clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Giants By The Numbers: 62 Is For ...

Darrell Dess.

A two-time Pro Bowl offensive guard (1962 & 1963) who had two stints with the Giants, first from 1959-64 and then again from 1966 until he retired following the 1969 season.

From Lew Freedman's 'New York Giants: The Complete Illustrated History,' here is a section on Dess.

The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Darrell Dess joined the Giants in 1959 and was a fixture at guard for a decade, playing on four Eastern championship teams. Dess' blocking style often meant leading with his head, as well as his shoulders, and he used to tell teammates that during the course of a game he shrunk an inch or so. In more somber moments after a long day of getting in his licks, Dess said his whole body ached. "I don't mind hitting people," Dess said. "I love the contact. It's getting hit in the head that bothers me. We're taught to block with our heads. If you block with a shoulder, the defensive man can slide off you. If you hit him with your head and he slides off, then you've got him with your shoulder. But, it's tough. I break helmets. Break helmets? That's dedication. Giants runners always understood that Dess was giving his all and Alex Webster unhesitatingly said, "He's the best, the very best."

After that, I don't even want to know how many un-diagnosed concussions Dess played through in his career.