Giants on Ice: How the 1956 New York Giants Conquered the NFL

The year 1956 was a monumental one for the New York Giants. Not only did they move into a new stadium, but they also finally broke through a long stretch of championship drought, culminating in one of the most decisive title wins in NFL history. This era of Giants football, steeped in Hall of Fame talent and coached by future legends, remains one of the most compelling chapters in the league’s history.

The Road to the Championship: A New Home and Hall of Fame Talent

The 1956 season marked the Giants’ first at the famed Yankee Stadium, after years of playing at the Polo Grounds. Their move meant the Giants had to schedule their first three games on the road to avoid conflicting with the Yankees’ annual World Series run—a precaution that proved wise when the Yankees won the series that year.

Under head coach Jim Lee Howell, the Giants finished the regular season with a strong 8-3-1 record, securing the Eastern Conference title. The team was loaded with talent, boasting an astonishing five future Hall of Famers on the roster:

• Frank Gifford: The versatile back who led the team in both rushing (819 yards) and receiving (603 yards).
• Roosevelt Brown: The powerful offensive tackle, a 27th-round steal who anchored the line.
• Sam Huff: The ferocious middle linebacker who became the face of the defense.
• Emlen Tunnell: The defensive back and pioneer who was the first African American enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Andy Robustelli: The dominant defensive end.

The team also featured a peculiar quarterback situation: Don Heinrich started all 12 games and was the “quarterback of record” (8-3-1), but the veteran Charlie Conerly played more downs and posted superior statistics, utilizing a two-quarterback system that kept defenses guessing.

The Coach’s Clinic: Lombardi and Landry

Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of the 1956 Giants was the coaching staff. Head coach Jim Lee Howell presided over two assistants who would become coaching royalty:

• Tom Landry: The defensive coordinator, who would later revolutionize the game with the Dallas Cowboys.
• Vince Lombardi: The offensive coordinator, who would build the Green Bay Packers dynasty.

This dynamic duo gave the Giants a decisive intellectual edge, though their time in New York was short-lived. A famous—and quickly outlawed—example of this edge occurred when Landry exploited the new coach-to-quarterback radio system, using it to intercept the Cleveland Browns’ play calls and adjust the defense accordingly.

The Championship Game: The Sneakers Game, Part II

On December 30, 1956, the Giants hosted George Halas’s Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship Game at Yankee Stadium. The field was slick, frozen, and treacherous, setting the stage for a strategic replay of the 1934 title game.

The Giants famously switched from cleats to sneakers at halftime to gain better traction on the icy turf, a brilliant move that nullified the Bears’ ability to gain footing. The result was a rout. The Giants’ offense moved effortlessly, while their defense shut down the Bears, causing multiple turnovers. The Giants’ offense scored 40 unanswered points, and Frank Gifford, Alex Webster, and Mel Triplett ran wild.

The final score was a lopsided New York Giants 47, Chicago Bears 7. The victory secured the Giants their fourth NFL Championship and launched an era of sustained success in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Conclusion

The 1956 NFL Championship was more than just a victory; it was a cultural moment that solidified the Giants’ place in New York sports and showcased the genius of the era’s greatest minds, from players like Gifford and Brown to coordinators Lombardi and Landry. The championship remains a highlight of the pre-Super Bowl era, a testament to the power of teamwork, strategy, and Hall of Fame talent. Stay tuned for our next feature as we continue to explore the thrilling history of the NFL Championship Games before the Super Bowl!