Allie Sherman
Encyclopedia
Alexander "Allie" Sherman (born February 10, 1923, in Brooklyn, New York) is a retired American football
National Football League
running back
and head coach
.
Sherman was the coach of the NFL's
New York Giants
from 1961 to 1969. His division titles with the Giants from 1961 to 1963 were the high points of his coaching career. Sherman collected two NFL Coach of the Year Award
s in 1961 and 1962, the first time such an honor was awarded to the same person in consecutive years.
beginning in 1940. He was then the quarterback and captain of the 1941–42 Brooklyn College
football
team with Johnny Most
.
of the NFL as a quarterback and defensive back
. In his rookie season, he played with a combined Philadelphia Eagles
and Pittsburgh Steelers
squad (due to manpower shortages caused by World War II
). The team, called the Steagles
, finished third in the NFL East with a record of 5–4–1.
Sherman spent five seasons with the Eagles, who finished second in the NFL East from 1944 to 1946. In 1946, he completed 17 of 33 passes for 264 yards (241.4 m), and led the league in yards per passing attempt (8.00). The following year, he helped lead the Eagles to the NFL East title with a record of 8–4–0. They tied the Pittsburgh Steelers for first, and then defeated Pittsburgh in a playoff to reach the NFL Championship game. In the championship, the Eagles lost to the Chicago Cardinals
(led by All-NFL defensive back Marshall Goldberg
) 28–21. Sherman retired following the 1947 season, having played in 51 career NFL games.
NFL player record
(one of his players was Hall of Famer Bud Grant
) of the Canadian Football League
. In 1957, Sherman returned to the Giants as a scout, and then joined the coaching staff two years later as offensive coordinator, replacing Vince Lombardi
.
Finally in 1961, Sherman was given an opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL, and he made the most of it. That year, he led the Giants to the NFL Eastern Division championship and a spot in the NFL Championship game. Although they lost the championship to the Green Bay Packers
, 37–0, Sherman was named NFL Coach of the Year because the Giants had improved from a 6–4–2 record in 1960 to 10–3–1 in 1961.
The following year, with legendary players such as Y.A. Tittle and Frank Gifford
, Sherman continued his winning ways and led the Giants back to the NFL Championship games after they repeated as NFL East champs with a 12–2 record. Sherman was named NFL Coach of the Year although his Giants again fell to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship Game, this time 16–7; it was the first time in NFL history that a coach had been named Coach of the Year in back-to-back years. In 1963, the Giants won their third straight division title, but again lost in the NFL Championship Game, this time to the Chicago Bears
, 14–10 (it was the Giants' last appearance in a championship game until Super Bowl XXI
in the 1986–87 season).
Sherman coached the Giants for another five seasons, but with the retirements of Tittle, Gifford, and other stars, the team did not have the same success. By 1966, the fans were getting restless and talk of firing Sherman became more common. The spectators at Yankee Stadium took to waving "Goodbye Allie" banners and even put the slogan to song. By 1968, even though the team had a record of 7–7, the fans' dissatisfaction reached a peak, and after a poor preseason performance in 1969 (including a 34–17 loss to the New York Jets) they got their wish and Sherman was dismissed. Sherman had a career record of 57–51–4 during his tenure as Giants coach.
Speaking of the rigors of football, Sherman said: "In this game, a player aches from July to December."
NFL coaching record (1961–68 NY Giants): 57–51–4; 0–3 in the playoffs.
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
.
Sherman was the coach of the NFL's
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1961 to 1969. His division titles with the Giants from 1961 to 1963 were the high points of his coaching career. Sherman collected two NFL Coach of the Year Award
NFL Coach of the Year Award
The National Football League Coach of the Year Award is presented annually by various news and sports organizations to the NFL head coach who has done the most outstanding job of working with the talent he has at his disposal. Currently, the most widely recognized award is presented by the...
s in 1961 and 1962, the first time such an honor was awarded to the same person in consecutive years.
