Former New York Giants linebacker Sam Huff passed away on Saturday at the age of 87. Huff’s passing of natural causes was first reported by the Associated Press.
“Sam was one of the greatest Giants of all time,” Giants President/CEO John Mara said in a team statement. “He was the heart and soul of our defense in his era. He almost single-handedly influenced the first chants of ‘Defense, Defense’ in Yankee Stadium.”
Born in Edna, WV in 1934, Huff burst onto the national football scene at West Virginia University, where he earned All-American honors in 1955. The Giants chose Huff in the third round of the 1956 NFL Draft.