Sam Huff: Hometown Hall of Famer
Former Giants & Redskins great to be honored in Farmington, W.Va.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1982 enshrinee Sam Huff will be recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate Insurance Company in Farmington, W.Va., on Monday, March 12, as part of Hometown Hall of Famers™, a national program honoring the hometown roots of the sport’s greatest players with special ceremonies and plaque dedication events in local communities.
“’Hometown Hall of Famers™’ has been warmly embraced by communities and Hall of Famers alike,” said George Veras, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises president and CEO. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Allstate to bring the Pro Football Hall of Fame to communities across the country and congratulate Sam Huff and the Farmington community on bringing a piece of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to Farmington.”
Huff, a five-time Pro Bowl selection as linebacker for the New York Giants and Washington Redskins, was a high school standout in Farmington. He will be presented with his Hometown Hall of Famer™ plaque during a special ceremony at 5:30 p.m. ET on Monday at the Farmington Community Center, where the plaque will live permanently to serve as an inspiration for the entire community. The presentation will be made by Mike Arcure, former manager of Huff’s high school football team.
“To be part of a program that brings the prestige and tradition of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to communities like Farmington is an honor for Allstate, our agents and employees,” said Lisa Cochrane, Allstate’s senior vice president of marketing.
The ceremony will be attended by Huff’s family members, close friends and teammates from West Virginia University’s 1954 Sugar Bowl team, as well as, members from the Farmington community. Friend Mervyn McDowell will serve as the Master of Ceremonies.
In addition to the plaque, a commemorative Sam Huff “Hometown Hall of Famer™” road sign will be on display in Farmington.
As a standout student-athlete at Farmington High School, which has since closed, Huff led his team to an undefeated season in 1951. After high school, Huff excelled as a linebacker at West Virginia University where he led his team to a 31-7 record and a berth in the ‘54 Sugar Bowl. In 1955, Huff was voted All-America and named co-captain for both the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl.
Huff was a third-round draft pick of the Giants in 1956. He starred for New York from 1956 to 1963 and then finished his career with the Redskins from 1964-67 and one final season as a player-coach in 1969. In all, he played in six NFL championship games, earned All-NFL acclaim three times, and recorded 30 career interceptions. Only two linebackers in the Hall of Fame had more career steals than Huff (Nick Buoniconti and Jack Ham each had 32). Huff was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1950s.
Hometown Hall of Famers™ presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate is the Hall of Fame’s first nationwide plaque program and will lead into the celebration of its 50th anniversary in August 2012. More on Hometown Hall of Famers.