NFL Championship Game, 1956
Encyclopedia
In the 1956
National Football League
Championship Game played at Yankee Stadium in New York City
on 30 December 1956, the New York Giants
defeated the Chicago Bears
47-7. It was the 24th annual NFL championship game.
The game was played on an icy field. To adjust to the conditions, the Giants opted to wear sneakers instead of traditional football cleats. The advantage the sneakers provided in footing was cited as a major factor in New York's romp. Twenty-two years earlier on an icy Polo Grounds
field, the Giants had employed the same tactic and beat the Bears to win the 1934 NFL Championship
in the famous "Sneakers Game."
The 1956 Giants featured a number of Hall of Fame players, including running backs Frank Gifford
and Alex Webster
, offensive tackle Roosevelt Brown, linebacker Sam Huff
, and defensive end Andy Robustelli
. Two assistants of Giants head coach Jim Lee Howell
, Offensive Coordinator Vince Lombardi
and Defensive Coordinator Tom Landry
, later became NFL Hall of Fame head coaches with other franchises; Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers to five NFL Championships during the 1960s and Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys to two NFL Championships during the 1970s.
The 1956 season marked the Giants first at Yankee Stadium and the team earned its way to the championship game by winning the NFL Eastern Division title
with a regular season record of 8-3-1. The 1956 NFL Championship was the third in the history of the New York Giants
franchise. It would be another thirty years
before the Giants would win another championship.
1st Quarter
2nd Quarter
3rd Quarter
4th Quarter
Attendance: 56,836.
1956 NFL season
The 1956 NFL season was the 37th regular season of the National Football League. CBS became the first network to televise some regular season games across the nation...
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...
Championship Game played at Yankee Stadium in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on 30 December 1956, the 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...
defeated 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...
47-7. It was the 24th annual NFL championship game.
The game was played on an icy field. To adjust to the conditions, the Giants opted to wear sneakers instead of traditional football cleats. The advantage the sneakers provided in footing was cited as a major factor in New York's romp. Twenty-two years earlier on an icy Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
field, the Giants had employed the same tactic and beat the Bears to win the 1934 NFL Championship
NFL Championship Game, 1934
The 1934 National Football League Championship Game, also known as The Sneakers Game, was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City on December 9, 1934. The final score was New York Giants 30, Chicago Bears 13. It was the 2nd annual NFL championship game.A freezing rain the night before the game...
in the famous "Sneakers Game."
The 1956 Giants featured a number of Hall of Fame players, including running backs 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....
and Alex Webster
Alex Webster (football player)
Alexander "Red" Webster is a former American football fullback and halfback in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was also the head coach of the Giants from 1969 to 1973.-Early life:...
, offensive tackle Roosevelt Brown, linebacker Sam Huff
Sam Huff
Robert Lee "Sam" Huff is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982....
, and defensive end Andy Robustelli
Andy Robustelli
Andrew Richard "Andy" Robustelli was an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Giants. He played college football at Arnold College and was drafted in the nineteenth round of the 1951 NFL Draft...
. Two assistants of Giants head coach Jim Lee Howell
Jim Lee Howell
James Lee Howell was an American football player and coach for the National Football League's New York Giants. Howell was born in Arkansas and played college football and basketball at the University of Arkansas. He was drafted by the Giants in the 1937 NFL Draft and played wide receiver and...
, Offensive Coordinator 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...
and Defensive Coordinator Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
, later became NFL Hall of Fame head coaches with other franchises; Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers to five NFL Championships during the 1960s and Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys to two NFL Championships during the 1970s.
The 1956 season marked the Giants first at Yankee Stadium and the team earned its way to the championship game by winning the NFL Eastern Division title
with a regular season record of 8-3-1. The 1956 NFL Championship was the third in the history of the 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...
franchise. It would be another thirty years
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...
before the Giants would win another championship.
Scoring summary
New York 47, Chicago 71st Quarter
- NY TriplettMel TriplettMelvin C. Triplett was an American football running back in the National Football League who played for eight seasons for the New York Giants. He played college football at the University of Toledo and was drafted by the Giants in the 1955 NFL Draft, where he played for six seasons...
17 run (AgajanianBen AgajanianBenjamin James Agajanian "The Toeless Wonder" is an American former collegiate and Professional Football player. He was born in Santa Ana, California. A placekicker, he played college football at the University of New Mexico...
kick) 7-0 NYG - NY FG Agajanian 17 10-0 NYG
- NY FG Agajanian 43 13-0 NYG
2nd Quarter
- NY Webster 3 run (Agajanian kick) 20-0 NYG
- CHI CasaresRick CasaresRichard Jose "Rick" Casares is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League and the American Football League for twelve seasons in the 1950s and 1960s...
9 run (BlandaGeorge BlandaGeorge Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
kick) 20-7 NYG - NY Webster 1 run (Agajanian kick) 27-7 NYG
- NY Moore recovered blocked punt in end zone (Agajanian kick) 34-7 NYG
3rd Quarter
- NY RoteKyle RoteWilliam Kyle Rote, Sr. was an American football player and sports announcer.-Early life:Rote attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, Texas, where he was an all-state basketball and football player....
9 yard pass from ConerlyCharlie ConerlyCharles Albert Conerly, Jr. was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New York Giants from 1948 through 1961. Conerly was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.-College career:Conerly attended and played college football at the University of...
(kick failed) 40-7 NYG
4th Quarter
- NY Gifford 14 yard pass from Conerly (Agajanian kick) 47-7 NYG
Attendance: 56,836.