What do you think?
Rate this book
Nothing Comes Easy: My Life in Football
The endearing story of perseverance and determination in this autobiography by Y. A. Tittle sheds new light on both the memorable performances he achieved as a football player and the trials and tribulations he faced as he came so close to winning that elusive NFL championship. As the AAFC Rookie of the Year, seven-time Pro Bowl selection, four-time All-NFL selection and two-time NFL MVP, the Hall of Fame quarterback certainly holds an incredible individual record of excellence. With his notable humble personality, Tittle lays it all on the line and shares stories and insights about behind-the-scenes moments in the clubhouses and what goes on between teammates as they played together for months at a time each season. From his days as a youth in Marshall, Texas, to a brilliant football career with the LSU Tigers, Baltimore Colts, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, talented quarterback Y.A. Tittle's love of football is what made him a legend.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2009
4 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 27, 2019
Y.A. Tittle's autobiography "Nothing Comes Easy: My Life In Football" chronicles Tittle's love for football from a young age , through his college years and his NFL career. Tittle had a true love for the game and the challenge of competition. He always gave his best and was motivated to win from the time he was young all the way through his collegiate years and his professional career.
The title of his autobiography reflects the reality that any accomplishment requires hard work, dedication and courage. This is true in life and in sports. Tittle had many accomplishments in life and in football that required fortitude and perseverance. He was a credit to the NFL and to the teams that he played for.
Y.A Title was born in raised in Marshall, Texas. His mother and father had three sons and a daughter. All three sons played football for Marshall High School. From a young age, Tittle wanted to play football. He especially wanted to play quarterback. He, and many others in Marshall Texas, looked up to Sammy Baugh who had been a star high school quarterback in Texas and went on to play for the Washington Redskins in the NFL.
Tittle looked up to his parents because they were good people. His parents tried hard to give him and his siblings the best life possible.
Beginning in 6th grade, Tittle realized that he could throw a football better than anyone his age. When he was in junior high he played quarterback on offense and cornerback on defense. He felt proud when a local newspaper compared him to Baugh when he was in high school.
In 1944, Tittle graduated from Marshall High School. TCU, Texas A &M, University of Texas, Rice and Southern Methodist all offered Tittle scholarships. Other universities in the country also offered him scholarships. Eventually, Tittle chose to go to LSU.
As a freshman at LSU, Tittle played well against Tulane University. LSU defeated Tulane 25-6. Tittle completed 15 of 17 passes for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In 1945, when Tittle was a sophomore, LSU implemented the "T Formation." It took Tittle time to adjust to the new formation, however, his coach encouraged him to not give up. In 1945, LSU went 7-2 and were ranked 15th in the nation. Tittle also played a lot on defense during his freshman year. Tittle says "That year I played quarterback on offense and halfback on defense and averaged 54 minutes a game." It must have been difficult to play so many minutes. However, Tittle does not appear to be someone who would complain.
In 1946, LSU went 9-1-1 and finished 8th in the national polls. In the Cotton Bowl, LSU and Arkansas played to a 0-0 tie in what became known as the "Ice Bowl" because of the cold weather.
In 1947, LSU played a lot of close games and finished with a 5-3-1 record. LSU was not invited to a bowl game.
After the 1947 season, Tittle signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns. Tittle signed a one year contract for $10,000. He graduated from LSU in June of 1948, about 6 months after he signed the contract. In June of 1948, Tittle also married his fiancé, Minnette. They would go on to have three sons and a daughter.
In 1948, there were two professional football leagues - the NFL and the AAFC. The Cleveland Browns played in the AAFC. Before he even played a game for the Browns, Tittle was traded from Cleveland to the Baltimore Colts.
In 1948, the Colts beat the Browns in a pre season game and returned home to Baltimore and were greeted by a parade. Tittle seemed impressed that the city of Baltimore decided to throw a parade for the Colts for simply winning a pre season game. As Tittle said "All this for winning a pre season game. I pondered as to what Baltimore would be like if we won a championship. It would go absolutely wild!"
