SAM HUFF
Middle Linebacker
No. 70
West Virginia
"'Football is a game of body contact,' says Sam Huff of the New York Giants. 'You either love it or you don't. There's no in-between.' The 28-year-old graduate of West Virginia obviously thrives in the rugged world of pro football.
At 6'1" and 230 pounds, Huff is dwarfed by some opponents, but he's made the All-Pro team four times during his seven seasons in the NFL and has the reputation of being one of the roughest defensive players in the game.
'You play as hard and tough as you can,' says Huff, 'but you play clean. Any guy who doesn't want to hit hard doesn't belong in it. The football field is no place for a cry-baby.'
Huff's number one target is the enemy quarterback.
'I rap him every chance I get,' he says. 'He's the brains of the club. Knock him out clean and hard early in the game and you'll have an easy afternoon.'
Sam considers Cleveland fullback Jimmy Brown one of the toughest men to stop. He always tries to hit him low. On the other hand, outstanding runners like Jon Arnett of the Rams and Baltimore's Lenny Moore will often slip away from a low tackle and have to be hit high.
A keen student of football, Huff, in the opinion of Giants' coach Allie Sherman, 'knows as much, if not more, about middle linebacking than any man in the game.'
'I like to get right inside their helmets,' says Sam, 'and think like they do. It's too late to tackle a man after he's made his move. You've got to get the job done before he makes his move.'
'Speed is the difference between a middle linebacker and a defensive tackle,' says Huff. 'The linebacker has to be fast enough to cover a back going downfield for a short pass, and he has to be strong enough to fight off blockers who are as big as he is - or bigger - and then have the muscle to bring down a guy like Jimmy Brown or Jim Taylor.'
Born in the coal country of West Virginia, where his father was a miner, Sam has worked hard for his success."
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
TOM SCOTT
Linebacker
No. 82
Virginia
Tom has shown the great speed and power to be deemed one of the hardest tacklers in the league. He played all 14 games in the successful Giant defense of the Eastern crown. In 1961, Tom returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown in an important late-season Giant win.
Tom was twice selected All-Pro as a defensive end for the Eagles and has been become a vital cog in the Giant defense as a linebacker.
BILL WINTER
Linebacker
No. 31
St. Olaf
"The roughest position for a rookie is linebacker. Bill Winter got his NFL baptism as a Giant corner linebacker in 1962 and succeeded because he wouldn't let himself fail. He has the physical attributes; now he must acquire a broader scope of the game.
Born in Milbank, South Dakota, Bill was a fullback and linebacker at St. Olaf, where he made Little All-American."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
1963 Profile: Jim Patton
Safety
No. 20
Mississippi
"The Giants' defensive backfield coach doesn't have to tell his charges how to do the job. All they have to do is watch him. He's Jimmy Patton who doubles as possibly the best safetyman in the NFL. The most aggressive secondary man on the club, he's vicious in his desire to get the job done. A dangerous runner, he had seven interceptions in 1962, 11 in 1958 (to lead the NFL).
Jimmy lives in Greenville, Mississippi and was a three-sport star at Ole Miss."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Lean and limber Jimmy Patton is a standout performer in the age of the pro football specialist. As roving safetyman for the New York Giants, Patton usually has to pick up the deep receiver, a tricky, nimble speedster who can be a touchdown threat on almost play. But not many of them can out-sprint Jimmy, who ran the 100-yard dash in 9.9 seconds during his student days at Mississippi.
'In addition to his speed,' says Giant coach Allie Sherman, 'Patton has the experience to anticipate passing situations. He's familiar with the opposition and he's learned most of the tricks a good safety man needs.'
What are some of these tricks? Patton divulges one trade secret when he admits he watches a spot near the receiver's wishbone because it will turn when the man turns and cuts.
'That split second,' declares Jimmy, 'is when you have to react - and fast.'
When it comes to tackling a shifty powerhouse like Cleveland's Jimmy Brown, Patton aims for the belt buckle because even the trickiest runner can't wiggle his belt buckle.
A midget by pro standards at 5'10" and 175 pounds, Patton used to meet opposing ball-carriers head on - a hazardous occupation in the long run for a little guy. Former Giant coach Jim Lee Howell taught Patton how to tackle from an angle so that his body wouldn't absorb the explosive impact of the direct approach.
