Tag Archives: N.F.L
Ned Irish
Ned Irish (Executive. Born, Lake George, NY, May 6, 1905; died, Venice, FL, Jan. 21, 1982.) Edward Simmons Irish didn’t invent basketball, but he sure helped make it popular. After working his way through the University of Pennsylvania, Irish came to New York in 1928 as a sportswriter for the Evening Telegram. In 1930, he […]
Bing Miller
Bing Miller (College and pro football. Born, Syracuse, NY, Dec. 6, 1903; died, The Bronx, NY, Oct. 13, 1964.) A standout tackle on the powerhouse N.Y.U. teams (1926-28) led by Ken Strong, John E. Miller then played for Stapleton in the N.F.L. (1929-31). Miller was an administrator in the athletic department at N.Y.U. for nearly […]
Harry Newman
Harry Newman (Pro football. Born, Detroit, MI, Sept. 5, 1909; died, Las Vegas, NV, May 2, 2000.) As a triple-threat tailback from the University of Michigan, Harry L. Newman signed a contract with the Football Giants that gave him a percentage of the gate. Newman justified the deal by leading the N.F.L. in passing in […]
Winston Hill
Winston Hill (Pro football. Born, Seaquin, TX, Oct. 23, 1941.) After a starring career at Texas Southern, Winston Cordell Hill came to the Jets as an offensive tackle. Hill was signed as a free agent after being drafted in the 11th round of the N.F.L. draft by Baltimore when Weeb Ewbank became the Jets head coach. […]
Joe Namath
Joe Namath (Pro football. Born, Beaver Falls, PA, May 31, 1943.) During his collegiate career at the University of Alabama (under the legendary Bear Bryant), Joseph Alexander Namath quarterbacked teams that lost only three games in three years. His Alabama teams played in three Bowl games. In 1965, Namath became one of the most celebrated […]
Merle Hapes
Merle Hapes (Pro football. Born, Garden Grove, CA, May 9, 1919; died, Biloxi, MS, July 18, 1994.) Joining the Giants out of Mississippi in 1942, fullback Merle Hapes returned from military duty in 1946 to play 10 games, rushing for 161 yards as well as receiving and doing some punting. When the Giants reached that […]
Bobby Layne
Bobby Layne (Pro football. Born, Santa Ana, TX, Dec. 19, 1926; died, Lubbock, TX, Dec. 1, 1986.) With a pro football war raging between the N.F.L. and the upstart A.A.F.C., the Chicago Bears decided to loan promising quarterback prospect Robert Lawrence Layne to the New York Bulldogs for the 1949 season. The Bulldogs, formerly a […]
Jim Hall
Jim Hall (Public address. Born, New York, NY, May 30, 1933.) Perhaps the most-heard but least known public address announcer in New York sports, James Joseph Hall began filling in for the legendary Bob Sheppard in 1963. The pair became acquainted as student and teacher when Hall went from St. John’s Prep to St. John’s, where […]
Cash ‘n’ Carry Pyle
Cash ‘n’ Carry Pyle (Promoter. Born, Van Wert, OH, Mar. 15, 1882; died, Los Angeles, CA, Feb. 3, 1939.) Easily the best-known sports promoter of the 1920s, Charles C. Pyle earned his nickname by his demands for upfront money (and a share of the team) while representing Red Grange in contract negotiations with the Chicago […]