In 1948, Tittle won Rookie of the Year honors in the All-American Conference. The Colts also had a good season. They finished 7-7 and played Buffalo to determine the winner of the Eastern Division. Buffalo won 18-17.
Tittle credited Baltimore's coach, Cecil Isbell, with teaching him how to throw a forward pass. Tittle said "Coach Isbell molded me into a professional quarterback." Tittle said that he always wanted to complete passes quickly. He wanted to find an open receiver quickly and throw it to him. He implied that Coach Isbell helped him to develop this strategy and technique. Tittle said "This was Cecil Isbell's concept of utilizing the forward pass, and it has been mine ever since I played for him as a rookie with Baltimore in 1948. Isbell was a great coach and an even greater human being. He remained one of my greatest fans." Clearly, Tittle benefitted a lot from Isbell's coaching.
After the 1949 season, the Baltimore Colts folded. Of course, a team called the Baltimore Colts would re emerge in the NFL later. However, this particular version of the Colts disbanded. Then Tittle wound up with the San Francisco 49ers after they drafted him from the Colts.
When Tittle joined the 49ers, they had a quarterback named Frankie Albert. Tittle says "My first impression of Albert in 1951 was that he was far more polished than the other ballplayers I had known. Tittle added that Albert "had fun playing the game and at the same time made it fun for us. He was the guy who could always be expected to do the unexpected, especially during practice." Clearly, Albert made an impression upon Tittle.
When Tittle joined the 49ers in 1951, Albert was the starting quarterback for San Francisco. He emphasized that Albert "ran the show" at practice after the coach, Buck Shaw got the practice started.
In 1951, San Francisco had a decent year. However, a tie game with the New York Yanks ruined the 49ers chances of winning the division. In the following week, Tittle lead the 49ers to a come back win against the Detroit Lions. Tittle said "I really don't like to say that "I" won the game, because I didn't win it alone. The rest of the team was just as much a part of the win as I was. But I did get more playing time, and my passing gave us the winning points in the second half." Tittle did his best to give the entire team credit for the victory.
Tittle said that Hardy Brown, of the 49ers, was the "toughest football player I ever met." Tittle recounted some of the tough play that he saw from Brown. Tittle recounted his tackling ability and his ability to get in the backfield and tackle the quarterback and the running back.
In 1952, the 49ers were in the midst of a quarterback controversy. Shaw decided to rotate Tittle and Albert. Tittle said "One week Frankie would start and play the first and third quarters and I would come into the game in the second and fourth quarters. The following week the rotation would reverse. Buck made it very clear to the team, win or lose, that was the way it was going to be." Today a quarterback rotation would probably not work, but back then in the NFL, coaches sometimes tried quarterback rotations.
The team got off to a good start. The 49ers began the season 5-0. The offense played well, and the quarterback rotation was working. Eventually, Albert got injured in a game against the Chicago Bears. Tittle said that the 49ers never really recovered from the injury. The 49ers lost 5 of their last 7 games. At the end of the year, Albert left the NFL and went to play football in Canada.
In 1953, Tittle became the starting quarterback for the 49ers. Tittle felt that his comments were often misconstrued by the sports writers, so he told the sports writers to talk to other players on the team. Perhaps, the role of being the starting quarterback ment that the sports writers wanted to talk to Tittle more often. In any event, Tittle did not want to create controversy by saying the wrong thing to a sports writer.
In 1953, Tittle suffered a broken cheekbone in a game against the Detroit Lions. Tittle said "After the cheekbone incident in '53, a special face mask was made for me." This injury, and all football related injuries, shows how tough the game is. It is not an easy game, and unfortunately players are prone to injury because of how tough the game is.