When Patton first joined the Giants in 1955 they often used him as a specialist in returning punts and kickoffs. On one occasion, against the Redskins, he picked up a kickoff on his two and streaked 98 yards for a touchdown. But today New York's All-Pro safety man is used only on defense. In the words of coach Sherman: 'We don't like to risk Patton. We need him too much at safety.'
The 30-year-old veteran also serves as an assistant coach.
'My coaching is strictly on weekdays,' Jimmy grins. 'On Sunday I concentrate on playing. It's more fun.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
No. 20
Mississippi
"The Giants' defensive backfield coach doesn't have to tell his charges how to do the job. All they have to do is watch him. He's Jimmy Patton who doubles as possibly the best safetyman in the NFL. The most aggressive secondary man on the club, he's vicious in his desire to get the job done. A dangerous runner, he had seven interceptions in 1962, 11 in 1958 (to lead the NFL).
Jimmy lives in Greenville, Mississippi and was a three-sport star at Ole Miss."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Lean and limber Jimmy Patton is a standout performer in the age of the pro football specialist. As roving safetyman for the New York Giants, Patton usually has to pick up the deep receiver, a tricky, nimble speedster who can be a touchdown threat on almost play. But not many of them can out-sprint Jimmy, who ran the 100-yard dash in 9.9 seconds during his student days at Mississippi.
'In addition to his speed,' says Giant coach Allie Sherman, 'Patton has the experience to anticipate passing situations. He's familiar with the opposition and he's learned most of the tricks a good safety man needs.'
What are some of these tricks? Patton divulges one trade secret when he admits he watches a spot near the receiver's wishbone because it will turn when the man turns and cuts.
'That split second,' declares Jimmy, 'is when you have to react - and fast.'
When it comes to tackling a shifty powerhouse like Cleveland's Jimmy Brown, Patton aims for the belt buckle because even the trickiest runner can't wiggle his belt buckle.
A midget by pro standards at 5'10" and 175 pounds, Patton used to meet opposing ball-carriers head on - a hazardous occupation in the long run for a little guy. Former Giant coach Jim Lee Howell taught Patton how to tackle from an angle so that his body wouldn't absorb the explosive impact of the direct approach.
When Patton first joined the Giants in 1955 they often used him as a specialist in returning punts and kickoffs. On one occasion, against the Redskins, he picked up a kickoff on his two and streaked 98 yards for a touchdown. But today New York's All-Pro safety man is used only on defense. In the words of coach Sherman: 'We don't like to risk Patton. We need him too much at safety.'
The 30-year-old veteran also serves as an assistant coach.
'My coaching is strictly on weekdays,' Jimmy grins. 'On Sunday I concentrate on playing. It's more fun.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
1963 Profiles: Andy Robustelli and Jim Katcavage
ANDY ROBUSTELLI
Defensive End
No. 81
Arnold
In just over a decade of two-platoon football in the pros, the New York Giants have fielded the most feared and respected defense in the pros, truly a winning tradition in Yankee Stadium. No man represents such sustained excellence as does Andy Robustelli. And no man has so earned the admiration of New York's sophisticated football fans, who certainly appreciate good defense.
Andy won the Bert Bell Award last year as NFL Player of the Year, an honor most richly deserved, as New York won yet another NFL East title. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection and six-time All-Pro has played every game for the Giants since arriving for their NFL championship season of 1956.
Still one of the greatest outside pass-rushers, Andy leads the Giants' defense of the East pennant and the pursuit of the NFL championship.
JIM KATCAVAGE
Defensive End
No. 75
Dayton
"The most consistent of the Giants' defensive Fearsome Foursome is Jim Katcavage. The Kat is the team's best pass-rusher. This Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) defensive end is so aggressive that he usually gets his way against bigger offensive tackles. He can play defensive tackle, too.
He was a two-way end at the U. of Dayton. In the scrap-metal business in Philadelphia during the off-season, Jim is an eight-year man with the Giants."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"'You play pressures,' confides Jim Katcavage of the New York Giants. 'You just play the pressures. It's an instinctive sort of thing. Right after you move across the line, you feel if there is pressure. If there is none, I'm suspicious and I cover to the inside to guard against a trap.'
Experience has been a good teacher for the All-Pro defensive end who first joined the Giants in 1956. In those days Katcavage used brute strength - blast through the opposition, bring him down with sheer power. He used to boast: 'I really haven't found anybody who can overpower me.'
This technique enabled Jim to hold down a starting post as defensive end with the Giants, but it kept him from realizing his true potential. Overeager, he was often trapped by his opponents.
