For over a century, the Giants football franchise has been synonymous with the National Football League. From the game-winning field goal at the end of Super Bowl XLVI to the embarrassment of Losersville in 2013, Big Blue’s highs and lows remain etched into the memories of avid fans. Since the team’s first inauguration in 1925, the Giants have seen their fair share of fame, glory, and heartache. Let’s take a look back to better understand the unique and long-standing history of the New York Giants.
Early Years (1925 – 1946)
The Giants were founded in 1925 in order to replace the beloved Akron Pros and our very first Giants locked up training camp in lower Manhattan. At the time, the team stole the hearts of New Yorkers due to the imminent demise of their former and beloved Ice Hockey team, the New York Americans. But that isn’t the only thing the Giants had going for them.
In 1926, legendary coach Earl “Curly” Lambeau joined as head coach. With his guidance, the team won their very first NFL Championship game in 1934 and also made appearances in the title match three separate times within the decade (in 1933, 1934 and 1938).
Throughout the 1930s and mid-1940s, the Giants traveled to Iowa for training camp and likewise, engaged in games at the Polo Grounds in New York. While the team did have some measure of success during that time with great players such as Mel Hein, Tuffy Simons and Ward Cuff, it’s safe to say that their most famous player of that era was indeed their hall-of-fame coach, Steve Owen.
First Super Bowl (1947 – 1963)
In 1947, the Giants saw the arrival of two new, superstar players. Frank Gifford and Sam Huff worked together at the same position during the ’47 season, spearheading the Giants offensive attack and becoming two of the most recognizable names in all of football.
The 1950s saw the Giants take their game to another level due to the introduction of legendary quarterback Y.A. Tittle and their Super Bowl run in 1956. Tittle threw a total of 48 touchdown passes in one year and helped the Giants to an NFL record of 13 wins in a single season. The 1956 campaign saw them win the Eastern Division Title and make it to the League Championship, but unfortunately lost to the Chicago Bears.
In 1958, the Giants would reach their second League Championship game, beating the Cleveland Browns in a close battle. The following year, the team returned to their unfinished business and despite ending the season with a record of 4-5-1, the Giants beat the aforementioned Bears to gain the Liberty Bell Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
The 1960s (1964 – 1974)
The Giants began the 1960s with another three consecutive trips to the League championships (in 1961, 1962 and 1963), with the latter two championship losses being against the Green Bay Packers. The 1965 season saw the Giants change their colors to royal blue, solid white and Oriental red.
A few years later, in 1968 coach Allie Sherman departed and was replaced by former New York Yankees head coach, Alex Webster. Under Webster’s leadership, the team made three consecutive trips to the post season (1971-1973) and the ’71 campaign saw an upset victory over San Francisco 49’ers at Yankee Stadium, during what would become known as the “Miracle of the Meadowlands”.
In 1972, the Giants endured yet another championship appearance only to fall short due to a miraculous game winning field goal by the Washington Redskins at the end of the fourth quarter.
The Late ‘70s and Beyond (1975 – 2021)
The Giants gained a new head coach in 1976 in the form of Bill Parcells and with him, a spark of motivation and a long standing legacy was born. Under Parcells, the Giants quickly bounced back by entering postseason play every year until 1983.
Throughout the next two decades, the Giants had their fair share of highs and lows with Super Bowl wins in 1987 and 1991 and equally heartbreaking defeats in 1984 and 1989. This success continued into the 2000s; apart from a few disappointing seasons the team continued to compete at the highest level by making three more Super Bowl appearances in 2000, 2007 and 2011.
However, the up and down nature of the Giants’ fortunes didn’t end there. After the 2011 Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots, the Giants failed to make the playoffs for three consecutive years. This issue was eventually rectified when former head coach Tom Coughlin’s guys put together an inspiring season in 2016 to make their first playoff appearance since 2012 and become the fifth team ever to win their final game of the regular season and reach the playoffs.
Presently, the Giants look towards continuing to make history as they embark on another daring and unpredictable season.
The long and illustrious history of the Giants highlights the team’s greatness and strong will to overcome whatever adversity lies in their way. With a rich history spanning over a century and seven NFL Championships, along with new head coach Joe Judge and dynamic players such as Saquon Barkley, New York Giants’ fans can look forward to the future with a level of excitement and optimism befitting that of a team with such an impressive past.
Who knows what the future holds? One thing is for sure though, the Giants have a rich history that will hopefully bring about many future successes.