The Lions defeated the Browns 18-17 in the 1953 NFL championship game. The 49ers had a good season and the momentum carried over to 1954. However, the 49ers were not as good as they were in 1953. The 49ers had a good offense in 1954, but they struggled on defense. Tittle said "The problem wasn't that the 49ers couldn't score; we finished with 313 points, and I completed 170 passes as Perry and Johnson ran wild on the field. The problem was that we couldn't stop anybody!"
The 49ers finished 7-5, two game worse than the previous season. Shaw did not have his contract renewed after the 1954 season.
In 1955, the 49ers struggled even more. The team finished 4-8 in second to last place in their division. Red Strader was the new coach, and his style differed a good deal from Shaw's approach. According to Tittle, Strader micromanaged the team, and his style was not popular with the players. Tittle said "Football under Buck Shaw was fun; under Red Strader it was drudgery. It became a regimented business where you clocked in every morning and kept your nose to the grindstone until Red blew the whistle at quitting time." Clearly, Shaw and Strader had different styles. Often time when a coaching change is made, management will bring in a coach with a different personality and style than the previous coach. This appears to have happened in this situation.
In 1956, the 49ers had another bad season. They finished got off to a bad start. However, they played better as the season continued. The 49ers rebounded somewhat after a poor start and finished 5-6-1, which was good enough for third place.
In 1957, Tittle pioneered the "alley oop pass." At the end of one of the practices, 49er receivers were dropping the ball frequently. So, Tittle said "Disgusted with it all, I decided to just throw the ball straight up in the air with no receiver in mind." Eventually, the ball came down and R.C. Owens jumped up and made the catch. Tittle said that one of the players on the sidelines named it the "alley oop play."
Tittle described the play in the following way: He said "The mechanics of the play were not fancy. The concept was simple. I was to throw the ball as high and as far as I could. R.C. would jog down the field, wait for the ball to get 14 feet from the ground, and then outjump everybody around him." Tittle points out that Owens was a former basketball star at the College of Idaho. His jumping ability helped make the play successful.
After the 1958 season, Red Hickey became the head coach of the 49ers. Tittle thought that Hickey preferred John Brodie over him for quarterback, so Tittle thought that when Hickey was hired it meant that Brodie would start. However, Tittle started at the beginning of the 1959 season. The 49ers won 6 of the first 7 games with Tittle as the quarterback.
During the 1959 season, Tittle began having spells of dizziness. After the 49ers lost to the Bears on November 15th, Tittle was replaced by Brodie. Hickey was concerned about Tittle's spells of dizziness and felt that a change was necessary.
In 1960, Brodie began the year as quarterback. Both Brodie and the 49ers struggled, so Hickey put Tittle back in for Brodie. The 49ers also implemented the shotgun formation, which was a difficult adjustment to make during the season. Of course, in the shotgun formation the quarterback receives the snap from the center without standing directly in back of the center. This enables the quarterback more time to survey the field without having to take time to move backwards after taking the snap. The quarterback begins the play having already stepped back.
In 1960, the 49ers finished the season 7-5, and it would be Tittle's last season in San Francisco.
Before the 1961 season, the 49ers told Tittle that he may be traded to the Los Angeles Rams. He told the 49ers that he did not want to be traded to a team in the east. However, during the season, trade talks between the Rams and the 49ers did not come to fruition, and Tittle was traded to the New York Giants.
At first, Tittle was upset and did not want to go to New York. After he was traded to New York, Tittle was unsure if he would play for the Giants. He talked it over with his wife. At the time, Charlie Conerly was the quarterback, but coach Allie Sherman told Tittle that he would consider both quarterbacks. So, Tittle had a chance to earn playing time.
When he joined the Giants in 1961, the most difficult part of the adjustment was learning the plays. In his first game with the Giants, Tittle fumbled the exchange between himself and the center, Ray Wietecha. As he picked up the fumble, defensive players for the Rams landed on Tittle's back and injured him. After one play, he was injured and out of the game.
