A look back at a legend: we reflect on the career of Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle

Football Digest, Feb, 2005 by Randy Schultz

WHEN ALLIE SHERMAN TOOK over as head coach of the New York Giants for the 1961 NFL season, there were only two things he requested: a speedy receiver and a backup quarterback for Charlie Conerly.

The Giants took care of their first objective, getting Del Shofner from the Los Angeles Rams. But their second was a little trickier. Yelber ton Abraham Tittle had been a quarterback--in fact one of the finest in the NFL, with the San Francisco 49ers for 10 seasons, from 1951 through '60. Tittle was known as Y.A., Yat, or The Bald Eagle, and many thought he had seen his best days as a pro football player. San Francisco head coach Red Hickey had decided to overhaul his offense and was looking to install the shotgun attack. For that to work successfully, a team had to have a quarterback who had mobility. That was one thing Tittle didn't have.

So when the Giants offered to trade the No. 1 draft choice, a lineman by the name of Lou Cordileone, for the 35 year-old Tittle, the 49ers went for it. With that move the pro football career of Y.A. Tittle had been reborn.

"It was one of the best things that ever happened to me in my football career," said Tittle, a native of Marshall. Texas. "I knew what the situation was coming to New York. Interestingly, I almost retired before going to the Giants. I didn't want to go if I was going to be just the backup. I still thought I could play football and that I could do it as a starter, But l also knew that Charlie was still the favorite in New York, not only with the fans but with the players as well.

"Another reason I enjoyed coming to the Giants was the fact that the team was winning These were a group of guys who had come together as a championship organization. But I knew that I would fit it. Charlie was the starting quarterback. And I knew that his age was becoming a factor. But I knew that I would be ready to go if needed."

Actually, Sherman's plan in 1961 was to start file 40 year-old Conerly but to alternate him with Tittle as needed. But as the season wore past its midway point, it became evident that Tittle was the starter. By the end of the season, Tittle had led the Giants to the NFL's Eastern Division title and was named the league's most valuable player.

Unfortunately, the 1961 campaign ended just short of the ultimate goal: the NFL championship. The Giants fell to the Green Bay Packers, 37-0 at Lambeau Field. It was the same story for the next two seasons. The Giants repeated as Eastern Division winners, but lost again to the Packers, 16-7 in New York's Yankee Stadium, and then dropped a 1410 decision to the Bears in Chicago.

"We had tough weather conditions in all three of those championship games," recalled Tittle, who played 17 seasons of professional football, including two in the All-American Football Conference (1948-49) with the Baltimore Colts and 15 more in the NFL with the Colts, 49ers and Giants. "But we never made excuses for those games. Both teams came in equal for each game. But I never saw such cold conditions for games as I did in the three the Giants played in while I was there."

The championship game that Tittle is most remembered for is the '63 contest against the Bears. In that game Tittle injured his left knee twice.

"The first time I got hit, I knew I was hurt the minute I hit the ground," said Tittle, who was also the NFL's MVP for the 1963 season. "I just thought I could get up and walk it off. But it was the second hit late in the game that did me in. I heard something pop and knew that I was done.

"I know that I should have come out after I hurt me knee. But it was the coaches decision to keep me in there. I appreciate the fact that he had that much faith in me. I'm just sorry that we fell short of our goal, and that was to win the NFL championship."

It was the one thing that eluded Tittle throughout his NFL career. But despite that, Tittle did put up some excellent numbers during his career, including 2,427 completions, 33,070 yards, 242 touchdown passes, and 13 games in which he threw for more than 300 yards. Not bad for a guy who came out of Marshall, the son of a rural postman. Tittle's hero growing up was Sammy Baugh, a star first at Texas Christian University and later with the NFL's Washington Redskins.

Tittle would develop into an outstanding quarterback himself, first with Marshall High School and later with Louisiana State University. He had many great games for LSU, but the one most fans remember is when Yat lost his pants in front of 40,000 people at Tiger Stadium. LSU was trailing Mississippi 20-1, when Tittle, playing defensive cornerback at the lime, intercepted a pass.

"I cut right in front of the Mississippi receiver just as he was reaching for the ball," Tittle wrote in his autobiography, "I Pass!" "We both had our hands on it for a split second and there was a struggle. I snatched the ball but he grabbed me around the middle as I started to run. He tore off my belt buckle."

Although Tittle had a clear path to the endzone, which was 70 yards away, his football pants began slipping. Tittle's pants dropped to his thighs and then to his knees before tripping him. He fell to the ground 20 yards short of the goal line. LSU failed to score the winning touchdown, but Tittle made headlines all over the country.