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May 18 2009, 5:44 PM EDT (current) revmoran 3 words added, 3 words deleted, 3 photos added, 3 photos deleted
May 18 2009, 5:26 PM EDT revmoran 1 photo added, 1 photo deleted

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The Early Years

Football began with the colleges and so did football cards. The first set of professional football cards was issued in 1935 by the National Chicle Company, but several future Giants were included in multi-sport sets issued in the 1920s for their college football play. Tony Plansky, a national decathlon champion, had a card for his achievements in track and field.

Several professional football players, including future Giant Ken Strong, were part of a multi-sport set issued in 1930 by the Rogers and Peet Clothing Company. Ken Strong was signed by the NY Yankees baseball team upon graduation from college and while playing pro football also played first in the Eastern League and then in the Triple A International League in Toronto - where there was a newspaper premium with his picture. After suffering a broken wrist when he ran into an outfield wall, he quite baseball and went on to his Hall of Fame career in football.


In 1933 the Goudey Gum Company inserted a multi-sport set, "Sports Kings" into Gum packs. Jim Thorpe was in this set, although his play for the 1925 Giants is not mentioned on the card.

Tony Plansky 1925
Tony Plansky 1925
W580


Walter Koppisch 1925
Walter Koppisch 1925
W580


Benny Friedman 1925

Benny Friedman 1925
Candy Card
Benny Friedman 1926
Benny Friedman 1926
Spalding Sports Company

FriedmanChicagoTribuneOct31926.jpg Friedman 1926 picture by revmoran
Benny Friedman
1926 Newspaper Premium

Walter Koppish 1926
Walter Koppisch 1926
Spalding Sports Company

Chris Cagle 1928
Chris Cagle 1928
W560


Ken Strong 1928
Ken Strong 1928
W560

Ken Strong 1930
Ken Strong 1930
Rogers and Peet

Ken Strong 1931
Ken Strong 1931
Canadian Baseball La Presse

Jim Thorpe 1936
Jim Thorpe
1933 Goudey Gum




In 1933 the Diamond Match Company used professional football players to sell matchbooks – two for a penny. A number of contemporary football Giants were included in that set. Other Diamond Matchbooks that featured Giants were put out in 1934 and 1935. Some samples are below, including three players from Fordham University who went on to fame with the Maramen.
Jack McBride
Jack McBride 1933
Diamond Match
Bill Owen
Bill Owen 1933
Diamond Match
Hap Moran
Hap Moran 1933
Diamond Match
Danowski medium
Ed Danowski 1933
Diamond matchMatch
Del Isola medium
John Del Isola 1933
Diamond matchMatch
Sarausky medium
Tony Sarausky 1933
Diamond matchMatch
Cecil Tex Irvin
Cecil Tex Irvin 1934
Diamond Match
Steve Owen
Steve Owen 1934
Diamond Match
Mel Hein
Mel Hein 1934
Diamond Match
Ray Flaherty
Ray Flaherty 1934
Diamond Match
Ken Strong
Ken Strong 1934
Diamond Match
Harry Newman
Harry Newman 1934
Diamond Match
Morris Badgro
Morris Red Badgro 1934
Diamond Match
Dale Burnett
Dale Burnett 1934
Diamond Match
Len Grant
Len Grant 1934
Diamond Match



In 1935 the National Chicle Company inserted "Football Stars" cards into their chewing gum packages. Five New York Giants were in that set. Also, if you took 20 Football Stars gum wrappers back to the store, you could redeem them for prints from the "Gridiron Photo Collection," now called Chicle R 311 photo premiums - the 1934 Championship Giants and Harry Newman were included in the set.
Bo Moldenda 1935
Bo Moldenda
1935 National Chicle
Ken Strong 1935
Ken Strong
1935 National Chicle
Tom Jones 1935
Tom Potsy Jones
1935 National Chicle
Dale Burnett 1935
Dale Burnett
1935 National Chicle

John Del Isola 1935
John Del Isola
1935 National Chicle

Giants 1934 Championship Team
1934 Giants Championship Team
1935 National Chicle R 311 Photo Premium

Harry Newman 1935
Harry Newman
1935 National Chicle R 311
Photo Premium

Also in 1935 Wheaties had a number of football themed cards printed on the back of their cereal boxes. The focus was on all-time college stars and coaches, and two men who had played for the Giants were featured -
It is an indication of the versatility of the players of that era that Cagle, who was famous for running, is shown passing and Friedman, who was famous for passing, is shown kicking.

Chris Cagle 1935
Chris Cagle 1935 Wheaties Fancy Frames
Benny Friedman 1935
Benny Friedman 1935 Wheaties Fancy Frames


read about Giants Cards after World War II

Read