Frank Lasky

[Saban1]

Frank Lasky was the 2nd round draft choice for the New York Giants in 1964. In 1965, Lasky became the starting right tackle for the Giants (Jack Stroud retired). Lasky did a good job overall, but in one game, he lost his cool and slugged a defensive player while the Giants were on the 2 yard line. The Giants were penalized 15 yards and instead of scoring a TD, they tried a field goal and missed, so the penalty cost the Giants a TD and possibly the game.

Maybe as a result of this, Lasky was not protected from the expansion draft in 1966 and was taken by the expansion Atlanta Falcons. This may have been a mistake on the Giants part if Lasky was an otherwise good player, because he may have helped the Giants in the following years.

Anyway, Lasky never played for the Falcons or anywhere else in the NFL after 1965. I wonder what happened at Atlanta and if he even tried to make the team. Anyone know?

[BD Sullivan]

John Paluck was the Redskins player who Lasky brawled with in the third quarter of the 11/7/65 game. The Giants had the ball at the Redskins five, trailing 17-7, so the penalty pushed the ball back to the 20. Allie Sherman said he didn't plan on fining Lasky, but after looking at the films, nailed him for $100. Ironically, Paluck was known as "Mean John", but was able to stay cool despite taking multiple punches to the gut.

In the '66 expansion draft, the Falcons took three players from each team. From the Giants, they selected Lasky, DT Roger Anderson and FB Ernie Wheelwright, the latter of whom got pushed out when the Giants chose Tucker Frederickson the year before.

Lasky signed with the Falcons and reported to camp, but apparently left sometime in August of 1966, and the Falcons soon released him.

The next year, he tried out for the Colts and suffered a groin injury during camp. While the Colts said he had recovered enough that they could cut him, Lasky ended up suing them in April 1968 for allegedly releasing him while he was injured. It's probably not a stretch to figure that the litigation got him blackballed, since he doesn't appear to have gotten another shot. Of course, getting released (or dumped in the Giants' case) multiple times isn't exactly a resume-builder.

[Saban1]

Thanks BD. Exactly the info I was looking for.

[Saban1]

The New York Giants chose Francis Peay in the first round of the 1966 draft, and I think that Peay is what made Frank Lasky expendable, as far as the Giants were concerned. I think that Francis Peay was considered to be an immediate starter at right offensive tackle by the Giants coaching staff. So, Lasky was not protected from the 1966 expansion draft and was taken by Atlanta.

Ironically, the Giants later considered Peay to be a disappointment and was traded to the Green Bay Packers in 1968 for LB Tommy Crutcher and OT Steve Wright. New York sportswriters seemed to think that the Giants got way the better of the deal and one even suggested that Packer GM Vince Lombardi was being nice to his old team (the Giants) at the expense of his own team.

As it turned out, Crutcher played decently for a couple of years for New York and Wright had one good year for the Giants and was injured for most of 1969. Considered a troublemaker or something, Wright was released before the start of the 1970 season and picked up by Washington (Lombardi probably had something to do with that as he was now with the Redskins as head coach and GM). Crutcher was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1970.

At Green Bay, Francis Peay became a starter for the Pack for about 3 years at left tackle after Bob Skoronski retired. He later played for the Kansas City Chiefs for a couple of seasons.

[BD Sullivan]

As it turned out, Crutcher played decently for a couple of years for New York and Wright had one good year for the Giants and was injured for most of 1969. Considered a troublemaker or something, Wright was released before the start of the 1970 season and picked up by Washington (Lombardi probably had something to do with that as he was now with the Redskins as head coach and GM).

It might be debatable whether Lombardi made the call to pick up Wright, considering the Skins signed him less than a week before Lombardi died. Of course, it's entirely possible that Lombardi knew that Wright was on thin ice with the Giants and mentioned earlier to the Washington personnel people that they should pick him up if the Giants released him, which they did.

Wright was actually the recipient of a Lombardi physical attack after he had screwed up in practice at GB. Lombardi's motivation wasn't necessarily anger, but just to get Wright angry enough to focus on the job, and Wright held no grudges about getting hit.

