Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff passed away on Saturday. His family lawyer told The Associated Press that the 87-year-old, who played 13 years in the NFL for the New York Giants and Washington Football Team, died of natural causes.
Born Robert Lee Huff on October 4th, 1934 in Edna, West Virginia, he grew up in the state and played football at West Virginia University.
Huff was drafted by the Giants and became one of the best linebackers in football history. His skillset allowed Tom Landry, the legendary Dallas Cowboys coach who was the Giants' defensive coordinator for six seasons, to create the 4-3 defense. Huff was known as one of the hardest hitters of his era.
RIP to the great MLB Sam Huff. Huff played for #NYGiants from 1956-1963 & earned 4 Pro Bowl slots before finishing his career w/ Redskins & went to the HOF. Giants Among Men highlighted that Tom Landry created the 4-3 defense to use Huff vs Cleveland's Jim Brown #TogetherBlue pic.twitter.com/evdTByJDgg
— BigBlueVCR (@BigBlueVCR) November 13, 2021
Huff spent eight seasons in New York, where he helped lead the team to the 1956 championship and five more appearances in the championship game. He played the final five seasons of his career in Washington. After he retired, Huff spent 38 years calling games for Washington on the radio, starting in 1975.
Huff was named to five Pro Bowls and was twice a First-Team All-Pro selection. He was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Decade Teams for the 1950s and was inducted into the hall in 1982.
Giants Team President John Mara and Football Team owners Dan and Tanya released statements about Huff's passing, praising his passion for the game.
Team President John Mara on the passing of Giants great Sam Huff pic.twitter.com/qZhqXU2qB2
— New York Giants (@Giants) November 14, 2021
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 13, 2021
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