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Y.A. Tittle’s Incomparable 1962 and 1963 Seasons

Eric from BBI : Admin : 4/8/2020 10:11 am
2013 article from Larry that some may have missed...


Y.A. Tittle’s Incomparable 1962 and 1963 Seasons - ( New Window )
YA Tittle was one of my father's favorite players.  
truebluelarry : 4/8/2020 10:34 am : link
When he took my sisters and I to games at Giants Stadium in the early 1980s he'd tell us stories of being at Old Yankee Stadium and Tittle, Gifford, Huff, Webster, Shofner, etc while we were tailgating. There's no doubt he intilled my appreciation for Giants and football history during those tailgates. I never saw Tittle play in person, but in a weird way I feel like I have through his storytelling and many hours of watching NFL films highlights and reading old newspapers.
I read this in 2013  
dune69 : 4/8/2020 10:38 am : link
but loved reading it again. 1962 was the year I fell in love with the Giants, at 7 years old. Tittle and company were terrific in '62 and '63. They had gritty games against the Browns and Bears and the hitting was ferocious, often well after the whistle. Tittle to Shofner, Gifford, and Morrison was magic in those two years and BBI would have been proud. Thanks to Larry for keeping those memories alive for us older guys.

YA was a warrior and I can still see the blood running down his face in that title game. Unfortunately, there was 20 years of misery that ensued but I was smitten as a result of these two years.
I of course saw him in person Larry  
Big Blue '56 : 4/8/2020 10:42 am : link
and I was fortunate enough to get to know him as he lived (part-time) in Sedona whereI lived as well.

Not sure what today’s equivalence is, but can you imagine throwing 36 and 33 TD passes in 14 games in an era where throwing 15-20 was considered a solid/terrific year.

No one in my lifetime threw a screen pass as well as YAT and very few had as golden a soft touch on the long ball as he did.
nice -  
Del Shofner : 4/8/2020 11:23 am : link
Next was a trade for a receiver fast enough to get down the field vertically in Del Shofner. Once timed at 9.8 in the 100, Shofner stretched the field like few other receivers from the split end position. Mara said the veteran receiver “fitted a need of ours precisely.”

On-field colleagues agreed with that assessment. Giants veteran receiver Kyle Rote said, “Other receivers may have better moves, but Del has great speed, wonderful hands and good leg drive.” Defender Dick Lynch said, “I couldn’t cover him man on man in 1958 or 1959. I couldn’t cover him in 1960 either. He’s as good as he ever was.”

Tittle was equally impressed, “We both came here at the same time, and we both were traded from West Coast teams. I’d never thrown to someone with the speed he had – along with such a good pair of hands.”
1963 Season  
David in Belmont : 4/8/2020 11:56 am : link
I had the great fortune to have Giants season tickets in 1963, my last year in High School. I can still picture Y.A.'s touchdown passes to Shofner down the right sideline or a pass to Gifford across the middle in the home game against the Steelers.
RE: 1963 Season  
Big Blue '56 : 4/8/2020 12:01 pm : link
In comment 14862728 David in Belmont said:
Quote:
I had the great fortune to have Giants season tickets in 1963, my last year in High School. I can still picture Y.A.'s touchdown passes to Shofner down the right sideline or a pass to Gifford across the middle in the home game against the Steelers.


That one-handed catch
I remember walking into Wrigley for the first time as an adult.  
Giant John : 4/8/2020 12:05 pm : link
My only thought was:

So this is where it happened. I listened to the game on the radio as it was not televised or maybe we didn’t have a TV. I was just a small kid but old enough to know I wanted to play football too.
Broke my heart that day.
If Larry Morris, Bears linebacker, doesn't hit YA's knee  
GeofromNJ : 4/8/2020 12:08 pm : link
with his helmet in the 1963 championship game, the Giants win the game. Morris hit Title's knee with his helmet in the first quarter which seriously hampered YA's ability to plan this foot. Morris's helmet then hit YA's knee a second time in the second quarter, causing Sherman to pull him from the game. YA played the second half but limped the entire time and the Giants offense was totally ineffective. The Giants lost, 14-10.

Morris was featured in an article in The Sporting News about former football players who suffer from head injuries that happened during their career. According to the article, Morris had little, if any, recollection of his playing days. Karma's retribution, no doubt.
RE: If Larry Morris, Bears linebacker, doesn't hit YA's knee  
Big Blue '56 : 4/8/2020 12:10 pm : link
In comment 14862749 GeofromNJ said:
Quote:
with his helmet in the 1963 championship game, the Giants win the game. Morris hit Title's knee with his helmet in the first quarter which seriously hampered YA's ability to plan this foot. Morris's helmet then hit YA's knee a second time in the second quarter, causing Sherman to pull him from the game. YA played the second half but limped the entire time and the Giants offense was totally ineffective. The Giants lost, 14-10.

