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Giants' reactions to Rote's death
Posted: Thursday August 15, 2002 4:25 PM
Wellington Mara, Team President and Co-CEO
In the days when he was coming out of college (1951) we had what they called a bonus first pick. Each team got a chance each year to make a pick in a lottery. One team always got the first pick in the draft, regardless of where it had finished in the standings. The year that we won it, Kyle Rote was the guy we picked. We otherwise probably would not have gotten him. (Coach) Steve Owen was the one who made the pick, and I always heard a note of triumph in his voice when he said "Kyle Rote."
He was so good at everything, whether it was ping-pong, pool or kicking off. The outstanding backs of that era were Alex Webster and Frank Gifford. Before Kyle hurt his knee, he was as powerful a runner as Webster
was and as smooth a runner and as good a receiver as Gifford was. He just had so much ability.
Y.A. Tittle, Quarterback (1961-64)
Kyle Rote was one of the smartest football men of that era. He had a great offensive mind regarding the passing game, and football in general. Plus the fact, there has probably never been a nicer person to ever play the game. Everybody liked Kyle Rote. Fans liked him, sportswriters liked him, players liked him. He was just a good person and an outstanding football player.
Sam Huff, Linebacker (1956-63)
I thought he was one of the great leaders. He was a great guy. He was a Hall of Famer in every way. I never heard him say a bad word about anybody.
Kyle was a big part of what made the Giants successful. He set the standard for excellence. He was the offensive captain of the Giants, and he deserved it. You can't say enough about him. He was a gutsy ballplayer. He wasn't a mean guy, but he wouldn't back down from anybody. I remember a drill at training camp in Winooski, Vermont we called the nutcracker drill, which had an offensive lineman going against a defensive guy. Harland Svare hit Kyle in his head so hard with his elbow he split his helmet up the back. Kyle never said a word about it. It hurt, but Kyle just took the shot and grinned about it. That's the kind of guy he was. He was a gutsy, wonderful guy.
Frank Gifford, Back-End (1952-64)
Kyle was an extraordinary person. He joined the Giants the year before I arrived and he stepped in a hole and tore up his knee in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Had he not damaged his knee as a rookie, you probably never would have heard of me. When I came in '52, he was recuperating from knee surgery. In those days, surgery on your ACL was pretty awful. He ultimately could not return to his running back position. He went to wide receiver and had an incredible career, considering he did it on one leg. Had he not stepped in the hole, he would be in the Hall of Fame and I probably wouldn't be.
Kyle was the kind of guy you would go to talk to about something in a personal way. I named my son after him, as did several other Giants players. And it continues on. My daughter also knew Kyle, and named her
daughter Kyle. That's where it all came from for us. He was just a very special person. He was an artist, he was a poet and he was a kind, gentle man who was a great athlete. That's pretty rare.
| Kyle Rote in the Spotlight |
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CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
1956: N.Y. Giants 47, Chicago Bears 7
Playing on an icy field, fullback Mel Triplett rushed 17 yards for a touchdown early in the game, then Ben Agajanian added two field goals for a 13-0 lead.
It was 34-7 at halftime as Alex Webster crashed over for two TDs from inside the 5-yard line.
Charlie Conerly's second-half aerials brought nothing but more woe to the Bears, with Kyle Rote snaring a 9-yard TD throw and Frank Gifford a 14-yarder to close out the scoring.
1958: Baltimore Colts 23, N.Y. Giants 17 (OT)
Some people call this the greatest game ever played, and perhaps it was for drama and its sudden-death ending.
With a crowd of 64,185 on hand at Yankee Stadium, the Giants led 3-0 on a 36-yard field goal by Pat Summerall in the first period.
The Colts led 14-3 at halftime on scores by Alan Ameche from the 2-yard line and Ray Berry on a 15-yard pitch from Johnny Unitas.
The Giants scored in the third quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Mel Triplett after an 86-yard gainer from Charlie Conerly to Kyle Rote.
The Giants went in front 17-14 on Conerly's 15-yard TD throw to Gifford, but the Colts tied it with seven seconds to play on Steve Myrah's 13-yard FG.
Baltimore won in the overtime on Ameche's 1-yard plunge, the 13th play of the drive. |
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