'It wasn't until he learned how to vary his charge and use his feet better that he reached his real potential,' comments Andy Robustelli, veteran New York defensive end and assistant coach.
The 28-year-old Katcavage credits Robustelli with teaching him a lot of the tricks of the pro football lineman's trade. Now he keeps the enemy guessing by plowing straight ahead on one play, then hitting and sliding to the inside on another.
An outstanding high school athlete in Philadelphia, Katcavage attended the University of Dayton where he won All-America recognition. The Giants selected Jim as their fourth choice in the pro draft at the end of the 1955 college season. The 6'3", 240-pound end became a regular in his rookie season, a stalwart figure in the superb New York defensive forward wall which includes Robustelli, Rosey Grier and Dick Modzelewski. Says coach Allie Sherman: 'These four fellows have played almost every minute of every game for the past seven years.
'Katcavage,' Sherman continues, 'always had the ability to be great, but in the past few seasons he has gained a feel for defense that makes him one of the best ends in the game.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
"Jim has kept improving as a Giant until he is now one of the NFL's top defensive ends. A co-captain on the Dayton football team, Jim was the Giants' No. 4 draft choice in 1956."
-1963 Topps No. 55
Defensive End
No. 81
Arnold
In just over a decade of two-platoon football in the pros, the New York Giants have fielded the most feared and respected defense in the pros, truly a winning tradition in Yankee Stadium. No man represents such sustained excellence as does Andy Robustelli. And no man has so earned the admiration of New York's sophisticated football fans, who certainly appreciate good defense.
Andy won the Bert Bell Award last year as NFL Player of the Year, an honor most richly deserved, as New York won yet another NFL East title. The seven-time Pro Bowl selection and six-time All-Pro has played every game for the Giants since arriving for their NFL championship season of 1956.
Still one of the greatest outside pass-rushers, Andy leads the Giants' defense of the East pennant and the pursuit of the NFL championship.
JIM KATCAVAGE
Defensive End
No. 75
Dayton
"The most consistent of the Giants' defensive Fearsome Foursome is Jim Katcavage. The Kat is the team's best pass-rusher. This Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) defensive end is so aggressive that he usually gets his way against bigger offensive tackles. He can play defensive tackle, too.
He was a two-way end at the U. of Dayton. In the scrap-metal business in Philadelphia during the off-season, Jim is an eight-year man with the Giants."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"'You play pressures,' confides Jim Katcavage of the New York Giants. 'You just play the pressures. It's an instinctive sort of thing. Right after you move across the line, you feel if there is pressure. If there is none, I'm suspicious and I cover to the inside to guard against a trap.'
Experience has been a good teacher for the All-Pro defensive end who first joined the Giants in 1956. In those days Katcavage used brute strength - blast through the opposition, bring him down with sheer power. He used to boast: 'I really haven't found anybody who can overpower me.'
This technique enabled Jim to hold down a starting post as defensive end with the Giants, but it kept him from realizing his true potential. Overeager, he was often trapped by his opponents.
'It wasn't until he learned how to vary his charge and use his feet better that he reached his real potential,' comments Andy Robustelli, veteran New York defensive end and assistant coach.
The 28-year-old Katcavage credits Robustelli with teaching him a lot of the tricks of the pro football lineman's trade. Now he keeps the enemy guessing by plowing straight ahead on one play, then hitting and sliding to the inside on another.
An outstanding high school athlete in Philadelphia, Katcavage attended the University of Dayton where he won All-America recognition. The Giants selected Jim as their fourth choice in the pro draft at the end of the 1955 college season. The 6'3", 240-pound end became a regular in his rookie season, a stalwart figure in the superb New York defensive forward wall which includes Robustelli, Rosey Grier and Dick Modzelewski. Says coach Allie Sherman: 'These four fellows have played almost every minute of every game for the past seven years.
'Katcavage,' Sherman continues, 'always had the ability to be great, but in the past few seasons he has gained a feel for defense that makes him one of the best ends in the game.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
"Jim has kept improving as a Giant until he is now one of the NFL's top defensive ends. A co-captain on the Dayton football team, Jim was the Giants' No. 4 draft choice in 1956."