Morris was featured in an article in The Sporting News about former football players who suffer from head injuries that happened during their career. According to the article, Morris had little, if any, recollection of his playing days. Karma's retribution, no doubt.


Or, if Shofner doesn’t drop a wide open endzone td pass that would have made it 14-0
Which I balk  
joeinpa : 4/8/2020 12:51 pm : link
When people speak in absolute terms as in Eli without a doubt greatest Giants quarterback.

There s been other great ones. Love Eli, but need to not forget
RE: Which I balk  
Big Blue '56 : 4/8/2020 12:56 pm : link
In comment 14862795 joeinpa said:
Quote:
When people speak in absolute terms as in Eli without a doubt greatest Giants quarterback.

There s been other great ones. Love Eli, but need to not forget


Mostly because he only played 4 years with us.
RE: YA Tittle was one of my father's favorite players.  
JimInKgnNY : 4/8/2020 1:12 pm : link
In comment 14862580 truebluelarry said:
Quote:
When he took my sisters and I to games at Giants Stadium in the early 1980s he'd tell us stories of being at Old Yankee Stadium and Tittle, Gifford, Huff, Webster, Shofner, etc while we were tailgating. There's no doubt he intilled my appreciation for Giants and football history during those tailgates. I never saw Tittle play in person, but in a weird way I feel like I have through his storytelling and many hours of watching NFL films highlights and reading old newspapers.

It sounds like you and I had the childhood. All I heard growing up was Tittle, Webster, Gifford, etc.
I have an autographed Tittle jersey down in my man cave. It reminds me of my dad every time I see it.
63 title game  
Simms : 4/8/2020 1:45 pm : link
Fron what I have read the Giants traded away thier backup QB. Blanking on the backup In his place was not ready by any stretch of the imagination.

YA was a one legged man against a violent Bears defense. Huff wanted to run three times and punt allowing the defense to control the game. We took chances and lost.

RE: 63 title game  
Big Blue '56 : 4/8/2020 1:56 pm : link
In comment 14862863 Simms said:
Quote:
Fron what I have read the Giants traded away thier backup QB. Blanking on the backup In his place was not ready by any stretch of the imagination.

YA was a one legged man against a violent Bears defense. Huff wanted to run three times and punt allowing the defense to control the game. We took chances and lost.


He was, but again, if Shofner doesn’t drop that wide open TD pass that would have made it 14-0, we would have won imo. The Bears could only manage 10 points against our D and THAT was with intercepting YAT 5 times.
October 28th, 1962....  
No Where Man : 4/8/2020 1:57 pm : link
There I was, a 7 year old in Yankee Stadium with my Dad at my first ever Giants game. G-Men beat Washington 49-34. Tittle goes for 505 Net Passing Yards and 7 TDs.
Ralph Guglielmi was the backup at the start of the season  
Defenderdawg : 4/8/2020 3:12 pm : link
In 1962 the Giants sent their first round pick in 1963 to St. Louis for Ralph Guglielmi. They also traded rookie RB Bill Triplett in the deal as well. The media thought that Mara had pulled of another heist similar to 1961 when he acquired Tittle, Shofner, Walton, and Barnes. Guglielmi with Washington had over come a 100 degree temperature and rallied the Skins to tie against the Giants in 1960.

It turns out Guglielmi was not another Tittle, and the Giants needing DB help sent him to San Francisco during the 1963 season for Eddie Dove a DB who could return kicks.

Guglielmi refused to report to SF, was waived and ended up with the Eagles where he played QB against the Giants that season...but he was ineffective

The Giants had a real need for depth in the secondary, Glynn Griffing who became that backup QB was also working with the DB’s, a dual role that didn’t favor his development.
Re Larry Morris...  
clatterbuck : 4/8/2020 3:27 pm : link
It was a cheap shot, too. Morris aimed for Tittle's knee. Giants would have won the game had not Tittle been taken out. The brutal cold favored the Bears but Giants were the better team and would have scored more than 10 points with a fully functional Tittle.
Along with the 1986 team,  
Burt in Alameda : 4/8/2020 5:18 pm : link
the '62 and '63 Giants teams were my favorite ones over the years. I was a freshman and sophomore in college those years and remember well rushing to get the best seat in front of the dorm TV to watch the Giants game every Sunday. What great teams, great offense and shut down defense. The only game of the Tittle era which I attended was his first game as a Giant-- the opening game of the '61 season at Yankee Stadium against the Cardinals. The Giants scored the opening touchdown on a Tittle over the shoulder bomb to Shofner who was just so fast. My only regret is that Tittle played just four seasons for the Giants, with the last one very ugly. Simms and Eli were terrific, but YA was the best, and remains, the best Giants' QB I have watched.
Giants  
PaulN : 4/8/2020 7:13 pm : link
Should have in 63, but they got screwed in 62 also, the great passing game was screwed with temperatues about 20 and winds 30-40 mph. I think we beat the Packers on a decent day. Perfect for Packer run game, I was thrilled Eli beat them twice.
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