Sam Huff, the hard-hitting Hall of Fame linebacker who helped the New York Giants reach six NFL title games from the mid-1950s to the early 1960s and later became a popular player and announcer in Washington, died Saturday.
Raised in West Virginia in coal mining country, Huff became a two-time All-Pro in a career that spanned from 1956 to 1969.
He almost single-handedly influenced the first chants of ‘Defense, defense’ in Yankee Stadium,” Giants team president John Mara said in a statement.
Huff was selected as the NFL’s top linebacker in 1959.
He retired after the 1967 season, sat out the following year and returned for a final season with Washington in 1969 as a player-coach under Vince Lombardi.
When Huff was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982, he said football players can’t be discouraged and will not quit, even if beaten in a game.
“Anyone who knew Sam knew what an amazing person he was,” WFT owners Tanya and Dan Snyder said in a statement.
Huff didn’t feel comfortable there, and shorty after training camp opened in 1956, he got fed up and left.
Landry eventually developed a 4-3 defense, which was a better fit for the mobile Huff, and he was switched to middle linebacker, behind Ray Beck.
His father and two of his brothers worked in the coal mines, and Huff lived in a small row house with no running water.