Before the 1962 season, the Giants traded for Del Shofner, a wide receiver for the Rams. Coach Sherman asked many of the Giants about the trade, and the team wanted the Giants to trade for Shofner. Tittle encouraged the Giants to trade for Shofner because he was a good and talented wide receiver.
In his first year with the Giants, Conerly started at quarterback instead of Tittle to begin the season. Tittle felt left out on the sidelines and he wanted to get into the games. Even though he was frustrated about not playing, he respected Sherman as the coach.
After Conerly was injured in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tittle got into the game. Tittle threw a touchdown against Pittsburgh to bring New York back. His touchdown pass helped the Giants to win the game. Tittle said "The Giants defense continued to hold off the Steelers, and we won the game 17-14. I finished off the day with 10 completions in 12 tries for 123 yards." Tittle was happy that he could contribute to a win for the New York Giants.
Conerly and Tittle both adjusted to the idea that they would rotate at the quarterback position. Sherman did the best that he could to give both of the quarterback playing time.
Meanwhile, Tittle grew in his respect for the Giants' organization. He admired how Sherman treated the players. Tittle said that the Giants' organization developed a "human relationship that included players, coaches and front office. It was something that I had seldom felt on other ballclubs. The Giants treated every athlete like an individual, like a man. You always knew where you stood." Tittle had a good beginning to his time with the Giants. He developed a strong respect for the coaches, players and the organization.
The Giants won the 1961 Eastern Division Championship. Tittle also had a good year. In 1961, Tittle threw 17 touchdown passes and only 12 interceptions. He threw for 2,272 yards and completed 57.2% of his passes. He also received awards. Tittle said "New York city became a wonderland for me after we won the '61 Eastern Division championship. I won a Chrysler car and was named to the Associated Press and the United Press International All-Pro teams. I was the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award as the MVP in professional football- an award voted on by the players themselves. Then, to top it off, I received a phone call from Arthur Poretz, a New York public-relations man, who informed me that I had won the Howard Clothes Award as the most popular Giant. Poretz said tha over half a million New York fans had voted in the contest." Clearly, 1961 was a memorable year for the Giants and Tittle. Unfortunately, for the Giants, they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL championship game. Still, it was a good year for the Giants.
Entering the 1962 season, the Giants were without Kyle Rote, Charlie Conerly and Pat Summeral who had all retired. However, Frank Gifford reminded the Giants that they were still a good team. Tittle said "Gifford reflected the Giants' general attitude. He always approached a ballgame with the enthusiasm and desire of a rookie. He prepared and worked hard, believe me." Tittle admired Gifford's work ethic and practice routine. Regarding Gifford, Tittle said "His greatness was no accident. He laid the groundwork all week, and every move was directed at a single purpose: winning the game like we had always won!" Gifford helped the Giants to prepare for the game on Sunday.
In 1962, the Giants finished 12-2 in the regular season. Once again, the Giants won the Eastern Division championship. Once again, they played the Green Bay Packers for the NFL championship.
The Giants lost to the Packers 16-7.
In 1963, the Giants won the Eastern Division Championship again. They finished 11-3. This time, they played the Chicago Bears for the league title. Tittle was injured during the game, as the Giants lost to the Bears 14-10. The Giants had won three straight Eastern Division Championships, but lost three straight NFL championship games. Their first loss to the Packers in 1961 was not close. However, their losses in 1962 and 1963 were close games.
1964 would be Tittle's last season in the NFL. The Giants struggled with a 2-10-2 record. After the season was over, Tittle announced his retirement.
After his retirement, Tittle started an insurance company and traveled with his wife to different places. In 1971, Tittle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tittle's autobiography shows the importance of the team concept and hard work. Tittle benefitted from good coaching at every level that he played football. He also benefitted from a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed. His autobiography reflects what is best about sports. His autobiography reflects an era of football where the NFL was gradually becoming more popular and a stronger part of the American culture.
