Paul Schwartz - Tales from the New York Giants Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Giants Stories Ever Told

(Photo courtesy of the New York Giants)

Whether the stories relate to our seasons of disappointment or our years of triumph, you will see that we maintained our sense of humor. And we retained our sense of community. These reflections will shed light on those seasons for even our most ardent and loyal supporters.

Many of the most legendary figures in franchise history shared their thoughts. When Sam Huff and Dick Lynch talk about their Giants careers, the 1960s suddenly seem like they were yesterday. Bob Tucker and Billy Taylor recall the difficult years of the 1970s. Bill Parcells and Mark Collins remember the 1986 and 1990 championship seasons, while Glenn Parker and Brad Daluiso bring to life the 2000 season, when the Giants won the NFC Championship and played in Super Bowl XXXV.

Members of the Giants family warmly remember George Young, and the brilliance and humor he brought to his job as general manager for 19 years. Entertaining stories about coaches like Alex Webster and Parcells permeate both our history and the book. And, of course, almost everyone has a Lawrence Taylor story or memory to share.

The long history of the Giants has been affectionately and captivatingly recalled here by the men who made it.

(Editor's note: Wellington Mara passed away on October 25, 2005, at the age of 89.)

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

During the process of writing a book such as this it is impossible not to receive an education about players, coaches, fans, games, scores, impossible triumphs, and devastating failures. Along the way, one truth that surfaced rose above all others: The Giants matter to so many people.

Interviews with Giants spanning a variety of decades revealed a few constant themes. Some were big winners, even champions, others were consistent losers. Some were transcendent stars, others were the grunts who make up the bulk of a roster. The pervading attitude, though, was one of pride in having worn the Giants uniform, appreciation for the loyalty of the fans, and gratitude for having played for an owner such as Wellington Mara.

Indeed, the Mara family is the lifeblood that courses through the franchise. Prior to a lengthy interview, Wellington Mara warned me, I'm not a self-starter, but when prodded just a bit, recalled in affectionate terms so many specific details of his 80 years in the game. His oldest son, John, the heir to Wellington's Giants throne, initially expressed dismay that he had little to offer. His concern was unwarranted.

A note of appreciation also goes to Pat Hanlon, the Giants' vice president of communications and Peter John-Baptiste, the director of public relations, who were helpful in facilitating several conversations with former Giants players and coaches.

My wife, Jutta, always offered her support and my extraordinary children, Elena, 10, and Jared, eight, were constantly interested in how many pages I had left.

Finally, Tales from the New York Giants Sideline is dedicated to the memory of my beloved mother, Elaine Schwartz, who didn't love football but would have cherished this book as much as my devoted father, Jack, already does.

Chapter

TRAINING CAMP

At 17 years old, Wellington Mara in 1933 attended his first Giants training camp, when the team was stationed in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. He did not escape unscathed.

Already a co-owner along with his older brother Jack, Mara liked to find ways to help out on the field. He learned soon enough that the sideline was a safer place to be.

Mel Hein gave me my first football injury, Mara said.

On his way to a Hall of Fame career, Hein was a remarkable iron man, a center who never missed a game in his 15 years in the NFL. Hein, one of the Giants' true starshe was the league's Most Valuable Player in 1938nearly gained recognition for the wrong reason.

They were punting, Hein was snapping the ball back, really it was a warm up, Mara said. I was retrieving the balls, laying them down in front of him. He got ready to snap, looked up and everything was clear and snapped the ball just as I was putting the ball down. It caught me right in the head. I got quite a shiner. The headline the next day was Young Mara first Giant Casualty.