No. 77 – 1956 New York Giants

“We had a coach, Jim Lee Howell, who was a former drill sergeant in the Marines, and he got law and order.” – Frank Gifford

NFL.com: “The 1956 New York Giants beat the Chicago Bears, 47-7, in that year’s NFL Championship game. With Vince Lombardi coaching the offensive side and Tom Landry coaching the defensive side as assistants, the Giants won the NFL’s East Division with an 8-3-1 record. Hall of Fame halfback Frank Gifford led the NFL in yards from scrimmage, with 1,422, while QB Charlie Conerly had a Pro Bowl season. Hall of Fame safety Emlen Tunnell had six interceptions to lead the defense. Future Hall of Famer linebacker Sam Huff made his rookie debut in 1956 while the Giants moved their home games from the Polo Grounds to Yankee Stadium. In their championship win against the Bears, Conerly threw for 195 yards and two touchdowns, and Gifford caught four passes for 131 yards and a touchdown.”

Fennelly: In my many interviews with Giants players and fans from this team and era, this was a magical time for the ‘Jints’ as they were known. It was their first season playing at Yankee Stadium and one of the only seasons they came close to filling it each week. These were the Howell Giants but there no mistaking the influence of two the game’s greatest and iconic coaches, Landry and Lombardi. Fans who can recall this era do it fondly, but it always comes down to the depressing “what if” conversation and how the Maras allowed both of those men to walk away.