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Charlie Conerly appreciaition.

truebluelarry : 5/3/2015 12:42 pm
The first New York quarterback from Ole Miss, the player who began as a Single Wing Tailback and transformed into a T-Formation Quarterback and owned just about every Giants career passing record before Phil Simms came along, and who Wellington Mara referred to many times as "the best player not in the Hall of Fame" and Frank Gifford has stated as being the man most responsible for the Giants 1956 championship.


Conerly gaining ground at Cleveland 10/12/52

He was before my time, who remembers seeing Charlie Conerly play?
The Old Pro featured in 11/27/55 game program - ( New Window )
I did in '56.  
Big Blue '56 : 5/3/2015 1:33 pm : link
Heinrich would generally play the first quarter ostensibly so Conerly could see how things were unfolding..I wasn't yet a fan when Conerly was mercilessly booed by the home crowd in the late '40s, early to mid '50s..

I remember no such behavior towards him during our first year at Yankee Stadium, "my" first championship in '56
I saw Charlie play his entire career with the Giants. Always  
carpoon : 5/3/2015 1:37 pm : link
underrated. Never got his due throughout the league. He was as tough as they come and all about the team and never about himself.
RE: I saw Charlie play his entire career with the Giants. Always  
Big Blue '56 : 5/3/2015 1:39 pm : link
In comment 12268358 carpoon said:
Quote:
underrated. Never got his due throughout the league. He was as tough as they come and all about the team and never about himself.


And a great Marlboro man who out performed Dick Nolan's Camel smoke rings on that sign in Times Square.. :)
I started watching Charlie and the GIANTS in 1955.  
Red Dog : 5/3/2015 1:47 pm : link
My dad and I always thought he was easily the best QB on the GIANTS and one of the better ones in the NFL of the time. We never understood why they ever had Don Heinrich in the game, let alone starting games.

Connerly was tough, durable, a good leader, and a very good passer.

And I agree with The Duke that he should be in the HOF.

isaw Chukin charlie play, my favorite giant. He was a veteran of the  
plato : 5/3/2015 1:49 pm : link
Pacific campaign and therefore cam to the giants older and a shorter career. That and the stupid business of letting him only play 3/4 while Heinrich felt out the first quarter probably cost him the hall of fame statistically wise. Frank Gifford hated the giant head coach who did that and and makes no secret of it to this day.

His wife who gave me an autographed copy of her book became a columnist for ? the News when conerly played and in those days they needed the money and she could write.

Charlie was the first Marlboro man and like almost all of them he died of lung cancer. But he was a great player, great passer and a tough hombre who took his fair share of licks on the field and beofre, who took the giants into the "t" formation and championships, He belongs in the HOF and its a great injustice that he is not in there.
Leaving him out if the HOF  
Big Blue '56 : 5/3/2015 1:52 pm : link
is egregious..In his era, he defined greatness without the stats per se..League MVP in '59(?)...
out of the HOF  
Big Blue '56 : 5/3/2015 1:53 pm : link
.
No new york writers have the guts or the pull to get him in.  
plato : 5/3/2015 1:58 pm : link
that's the "all powerful" NY media for you.
Thanks, great stuff.  
truebluelarry : 5/3/2015 1:58 pm : link
Lombardi called Conerly one of the toughest players he ever coached. There was a game in 1954 or 1955 where Conerly had his nose broken and never missed a snap. He called consecutive time outs while the trainer reset the break on the field.
Conerly Expected to Give Giant Teamr Supremacy in Air June 1948 - ( New Window )
Conerly was also only the third player to exceed 100 touchdown passes  
truebluelarry : 5/3/2015 2:05 pm : link
after Sammy Baugh and Bobby Layne - and he would've been second if not for the rotation with Heinrich.

Conerly was voted to the 1956 Pro Bowl without a single start, which is probably the only time that has ever happened.
Meet hte Rookie of the Year Charlie Conerly April 1949 - ( New Window )
It is amazing that he doesn't even get talked about when local radio  
Elisha10 : 5/3/2015 2:15 pm : link
shows talk about the best players not in the HOF. What other QB with a championship and an MVP is not in the Hall. Not to mention he played with such high profile players and in the so called "Greatest Game Ever Played." I don't think that the Heinrich thing cost him that much, it was only 1,700 yards and 13 TDs in 6 years. He was a HOF finalist 8 times, maybe the Manning family can help him get in eventually. They have quite a connection to him through Ole Miss and Charlie's 22 TD passes as a rookie was a record that stood until 1998 when Peyton broke it while playing 4 more games than Charlie. I have posted this before as well as started other threads about Charlie Conerly and his utter lack of appreciation. So many Giants fans don't even know who he is!!!!!! I recently bought a Conerly jersey on eBay, will go the stadium with it soon.
Original Giants QB from Ole Miss - ( New Window )
BTW  
Elisha10 : 5/3/2015 2:20 pm : link
If anyone has a photo of him from 1961 please let me know. I have a few photos of him, but none with the symbol on the helmet. He still played a little bit in 61. Forgot to mention, YA Tittle is probably why Conerly isn't as appreciated. The offense became so much better with Tittle that it overshadowed Conerly despite the fact that it was Conerly who won the championship.
RE: It is amazing that he doesn't even get talked about when local radio  
truebluelarry : 5/3/2015 2:21 pm : link
In comment 12268421 Elisha10 said:
Quote:
I have posted this before as well as started other threads about Charlie Conerly and his utter lack of appreciation. So many Giants fans don't even know who he is!!!!!! Original Giants QB from Ole Miss - ( New Window )

