The Giants are one of the oldest teams in the NFL. Originating in 1925, that's nearly a century of history for a team that's won eight league titles (four Super Bowls, four NFL Championships). Obviously in that time there are a fair share of Hall of Famers to come through the Meadowlands. You know names like Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms and Michael Strahan. But after running through the local baseball teams (jump to NYY | BOS | NYM), we shift over to the gridiron to list some Pro Football Hall of Famers you know from other teams, but suited up for Big Blue over the last 95 years:
Morten Andersen: The NFL record holder in points and field goals until 2018, Andersen spent 25 years in professional football, spanning from 1982-2007. He's best known for his 13 years with the Saints, or perhaps his two stints with the Falcons. But after the 2000 season he signed a one-year deal to come to the Giants. Aged 41, in his lone season with the team he made 23-of-28 field goals before moving on to Kansas City the next season.
Larry Csonka: After five straight Pro Bowl seasons and two Super Bowls, Csonka was tempted by a large contract from the upstart World Football League in 1975. He signed a three-year, $1.4 million deal with the Memphis Southmen, but the league lasted just a year-and-a-half before folding. The running back's return to the NFL came with the Giants, where he started 37 games from 1976-78. He never rushed for more than 569 yards in a single season, and when he returned to Miami for the final year of his career in 1979 he had more touchdowns (12) than his entire New York tenure (11).
Vince Lombardi & Tom Landry: Before they went on to win a combined 386 games and nine championships as head coaches, Lombardi and Landry were brought in as assistants in 1954. Lombardi was the offensive coordinator from who brought the idea of "rule blocking" to the NFL before leaving for the Packers in 1959. Landry, the former All-Pro as a player, formed one of the league's best defenses before moving on to Dallas in 1960. Together New York won the NFL Championship in 1956 and made the championship games in 1958 and '59.
Don Maynard: One of the Jets' best receivers of all-time actually started his career with the Giants. A ninth-round pick in the 1957 draft out of Texas Western, Maynard actually had more rushing attempts (12) than receptions (5) in the 1958 season, and was released before the start of the 1959 season. After a year away in the Canadian Football League - where he caught exactly one pass - he was the first signing of the new New York Titans in the AFL. His first season there he caught 72 passes for 1,265 yards and the rest is history.
Jim Thorpe: One of the best all-around athletes in modern sports history, the two-time Olympic gold medalist is best known for his football prowess. From 1915-28 he played for seven teams, most notably the Canton Bulldogs. However, he spent part of the 1925 season with the Giants, where he played in three games. The Hall of Famer played in 51 total NFL games before retiring at age 41.
Kurt Warner: The Greatest Show on Turf days came to an end for good when Warner was released by the Rams after the 2003 season. He signed a one-year bridge deal with the Giants, with a player option for the second year. He started the year under center, going 5-2. But back-to-back losses (in which Warner was sacked 13 times!) led to Warner's benching in favor of a rookie named Eli Manning, who went on to start the next 210 games for the franchise.
It turned out okay for Warner, who moved on to Arizona the next year and led the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl appearance in the 2008 season.