Giants kick off centennial season with ‘Century Red’ uniforms
NFL
Published on : 9/13/2024
“Gritty and vintage.”
That was the opinion of a New York Giants player when he first saw the team’s “Century Red” uniform unveiled earlier this year in honor of the team’s 100-year anniversary. On Sunday, the Giants donned the uniform for the first time for their Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
The uniforms feature highlights from some of the organization’s earliest milestones.
The red socks with blue and white stripes were worn in the 1925 inaugural season along with the tan pants that founder/owner TIM MARA originally purchased for $500. In 1933, the Giants played in the first NFL Championship Game, narrowly losing to the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field while sporting red jerseys accented with a blue stripe underneath white numbers. Finally, the winged helmet was worn for 11 seasons, including the 1938 championship season when the Giants beat the Green Bay Packers. The Giants won that championship at Polo Grounds Stadium, the first home field for the team and symbolized on the decorative “100 Seasons” patch.
In the franchise’s 100 seasons of existence, there have been 32 Pro Football Hall of Famers who’ve graced the playing grounds in the Big Apple for at least part of one season.
The first football legend to step on the field as a Giant was JIM THORPE, the man many called “the greatest athlete of the 20th century,” in the inaugural season.
Two years later, in 1927, the Giants earned their first NFL title, going 11-1-1 in the regular season thanks to a dominant defense that allowed only 20 points throughout the season. Five Hall of Famers dotted the lineup: ROBERT (CAL) HUBBARD, STEVE OWEN, WILBUR (PETE) HENRY, RAY FLAHERTY and JOE GUYON.
With a championship under the belt, Mara looked to add value at the gate by acquiring running back/quarterback BENNY FRIEDMAN. Mara was so keen to get his hands on Friedman that he purchased the entire Detroit Wolverines franchise so he could secure Friedman’s services.
After losing the first NFL title game, the Giants turned the tables on the Bears the following season thanks to players like eight-time All-NFL center MEL HEIN, MORRIS BADGRO and triple-threat halfback KEN STRONG. The team captured a second title in 1938 during ALPHONSE “TUFFY” LEEMANS’ eight-year tear.
The 1940s didn’t produce championships in New York, but they did welcome a trio of future Hall of Famers. ARNIE WEINMEISTER spent six seasons with the Giants from 1948 to 1953. ARNIE HERBER unretired in 1944 to play a pair of seasons in New York due to the shortage of players during World War II. EMLEN TUNNELL played a decade’s worth of football for the Giants and was the first African American to play for the organization. He later became the first African American to be enshrined in Canton.
The Giants’ final NFL championship before the Super Bowl era came in 1956 with a team that featured four future Hall of Famers. SAM HUFF had just come into the league as a rookie and was an instant sensation, featured on the cover of Time Magazine at the age of 24. ROOSEVELT BROWN and FRANK GIFFORD made significant impacts in the run to a title with Gifford winning the league MVP award that year. But it was ANDY ROBUSTELLI who was said to have molded that championship team to form with his leadership.
One additional Hall of Famer had a stint with New York during the 1950s. DON MAYNARD was drafted to the Giants in 1957 but only played a lone season in 1958.
The organization won six NFL East crowns from 1956 to 1963. In that span, players like Y.A. TITTLE and HUGH McELHENNY contributed stellar seasons.
Out of contention, the 1970s featured subpar seasons that featured Hall of Fame players but only for short stints. FRAN TARKENTON and LARRY CSONKA both wore blue and red between their careers in Minnesota and Miami, respectively.
HARRY CARSON helped the Giants turn the corner in the 1980s. In his first season, Carson was named to the All-Rookie team as he was becoming the standout linebacker for New York. General Manager GEORGE YOUNG secured a pivotal piece that returned the team to the top when he drafted LAWRENCE TAYLOR in 1981.
Taylor’s arrival prompted a 10-year run that saw the team reach the playoffs six times and win two Super Bowls. At the helm of those Super Bowl teams was BILL PARCELLS. Young hired Parcells in 1983, and he coached the Giants for eight seasons.
The last Hall of Famer whom Young, a five-time NFL Executive of the Year, brought in was MICHAEL STRAHAN. He began his 15-season career in 1993. In those seasons, he would hoist two Vince Lombardi Trophies and set the NFL’s single-season sack record. In 2001, Strahan got to the quarterback 22.5 times while forcing a career-high seven fumbles.
MORTEN ANDERSEN played 16 games with New York in 2001, and KURT WARNER suited up for 10 games in 2004.
WELLINGTON MARA, the son of Tim Mara, joined the Giants in 1937 as a part-time assistant to the president. His 68 seasons with the organization saw the team win 16 divisional titles and four championships.
