Sam Huff and the 1967 Giants

[Saban1]

Some time after Sam Huff retired from football, he wrote a book called "Tough Stuff." In the book, he said that he would never forgive Giants coach Allie Sherman for trading him to Washington after the 1963 season. In 1966, Washington beat the Giants by the score of 72 to 41 in a game that set scoring records (Most points by one team in a regular season game, and most total points by both teams in one game).

Huff said that he sent the field goal team in to kick a rub it in field goal with only a few seconds left in the game. Therefore, he got revenge on Sherman for trading him.

In 1967, Washington again beat the Giants in their only game that year, 38 to 34. There was one real fluke play (Spider Lockhart intercepted a pass and then fumbled the ball into the end zone and Washington recovered) that was key in the win, and even Redskins coach Otto Graham admitted that they were lucky to win that game.

In Huff's book, there is no mention of that game. I would think that it would be further revenge on Allie Sherman, and sometimes those close losses hurt more than losses by big scores. Kind of wonder why Huff did not mention that game even though he did write about the 1967 season.

[bachslunch]

I’m wondering why Huff had the authority to send in a field goal unit. Was he also an assistant coach, or did he have some kind of special influence?

[Saban1]

I’m wondering why Huff had the authority to send in a field goal unit. Was he also an assistant coach, or did he have some kind of special influence?

He really didn't, I think, but he just did it anyway. Sam was an assistant coach as well as a player. He said that Otto Graham was talking to QB Sonny Jurgensen. The clock was stopped with 7 seconds left in the game and he yelled for the field goal team to go into the game. Later, head coach Graham went along with it, at least publicly, saying that he wanted kicker Gogolak to get some more practice.

[Saban1]

I’m wondering why Huff had the authority to send in a field goal unit. Was he also an assistant coach, or did he have some kind of special influence?

He really didn't, I think, but he just did it anyway. Sam was an assistant coach as well as a player. He said that Otto Graham was talking to QB Sonny Jurgensen. The clock was stopped with 7 seconds left in the game and he yelled for the field goal team to go into the game. Later, head coach Graham went along with it, at least publicly, saying that he wanted kicker Gogolak to get some more practice.

Oops, come to think of it, I believe that Huff did not become an assistant until he came back after a year retirement in 1969 to play for Vince Lombardi. Sam said that he happened to be on the same plane as Vince, who was just hired as head coach of the Redskins. Vince asked him if Huff was willing to come back and play for Washington for a year. Sam agreed, but asked if he could also be an assistant coach, as he wanted to start a coaching career. Lombardi died in 1970 before the regular season started, but Huff stayed on as an assistant coach, but no longer a player. Bill Austin was named the new head coach.

In 1971, Washington hired George Allen to be their new head coach, and Allen let go of most of the coaching staff, including Sam Huff.

[Saban1]

Sam Huff blamed Allie Sherman for the Giants collapse in 1964 and beyond for trading away players from their defensive unit, like himself, Dick Modzelewski, Rosie Grier, and Cliff Livingston. Just my opinion, but I think that there was more to it than that. Y.A. Tittle said that we all played one year too long, meaning himself and the older Giants like Andy Robustelli, Alex Webster, Frank Gifford, Jack Stroud, Tom Scott, etc.

I think that there were signs of slippage in 1963 when the Giants made it to another championship game, but not many noticed because players like Tittle, Shofner, Morrison, Lynch, Gifford, Walton, Hill, and Thomas were having such great years. In 1963, Giants quarterbacks were sacked 35 times compared to 17 times in 1962. In 1964, they were sacked 44 times. Alex Webster had a good game in the 1963 opener against the Colts, but was injured in their next game and was just not the same after that.

I think that Robustelli was also past it in 1963 and turned 38 during the season. Andy was going to retire after that season, but was asked to come back for another year by coach Sherman. The Giants had acquired Andy Stynchula in the Huff trade to take Robustelli's place at right defensive end, but was needed to take Modzelewski's place at left defensive tackle.

Tittle had probably his worst ever year in 1964 after a sensational 1963 season. Y.A. threw 36 TD passes in 1963 compared to 10 in 1964, 14 interceptions in 1963 compared to 22 in 1964, had 8.6 yards per attempt in 1963 vs 6.4 YPA in 1964, and a passer rating of 104.8 in 1963 compared to 51.6 in 1964. So, the Giants had their problems on offense in 1964 as well as their defense.

They had their share of injuries in 1964, but were losing earlier in the season before most of the injuries, including a 38 to 7 loss to a mediocre Philadelphia team in the opener. Giants quarterbacks were sacked 6 times in that game, 5 by an Eagles safety on blitzes. When was the last time that had happened to a Giants team prior to 1964?

[nicefellow31]

Well I certainly wasn't around in 1964 (born in '67) but I imagine the Giants collapse was shocking and a big talking point. Ironically their co-tenants, the NY Yankees were headed for a decade + decline that had to be even more shocking.

[Rupert Patrick]

Well I certainly wasn't around in 1964 (born in '67) but I imagine the Giants collapse was shocking and a big talking point. Ironically their co-tenants, the NY Yankees were headed for a decade + decline that had to be even more shocking.

The Yankee Dynasty collapse had to be much more shocking, as it was a torch that was passed from Ruth to DiMaggio to Mantle, and when Mantle's career started to wind down there was nobody new to take it from him and carry it for the next 15 years.

As far as the football Giants collapse, they had been competitive since they came into the league, and had only had six losing seasons since they entered the NFL. They were led by a lot of older players, and old teams often collapse like that. All franchises, no matter how successful they have been, will eventually find themselves at the bottom once again.

[Saban1]

Well I certainly wasn't around in 1964 (born in '67) but I imagine the Giants collapse was shocking and a big talking point. Ironically their co-tenants, the NY Yankees were headed for a decade + decline that had to be even more shocking.

The Yankee Dynasty collapse had to be much more shocking, as it was a torch that was passed from Ruth to DiMaggio to Mantle, and when Mantle's career started to wind down there was nobody new to take it from him and carry it for the next 15 years.

As far as the football Giants collapse, they had been competitive since they came into the league, and had only had six losing seasons since they entered the NFL. They were led by a lot of older players, and old teams often collapse like that. All franchises, no matter how successful they have been, will eventually find themselves at the bottom once again.

It is true that every team eventually goes through hard times. My point was that there was more to the 1964 collapse of the New York Giants than just the trades that did not work out.

[Saban1]

Here might be something. Someone wrote on another website forum that right after the 1963 NFL championship game, Sam Huff treated Giants coach Allie Sherman to a nasty tirade that included blaming Allie for losing that game to the Bears (14 to 10). This could have been a big part of why Huff was traded a little while later.

Don't know if that is true. Anyone know?

[Saban1]

Here might be something. Someone wrote on another website forum that right after the 1963 NFL championship game, Sam Huff treated Giants coach Allie Sherman to a nasty tirade that included blaming Allie for losing that game to the Bears (14 to 10). This could have been a big part of why Huff was traded a little while later.

Don't know if that is true. Anyone know?

Someone told me that Red Smith and Arthur Daley had something about that incident (Huff blasting Sherman after the 1963 championship game) in their New York columns, but other than that, not much was made of it at the time, that I know of.

So, maybe it happened. If not, there was another thing from Huff's book. Allie Sherman wanted the Giants defense to play an adjustment to their defense that Sam Huff did not like. Sam would sometimes go back to playing the Giants' regular defense, including the championship game, against Sherman's orders.

Either way, Huff was traded to Washington sometime during the off season, maybe as a result of one or both of those things.