That is an excellent article, I have a copy in my files and have referred to it during research a few times.
Archie  
DelZotto : 5/3/2015 3:46 pm : link
Manning's Idol, saw him play back in the late 50's.
RE: BTW  
truebluelarry : 5/3/2015 4:03 pm : link
In comment 12268431 Elisha10 said:
Quote:
If anyone has a photo of him from 1961 please let me know. I have a few photos of him, but none with the symbol on the helmet. He still played a little bit in 61. Forgot to mention, YA Tittle is probably why Conerly isn't as appreciated. The offense became so much better with Tittle that it overshadowed Conerly despite the fact that it was Conerly who won the championship.


Game photos of Conerly from 1961 aren't easy to come by, as Tittle took most of the snaps that year.

Here is a good one of them from practice in October.

Ha! Guess what, I did find one.  
truebluelarry : 5/3/2015 4:07 pm : link
And it's from Conerly's last big game as a Giant. He came in relief of Tittle and threw three touchdown passes as the Giants clinched the Eastern Conference 28-24 at Philadelphia.


Giants at Eagles 12/10/61
Link - ( New Window )
1955-56 Is When I Really Became a Fan,  
clatterbuck : 5/3/2015 4:18 pm : link
so I adored Conerly along with the rest of the G-men and the baseball Giants as well. And he should be in the Hall of Fame.
This thread  
Blackbeard : 5/3/2015 4:24 pm : link
brings tears to my eyes.

Will never forget Conerly and Tittle.
One statistical correction:  
truebluelarry : 5/3/2015 4:33 pm : link
Conerly was the third player to throw 100 touchdown passes after Sammy Baugh and Sid Luckman (not Bobby Layne.)

Click the link below for the writeup of Conerly in the Giants 1957 Press and Television Guide.

Conerly at Quarterback 1957 - ( New Window )
he was tough allright  
grizz299 : 5/3/2015 5:16 pm : link
But not in a class with his peers like Unitas, Van Brocklin etc.

That was a great Giant team with all stars at every position. That team should have won more and YA, who was past his prime, provided an upgrade..and maybe that says it all.
PS  
grizz299 : 5/3/2015 5:26 pm : link
That's Chuck Bednarik #60 , looking at Charlie from the MLB'er spot in a game where he played both ways and was their center.
I remember  
Giant John : 5/3/2015 7:41 pm : link
My Dad talking to me about watching him play. Good memorys
I read somewhere that before Eli was drafted,  
Ira : 5/3/2015 8:11 pm : link
Charley Conerly's widow visited Wellington Mara and urged him to draft Eli.
Grizz  
Elisha10 : 5/3/2015 9:17 pm : link
Not too many people are in the same class as Johnny U, but Charlie Conerly's stats are very similar to Norm Van Brocklin and Bobby Lane as well as much better than Bob Waterfield who is also in the HOF. And YA was not past his prime with us, he had the best years of his career with the big blue, SF thought he was past his prime. BTW, I have seen that Conerly pic before, I am looking for one from 1961 that is a solo shot either dropping back or getting ready to pass.
One interesting thing about Waterfield is that he split snaps  
truebluelarry : 5/4/2015 8:05 am : link
for a period of time with Van Brocklin, not unlike Conerly and Heinrich, although the concept was different. It wasn't like one guy started while the other observed the defense, they were regarded more as starting quarterbacks 1 and 1A.
Conerly was one of my early Giants heros.  
Phil in Joisey : 5/4/2015 10:22 am : link
I do remember Heinrich starting and Conerly coming in after the first two offensive series. I also recall thinking it was rather absurd.
However I do not recall Conerly being booed by the home crowd.
Booing your own players wasn't really in vogue back then. My memory is surely not what it used to be, but the first real negativity I remember toward one of our own came in the 60's when the home crowd took out their frustrations on Allie Sherman.
Wrote a lengthy feature on Conerly a while back  
Bluenatic : 5/4/2015 11:52 am : link
.
Link - ( New Window )
RE: Wrote a lengthy feature on Conerly a while back  
truebluelarry : 5/4/2015 12:54 pm : link
In comment 12270001 Bluenatic said:
Quote:
. Link - ( New Window )


Nice work, thanks for sharing.
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