Archived Thread

Friday Reading

Defenderdawg : 1/13/2017 8:19 am

Code:

 
"On being drafted by the Giants: �They called me. I said, �Why would you want me, you just took Tucker Fredrickson in the first round? He�s a fullback. I was supposedly going to be the first pick of the Buffalo Bills to replace Cookie Gilchrist, an aging fullback. At any rate, I asked that question and Mr. (Wellington) Mara said, �We expect to play Tucker at halfback and you at fullback.� So I said, �I understand now.� And then he said, �Where are you on the money angle? I know you�re being looked at by somebody in the AFL.� I said, �Yeah, I�m supposedly the first pick of the Bills.� It didn�t turn out that I was because I signed with the Giants before the (AFL) draft. At any rate, I said, �I�m at three years on a no-cut and I�m over $100,000 on the package.� Mr. Mara said, �No problem. We can compete with that.�

On his rookie year with the Giants: �I went to the College All-Star Game after graduating from Yale and had a really good game. Scored a touchdown and kicked a field goal or extra point or whatever. Then I came to the Giants� camp and found myself right behind the No. 1 pick in the league, which was Tucker. So I was misled, not by Mr. Mara, but by Allie Sherman, who had misled Mr. Mara. At any rate, that didn�t start the relationship very well with Allie Sherman. I was also somewhat injured that year with a groin pull. I didn�t play much and Tucker did.�

On his second year with the Giants: �(Fredrickson) got hurt and I played. I led the team in rushing in �66, even though I suffered some injuries at the end of the year and missed games.�

On what led to him being cut by the Giants in 1967: �I come to camp ready to compete for the starting job again and I wasn�t really in competition. They were definitely going to play the first guy. So I was unhappy. Then somebody was hurt in the last exhibition game and coach came to me and said, �I�ve got to get a middle linebacker. I can put you through waivers because you�re no-cut and your salary,� -- it was 25 grand a year -- �is really high. No one will take you off waivers this close to the first game, but you�ll have to stick around until I decide what to do with you or whatever.� I didn�t want to do that.�

On playing minor league or semipro ball at that point: �There was a team right where I lived, in the Atlantic Coast Football League, called the Westchester Bulls. I wanted to stay ready, stay in condition and game shape, and I went down there and played for two or three weeks. Sherman called me back up again. He wanted me to come up as a kicker. I got back on the team and missed a field goal. I hadn�t been kicking since college and that wasn�t what I wanted to do to begin with. So the whole thing went south again.�

On his offers from Washington and Green Bay: �Now, I decided I can�t play for the Giants anymore. I had no other choices. I didn�t know anybody in the league except for the man who coached me in the All-Star Game, Otto Graham. I called Coach Graham. I said, �I�m available if you�re interested.� So I went down to Washington, worked out for them and was about to sign when Coach Lombardi called on a Sunday night. Actually, Mr. Mara called me and said, �Have you signed?� He was aware that I was with Washington and said, �Have you signed with Washington?� I said, �No sir.� He said, �Well, I�m on the phone with Coach Lombardi and he wants to talk to you.� The next call I got was Vince Lombardi. He said, �If you haven�t signed with those guys, I�d love for you to come up and play for us, and if you do, you�ll help us win another championship. We just had two players injured. We really need you and think what you could bring us will be enough for us to win another championship.� I got off the phone and told my wife, �Unpack the car. We�re not going to Washington. We�re going to the world champion Green Bay Packers..."

http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-cliffs-notes/article-1/Chuck-Merceins-Ice-Bowl-memories/e4c3a9af-dc46-45a3-8335-9bbf7fd1d381

Nightengale USA Today: Bo Jackson's startling hindsight: 'I would have never played football'
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2017/01/12/bo-jackson-football-cte-mlb/96492338/

Giants Birthdays 1-13

Clarence Childs CB/HB/KR UDFA-Florida A& M 1962 NYG Taxi Squad 1963 NYG 1964-1967 1-13-1938

That Buffalo News interview with the Pegulas

Bobby Humphrey's Earpad : 1/13/2017 9:28 am : link

is a trip.

CBS mock

The_Boss : 1/13/2017 9:47 am : link

Had NYG taking Christian McCaffrey.

RB's with speed always seem to be noteworthy.

Brown Recluse : 1/13/2017 10:00 am : link

Wonder what happens with this Virgies guy.