The beginning of the end came for Wright's time in NY came in mid-November 1969 when Alex Webster suspended him for the always-nebulous "conduct detrimental to the team." The fact that the suspension came after the Giants' fifth straight loss was one reason for Webster's short fuse about Wright's apparently "cavalier" attitude and penchant for enjoying New York nightlife.

[Saban1]

As it turned out, Crutcher played decently for a couple of years for New York and Wright had one good year for the Giants and was injured for most of 1969. Considered a troublemaker or something, Wright was released before the start of the 1970 season and picked up by Washington (Lombardi probably had something to do with that as he was now with the Redskins as head coach and GM).

It might be debatable whether Lombardi made the call to pick up Wright, considering the Skins signed him less than a week before Lombardi died. Of course, it's entirely possible that Lombardi knew that Wright was on thin ice with the Giants and mentioned earlier to the Washington personnel people that they should pick him up if the Giants released him, which they did.

Wright was actually the recipient of a Lombardi physical attack after he had screwed up in practice at GB. Lombardi's motivation wasn't necessarily anger, but just to get Wright angry enough to focus on the job, and Wright held no grudges about getting hit.

The beginning of the end came for Wright's time in NY came in mid-November 1969 when Alex Webster suspended him for the always-nebulous "conduct detrimental to the team." The fact that the suspension came after the Giants' fifth straight loss was one reason for Webster's short fuse about Wright's apparently "cavalier" attitude and penchant for enjoying New York nightlife.

I think what you are saying here is true, but Lombardi did seem to like getting former Green Bay players to play for him at Washington like Dan Grimm and Bob Long. He also got Sam Huff to come out of retirement and play and coach for him. Huff played for the Giants when Vince was there. I think that Vince Lombardi, like a lot of people, liked having familiar people around when on a new job.

[TodMaher]

Frank Lasky was the 2nd round draft choice for the New York Giants in 1964. In 1965, Lasky became the starting right tackle for the Giants (Jack Stroud retired). Lasky did a good job overall, but in one game, he lost his cool and slugged a defensive player while the Giants were on the 2 yard line. The Giants were penalized 15 yards and instead of scoring a TD, they tried a field goal and missed, so the penalty cost the Giants a TD and possibly the game.

Maybe as a result of this, Lasky was not protected from the expansion draft in 1966 and was taken by the expansion Atlanta Falcons. This may have been a mistake on the Giants part if Lasky was an otherwise good player, because he may have helped the Giants in the following years.

Anyway, Lasky never played for the Falcons or anywhere else in the NFL after 1965. I wonder what happened at Atlanta and if he even tried to make the team. Anyone know?

Cut by the Falcons on 8/30/1966. Camp with the Colts in 1967. Played 7 games with the Montreal Alouettes in 1969. Five years later he shows in camp with the Jacksonville Sharks (cut 6/27/1974). I have no idea (semi-pro ball?) what he was doing 1970-73.

[Saban1]

Frank Lasky was the 2nd round draft choice for the New York Giants in 1964. In 1965, Lasky became the starting right tackle for the Giants (Jack Stroud retired). Lasky did a good job overall, but in one game, he lost his cool and slugged a defensive player while the Giants were on the 2 yard line. The Giants were penalized 15 yards and instead of scoring a TD, they tried a field goal and missed, so the penalty cost the Giants a TD and possibly the game.

Maybe as a result of this, Lasky was not protected from the expansion draft in 1966 and was taken by the expansion Atlanta Falcons. This may have been a mistake on the Giants part if Lasky was an otherwise good player, because he may have helped the Giants in the following years.

Anyway, Lasky never played for the Falcons or anywhere else in the NFL after 1965. I wonder what happened at Atlanta and if he even tried to make the team. Anyone know?

Cut by the Falcons on 8/30/1966. Camp with the Colts in 1967. Played 7 games with the Montreal Alouettes in 1969. Five years later he shows in camp with the Jacksonville Sharks (cut 6/27/1974). I have no idea (semi-pro ball?) what he was doing 1970-73.

Thanks for the further info on Lasky.