New York has long been a center of sporting excellence across many disciplines. The state boasts championship-winning teams in all of America’s big leagues and has enjoyed sustained success in the NFL.
From the grassroots level upwards, sports play an integral part in many New Yorkers’ lives, but of the many teams to follow here, the NFL franchises enjoy the most attention. There’s a choice of sides to follow, but which has been the most prolific?
Top of the Heap
The most successful football team within the state is the New York Giants. Established in 1925, they were among the founder members of the NFL and are the only original franchise still in operation, one hundred years later.
The Giants have won eight League Championships in their long history. In the pre-Super Bowl era, the team claimed the NFL Championship on four occasions between 1927 and 1956. Following the AFL-NFL merger, the Giants had to wait until 1986 for their first Super Bowl success. Three more titles followed in 1990, 2007, and 2011.
The current Giants team has struggled in recent seasons, and they haven’t won a divisional title since that successful 2011 campaign. Despite this, they remain one of the best-supported sides in the NFL and are popular options for NFL spreads and other available markets.
Giants of New York State
An NFL team’s legacy is built upon its greatest players and the memories that those stars leave behind. In the case of the New York Giants, the franchise has produced a host of Hall of Famers and other icons who have worn the jersey.
Debate will always surround the greatest Giant of all time, and many fans will be split between the two men. Lawrence Taylor and Eli Manning left their mark on the team in very different positions. Taylor was a linebacker who set new records for the side and was part of the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning units of 1986 and 1990.
Manning was the team’s most prolific quarterback, once making an incredible 210 consecutive starts. He led the Giants to their two most recent Super Bowls, in 2007 and 2011.
The great New York Giants alums list includes Sam Huff, Frank Gifford, Rosey Brown, Phil Simms, and Tiki Barber.
Jets Playing Catch Up
New York State’s second NFL franchise is the Jets. Although they can also be classed as a prolific team, they are playing catch-up to the Giants to an extent. The New York Jets were founded more recently, in 1959, and to date, they have won just one League Championship.
The Jets’ solitary success so far came before the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. As a member of the American Football League, this New York franchise won an early Super Bowl, winning the third edition of the competition in January 1969.
A 16-7 win over the Baltimore Colts saw Head Coach Weeb Ewbank and his Jets secure their place in Super Bowl history. It was an outstanding achievement, but more than fifty years later, it’s yet to be repeated.
Best of the Jets
Despite their relative lack of success on the field, the New York Jets have also produced some legendary NFL players. The MVP for their solitary Super Bowl win was the incomparable Joe Namath, widely recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever.
Namath set several records as a Jets player, including new landmarks for touchdown passes and passing yards. Other New York Jets greats include Mark Gastineau, Curtis Martin, Emerson Boozer, Winston Hill, and Jim Sweeney.
New York-based
While the Jets and the Giants play their home games in New Jersey, the only NFL team fully based in New York is the Buffalo Bills. The franchise plays at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, which is an important distinction for some New Yorkers.
The Bills have yet to enjoy Super Bowl success, but they did claim two AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965.
The College Scene
We must look beyond those NFL franchises if we’re talking about prolific football teams in New York State. The region has a thriving college sporting scene, with several top universities flying the flag.
On the ranking lists of top New York college teams, the Syracuse Orange frequently climbs to the top. The football division is among the most successful colleges in recent years, with five championship wins between 1996 and 2012. Elsewhere, the Buffalo Bulls and the Fordham Rams are among other college teams with huge followings.
The target for all American Football teams in New York State is to relive past glories. It’s been fourteen years since the Giants won the last Super Bowl for a New York franchise, and fans are getting impatient for more success.
New York State is home to some superb football units, and it’s time for those teams to build on a historic legacy.
