A 44 Addendum ... Kyle Rote

and was sensational, an old-fashioned triple threat tail back. He had more than one knee injury and never could play as an RB. That he could play as a receiver at a Pro Bowl level was a testament to his athletic skills. He was a foreunner of a Steve Smith type in terms of routes, ability to get open and hands. He was better after the catch than Steve. Next to Shofner, he was YA’s favorite target.

 About twenty years ago, his son, Kyle Rote, Jr., a pro soccer player, won a contest involving pro players from all sports that identified him as the best athlete.

WOD, Rote Sr. has to be the guy for # 44 given Carthon and Kotar as competition.

With all the other offensive stars to choose from, Kyle was always (seemingly) the one to go to for those “needed” yards.
No flash but could do it all.

though perhaps voting more with heart than head, I’d have rater Kotar over Carthon for second, and one has to keep AB in mind, who I’d currently have as fourth, but who should rise with health over the next few years. Kotar, Carthon and Bradshaw are/were all good players, but Rote was clearly a level above them (given his day and time). Kotar wasn’t a great back, but he had great heart and in some of his years he WAS the offense. He worked hard, played hard, took a beating regularly, and probably would have been more successful if he wasn’t about the only offensive weapon the Giants had at that time. He was a good receiver and a skilled runner of the draw play, which at that time was the Giants best third and long play. Carthon was selfless and a solid contributor who gave up alot of his chance for personal glory to better the team. Bradshaw not only is talented, but you have to admire a guy who plays and is productive with two bad feet and a bad ankle. All of these four are so much more worthy of note than anyone who wore a couple of the previous numbers profiled. And all have made a place for themselves in Giants history.

Carthon is overlooked because they did not send blocking fullbacks to the Pro Bowl in his time. If they did, he would have at least matched Rote’s 4. The Giants were a run first-run second-run third team in Carthon’s years. No surprises, yet they still managed to run the ball.

They had at least one training camp there back then, played an exhibition game in Spokane when I was stationed there. Saw a bunch of them in a bar after the game. Sorry to say, they acted like assholes. What a disappointment! Can’t name names because I didn’t recognize any of them, but they were Giants’ players.
Needless to say, they weren’t bad enough to alienate me from my devotion to the team.

really do look huge in the flesh, don’t they? even back in the early fifties they did when they were so much smaller than the guys who play now.
McConkey is very popular among a significant portion of BBVers.

Not Sean Bennett?

that guy would show what I thought he was capable of. He had speed and was big enough, but he didn’t seem to be able to run in any direction but straight ahead. He wasn’t about to bowl over guys like Jacobs does.