Giants By The Numbers: 14 is for ...
by Ed Valentine on May 7, 2010 1:00 PM EDT
in New York Giants By The Numbers
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PrintY.A. Tittle.
Yelberton Abraham Tittle played just four seasons with the New York Giants, the final four seasons of a 17-year Hall of Fame professional career. They were, however, a glorious four seasons.
Traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Giants in 1961, he led the Giants to division titles three consecutive seasons.
Tittle was MVP as a Giant in both 1961 and 1963, and was All-NFL in 1961, 1962 and 1963. He was also the first quarterback in NFL history to achieve consecutive 30+ touchdown passing seasons. He did that with the Giants in 1962 and 1963, a pretty amazing feat in a 14-game season where the passing game was not nearly as developed as it is today.
Tittle's three-year run has to be the best of any quarterback in Giants' history. Longevity with the team is probably the only reason most consider Phil Simms -- and not Tittle -- the best quarterback in team history.
Tittle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. The number 14, of course, is retired by the Giants in his honor. Here is Tittle's Hall of Fame bio.
He played 10 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and a final four seasons with the New York Giants. Although Tittle had excellent personal statistics while playing for the Colts and 49ers, the one thing that eluded him was a championship.
Then, in 1961, when Tittle was traded to New York, it looked like his fate would change. The Giants were contenders. However, when he joined the team, he was about as welcome as a bill collector. The Giants were a veteran, close-knit group, proud of their past successes. They knew that Tittle would be battling a team favorite, 40-year-old Charley Conerly, for the quarterback job. The Giants may have feigned cordiality to their new teammate but, for weeks, "Yat" was the loneliest guy in town.
When the 1961 season started, Tittle and Conerly shared the quarterbacking duties but as the Giants moved nearer to the NFL Eastern Division crown, it became more and more evident that Tittle was the guy making it all possible. By the time he was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player, the cold-shoulder treatment from the Giants had long since evaporated.
In 1962, Tittle played even better with 33 touchdown passes and a career-high 3,224 yards. A year later, his TD figure went up to 36; he completed 60.2 percent of his passes, and again was named NFL Player of the Year. A terrific competitor who was always willing to play "hurt," Tittle led the Giants to divisional titles in 1961, 1962, and 1963. Even though they failed to win the overall NFL crown, those were the "glory years" in New York when Tittle was at the helm.
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Y.A.T.
My dad used to tell me how great Y.A. was. It’s not too often an athlete achieves more success in the final third of his career than in the first two-thirds.
I met him in Giants Stadium parking lot
outside the players entrance before a game in late 80s. Another fan asked YA to throw him a pass & the guy ran a fly & YA’s pass was a beauty. Very nice guy.
Tittle was done playing before my parents were even born
so i have nothing to add to this convo
Ike Davis = Albert Pujols
Except that
now you have made many of us feel really, really old. Which, to tell the truth, we probably are. LOL!!
Ed
Y.A. Played for the Colts too? The lasting image I have though is the still frame in black & white, bloodied, and on his knees (Must have been the ’63 Championship game).
This pic?
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
That might be the most bad a$$ pic I've ever seen
Ike Davis = Albert Pujols
by Plaxico Burress on May 7, 2010 4:45 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Thanks
for the memories, again lasting image, great still shot!
No, it was his last year,
a game in Pittsburgh. He was knocked cold and his sternum was cracked on the play. My recollection is that he kept playing, as he did in the title game vs the Bears when tendons in the knee of his plant foot were ripped. They wrapped his leg from thigh to ankle and shot it full of anti-inflammatories and Novocain. IMO. he was the toughest QB of al time. Joe Kapp second. Jack Youngblood played a whole game with a broken leg and Monk Edwards, a Giant played with two cracked kneecaps. Call them tougher, but they weren’t QBs.
Didn't Tittle come out...
and then go back in when his backup wasn’t doing anything? Or am I remembering it wrong? I was watching the Giants then, but I was also in elementary school.
I recall
his backup going into the Bears game, #15, first name was Glen?
Now that I think about it more, photo is from Pittsburgh game., that’s right.
I remember the photographer talking about it once, don’t recall his name.
Yes, in the Bears game
he played one series after the injury. His back up played 2 three and out. At half time YA was shot up, etc and played the whole 2nd halfs
if it helps...
i was born to very young parents haha so your not THAT old
Ike Davis = Albert Pujols
by Plaxico Burress on May 7, 2010 4:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Tittle Trade
YA came to the Giants in what must be one of the most one-sided trades of all time. The 49ers wanted to go to the shotgun formation with John Brodie, so they basically dumped YA, trading him to the Giants for a second-year guard, Lou Cordileone. Sort of like trading Brett Favre for Chris Snee, except that Cordileone was never a pro bowler.
