who played the game when the players had different outlooks. I didn't realize that he was one of the early Marlboro men in the ads. A retrospective on him on one of the blogs.... Charlie Connerly, a great Giant - ( New Window )
I really want to learn more about the early days of the team. I've been a fan for about 30 years but I really know little about the glory days. It's cool to learn more about guys like Connerly and the teams he played on.
He is the most underated player in the history of New York sports. WHY IS HE NOT IN THE HALL OF FAME!!!!! He was our QB for 14 years, won a championship and an MVP. How many guy with those credentials alone are not in Canton. He also played in 3 other championship games, made a few pro bowls and played in the so called "greatest game ever played." He did not put up the greatest stats, but they were good for his era. He completed over 50 percent of his passes and had more TDs than Ints which a lot of the greats of the 50s did not. His 22 TD passes as a rookie is a record that stood untill 1998 when Peyton broke it with 4 more games to play. In my opionion he gets looked over because of what the YAT offenses did when he took over in 61. However, Conerly played better in the big games. In 3 championship games Conerly's teams put up 80 points, while Tittle's teams scored 10. I consider Conerly to be our second best QB and he does not get the respect he deserves.
could it be that sharing time with Don Heinrich dimmed his HOF appeal? (The Giants routinely used two quarterbacks, I seem to remember, in the late 50's. Am I wrong?)
when Connerly wasn't. Connerly was the heart of his teams and a great player. At least he got to see his Giants win two SBs and would have been happy that another Ole Miss grad took them to victory in a third.
I still remember how he played ... The words Field General to describe QBs could have originated with him or had him as their poster child ... Only adequate skills - good enough not super ... but he knew everything going on the field ... "Hmmm ... That LB lost a cleat and won't be able to cut left well ... so here's the play ..." I recall Heinrich playing only for Charlie to look at the defense to put together his game plan ...
When we got YA ... the QB with all the skills ... Charlie in his last year came in several times to bail a game out ... skills almost gone ... but he still knew what would work ...
Well we have Eli now ... another Ole Miss QB ... making us able now and forever to forget Glynn Griffing ... The QB of the future drafted in 1962 to continue the tradition of Charlie and YA ... It actually took training camp for Sherman to realize that his prize couldn't hit the side of a barn over 10 yards away ...
Our new Ole Miss QB wins Super Bowl(s) ...
so that the Giants could figure out what the defense was doing- usually, took about a quarter.
Then, #42 came in- amazing what he could accomplish in 3 quarters. One of his FBs was Bobby Epps out of Pittsburgh-a little (5'9", 203 lb.) guy. An amazing FB for his size with a tremendous heart- gave way to the much larger Mel Triplett after several years.
Paul Brown of the Browns paid Connerly 2 compliments- you could never "red-dog" ('50s-speak for blitz) him because he got rid of the ball too quickly and no one could throw a ball better in the rain.
Years later, a Giants fan named a very good racehorse, Chaz Connerly in honor of old #42.
The anti-Tiki- Connerly was the Giants QB for a decade, demolished the Bears in the-then SB, called the Championship Game and yet when YAT came on board (traded for Lou Cordileone, a local boy who graduated from St. Michael's HS,)he WILLINGLY became the back-up QB for the sake of the TEAM.
Paul Brown of the Browns paid Connerly 2 compliments- you could never "red-dog" ('50s-speak for blitz) him because he got rid of the ball too quickly and no one could throw a ball better in the rain.
<<<"Paul Brown of the Browns paid Connerly 2 compliments- you could never "red-dog" ('50s-speak for blitz) him because he got rid of the ball too quickly and no one could throw a ball better in the rain.">>>
Steve Owen instituted the first "red-dog" when he assigned tackle Don "Red" Ettinger to roam along the DLS and go through any slot that as maded by the other teams OL agains a Giants' DL. I don't remember who coined the name but that is how the "red dog" or today's"blitz" started.
other wise interesting. any discussion of #41 is great.my favorite giant of all times except perhaps for LT. he was not as big a favorite in new york as you might expect, and the term "chuckin" was used derisively and he was frequently booed unmercifully in the polo grounds and yankee stadium. He was he first "MArlboro man" and as all of them did he too died of lung cancer.
His wife Perian is still alive in oxford. She used to write a column for on of the daily's in new york during the football season, not bad at all. she is a very lovely and ggracious lady and a big fan of eli's. and there is a scholarship fund at the univ of miss. that i contribute to to honor #42, whose jersey i wear. i think it would be great if al giants did that as well. he was a great and "original" giant who should be in the hall of fame
Charles Albert Conerly, Jr.
was 6-1, 185 lbs. & was
born on 9/19/1921, in Clarksdale, MS. I don't recall any question about his age at the time.
Charlie took a terrible beating, while we were trying to establish an OL in his early years as our QB. As a matter of fact, he was sacked between 12 & 15 times by an Eagle known as 'Wild Man' Willey, in a single game in the early fifties.
In order to get a feel for the defense & to keep him from playing an entire game, Charlie often watched the first series or two, while Don Heinrich 'started'. However, as I recall, Charlie was banged up going into the first Bear game & his shortened playing time reflected that fact.
The story in the article of that game was distorted, to say the least. We controled the game, leading 17-3 going into the 4th quarter. Ed Brown hit Harlan Hill with two long scoring bombs to tie the game. (We were 7-24 passing & ran the ball over 50 times.)
