One of the greatest New York Giants ever, running back and wide receiver Frank Gifford has passed away at the age of 84-years-old at his home in Connecticut. According to ESPN, he died of natural causes. After his football career, Gifford transitioned to the booth and became one of the most recognizable voices in the NFL.
Frank Gifford played college football at Bakersfield Junior College because he did not have good enough grades coming out of high school to play at the University of Southern California. After a year at Bakersfield, he transferred to USC. In his junior year at USC, he ran for 841 yards on 195 carries.
In 1971, he joined legends Howard Cosell and Don Meredith in the Monday Night Football booth for CBS. Outside of Monday Night Football, he broadcasted the United States vs. Soviet Union Gold Medal Men's Basketball game in 1972, in which the Soviet's won in controversial fashion.Gifford did some skiing and golf events as well.
Gifford's on the field accolades are numerous, with 3,609 rushing yards and 34 rushing touchdowns as a running back. As a wide receiver, he had 367 receptions, for 5,434 yards and 43 touchdowns. Those stats are according to NFL.com. He was named to eight Pro Bowls, and was a six-time All Pro. In 1958, he was named Pro Bowl MVP, and in 1956 he was named the NFL MVP. That same year he helped the Giants win the NFL championship at Yankee Stadium over the Chicago Bears. In that game, Gifford had the last touchdown of the game to seal the deal and make it a 47-7 victory.
In 1960, Chuck Bednarik concussed Gifford causing him to miss 18 months. When Francis Newtown Gifford came back in after a brief retirement, in 1962 he moved from running back to wide receiver, and had 769 yards receiving with seven touchdowns. As a result, he won comeback player of the year. In 1969, he was named to the NFL's 1950s all-decade team along with NFL legends such as Otto Graham, Norm Van Brocklin, and Chuck Bednarik. For a brief time during his career he played a little defensive back and quarterback.
He retired for good in 1964 after an eighth Pro Bowl appearance. After his retirement he went into TV, as stated above. In 1977 he was inducted into the Pro Football hall of fame. Gifford was also named to the College Football Hall of Fame for his time at USC. His number 16 is one of only 12 retired numbers by the New York Giants.
Frank Gifford is survived by his wife Kathie Lee Gifford, his five children from two different marriages and five grandchildren.