Football is at a crossroads at every level as society tries to make the game safer. At every level, coaches and organizations are trying to make the game safer for the players. There is still much work to do in this area. However, society is more realistic about the risks inherent in playing football.
Nevertheless, the character and work ethic of Tittle and the players who played in the NFL during this era will never go out of style. Their example of courage, dedication and perseverance will always serve as a good example.
In 1953, the 49ers finished 9-3 in Tittle's first year as the starting quarterback.
The title of his autobiography reflects the reality that any accomplishment requires hard work, dedication and courage. This is true in life and in sports. Tittle had many accomplishments in life and in football that required fortitude and perseverance. He was a credit to the NFL and to the teams that he played for.
Y.A Title was born in raised in Marshall, Texas. His mother and father had three sons and a daughter. All three sons played football for Marshall High School. From a young age, Tittle wanted to play football. He especially wanted to play quarterback. He, and many others in Marshall Texas, looked up to Sammy Baugh who had been a star high school quarterback in Texas and went on to play for the Washington Redskins in the NFL.
Tittle looked up to his parents because they were good people. His parents tried hard to give him and his siblings the best life possible.
Beginning in 6th grade, Tittle realized that he could throw a football better than anyone his age. When he was in junior high he played quarterback on offense and cornerback on defense. He felt proud when a local newspaper compared him to Baugh when he was in high school.
In 1944, Tittle graduated from Marshall High School. TCU, Texas A &M, University of Texas, Rice and Southern Methodist all offered Tittle scholarships. Other universities in the country also offered him scholarships. Eventually, Tittle chose to go to LSU.
As a freshman at LSU, Tittle played well against Tulane University. LSU defeated Tulane 25-6. Tittle completed 15 of 17 passes for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In 1945, when Tittle was a sophomore, LSU implemented the "T Formation." It took Tittle time to adjust to the new formation, however, his coach encouraged him to not give up. In 1945, LSU went 7-2 and were ranked 15th in the nation. Tittle also played a lot on defense during his freshman year. Tittle says "That year I played quarterback on offense and halfback on defense and averaged 54 minutes a game." It must have been difficult to play so many minutes. However, Tittle does not appear to be someone who would complain.
In 1946, LSU went 9-1-1 and finished 8th in the national polls. In the Cotton Bowl, LSU and Arkansas played to a 0-0 tie in what became known as the "Ice Bowl" because of the cold weather.
In 1947, LSU played a lot of close games and finished with a 5-3-1 record. LSU was not invited to a bowl game.
After the 1947 season, Tittle signed a contract with the Cleveland Browns. Tittle signed a one year contract for $10,000. He graduated from LSU in June of 1948, about 6 months after he signed the contract. In June of 1948, Tittle also married his fiancé, Minnette. They would go on to have three sons and a daughter.
In 1948, there were two professional football leagues - the NFL and the AAFC. The Cleveland Browns played in the AAFC. Before he even played a game for the Browns, Tittle was traded from Cleveland to the Baltimore Colts.
In 1948, the Colts beat the Browns in a pre season game and returned home to Baltimore and were greeted by a parade. Tittle seemed impressed that the city of Baltimore decided to throw a parade for the Colts for simply winning a pre season game. As Tittle said "All this for winning a pre season game. I pondered as to what Baltimore would be like if we won a championship. It would go absolutely wild!"
In 1948, Tittle won Rookie of the Year honors in the All-American Conference. The Colts also had a good season. They finished 7-7 and played Buffalo to determine the winner of the Eastern Division. Buffalo won 18-17.