-1963 Topps No. 55
1963 Profile: Roosevelt Brown
Offensive Tackle
No. 79
Morgan State
"Roosevelt Brown was playing trombone is his high school band when the football coach found better ways to use him. He starred at Morgan State, just made the Giant draft list (No. 27 choice in 1953) and now he's a perennial All-Pro offensive tackle. Just about the fastest tackle off the mark in the league, watch him get those 260 pounds downfield on a punt. Roosevelt's blocking is superb.
He was born in Charlottesville, Virginia."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Rosey Brown is a long-shot gamble that paid off. According to Wellington Mara, New York Giants' vice-president, a newspaper was responsible for the team acquiring one of its greatest lineman.
'We had no advance information on Brown when we attended the 1953 player draft,' says Mara. 'We hadn't even heard a word about him from our scouts or small college coaches. We were through the first 20 rounds when someone opened a copy of the Pittsburgh Courier and we noticed a listing the Negro All-American team for 1953. Brown was one of the tackles so we drafted him in the 27th round.' Since that day nearly ten years ago, the 6'3", 255-pound graduate of Morgan State College in Maryland has been Associated Press Pro Lineman of the Year (1956) and become a steady fixture at offensive tackle on the All-Pro team.
Rosey was only 20 years old and weighed a mere 215 pounds when he joined the Giants at their training camp in 1954. He still had a lot to learn in those days but worked hard and managed to make the team as a rookie. In the words of coach Allie Sherman: 'Brown is a combination of desire and spirit that's hard to beat.'
In addition to his invaluable work on offense, Rosey also spearheads the downfield tacklers on kickoffs and punts, blocks during extra point attempts and is a key defensive bulwark in New York's great goal-line unit.
'Giant fans are well acquainted with Brown's downfield tackling and blocking,' says Sherman. 'But many don't notice the fine work he does on the line of scrimmage. On the basis of his line blocking, Rosey rates right up there with Jack Stroud - one of the best in the business.'
The 31-year-old Brown was co-captain of his college football team and an outstanding heavyweight wrestler.
What's the key to Rosey's ability? According to shrewd Columbia coach Buff Donelli: 'He simply obliterates the opposition. Brown's so fast and strong he doesn't have to worry about blocking angles and that kind of stuff.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
No. 79
Morgan State
"Roosevelt Brown was playing trombone is his high school band when the football coach found better ways to use him. He starred at Morgan State, just made the Giant draft list (No. 27 choice in 1953) and now he's a perennial All-Pro offensive tackle. Just about the fastest tackle off the mark in the league, watch him get those 260 pounds downfield on a punt. Roosevelt's blocking is superb.
He was born in Charlottesville, Virginia."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Rosey Brown is a long-shot gamble that paid off. According to Wellington Mara, New York Giants' vice-president, a newspaper was responsible for the team acquiring one of its greatest lineman.
'We had no advance information on Brown when we attended the 1953 player draft,' says Mara. 'We hadn't even heard a word about him from our scouts or small college coaches. We were through the first 20 rounds when someone opened a copy of the Pittsburgh Courier and we noticed a listing the Negro All-American team for 1953. Brown was one of the tackles so we drafted him in the 27th round.' Since that day nearly ten years ago, the 6'3", 255-pound graduate of Morgan State College in Maryland has been Associated Press Pro Lineman of the Year (1956) and become a steady fixture at offensive tackle on the All-Pro team.
Rosey was only 20 years old and weighed a mere 215 pounds when he joined the Giants at their training camp in 1954. He still had a lot to learn in those days but worked hard and managed to make the team as a rookie. In the words of coach Allie Sherman: 'Brown is a combination of desire and spirit that's hard to beat.'
In addition to his invaluable work on offense, Rosey also spearheads the downfield tacklers on kickoffs and punts, blocks during extra point attempts and is a key defensive bulwark in New York's great goal-line unit.
'Giant fans are well acquainted with Brown's downfield tackling and blocking,' says Sherman. 'But many don't notice the fine work he does on the line of scrimmage. On the basis of his line blocking, Rosey rates right up there with Jack Stroud - one of the best in the business.'
The 31-year-old Brown was co-captain of his college football team and an outstanding heavyweight wrestler.
What's the key to Rosey's ability? According to shrewd Columbia coach Buff Donelli: 'He simply obliterates the opposition. Brown's so fast and strong he doesn't have to worry about blocking angles and that kind of stuff.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
Monday, June 2, 2014
1963 Profile: Del Shofner
Split End
No. 85
Baylor
"Any time Del Shofner catches a pass and isn't hit by two men, the defense has made a mistake. He's always double-teamed because of his speed (9.8 for the 100 at Baylor) and ability to break away. This end caught 53 passes for 1,133 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, a remarkable average of 21.4 yards a reception.
