NFL Team by Team Guide: New York Giants
The Giants were established in 1925 and were one of five teams that joined the NFL that year. They are the only one of those five teams that is still in existence. The team’s legal corporate name is the New York Football Giants, which was used in the franchise’s early years to distinguish it from the MLB team of the same name.
The Giants have a long history that has seen different periods of success. The franchise ranks third in the NFL with eight total league championships – four in the pre-Super Bowl era and four in the modern era. Only Green Bay (13) and Chicago (9), have more overall NFL championships.
New York is often scene on national broadcasts like Monday Night Football. Regional broadcasts of Giants games can be watched on CBS and FOX Sports. Other national games can be viewed on ESPN and the NFL Network. Virtually the complete Giants schedule can be watched via live stream using services such HULU, fuboTV, and AT&T TV Now.
Home of the Giants
The Giants originally played at the old Polo Grounds from 1925 to 1955 before moving to Yankee Stadium. Giants Stadium was built in 1976 and served as the home of both the Giants and Jets until 2009. MetLife Stadium, the franchise’s current home, was built in 2010. The stadium seats 82,500 fans and also serves as the home of the Jets.
Championship History
The Giants have a total of eight NFL championships. Four of those were won prior to the AFL-NFL merger. New York has made a total of 32 appearances in the NFL playoffs with 16 of those appearances coming as a result of a division championship.
The Giants have won 11 conference titles, five in the modern era. The franchise owns four Lombardi Trophies as the result of winning Super Bowl XXI (1986), XXV (1990), XLII (2007), and XLVI (2011).
Best of the Giants
Sam Huff was one of the NFL’s great early linebackers. Huff would earn six first- or second-team All-Pro honors and was chosen to play in five Pro Bowls. He helped lead the Giants to the 1956 NFL championship. Huff was chosen to the NFL’s 1950s All-Decade Team and is a member of both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
The first pick of the Giants in the 1952 draft, Frank Gifford played his entire career in New York. He was extremely versatile and earned eight Pro Bowl selections which came at three different positions (defensive back, running back, wide receiver). Gifford was a six-time first-team All-Pro and was part of the Giants’ 1956 championship team with Huff. He was named the NFL’s MVP in 1956 and entered the Hall of Fame in 1977.
Lawrence Taylor might have been the best linebacker to ever play the game. The second overall pick in the 1981 NFL Draft, Taylor would earn 10 Pro Bowl berths in his 12-year career. He was a first-team All-Pro eight times, the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1981, a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and the league’s MVP in 1986. Taylor is one of only two defensive players to ever be named NFL MVP. He helped lead the Giants to two Super Bowl championships (XXI, XXV).
Author: Dan Anderson