Tittle credited Baltimore's coach, Cecil Isbell, with teaching him how to throw a forward pass. Tittle said "Coach Isbell molded me into a professional quarterback." Tittle said that he always wanted to complete passes quickly. He wanted to find an open receiver quickly and throw it to him. He implied that Coach Isbell helped him to develop this strategy and technique. Tittle said "This was Cecil Isbell's concept of utilizing the forward pass, and it has been mine ever since I played for him as a rookie with Baltimore in 1948. Isbell was a great coach and an even greater human being. He remained one of my greatest fans." Clearly, Tittle benefitted a lot from Isbell's coaching.
After the 1949 season, the Baltimore Colts folded. Of course, a team called the Baltimore Colts would re emerge in the NFL later. However, this particular version of the Colts disbanded. Then Tittle wound up with the San Francisco 49ers after they drafted him from the Colts.
When Tittle joined the 49ers, they had a quarterback named Frankie Albert. Tittle says "My first impression of Albert in 1951 was that he was far more polished than the other ballplayers I had known. Tittle added that Albert "had fun playing the game and at the same time made it fun for us. He was the guy who could always be expected to do the unexpected, especially during practice." Clearly, Albert made an impression upon Tittle.
When Tittle joined the 49ers in 1951, Albert was the starting quarterback for San Francisco. He emphasized that Albert "ran the show" at practice after the coach, Buck Shaw got the practice started.
In 1951, San Francisco had a decent year. However, a tie game with the New York Yanks ruined the 49ers chances of winning the division. In the following week, Tittle lead the 49ers to a come back win against the Detroit Lions. Tittle said "I really don't like to say that "I" won the game, because I didn't win it alone. The rest of the team was just as much a part of the win as I was. But I did get more playing time, and my passing gave us the winning points in the second half." Tittle did his best to give the entire team credit for the victory.
Tittle said that Hardy Brown, of the 49ers, was the "toughest football player I ever met." Tittle recounted some of the tough play that he saw from Brown. Tittle recounted his tackling ability and his ability to get in the backfield and tackle the quarterback and the running back.
In 1952, the 49ers were in the midst of a quarterback controversy. Shaw decided to rotate Tittle and Albert. Tittle said "One week Frankie would start and play the first and third quarters and I would come into the game in the second and fourth quarters. The following week the rotation would reverse. Buck made it very clear to the team, win or lose, that was the way it was going to be." Today a quarterback rotation would probably not work, but back then in the NFL, coaches sometimes tried quarterback rotations.
The team got off to a good start. The 49ers began the season 5-0. The offense played well, and the quarterback rotation was working. Eventually, Albert got injured in a game against the Chicago Bears. Tittle said that the 49ers never really recovered from the injury. The 49ers lost 5 of their last 7 games. At the end of the year, Albert left the NFL and went to play football in Canada.
In 1953, Tittle became the starting quarterback for the 49ers. Tittle felt that his comments were often misconstrued by the sports writers, so he told the sports writers to talk to other players on the team. Perhaps, the role of being the starting quarterback ment that the sports writers wanted to talk to Tittle more often. In any event, Tittle did not want to create controversy by saying the wrong thing to a sports writer.
In 1953, Tittle suffered a broken cheekbone in a game against the Detroit Lions. Tittle said "After the cheekbone incident in '53, a special face mask was made for me." This injury, and all football related injuries, shows how tough the game is. It is not an easy game, and unfortunately players are prone to injury because of how tough the game is.
The Lions defeated the Browns 18-17 in the 1953 NFL championship game. The 49ers had a good season and the momentum carried over to 1954. However, the 49ers were not as good as they were in 1953. The 49ers had a good offense in 1954, but they struggled on defense. Tittle said "The problem wasn't that the 49ers couldn't score; we finished with 313 points, and I completed 170 passes as Perry and Johnson ran wild on the field. The problem was that we couldn't stop anybody!"
The 49ers finished 7-5, two game worse than the previous season. Shaw did not have his contract renewed after the 1954 season.