Del broke in as a Ram defensive halfback in 1957. The Giants got him in 1960.
Born in Center, Texas, his NFL punting average was almost 43 yards as a Ram."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Off the field Del Shofner of the New York Giants is a soft-spoken, drawling Texan in the Gary Cooper tradition. But in his gridiron working togs the 6'3", 185-pound offensive end is a jet-propelled menace to every defensive back in the NFL. Shofner made all the major All-Pro teams last season as he nabbed 53 passes, good for 1,133 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Giants picked up Shofner in September of 1961 after the Los Angeles Rams gave up on him. Del had been an outstanding end until 1960 when he suffered a pulled muscle just as the season began. He muffed a couple of passes, was promptly benched and never was much use to the lowly Rams again. Giants' coach Allie Sherman was starting his freshman season in 1961 and hard at work revamping the New Yorkers' sluggish offense at their Fairfield, Connecticut training camp.
'Has Shofner still got what it takes?' he asked quarterback Y.A. Tittle, another newcomer to the club.
'He was the best receiver I ever saw when we played in the Pro Bowl a few years ago,' replied Yat. Defensive halfback Dick Lynch chimed in with the information that Shofner caused him as much trouble as any end in the league. A few days later Shofner showed up at camp after an overnight plane trip from Los Angeles. Skinny, and worn out from the journey, he didn't look very impressive. But by season's end he had caught 68 passes, scored 11 touchdowns and gained 1,125 yards. Perhaps more than any other player, his presence ignited the New York offense and brought them the Eastern Conference title.
A native of Center Texas, Shofner starred as a halfback at Baylor, and also was a mainstay on the track and basketball teams. He joined the Rams in 1957 and made the All-Pro team in 1958 and 1959.
What does coach Allie Sherman think of his 28-year-old star? Beams Allie: 'He's the best deep receiver I've ever seen in all my years with the Giants.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
No. 85
Baylor
"Any time Del Shofner catches a pass and isn't hit by two men, the defense has made a mistake. He's always double-teamed because of his speed (9.8 for the 100 at Baylor) and ability to break away. This end caught 53 passes for 1,133 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, a remarkable average of 21.4 yards a reception.
Del broke in as a Ram defensive halfback in 1957. The Giants got him in 1960.
Born in Center, Texas, his NFL punting average was almost 43 yards as a Ram."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Off the field Del Shofner of the New York Giants is a soft-spoken, drawling Texan in the Gary Cooper tradition. But in his gridiron working togs the 6'3", 185-pound offensive end is a jet-propelled menace to every defensive back in the NFL. Shofner made all the major All-Pro teams last season as he nabbed 53 passes, good for 1,133 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Giants picked up Shofner in September of 1961 after the Los Angeles Rams gave up on him. Del had been an outstanding end until 1960 when he suffered a pulled muscle just as the season began. He muffed a couple of passes, was promptly benched and never was much use to the lowly Rams again. Giants' coach Allie Sherman was starting his freshman season in 1961 and hard at work revamping the New Yorkers' sluggish offense at their Fairfield, Connecticut training camp.
'Has Shofner still got what it takes?' he asked quarterback Y.A. Tittle, another newcomer to the club.
'He was the best receiver I ever saw when we played in the Pro Bowl a few years ago,' replied Yat. Defensive halfback Dick Lynch chimed in with the information that Shofner caused him as much trouble as any end in the league. A few days later Shofner showed up at camp after an overnight plane trip from Los Angeles. Skinny, and worn out from the journey, he didn't look very impressive. But by season's end he had caught 68 passes, scored 11 touchdowns and gained 1,125 yards. Perhaps more than any other player, his presence ignited the New York offense and brought them the Eastern Conference title.
A native of Center Texas, Shofner starred as a halfback at Baylor, and also was a mainstay on the track and basketball teams. He joined the Rams in 1957 and made the All-Pro team in 1958 and 1959.
What does coach Allie Sherman think of his 28-year-old star? Beams Allie: 'He's the best deep receiver I've ever seen in all my years with the Giants.'"