Early life
Sherman, who is Jewish, was the son of Russian Jews. In high school at Boy's High School in Brooklyn, Sherman was captain of his school's handball team, but did not make the school's football team. A very bright student, he graduated high school at the age of 16.Brooklyn College
Sherman was the starting quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
beginning in 1940. He was then the quarterback and captain of the 1941–42 Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team with Johnny Most
Johnny Most
John M. "Johnny" Most was an American sports announcer, known primarily as the raspy radio voice of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association from 1953 to 1990....
.
NFL playing career
After graduating in 1943 at 20-years-old, he joined the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL as a quarterback and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. In his rookie season, he played with a combined Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
squad (due to manpower shortages caused by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
). The team, called the Steagles
Steagles
The Steagles is the popular nickname for the team created by the temporary merger of two National Football League teams, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season...
, finished third in the NFL East with a record of 5–4–1.
Sherman spent five seasons with the Eagles, who finished second in the NFL East from 1944 to 1946. In 1946, he completed 17 of 33 passes for 264 yards (241.4 m), and led the league in yards per passing attempt (8.00). The following year, he helped lead the Eagles to the NFL East title with a record of 8–4–0. They tied the Pittsburgh Steelers for first, and then defeated Pittsburgh in a playoff to reach the NFL Championship game. In the championship, the Eagles lost to the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(led by All-NFL defensive back Marshall Goldberg
Marshall Goldberg
Marshall Goldberg was an American football halfback with the Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League.- Football career :Goldberg was born in Elkins, West Virginia...
) 28–21. Sherman retired following the 1947 season, having played in 51 career NFL games.
NFL player record
- Physical: 5 ft 8 in, 168 pounds
- Games: 51
- Passes completed: 66
- Passes attempted: 135
- Passing percentage: 48.9
- Passing yards: 823
- Passing touchdowns: 9
- Interceptions thrown: 10
- Rushes: 93
- Rushing yards: 44
- Rushing average: 0.5
- Rushing touchdowns: 4
- Fumbles: 10
- Interceptions: 2
- Punts: 1
- Punt yards: 27
Coaching career
Upon his retirement, Sherman turned to coaching and became the New York Giants backfield coach in 1949, a position he held until 1953. That year, he took his first head coaching position with the Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
(one of his players was Hall of Famer Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
) of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. In 1957, Sherman returned to the Giants as a scout, and then joined the coaching staff two years later as offensive coordinator, replacing Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
.
Finally in 1961, Sherman was given an opportunity to be a head coach in the NFL, and he made the most of it. That year, he led the Giants to the NFL Eastern Division championship and a spot in the NFL Championship game. Although they lost the championship to the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, 37–0, Sherman was named NFL Coach of the Year because the Giants had improved from a 6–4–2 record in 1960 to 10–3–1 in 1961.
The following year, with legendary players such as Y.A. Tittle and Frank Gifford
Frank Gifford
Francis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
, Sherman continued his winning ways and led the Giants back to the NFL Championship games after they repeated as NFL East champs with a 12–2 record. Sherman was named NFL Coach of the Year although his Giants again fell to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Championship Game, this time 16–7; it was the first time in NFL history that a coach had been named Coach of the Year in back-to-back years. In 1963, the Giants won their third straight division title, but again lost in the NFL Championship Game, this time to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 14–10 (it was the Giants' last appearance in a championship game until Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI
Super Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season. The National Football Conference champion New York Giants won their first Super Bowl by defeating...
in the 1986–87 season).
Sherman coached the Giants for another five seasons, but with the retirements of Tittle, Gifford, and other stars, the team did not have the same success. By 1966, the fans were getting restless and talk of firing Sherman became more common. The spectators at Yankee Stadium took to waving "Goodbye Allie" banners and even put the slogan to song. By 1968, even though the team had a record of 7–7, the fans' dissatisfaction reached a peak, and after a poor preseason performance in 1969 (including a 34–17 loss to the New York Jets) they got their wish and Sherman was dismissed. Sherman had a career record of 57–51–4 during his tenure as Giants coach.
Speaking of the rigors of football, Sherman said: "In this game, a player aches from July to December."
NFL coaching record (1961–68 NY Giants): 57–51–4; 0–3 in the playoffs.
Honors, and post-football
He is a member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in Commack, New York. During the 1980s and early 1990s, Sherman worked as a professional football analyst for ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
See also
- History of the New York Giants (1925-1978)
- List of select Jewish football players