In 1955, the 49ers struggled even more. The team finished 4-8 in second to last place in their division. Red Strader was the new coach, and his style differed a good deal from Shaw's approach. According to Tittle, Strader micromanaged the team, and his style was not popular with the players. Tittle said "Football under Buck Shaw was fun; under Red Strader it was drudgery. It became a regimented business where you clocked in every morning and kept your nose to the grindstone until Red blew the whistle at quitting time." Clearly, Shaw and Strader had different styles. Often time when a coaching change is made, management will bring in a coach with a different personality and style than the previous coach. This appears to have happened in this situation.
In 1956, the 49ers had another bad season. They finished got off to a bad start. However, they played better as the season continued. The 49ers rebounded somewhat after a poor start and finished 5-6-1, which was good enough for third place.
In 1957, Tittle pioneered the "alley oop pass." At the end of one of the practices, 49er receivers were dropping the ball frequently. So, Tittle said "Disgusted with it all, I decided to just throw the ball straight up in the air with no receiver in mind." Eventually, the ball came down and R.C. Owens jumped up and made the catch. Tittle said that one of the players on the sidelines named it the "alley oop play."
Tittle described the play in the following way: He said "The mechanics of the play were not fancy. The concept was simple. I was to throw the ball as high and as far as I could. R.C. would jog down the field, wait for the ball to get 14 feet from the ground, and then outjump everybody around him." Tittle points out that Owens was a former basketball star at the College of Idaho. His jumping ability helped make the play successful.
After the 1958 season, Red Hickey became the head coach of the 49ers. Tittle thought that Hickey preferred John Brodie over him for quarterback, so Tittle thought that when Hickey was hired it meant that Brodie would start. However, Tittle started at the beginning of the 1959 season. The 49ers won 6 of the first 7 games with Tittle as the quarterback.
During the 1959 season, Tittle began having spells of dizziness. After the 49ers lost to the Bears on November 15th, Tittle was replaced by Brodie. Hickey was concerned about Tittle's spells of dizziness and felt that a change was necessary.
In 1960, Brodie began the year as quarterback. Both Brodie and the 49ers struggled, so Hickey put Tittle back in for Brodie. The 49ers also implemented the shotgun formation, which was a difficult adjustment to make during the season. Of course, in the shotgun formation the quarterback receives the snap from the center without standing directly in back of the center. This enables the quarterback more time to survey the field without having to take time to move backwards after taking the snap. The quarterback begins the play having already stepped back.
In 1960, the 49ers finished the season 7-5, and it would be Tittle's last season in San Francisco.
Before the 1961 season, the 49ers told Tittle that he may be traded to the Los Angeles Rams. He told the 49ers that he did not want to be traded to a team in the east. However, during the season, trade talks between the Rams and the 49ers did not come to fruition, and Tittle was traded to the New York Giants.
At first, Tittle was upset and did not want to go to New York. After he was traded to New York, Tittle was unsure if he would play for the Giants. He talked it over with his wife. At the time, Charlie Conerly was the quarterback, but coach Allie Sherman told Tittle that he would consider both quarterbacks. So, Tittle had a chance to earn playing time.
When he joined the Giants in 1961, the most difficult part of the adjustment was learning the plays. In his first game with the Giants, Tittle fumbled the exchange between himself and the center, Ray Wietecha. As he picked up the fumble, defensive players for the Rams landed on Tittle's back and injured him. After one play, he was injured and out of the game.
Before the 1962 season, the Giants traded for Del Shofner, a wide receiver for the Rams. Coach Sherman asked many of the Giants about the trade, and the team wanted the Giants to trade for Shofner. Tittle encouraged the Giants to trade for Shofner because he was a good and talented wide receiver.
In his first year with the Giants, Conerly started at quarterback instead of Tittle to begin the season. Tittle felt left out on the sidelines and he wanted to get into the games. Even though he was frustrated about not playing, he respected Sherman as the coach.