Mickey C
Wiki has this
Tittle began his career with the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1948, who eventually joined the NFL in 1950. The Colts became defunct after that season, and Tittle joined the San Francisco 49ers. He played there for ten seasons, through 1960, often struggling for playing time. In 1951 and 1952, Frankie Albert also played quarterback extensively, and then from 1957 through 1960, John Brodie took time on the field away from Tittle.
In 1961, the 49ers traded Tittle to the New York Giants for guard Lou Cordileone. Tittle went on to lead the Giants to three straight Eastern Division titles, part of a team that featured such great players as Del Shofner, Aaron Thomas, Joe Walton, Frank Gifford, Alex Webster, Dick Lynch, Jimmy Patton, Roosevelt Brown, Andy Robustelli, Sam Huff, Erich Barnes and Joe Morrison. Tittle threw seven touchdown passes on October 28, 1962, in a game against the Washington Redskins that the Giants won 49-34. In 1963, he set what was then an NFL record by throwing 36 touchdown passes.
The following year, Tittle’s final season, the Giants were nowhere close to contention, falling to a 2-10-2 record. Tittle’s performance fell from 36 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 1963 to 10 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 1964. He retired after the season.
I didn't remember
that he was from the Colts (of the AAFC).
I did remember the Cordileone trade (and won some beers in some trivia contests).
I also remember (from a young fans perspective) the sadness of seeing him take over from Conerly – but he was that good.
I remember Cordileone
as a FB/DT at St. Michael’s in Union City (Tommy Heinsohn’s alma mater.). He was unstoppble in HS. He played quite a while for the 49ers
He was a
pain as a coach (unless you rooted for the Celtics), all that whining and complaining, almost as bad as John Madden.
Tittle...as you guys alreaady know he is my favorite player.
I watched the game in which Tittle was immoraltized by that picture, considered by many to be the best NFL picture ever taken.
Eli should be forced to watch film of YA executing the screen pass time after time in perfect fashion. Nobody has done it better.
Unlike Eli, YA would yell and scream at the offensive line if they screded up and he got blasted. On more than one occasion I remember him throwing his helmet at the guy who missed the block.
YA was the Dick Butkus of quarterbacks. Simms was more like YA than Tittle too, in my opinion. He also had a will of iron.
by giant fan since 57 on May 7, 2010 6:07 PM EDT reply actions
agree
on the execution of the screen…….he was so intricate in footwork and tossing the ball
Eli (however) is tough in his own way.
I wish he had the savvy of YA;
and would weight train like Phil (and his brother) but
he’s one tough SOB in his way and
he’s ours
I have no complaints about Eli.
I expect this year he will turn many doubters into fans. He has the receivers to do it.
by giant fan since 57 on May 7, 2010 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
After I read what I posted I feel the need to clarify...
Eli has a totally different kind of mentality from a guy like Tittle.
In today’s game a cerebral quarterback has an advantage, so I think Eli will end up with a better career. However, in spite of his Super Bowl win he hasn’t done that yet but I expect him to ultimately be the best we have ever had.
by giant fan since 57 on May 7, 2010 6:15 PM EDT reply actions
I'd love to see Eli put together three years like Tittle's
first three with Big Blue.
3 consecutive years to make the championship game is not something that happens often in the modern NFL
by mclaren_is_the_best on May 7, 2010 10:10 PM EDT up reply actions
The thing that amazes me about Tittle
and of course Unitas, and later Namath is that when you watch them now in old game films it is obvious they could excell in today’s game and still be great. Especially with the no contact rules for receivers and lack of late hits and pile driving tackles that existed in their world.
by giant fan since 57 on May 8, 2010 6:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Y.A. through the ages
I grew up outside of Hartford. Born in ‘69. I never saw Tittle play until stumbling upon NFL films as an adult. But I grew up as if Y.A. was a member of the family. Somewhere along the line, my brother was given a Y.A. Tittle doll. Sort of a precursor to a bobble head in look, with rubber head and hands, but a stuffed fabric body. (see profile pic) He’s about the size of a Raggedy Anne. I eventually inherited Y.A. from him, and he got top honors amongst the crew that ruled my room. I now have an 8 year old son, who’s growing up with Y.A. Tittle as his main man. It’s been a great way to foster Big Blue pride despite living in San Diego the last 20 years.
Does anyone remember such a doll? Nothing has turned up on a web search. I have to wonder how many of these are out there.
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