Tag: Mel Hein

Giants players honor Emlen Tunnell, Y.A. Tittle with practice jerseys

New York Giants players continued a new tradition during practice on Wednesday with several wearing Ring of Honor jerseys.

The New York Giants continued a recent tradition under first-year head coach Joe Judge where scout team players get to wear the jerseys of Giants Ring of Honorees. Two weeks go we reported on the first time the Giants did it:

Quarterback Colt McCoy donned the No. 16 jersey belonging to Frank Gifford, while cornerback Jarren Williams wore Mel Hein’s No. 7 and rookie linebacker Carter Coughlin wore Lawrence Taylor’s forever infamous No. 56.Offensive lineman Chad Slade also wore Chris Snee’s No. 76 and defensive lineman David Moa wore George Martin’s No. 75.

On Wednesday, at practice in the snowy confines of the Quest Diagnostics Training Center, there were more old jerseys on display.

Al Blozis was won offensive lineman for the Giants in 1942-43. At 6-foot and 250 pounds he was initially deemed to be too large for military service. But in 1943, Blozis found himself a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He was killed in action in 1945 and his No. 32 was retired by the Giants. Legend has it that Blozis’ name was once on a plaque in centerfield of the Polo Grounds. The plaque was reportedly stolen.

Emlen Tunnell’s career with the Giants is well-documented. A nine-time Pro Bowler who was a member of the 1956 NFL Championship team and who played the last three seasons of his career with Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. His No. 45 is not retired by the Giants.

Y.A. Tittle and Mel Hein’s careers are also well-documented. Tittle only played four seasons for the Giants but what a four seasons they were. His 36 touchdowns passes in 1963 stood as an NFL single season record until 1984 when Miami’s Dan Marino broke it with 48. His No. 14 is co-retired with Ward Cuff.

Hein played center and linebacker for the Giants for 15 seasons (1931-45). He was one of the 17 players indicted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1963. His No. 7 is retired by the Giants.

Dick Lynch was born in Oceanside, New York and began his NFL career in 1958 with the Washington Redskins after attending Notre Dame, where is is a member of their Hall of Fame. He was traded to the Giants in 1959 for fourth round draft pick.

A defensive back, Lynch played eight seasons for the Giants, leading the NFL in interceptions in 1961 and 1963. After misplaying career, Lynch worked as an analyst on Giants radio broadcasts from 1967 until his death in 2008. His No. 22 is not retired.

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See it: Giants players wearing Ring of Honor jerseys in practice

Several New York Giants players took to the field in Ring of Honor jerseys on Wednesday, honoring those that came before them.

The New York Giants returned from their bye on Monday and held their first full team practice on Wednesday, which came with a pretty interesting and unique twist.

In something we can not recall ever seeing before, several Giants players were allowed to practice wearing the jerseys of those who had been enshrined in the Ring of Honor.

Quarterback Colt McCoy donned the No. 16 jersey belonging to Frank Gifford, while cornerback Jarren Williams wore Mel Hein’s No. 7 and rookie linebacker Carter Coughlin wore Lawrence Taylor’s forever infamous No. 56.

Only a specific group of players — “Practice Players of Week 10” — were eligible to wear these unique jerseys and it’s safe to say they all made solid choices.

This is just another clever way head coach Joe Judge educates his players on the history of the New York Giants and incorporates that history into everyday life in East Rutherford.

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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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