Kyle Rote

ALBANY - Kyle Rote, captain of the great Giants teams of the late 1950s, died Wednesday night at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore of cardiopulmonary complications following hernia surgery. Rote, a longtime smoker, battled emphysema for years.

Rote's son Kyle Jr., a former professional soccer player, said his father was 74. A Giants yearbook from 1961 and "Total Football," the official encyclopedia of the NFL, lists his date of birth as Oct. 27, 1927. Nina Rote, his third wife, insisted he was born in 1928.

Rote, an All-America halfback from Southern Methodist University, was the first selection in the 1951 draft. And within two years, despite major knee surgery during his rookie season, he became one of the team's most versatile offensive stars. .

He caught 300 passes for 4,797 yards and 48 touchdowns and ranks fifth among Giants in receptions. He gained another 871 yards on 231 carries in 11 seasons (1951-61) with the Giants. Rote's 312 points (four rushing touchdowns) is 10th among Giants.

"He was so good at everything he did, whether it was pingpong, pool or kicking off," Giants patriarch Wellington Mara said. "The outstanding backs of that era were Frank Gifford and Alex Webster. But before Kyle hurt his knee as a rookie (stepping into a hole during a practice in Jonesboro, Ark.) he was as powerful a runner as Webster and as smooth a runner as Gifford."

Perhaps the greatest legacy Rote left was with his teammates - 14 named sons after Rote. He became the first president of the NFL Players Association and a popular New York radio and TV sportscaster.

"Kyle was a big part of what made the Giants successful," said Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff, who played for the Giants from 1956-63. "He set the standard for excellence."

Gifford, a teammate of Rote's from 1952-60, said if not for the injury that forced Rote's conversion, he might never have ended up with New York.

"In those days, surgery on your ACL was pretty awful," Gifford said. "He ultimately could not return to running back. Had he not stepped into that hole, he would have been in the Hall of Fame and I probably would not be."

Rote is survived by Nina, Kyle Jr. and three other children from his first marriage.

- The Hartford Courant