Pete Gogolak is well-known to old-time New York Giants followers however to not the youthful generations.
The Hungarian-born former placekicker who broke obstacles within the Sixties with first the Buffalo Payments after which the Giants is now 82 years previous and lately spoke about his storied profession at an occasion commemorating the workforce’s one centesimal season.
“I’m very proud to be a part of the Large household,” Gogolak mentioned. “It’s a fantastic group and it’s nice to be again.”
The Giants’ Ring of Honor member downplayed his function as each the NFL’s first soccer-style kicker and as one of many first gamers to maneuver from the AFL to the NFL in what would grow to be a warfare for gamers between the 2 leagues.
Gogolak was a two-time AFL champion with the Payments from 1964-65 earlier than coming over to the Giants in 1966. He performed till 1974, and his 646 factors scored remains to be a Giants franchise report.
“I’m simply proud that I lasted that lengthy, 9 years, as a kicker with one workforce,” Gogolak mentioned. “That’s a fairly good, good factor.”
Gogolak, whose brother Charlie was additionally a kicker in each leagues, was an outlier together with his type and felt he might be a hit as a specialist within the NFL.
“After I noticed Lou Groza, the previous Cleveland kicker, kick the ball straight on, I used to be 15 years previous and mentioned to my father, ‘I feel I can do higher than that and I can kick a ball from the facet like a soccer participant.’ I ought to have patented this kick. I ought to have gotten a patent and 1 / 4 each time individuals are available in and did it as a result of now everyone is kicking this fashion,” he mentioned.
Giants proprietor Wellington Mara agreed. He broke the NFL-AFL “gentleman’s settlement” concerning poaching gamers to signal Gogolak. The Giants’ kicking recreation was pathetic on the time, and the workforce was on the point of catastrophe.
In 1965, the Giants used 4 completely different gamers at kicker and transformed simply 4 of 25 makes an attempt. Gogolak rectified that ineptitude in 1966 by hitting on 16 of 28 subject purpose makes an attempt and changing 29 of 31 point-after tries.
Sadly, 1966 could be the Giants’ worst season ever as they completed with a 1-12-1 report.