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
1963 Profile: Alex Webster
Fullback
No. 29
North Carolina State
"For a halfback who needs most of the summer to get into shape, Alex Webster has no reason for apologies. Big Red led the Giants in 1962 with 743 yards rushing, and his pass receptions added 477 yards. He's really a polished blocker, too.
Alex was born in Kearney, New Jersey and watched Giant games from the bleachers as a youth. He starred as a North Carolina State line-smasher, then played two years in Canada. This is season No. 9 with the Giants."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Every winning pro football team needs a bull-necked fullback to grind out those precious yards for a first down, and the New York Giants have had one of the best human battering rams in the business ever since 225-pound Alex Webster first joined the team in 1955. Webster has never enjoyed the publicity gained by such NFL fullback luminaries as Cleveland's Jim Brown and Jim Taylor of the Green Bay Packers, but in the opinion of Giants' coach Allie Sherman, 'He is one of the greatest clutch runners in the game of football. Alex is the fellow we want carrying the ball when the pressure is on.'
The 32-year-old graduate of North Carolina State has played a major role in New York's 1961 and 1962 Eastern Conference championships. In 1961 he gained 928 yards in 196 carries, finishing third in ground-gaining honors behind Brown and Taylor. He also caught 26 passes, good for 313 yards, and furnished many a key block from his fullback position. Last year Webster's rushing yardage total dropped to 743 in 207 tries but he also snared 47 passes for an additional 477 yards. His career total of 4,340 yards gained rushing puts him in first place among all-time New York Giant backs.
Alex also has scored 49 touchdowns during his eight years with the New Yorkers, more of them from within the five-yard line than any other player in Giant history.
'And it's those last five yards that are always the toughest,' says coach Sherman.
Born and reared in Kearney, New Jersey, Alex was an All-State high school back in 1949. After college he had a brief trial with the Redskins but failed to click with coach Curly Lambeau. However, he did catch on with Montreal, playing Canadian football under the colorful Peahead Walker for two years, tearing the league apart in 1953 and 1954.
Spotted by New York scout Al DeRogatis, Webster joined the Giants in 1955 and has been wearing their red, white and blue to good advantage ever since."
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
No. 29
North Carolina State
"For a halfback who needs most of the summer to get into shape, Alex Webster has no reason for apologies. Big Red led the Giants in 1962 with 743 yards rushing, and his pass receptions added 477 yards. He's really a polished blocker, too.
Alex was born in Kearney, New Jersey and watched Giant games from the bleachers as a youth. He starred as a North Carolina State line-smasher, then played two years in Canada. This is season No. 9 with the Giants."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Every winning pro football team needs a bull-necked fullback to grind out those precious yards for a first down, and the New York Giants have had one of the best human battering rams in the business ever since 225-pound Alex Webster first joined the team in 1955. Webster has never enjoyed the publicity gained by such NFL fullback luminaries as Cleveland's Jim Brown and Jim Taylor of the Green Bay Packers, but in the opinion of Giants' coach Allie Sherman, 'He is one of the greatest clutch runners in the game of football. Alex is the fellow we want carrying the ball when the pressure is on.'
The 32-year-old graduate of North Carolina State has played a major role in New York's 1961 and 1962 Eastern Conference championships. In 1961 he gained 928 yards in 196 carries, finishing third in ground-gaining honors behind Brown and Taylor. He also caught 26 passes, good for 313 yards, and furnished many a key block from his fullback position. Last year Webster's rushing yardage total dropped to 743 in 207 tries but he also snared 47 passes for an additional 477 yards. His career total of 4,340 yards gained rushing puts him in first place among all-time New York Giant backs.
Alex also has scored 49 touchdowns during his eight years with the New Yorkers, more of them from within the five-yard line than any other player in Giant history.
'And it's those last five yards that are always the toughest,' says coach Sherman.
Born and reared in Kearney, New Jersey, Alex was an All-State high school back in 1949. After college he had a brief trial with the Redskins but failed to click with coach Curly Lambeau. However, he did catch on with Montreal, playing Canadian football under the colorful Peahead Walker for two years, tearing the league apart in 1953 and 1954.
Spotted by New York scout Al DeRogatis, Webster joined the Giants in 1955 and has been wearing their red, white and blue to good advantage ever since."
-1963 Official Pro Football Almanac
Sunday, June 1, 2014
1963 Profile: Y.A. Tittle
Quarterback
No. 14
LSU
"Forget the bald head and his 36 years - Yelberton Abraham Tittle, better known as Y.A. or Yat, still has the enthusiasm of a high school boy trying to win his letter.
