Of the 32 franchises that are in the National Football League, the New York Giants are one of the oldest, and because of that, the list of New York Giants facts out there is near endless. The Giants joined the NFL back in 1925, and won their first Championship just two years later. Here are eight fascinating facts about the New York Giants that you may not have known.
8 Amazing New York Giants Facts:
- The Giants are the second oldest franchise in the NFL. (source) Having joined the NFL in 1925, the New York Giants are the second oldest club behind the Green Bay Packers. The Giants are one of the league’s eight original teams, along with the Steelers, Eagles, Redskins, Lions, Packers, Bears and Cardinals.
- The Giants first ever draft choice was Art Lewis in 1936. (source) Art Lewis played Offensive Tackle at Ohio University, and was selected by the New York Giants in the first ever draft back in 1936. The former Ohio Bobcat would play just one season for the Giants, wouldn’t play during the 1937 season, and then would spend two seasons with the Cleveland Rams (1938-1939). He would leave football to serve in the United States Navy during World War II, and would later become the Head Football Coach at both Washington and Lee University.
- The Giants rank third among all NFL franchises with 8 Titles. (source) During the pre-Super Bowl era, the Giants won four NFL Championships, and the club has since won the Super Bowl on four separate occasions.
- NFL Championships: 1927, 1934, 1938, 1956
- Super Bowl Titles: XXI, XXV, XLII, XLVI
- The Giants trailed at halftime in every Super Bowl they played in. (source) The Giants may be 4-1 all-time in the Super Bowl, but they were down on the scoreboard at the halfway point in all five games. The only Super Bowl loss for the Giants came against the Baltimore Ravens on January 28, 2001. In the 34-7 loss, New York’s only score came on a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Ron Dixon.
- Super Bowl 21: Trailed the Broncos 10-9 (Won 39-20)
- Super Bowl 25: Trailed the Bills 12-10 (Won 20-19)
- Super Bowl 35: Ravens led 10-0 (Lost 34-7)
- Super Bowl 42: Patriots held a 7-3 lead (Won 17-14)
- Super Bowl 46: Patriots had a 10-9 advantage (Won 21-17)
- The first New York Giants Quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards was Phil Simms. (source) During the 1984 NFL season, Giants Quarterback Phil Simms threw for 4,044 yards and 22 touchdowns, making him the first Giants signal caller to ever hit that milestone. Over the course of his NFL career, Simms was a two time Super Bowl Champion, received two Pro Bowl honors, and threw for 33,462 yards with 199 touchdown passes.
- The Giants have appeared in the Playoffs 32 times. (source) 32 seasons for the New York Giants have seen them enter the Playoffs. Their mark of 32 times is the third most in the league behind the Green Bay Packers (34) and Dallas Cowboys (33). The team with the least amount of appearances all-time is the Houston Texans (6).
- In 1925, the New York Giants were purchased for just $500. (source) Giants founder Tim Mara purchased the New York Giants for less than you received in your Stimulus check. As of September 2020, the franchise was worth $4.3 billion.
- Following the 2020 season, the Giants all-time record in the regular season is 702-618-33. (source) The Giants are one of only three teams in the league with more than 700 wins in the NFL’s regular season (702), joining the Chicago Bears (777) and Green Bay Packers (769). Currently, the Pittsburgh Steelers are closest to joining this elite group, as they sit at 643.
Featured image photo credit: Copyright Keith Allison, 2018. Originally found on Wikimedia Commons. Image was resized and cropped. Creative Commons 2.0.
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