New York Giants in the 1940sThis is a featured page

NY GIANTS HISTORY 1940 - 1949
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1940
New York Giants 1940
The Giants finished third in the East with a 6-4-1 record.

Midway through the season, leading rusher Tuffy Leemans was lost for the year with a back injury.

Center Mel Hein was the only Giant to win All-Pro honors, accomplishing the feat for the 10th year in a row.

1941
With just 50 seconds to go in the 1941 Eastern Division championship game, the Washington Redskins held a 13-10 lead, but the Giants scored a field goal and a touchdown to win, 20-13, and advance to the NFL title game.

In the wake of Pearl Harbor, only 13,341 spectators turned out to see Chicago top the Giants in the title game, 37-9.
1942
After losing many players to the service, the Giants finished with a 5-5-1 record and in third place in the Eastern Division.

The Giants recorded a memorable victory in the season opener, defeating the Washington Redskins, 14-7, although they didn’t have a first down, gained only one yard rushing and completed just one pass. That pass happened to go for a touchdown. The Giants also scored on an intercepted return and handed the Redskins their only defeat in their championship season.
1943
With the league down to just nine teams due to World War II, the Giants overcame a 2-2-1 start to finish with a 6-3-1 record.

The Giants advanced to the Eastern Division championship game where they dropped a 28-0 decision to the Washington Redskins.

1944
Luring quarterback Arnie Herber and back Ken Strong out of retirement, the Giants scored five shutouts en route to the Eastern Division title, but lost the NFL championship game at the Polo Grounds in New York to the Green Bay Packers, 14-7.
1945
The War ended in 1945, but the Giants finished with their worst record to date. The Giants started the year off with a 34-6 win at Pittsburgh, but everything seemed to collapse after the opener. The Giants 3-6-1 record was only one game better than the last place Pittsburgh Steelers.
1946Quarterback Frankie Filchock, an understudy to Sammy Baugh at Washington, signed with the Giants for a reported $35,000. Filchock and teammate, back Merle Hapes, were questioned about an attempt by a New York man to fix the championship game with the Chicago Bears. Hapes was suspended indefinitely for the alleged gambling involvement, but Filchock was allowed to continue playing. The Giants went on to lose the title game to Chicago, 24-14.
1947The Giants went from the title game in 1946 to the cellar, finishing with a 2-8-2 record, including a seven-game losing streak.

Halfback Frank Reagan tied for the league lead with ten interceptions for 203 yards. Reagan also tied for the league’s punting championship with 61 kicks for a 42.8 average.
1948The Giants renovation was accelerated in 1948 when they acquired quarterback Charlie Conerly from the Washington Redskins.

The franchise reached another milestone in its illustrious existence, but it had nothing to do with their 4-8 record. That season, the Giants signed their first black player, defensive back Emlen Tunnell.
1949Giants head coach Steve Owen switched from the "A" formation to the "T," which helped the Giants improve to a 6-6 record.

Allie Sherman was hired to work with quarterback Charlie Conerly.

The Giants shared the Polo Grounds with another NFL team, the New York Bulldogs.

New York Giants in the 1920s - New York Giants Previous Decade: NY Giants 1930-1939 Back to New York Giants History Next Decade: NY Giants 1950-1959 New York Giants in the 1920s - New York Giants



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Latest page update: made by eguy , Jun 19 2008, 7:17 PM EDT (about this update About This Update eguy Edited by eguy

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revmoran Jack Lummus and Al Blozis, casualties of World War II 0 Oct 7 2008, 4:17 PM EDT by revmoran
Thread started: Oct 7 2008, 4:17 PM EDT  Watch
On December 2, 1945, the first page of the Giants vs. Eagles program said:
Blozis, Lummus, Who Died in War, Honored by Giants
This last day of the professional football season at the Polo Grounds is dedicated by the Giants to two of their team mates who lost their lives in the war, Al Blozis who died in the Vosges Mountains, and Jack Lummus who was killed on Iwo Jima.
At and Jack were splendid men. That they also were grand fellows and fine football players now, alas, is only incidental. The Giants miss them. They miss their fellowship, they miss the tone these men lent to the clubhouse and field ensemble.
Today plaques commemorating their deeds are unveiled here at the Polo Grounds.
Blozis joined the Giants in 1942 after winning fame in football and as the world's champion shot putter at Georgetown. Big At (he weighed 250 and stood 6:6) did well in his freshman year with the pros. In his second he won all league tackle honors.
After the 1943 gridiron campaign the North Bergen, N. J. giant got into the Army the hard way. He had been turned down several times because of his size. After winning his gold bars, At received special permission to play with the Giants the last three 1944 games. His gridiron farewell was December 17 when the Giants opposed the Green Bay Packers for the title. Two days later At was on his way to the front.
1st Lt. Lummus was killed in an infantry-tank attack which broke one of the Japs' final and most stubborn lines of resistance on Iwo Jima.
The following year, On May 5, 1946 Harry S. Truman, President of the United States, signed the Citation awarding posthumously the Medal of Honor to First Lieutenant Jack Lummus.
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