The Giants' quarterback completed a record 33 touchdown passes in 1962. He was the NFL's No. 2 passer with 3,224 yards and ran for 108 more. (And how he loves to run!) This ex-49er has been a pro 16 years.
Y.A. was born in Marshall, Texas and starred at LSU."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Consider the case of 'Colonel Slick' alias the 'Bald Eagle' and also known as Yelberton Abraham Tittle of the New York Giants. For more years than he cares to remember, Y.A. toiled manfully for also-ran teams in the bone-crunching world of professional football. Then, just at an age when most athletes are contemplating the comforts of a rocking chair or a soft job as a glad-hander for a brewery, Tittle was suddenly thrust into the limelight as first-string quarterback for a team used to winning championships.
The San Francisco 49ers traded Tittle to the Giants in 1961, and for a time Yat, then 34, thought seriously of retiring. But the temptation to aim for a title was too great for a Tittle, and he proceeded to complete 163 out of 285 passes as New York captured the Eastern Conference crown. This past season he connected for an even 200 out of 375 passes attempted, and his 33 touchdown passes set a new NFL record. Once again the Giants topped the Eastern Conference, although they were beaten for the title by the Green Bay Packers - a repeat of the '61 results. This year the Bald Eagle (the top of Tittle's head bears a striking resemblance to a billiard ball) will be out to help the Giants take all the marbles.
The 6', 195-pound quarterback played his college football for Louisiana State, back in the days of World War II. In 1948 Tittle joined the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Conference - a rival pro loop that has since breathed its last. He joined the 49ers in 1951, dislodging the famed Frankie Albert as first-string signal caller the following year. Tittle huffed and puffed for decade with San Francisco, but the best he could show was a tie with Detroit for Western Conference honors in 1957. And the Lions promptly won the playoff game, 31-27.
This season Tittle will be aiming at the NFL championship held by the Packers. Don't bet he won't make it. In the opinion of Hugh McElhenny, a long-time teammate with the 49ers: 'Y.A. is the greatest competitor you ever saw. He likes to win at everything.'"
-1963 Pro Football Almanac
No. 14
LSU
"Forget the bald head and his 36 years - Yelberton Abraham Tittle, better known as Y.A. or Yat, still has the enthusiasm of a high school boy trying to win his letter.
The Giants' quarterback completed a record 33 touchdown passes in 1962. He was the NFL's No. 2 passer with 3,224 yards and ran for 108 more. (And how he loves to run!) This ex-49er has been a pro 16 years.
Y.A. was born in Marshall, Texas and starred at LSU."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"Consider the case of 'Colonel Slick' alias the 'Bald Eagle' and also known as Yelberton Abraham Tittle of the New York Giants. For more years than he cares to remember, Y.A. toiled manfully for also-ran teams in the bone-crunching world of professional football. Then, just at an age when most athletes are contemplating the comforts of a rocking chair or a soft job as a glad-hander for a brewery, Tittle was suddenly thrust into the limelight as first-string quarterback for a team used to winning championships.
The San Francisco 49ers traded Tittle to the Giants in 1961, and for a time Yat, then 34, thought seriously of retiring. But the temptation to aim for a title was too great for a Tittle, and he proceeded to complete 163 out of 285 passes as New York captured the Eastern Conference crown. This past season he connected for an even 200 out of 375 passes attempted, and his 33 touchdown passes set a new NFL record. Once again the Giants topped the Eastern Conference, although they were beaten for the title by the Green Bay Packers - a repeat of the '61 results. This year the Bald Eagle (the top of Tittle's head bears a striking resemblance to a billiard ball) will be out to help the Giants take all the marbles.
The 6', 195-pound quarterback played his college football for Louisiana State, back in the days of World War II. In 1948 Tittle joined the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Conference - a rival pro loop that has since breathed its last. He joined the 49ers in 1951, dislodging the famed Frankie Albert as first-string signal caller the following year. Tittle huffed and puffed for decade with San Francisco, but the best he could show was a tie with Detroit for Western Conference honors in 1957. And the Lions promptly won the playoff game, 31-27.
This season Tittle will be aiming at the NFL championship held by the Packers. Don't bet he won't make it. In the opinion of Hugh McElhenny, a long-time teammate with the 49ers: 'Y.A. is the greatest competitor you ever saw. He likes to win at everything.'"
-1963 Pro Football Almanac
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