The New York Giants were formed in 1925. The Giants played its home games at the Polo Grounds, which was also the home of the baseball Giants. Legendary halfback Jim Thorpe was recruited to join the team, which earned its first league title in 1927 under head coach Earl Potteiger. The Giants shut out 9 of 12 opponents and surrendered only 20 points during the entire season. Steve Owen was an innovative offensive coach who also designed the platoon system, in which separate players fill offensive and defensive positions. He guided the Giants to the NFL Championship Game eight times from 1933 to 1946. The team came away with victories in 1934 over the Chicago Bears and in 1938 over the Green Bay Packers. New York fielded the league’s toughest defense five times during that period. Owen had many offensive stars as well, including Red Badgro, center Mel Hein, and halfback Tuffy Leemans, all future Hall of Fame members. Hein, who was also a defensive lineman, earned player of the year honors in 1938. Owen left the Giants in 1953, having posted just six losing records in twenty three seasons.

In 1952 the Giants chose Frank Gifford in the first round of the National Football League (NFL) draft. Gifford, who played as a halfback and a defensive back, was one of the National Football League’s (NFL) last stars to play both offense and defense. With Gifford and a new home in New York’s Yankee Stadium, another Giants dynasty was born. The team appeared in six National Football League (NFL) Championship Games from 1956 to 1963, collecting the league crown in 1956 before losing five title contests over the next seven years. Gifford led the team in both rushing and receiving from 1956 to 1959, earning player of the year honors in 1956. In addition to Gifford, New York produced four other future Hall of Fame members during that era: offensive tackle Rosey Grier, linebacker Sam Huff, defensive end Andy Robustelli, and defensive back Emlen Tunnell. The passing combination of quarterback Y. A. Tittle to receiver Del Shofner keyed New York’s offense in the early 1960s. Shofner broke the 1000-yard mark in receiving yardage in 1961, 1962, and 1963, and Tittle’s 36 touchdown passes in 1963 stood as an NFL record for 21 years. Buy New York Giants Tickets.