central Catholic High School in Canton, Ohio, compiling a 41-7-2 record there in nine seasons. He moved on to Michigan State as an assistant for three seasons under Duffy Daugherty, then was named head coach at Dayton University. In 1966 the Flyers were 8-2 under McVay, their first winning record in 10 seasons. He served for five years as head coach and then was named Director of Athletics at Dayton in 1972, a position he held until being named head coach at Memphis in 1974. That year, Memphis won 17 regular season games and led the WFL in virtually every offensive category."

-1976 New York Giants Media Guide

Sunday, January 3, 2016

1976 Profile: Jim Trimble

Director of Pro Personnel
"Few men in professional football are better qualified than Jim Trimble to handle the role of Director of Pro Personnel, an assignment he shouldered at the start of the 1969 season when the Giants reorganized their administrative staff. As Director of Pro Personnel, Jim serves as a liaison between coach Bill Arnsparger and club president Wellington Mara, helps coordinate trades, works closely with Jim Lee Howell and members of the scouting staff and generally handles the myriad details and personnel problems that result from the ever widening range of pro football activity.
Whatever the problems, though, it is likely Jim has encountered them somewhere along the line during his 36 years in football. His background in the game is not only broad, it is also very successful. He was head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles (1952-56), the Hamilton Tiger Cats (1956-62) and the Montreal Alouettes (1963-65) and rarely was he ever on the losing side. His NFL record with the Eagles was 27-20-2. In Canada, he compiled an overall record of 77-61-2 and was named Coach of the Year in 1961. Additionally, he served in the dual role of head coach and general manager."

-1976 New York Giants Media Guide