After Conerly was injured in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tittle got into the game. Tittle threw a touchdown against Pittsburgh to bring New York back. His touchdown pass helped the Giants to win the game. Tittle said "The Giants defense continued to hold off the Steelers, and we won the game 17-14. I finished off the day with 10 completions in 12 tries for 123 yards." Tittle was happy that he could contribute to a win for the New York Giants.
Conerly and Tittle both adjusted to the idea that they would rotate at the quarterback position. Sherman did the best that he could to give both of the quarterback playing time.
Meanwhile, Tittle grew in his respect for the Giants' organization. He admired how Sherman treated the players. Tittle said that the Giants' organization developed a "human relationship that included players, coaches and front office. It was something that I had seldom felt on other ballclubs. The Giants treated every athlete like an individual, like a man. You always knew where you stood." Tittle had a good beginning to his time with the Giants. He developed a strong respect for the coaches, players and the organization.
The Giants won the 1961 Eastern Division Championship. Tittle also had a good year. In 1961, Tittle threw 17 touchdown passes and only 12 interceptions. He threw for 2,272 yards and completed 57.2% of his passes. He also received awards. Tittle said "New York city became a wonderland for me after we won the '61 Eastern Division championship. I won a Chrysler car and was named to the Associated Press and the United Press International All-Pro teams. I was the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award as the MVP in professional football- an award voted on by the players themselves. Then, to top it off, I received a phone call from Arthur Poretz, a New York public-relations man, who informed me that I had won the Howard Clothes Award as the most popular Giant. Poretz said tha over half a million New York fans had voted in the contest." Clearly, 1961 was a memorable year for the Giants and Tittle. Unfortunately, for the Giants, they lost to the Green Bay Packers in the NFL championship game. Still, it was a good year for the Giants.
Entering the 1962 season, the Giants were without Kyle Rote, Charlie Conerly and Pat Summeral who had all retired. However, Frank Gifford reminded the Giants that they were still a good team. Tittle said "Gifford reflected the Giants' general attitude. He always approached a ballgame with the enthusiasm and desire of a rookie. He prepared and worked hard, believe me." Tittle admired Gifford's work ethic and practice routine. Regarding Gifford, Tittle said "His greatness was no accident. He laid the groundwork all week, and every move was directed at a single purpose: winning the game like we had always won!" Gifford helped the Giants to prepare for the game on Sunday.
In 1962, the Giants finished 12-2 in the regular season. Once again, the Giants won the Eastern Division championship. Once again, they played the Green Bay Packers for the NFL championship.
The Giants lost to the Packers 16-7.
In 1963, the Giants won the Eastern Division Championship again. They finished 11-3. This time, they played the Chicago Bears for the league title. Tittle was injured during the game, as the Giants lost to the Bears 14-10. The Giants had won three straight Eastern Division Championships, but lost three straight NFL championship games. Their first loss to the Packers in 1961 was not close. However, their losses in 1962 and 1963 were close games.
1964 would be Tittle's last season in the NFL. The Giants struggled with a 2-10-2 record. After the season was over, Tittle announced his retirement.
After his retirement, Tittle started an insurance company and traveled with his wife to different places. In 1971, Tittle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tittle's autobiography shows the importance of the team concept and hard work. Tittle benefitted from good coaching at every level that he played football. He also benefitted from a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed. His autobiography reflects what is best about sports. His autobiography reflects an era of football where the NFL was gradually becoming more popular and a stronger part of the American culture.
Football is at a crossroads at every level as society tries to make the game safer. At every level, coaches and organizations are trying to make the game safer for the players. There is still much work to do in this area. However, society is more realistic about the risks inherent in playing football.
Nevertheless, the character and work ethic of Tittle and the players who played in the NFL during this era will never go out of style. Their example of courage, dedication and perseverance will always serve as a good example.
In 1953, the 49ers finished 9-3 in Tittle's first year as the starting quarterback.
August 2, 2020
Nothing shocking, stupendous or scandalous. Just a good, solid book about a good, solid football player.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews