Erich Barnes, the hard-hitting, speedy cornerback who helped propel the Giants to three consecutive N.F.L. championship games in the early 1960s, died on Friday in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. He was 86.
His death, in a hospital, was announced by the Giants, who said it came after a long illness but did not provide additional details.
Playing for 14 seasons — three with the Chicago Bears, four with the Giants and seven with the Cleveland Browns — Barnes was often matched against the league’s best wide receivers.
In his career he intercepted 45 passes and ran seven back for touchdowns.