The Sports Xchange

Pro Football Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, who led the New York Giants to the 1956 NFL championship, has died. He was 84.

“It is with the deepest sadness that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and friend, Frank Gifford,” the family said in a statement Sunday. “Frank died suddenly this beautiful Sunday morning of natural causes at his Connecticut home.

“We rejoice in the extraordinary life he was privileged to live, and we feel grateful and blessed to have been loved by such an amazing human being. We ask that our privacy be respected at this difficult time and we thank you for your prayers.”

Gifford, drafted No. 1 overall by the Giants in 1952 out of USC, played halfback, cornerback and flanker during his playing career. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler at the three different positions and was named NFL MVP in 1956, the year he led the Giants to the championship, beating the Chicago Bears in the title game.

A brutal hit from the late Chuck Bednarik knocked Gifford out of football for 18 months. He retired in 1961, but returned in 1962 as a flanker — winning the league’s comeback player of the year award and becoming a Pro Bowler again.

Gifford finished his playing career in 1964, generating 3,609 rushing yards and 5,434 receiving yards. Gifford scored 77 touchdowns from scrimmage, and he added another on an interception return. As a part-time kicker in 1952 and 1956, he made 10 extra points and two field goals. He became a member of the Hall of Fame in 1977.

After his playing days, Gifford became a broadcaster, working alongside Howard Cosell and Don Meredith for “Monday Night Football.”