Andy Robustelli Andrew Richard " Andy " Robustelli ( December 6 , 1925 – May 31 , 2011 ) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Giants . He played college football at Arnold College and was drafted in the nineteenth round of the 1951 NFL Draft . Robustelli was a seven - time First - team All - pro selection and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 . Early life . Robustelli was born on December 6 , 1925 in Stamford , Connecticut , to Lucien Robustelli , an Italian - American and his wife Catherine Robustelli . He attended Stamford High School , where he excelled in football and baseball . At age 18 , he enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS William C . Cole in the Pacific Theater . After the war , he attended Arnold College , in Milford , Connecticut , where he played both football and baseball . After college , he was drafted in the NFL by the Los Angeles Rams in the nineteenth round of the 1951 NFL Draft . In June , 1951 , he was offered a tryout with the New York Giants baseball club . The Giants offered Robustelli a $ 400 contract to play with their minor league affiliate Knoxville Smokies . Football career . Player . A two - way end at Arnold College , Robustelli was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the nineteenth round of the 1951 NFL Draft and was considered a long shot to make the team . The Rams were impressed with his determination and toughness as a defensive end and he not only made the team , he was an All - Pro in 1953 and 1955 . He played for the Rams until he was traded to the New York Giants in 1956 . Robustelli spent nine seasons with the Giants , playing for six conference champions and one NFL championship team . He was a starter on the Giants defense from 1956 until his retirement after the 1964 season . In Robustelli ' s first season , the Giants won the NFL championship and after that they won Eastern Division titles in 1958 , ' 59 , ' 61 , ' 62 , and ' 63 , losing in the NFL championship game each time , in 1958 and 1959 to the Baltimore Colts , in 1961 and 1962 to the Green Bay Packers and in 1963 to the Chicago Bears . With the Giants , Robustelli was an All - Pro from 1956 through 1960 . He received the 1962 Bert Bell Award as best player in the NFL , one of the few defensive players to do so . He played in 174 NFL games , missing only one in his career . He recovered 22 fumble s in his career ( the NFL record when he retired ) and intercepted two passes , both going for touchdowns . Although small for a defensive end at 6 ' 0 " and 230 pounds , Robustelli was exceptionally smart , quick , strong and known as a superb pass rusher . Robustelli also holds the distinction of being the only football player to have played in the first two nationally televised NFL games . Administrator . Robustelli returned to the Giants in 1974 when he was appointed the ballclub ' s Director of Operations . He took over a team whose 2 – 11 – 1 record the previous season was the worst in the National Football Conference ( NFC ) . The Giants had to play home games at the Yale Bowl in 1974 and Shea Stadium in 1975 before they were finally able to move into Giants Stadium in 1976 . The Giants never had a winning record during Robustelli ' s six years in the front office . Its best finish during that span was 6 – 10 – 0 in 1978 . The finish to the 19 – 17 debacle to the Philadelphia Eagles on November 19 that season , known to Giants fan s as simply " The Fumble , " hastened Robustelli ' s departure from his duties as general manager . He was succeeded by George Young following that campaign . Beyond the gridiron . After his retirement as an active player , Robustelli spent one year ( 1965 ) as a color analyst for NBC ' s coverage of the American Football League . That same year he purchased Stamford - based Westheim Travel and renamed it Robustelli Travel Services , Inc . Specializing in corporate travel management , it grew into Robustelli World Travel by the time it was sold to Hogg Robinson Group in 2006 . He also founded National Professional Athletes | National Professional Athletes ( NPA ) , a sports marketing business which arranged appearances by sports celebrities at corporate functions , and International Equities , which evolved into Robustelli Merchandise Services . The latter eventually became the foundation for Robustelli Corporate Services . Awards and honors . Robustelli is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame . He was named Walter Camp Man of the Year in 1988 .