Who was Sam Huff? Legendary Giants LB dies at age 87

Who was New York Giants Sam Huff?

The New York Giants lost a Hall of Fame player this weekend in linebacker Sam Huff. He was diagnosed with dementia eight years ago and passed away on Saturday at the age of 87.

Sam Huff, a third-round pick in 1956 out of West Virginia, had quite a historic career with the Giants. Head coach Jim Lee Howell had issues finding the rookie a position after he played on the offensive line in college. Huff reportedly left training camp disgruntled, but an offensive assistant coach by the name of Vince Lombardi persuaded him to return to the team.

Defensive coordinator Tom Landry created the 4-3 scheme that Huff would thrive in. The Giants lined him up as a middle linebacker and he won the starting job after starter Ray Beck suffered an injury a few games into the season. Huff would help the team win the 1956 NFL Championship, becoming the first rookie middle linebacker to start in an NFL championship game. Sam Huff was also part of "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in the 1958 NFL Championship, the first to go into sudden death overtime. The Giants lost to the Baltimore Colts.

Sam Huff and the New York Giants made the championship game the following season, once again losing to the Colts. Huff reached stardom that season as he became the first NFL player to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. CBS did a television special on him in 1960 called, "The Violent World of Sam Huff."

Under new coach Allie Sherman, Huff and the Giants made three consecutive championship games from 1961 to 1963, losing all of them. In 1964, after being told by owner Wellington Mara that he would not be traded, Allie Sherman shipped Sam Huff to the Washington Redskins in a blockbuster trade. He would help make Washington's defense the second-best in the NFL in 1965 and beat his former team in the highest-scoring game in league history (72-41) in 1966. Sam Huff retired in 1968 only to be talked back into the league in 1969 by....

Washington head coach Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi led the team to their best season since 1955 with a 7-5-2 record. Huff would finally retire as a player after that season, ending his career after 14 seasons with 30 total interceptions. He stayed on with Washington in 1970 to coach linebackers for one season following Vince Lombardi's death from colon cancer.

Sam Huff's legacy goes beyond the gridiron, as he would work his way up to Vice President of Sports Marketing with the Marriott Corporation before retiring in 1998. In 1970, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in a losing effort. He would also go on to become a color commentator for the New York Giants radio team and Redskins Radio Network, which he retired from in 2012.

Huff became the second WVU player to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame. In addition, he was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame, had his jersey number (75) retired by West Virginia, and was ranked #6 in Sports Illustrated's list of West Virginia's 50 Greatest Athletes in 2001.

Sam Huff is survived by his partner Carol Holden, two children, three grandchildren and one great-grandson. He left his mark on the NFL, New York Giants, and Washington football organization over his 15 years in the league.