Frank Gifford

Frank Gifford was a retired professional American football player in the National Football League (NFL). He held a halfback and wide receiver position for the New York Giants from 1952 to 1960 and 1962 to 1964. Gifford is an NFL champion, eight-time Pro Bowler, and a 1956 Most Valuable Player.

Born on August 16, 1930 in California, he played football for Bakersfield High School. While attending the University of South California, he was named an All-American. In the 1952 NFL Draft, he was selected by the New York Giants in the first round.

Through his career, he played both offense and defense. He head a breakout season when he led his team to win the NFL championships and became the league’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1956. In 1960, he suffered from a severe head injury and was unable to play for 18 months.

When he returned, he changed from running back to flanker and recorded the most touchdowns among non-quarterback players in the league with 14 touchdowns. Gifford was forced to retire after the 1964 season due to his head injury.

Frank Gifford passed away on August 9, 2015 at the age of 84. He was a College Football Hall of Famer and Pro Football Hall of Famer. His career player statistics are 3,609 rushing yards, 4.3 yards per carry, 34 rushing touchdowns, 367 receptions, 5,434 receiving yards, and 43 receiving touchdowns.

Achievements:

• NFL champion (1956)
• 8-time Pro Bowl (1953–1959, 1963)
• 6-time First-team All-Pro (1953, 1955–1959)
• NFL Most Valuable Player (1956)
• NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1962)
• NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
• New York Giants No. 16 retired
• First-team All-American (1951)