Pete Gogolak was bright spot during Giants’ dark days of 1960s

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who broke obstacles within the Sixties with first the Buffalo Payments after which the Giants is now 82 years outdated and lately spoke about his storied profession at an occasion commemorating the workforce’s one centesimal season.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 an amazing group and it’s nice to be again.”

The Giants’ Ring of Honor member downplayed his position 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 struggle 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 file.

“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 along with his type and felt he may very well be a hit as a specialist within the NFL.

“After I noticed Lou Groza, the outdated Cleveland kicker, kick the ball straight on, I used to be 15 years outdated and mentioned to my father, ‘I believe I can do higher than that and I can kick a ball from the aspect like a soccer participant.’ I ought to have patented this kick. I ought to have gotten a patent and 1 / 4 each time folks are available and did it as a result of now all people is kicking this fashion,” he mentioned.

Giants proprietor Wellington Mara agreed. He broke the NFL-AFL “gentleman’s settlement” relating to poaching gamers to signal Gogolak. The Giants’ kicking sport 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 area aim makes an attempt and changing 29 of 31 point-after tries.

Sadly, 1966 can be the Giants’ worst season ever as they completed with a 1-12-1 file.