Former New York Giants quarterback and four-time Pro Bowler Norm Snead died on Sunday after a lengthy illness. He was 84.
The Washington Redskins selected Snead with the second overall pick in the 1961 NFL draft. The Wake Forest product was also selected in the fifth round of the 1961 AFL draft but he opted to play in the NFL.
In addition to the Redskins, Snead also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and the Giants, with whom he had two stints.
In 178 career games (159 starts), Snead completed 52.3 percent of his passes for 30,797 yards, 196 touchdowns and 257 interceptions. He also rushed for 521 yards and 23 touchdowns over the course of his career.
In his four seasons with the Giants, Snead posted an overall record of 11-14-1, completing 58.3 percent of his passes for 4,644 yards, 27 touchdowns and 45 interceptions.
Snead’s best season with the Giants came in 1972, when he posted an 8-5 record and was named to the Pro Bowl for the final time. He also led the NFL in completion rate (60.3%) that year.
“I remember him as someone who would stop at the (Newport News) Boys Club, when it was on Jefferson Avenue, to play games with the boys and encourage them,” Snead’s brother, Danny, told the Virginian-Pilot. “He was more than one-dimensional, more than just a football player, and I think he influenced a lot of people positively off of the football field.”
Snead officially retired in 1977 following his last stint with the Giants. He went on to become the head football coach at The Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia.
Once a Giant, always a Giant.
