The New York Giants had quite a coaching staff in 1957. Jim Lee Howell was the team’s head coach for seven seasons, winning the NFL Championship in 1956. He was inducted into the Giants Ring of Honor in 2010. Vince Lombardi won 5 NFL Championships in 9 years with the Green Bay Packers, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Tom Landry coached the Dallas Cowboys for the first 29 years of their existence, winning 2 Super Bowls along the way. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.
Ken Kavanaugh played end for 8 seasons for the Chicago Bears, leading the league twice in touchdown receptions. He served as an assistant coach for the Giants for 16 years. Kavanaugh, who played at LSU, was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 1963.
Finally, John Dell Isola played 7 seasons at guard for the Giants, then was an assistant coach for several college and pro teams. Dell Isola appears in the iconic 1935 National Chicle set–though with his name misspelled.
This photo is one of 36 in the set of 1957 Giants Team Issue Photos. The set also includes 33 players, almost the entire roster. One thing I love about team issue sets is that they nearly always include players that never appeared on cards of their own.
Alas, though the Giants had great coaches, the team’s performance was mediocre in 1957. The Giants finished 7-5, second to the Cleveland Browns in the NFL’s East Division.
