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 - (
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I remember no such behavior towards him during our first year at Yankee Stadium, "my" first championship in '56
And a great Marlboro man who out performed Dick Nolan's Camel smoke rings on that sign in Times Square.. :)
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.
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.
Conerly Expected to Give Giant Teamr Supremacy in Air June 1948 - ( New Window )
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 )
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.
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.
Giants at Eagles 12/10/61
Link - ( New Window )
Will never forget Conerly and Tittle.
Click the link below for the writeup of Conerly in the Giants 1957 Press and Television Guide.
Conerly at Quarterback 1957 - ( New Window )
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.
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.
Link - ( New Window )
Nice work, thanks for sharing.