That was the opinion of a New York Giants player when he first saw the team’s “Century Red” uniform unveiled earlier this year in honor of the team’s 100-year anniversary. On Sunday, the Giants donned the uniform for the first time for their Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
The uniforms feature highlights from some of the organization’s earliest milestones.
The red socks with blue and white stripes were worn in the 1925 inaugural season along with the tan pants that founder/owner TIM MARA originally purchased for $500. In 1933, the Giants played in the first NFL Championship Game, narrowly losing to the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field while sporting red jerseys accented with a blue stripe underneath white numbers. Finally, the winged helmet was worn for 11 seasons, including the 1938 championship season when the Giants beat the Green Bay Packers. The Giants won that championship at Polo Grounds Stadium, the first home field for the team and symbolized on the decorative “100 Seasons” patch.
In the franchise’s 100 seasons of existence, there have been 32 Pro Football Hall of Famers who’ve graced the playing grounds in the Big Apple for at least part of one season.
The first football legend to step on the field as a Giant was JIM THORPE, the man many called “the greatest athlete of the 20th century,” in the inaugural season.
Two years later, in 1927, the Giants earned their first NFL title, going 11-1-1 in the regular season thanks to a dominant defense that allowed only 20 points throughout the season. Five Hall of Famers dotted the lineup: ROBERT (CAL) HUBBARD, STEVE OWEN, WILBUR (PETE) HENRY, RAY FLAHERTY and JOE GUYON.
With a championship under the belt, Mara looked to add value at the gate by acquiring running back/quarterback BENNY FRIEDMAN. Mara was so keen to get his hands on Friedman that he purchased the entire Detroit Wolverines franchise so he could secure Friedman’s services.
After losing the first NFL title game, the Giants turned the tables on the Bears the following season thanks to players like eight-time All-NFL center MEL HEIN, MORRIS BADGRO and triple-threat halfback KEN STRONG. The team captured a second title in 1938 during ALPHONSE “TUFFY” LEEMANS’ eight-year tear.
The 1940s didn’t produce championships in New York, but they did welcome a trio of future Hall of Famers. ARNIE WEINMEISTER spent six seasons with the Giants from 1948 to 1953. ARNIE HERBER unretired in 1944 to play a pair of seasons in New York due to the shortage of players during World War II. EMLEN TUNNELL played a decade’s worth of football for the Giants and was the first African American to play for the organization. He later became the first African American to be enshrined in Canton.
The Giants’ final NFL championship before the Super Bowl era came in 1956 with a team that featured four future Hall of Famers. SAM HUFF had just come into the league as a rookie and was an instant sensation, featured on the cover of Time Magazine at the age of 24. ROOSEVELT BROWN and FRANK GIFFORD made significant impacts in the run to a title with Gifford winning the league MVP award that year. But it was ANDY ROBUSTELLI who was said to have molded that championship team to form with his leadership.
One additional Hall of Famer had a stint with New York during the 1950s. DON MAYNARD was drafted to the Giants in 1957 but only played a lone season in 1958.
The organization won six NFL East crowns from 1956 to 1963. In that span, players like Y.A. TITTLE and HUGH McELHENNY contributed stellar seasons.
Out of contention, the 1970s featured subpar seasons that featured Hall of Fame players but only for short stints. FRAN TARKENTON and LARRY CSONKA both wore blue and red between their careers in Minnesota and Miami, respectively.
HARRY CARSON helped the Giants turn the corner in the 1980s. In his first season, Carson was named to the All-Rookie team as he was becoming the standout linebacker for New York. General Manager GEORGE YOUNG secured a pivotal piece that returned the team to the top when he drafted LAWRENCE TAYLOR in 1981.
Taylor’s arrival prompted a 10-year run that saw the team reach the playoffs six times and win two Super Bowls. At the helm of those Super Bowl teams was BILL PARCELLS. Young hired Parcells in 1983, and he coached the Giants for eight seasons.
The last Hall of Famer whom Young, a five-time NFL Executive of the Year, brought in was MICHAEL STRAHAN. He began his 15-season career in 1993. In those seasons, he would hoist two Vince Lombardi Trophies and set the NFL’s single-season sack record. In 2001, Strahan got to the quarterback 22.5 times while forcing a career-high seven fumbles.
MORTEN ANDERSEN played 16 games with New York in 2001, and KURT WARNER suited up for 10 games in 2004.
WELLINGTON MARA, the son of Tim Mara, joined the Giants in 1937 as a part-time assistant to the president. His 68 seasons with the organization saw the team win 16 divisional titles and four championships.
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