As for CC, he was indeed a single wing tailback at Ole Miss, who was tutored on playing the position of QB in the NFL by Allie Sherman in the late 40's. He was 27 in his rookie season & was the object of verbal abuse of many fans in the first part of his career. When we developed an outstanding OL with guys like Brown, Stroud, etc, the play of the entire offense improved, as naturally did
Charlie's. He was a tough as nails guy throughout his career with us & a great gentleman, on & off the field.
Through business connections, I knew the Kinard brothers & Charlie, as a gentleman rancher in the 70's. He was/is an integral part of the Giant legend, who unfortunately will likely never see the Canton Hall of Fame. I'm confident that he will be honored prominently in the new stadium.
article on the 11/25/56 tie game between the Bears & Giants, I was struck by three errors.
The first my own, in forgetting that McCool threw the first bomb to Hill on a flanker option. The second that Maule did not know Conerly's age, when he knew that he served in WW2 as a Marine, returned to Ole Miss as a man & was 27 when he began his NFL career in '48. The last is understandable & necessary, that Charley was banged up going into the game, only played the fourth quarter & only attempted several passes. No reason to publicize an injury to future opponents.
As an aside to the historians in the group, where you aware that Tom Landry piloted the maximum 30 missions over Germany in the war. It was something he rarely disussed, as was Charley's combat service & was something I've always admired about them both. Maule's Article in SI - ( New Window )
I learned a ton about not only Conerly but really all of the Giants teams of the 1950s.
More posts in this Sports Illustrated series to follow.
Next up, Y.A. Tittle.
As far as we were concerned, the game didn't really start until number 42 ran onto the field and took command of the huddle.
When we got YA ... the QB with all the skills ... Charlie in his last year came in several times to bail a game out ... skills almost gone ... but he still knew what would work ...
Well we have Eli now ... another Ole Miss QB ... making us able now and forever to forget Glynn Griffing ... The QB of the future drafted in 1962 to continue the tradition of Charlie and YA ... It actually took training camp for Sherman to realize that his prize couldn't hit the side of a barn over 10 yards away ...
Our new Ole Miss QB wins Super Bowl(s) ...
Then, #42 came in- amazing what he could accomplish in 3 quarters. One of his FBs was Bobby Epps out of Pittsburgh-a little (5'9", 203 lb.) guy. An amazing FB for his size with a tremendous heart- gave way to the much larger Mel Triplett after several years.
Paul Brown of the Browns paid Connerly 2 compliments- you could never "red-dog" ('50s-speak for blitz) him because he got rid of the ball too quickly and no one could throw a ball better in the rain.
Years later, a Giants fan named a very good racehorse, Chaz Connerly in honor of old #42.
The anti-Tiki- Connerly was the Giants QB for a decade, demolished the Bears in the-then SB, called the Championship Game and yet when YAT came on board (traded for Lou Cordileone, a local boy who graduated from St. Michael's HS,)he WILLINGLY became the back-up QB for the sake of the TEAM.
An all-time great Giant.
Steve Owen instituted the first "red-dog" when he assigned tackle Don "Red" Ettinger to roam along the DLS and go through any slot that as maded by the other teams OL agains a Giants' DL. I don't remember who coined the name but that is how the "red dog" or today's"blitz" started.
His wife Perian is still alive in oxford. She used to write a column for on of the daily's in new york during the football season, not bad at all. she is a very lovely and ggracious lady and a big fan of eli's. and there is a scholarship fund at the univ of miss. that i contribute to to honor #42, whose jersey i wear. i think it would be great if al giants did that as well. he was a great and "original" giant who should be in the hall of fame
was 6-1, 185 lbs. & was
born on 9/19/1921, in Clarksdale, MS. I don't recall any question about his age at the time.
Charlie took a terrible beating, while we were trying to establish an OL in his early years as our QB. As a matter of fact, he was sacked between 12 & 15 times by an Eagle known as 'Wild Man' Willey, in a single game in the early fifties.
In order to get a feel for the defense & to keep him from playing an entire game, Charlie often watched the first series or two, while Don Heinrich 'started'. However, as I recall, Charlie was banged up going into the first Bear game & his shortened playing time reflected that fact.
The story in the article of that game was distorted, to say the least. We controled the game, leading 17-3 going into the 4th quarter. Ed Brown hit Harlan Hill with two long scoring bombs to tie the game. (We were 7-24 passing & ran the ball over 50 times.)
As for CC, he was indeed a single wing tailback at Ole Miss, who was tutored on playing the position of QB in the NFL by Allie Sherman in the late 40's. He was 27 in his rookie season & was the object of verbal abuse of many fans in the first part of his career. When we developed an outstanding OL with guys like Brown, Stroud, etc, the play of the entire offense improved, as naturally did
Charlie's. He was a tough as nails guy throughout his career with us & a great gentleman, on & off the field.
Through business connections, I knew the Kinard brothers & Charlie, as a gentleman rancher in the 70's. He was/is an integral part of the Giant legend, who unfortunately will likely never see the Canton Hall of Fame. I'm confident that he will be honored prominently in the new stadium.
Charley Conerly: December 3, 1956 - ( New Window )
The first my own, in forgetting that McCool threw the first bomb to Hill on a flanker option. The second that Maule did not know Conerly's age, when he knew that he served in WW2 as a Marine, returned to Ole Miss as a man & was 27 when he began his NFL career in '48. The last is understandable & necessary, that Charley was banged up going into the game, only played the fourth quarter & only attempted several passes. No reason to publicize an injury to future opponents.
As an aside to the historians in the group, where you aware that Tom Landry piloted the maximum 30 missions over Germany in the war. It was something he rarely disussed, as was Charley's combat service & was something I've always admired about them both.
Maule's Article in SI - ( New Window )