Giants’ Roosevelt Brown, Mel Hein named to NFL 100 All-Time Team

Retired New York Giants linemen Roosevelt Brown and Mel Hein have been named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team.

Already this year, two retired members of the New York Giants — linebacker Lawrence Taylor and cornerback Emlen Tunnell — have been named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team. And on Friday, the duo were joined by another pair of ex-Giants.

Offensive linemen, Pro Football Hall of Famers and Giants legends, Roosevelt Brown and Mel Hein, were also named to the exclusive one-time-only team, bringing Big Blue’s player total to four.

A little bit on Brown:

From the Giants:

Regarded as one of the best steals in draft history, Brown played for the Giants from 1953 through 1965 after joining the team as a 27th-round choice. Brown held the starting tackle spot for 13 straight seasons. During that period, he was named to the Pro Bowl nine times and was selected All-NFL eight consecutive seasons. In 1956, when the Giants won the league title, Brown was named Lineman of the Year by the Associated Press.

Brown was a big, strong blocker who had the speed to make a block downfield. He was also used along the defensive front on goal-line stands. Brown helped the Giants advance to the NFL Championship Game in 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1963. After his playing career, Brown continued his Giants affiliation as a coach before being appointed as a scout.

A little bit on Hein:

From the Giants:

Hein joined the Giants in 1931 and played 15 seasons, a team record matched only by Phil Simms, Michael Strahan and, most recently, Eli Manning. He was named All-NFL eight consecutive years from 1933-40. Following a successful college career at Washington State, Hein wrote to three NFL clubs offering his services. He joined the Giants after the team submitted the highest salary bid at $150 per game. Hein, the quintessential two-way player, was a 60-minute regular for 15 years, playing in 170 games at center and linebacker. He never missed a game in high school, college or the NFL. Hein took time out only in two games and was injured only once. He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1938 after anchoring a line that helped guide the Giants to the NFL Championship with a 23-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the Polo Grounds.

“Hein was a very interesting two-way player,” said Bill Belichick, who co-hosts the NFL 100 All-Time Team series. “He was probably the most accurate snapper certainly in his era. Defensively, he played linebacker and ran well. I think he was actually a better defensive player than an offensive player even though he is talked about as the greatest center of all time. It was all about being a two-way player.”

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