Steve Owen ( football ) Stephen Joseph Owen ( April 21 , 1898 – May 17 , 1964 ) was an American football player and coach who earned a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as head coach of the National Football League ' s New York Giants from 1930 to 1953 . Owen ' s skill at designing defenses , his fundamental approach to the game , and his innovative " A Formation , " a variation on the single - wing , also helped his offenses thrive and served as the keys to his success . His tenure is remembered today by the odd congruence of his gravelly voice and easy disposition , as well as his perpetual tobacco chewing . Early life . Owen was born and raised in a Native American area of the Oklahoma Territory , where his original goal was to become a jockey , a dream denied by his 5 – 11 , 230 pound frame that earned him the nickname , " Stout Steve . " In addition to working on a cattle ranch , Owen attended Phillips University in Enid , Oklahoma where he was an all - around athlete for two years beginning in 1917 . Adding to his income during this period , he wrestled professionally under the name " Jack O ' Brien , " a ruse that allowed him to preserve his amateur status . Football career . Owen served in the U . S . Army training corps , then returned to coach one year at Phillips before accepting a position in the oil fields of the Southwestern United States . In 1924 , he began playing football professionally , earning $ 50 a game for the NFL ' s Kansas City Cowboys , who played all their games on the road , and after splitting time the following year between the Cowboys and the Cleveland Bulldogs , he was sold in 1926 to the Giants for $ 500 , joining his brother Bill in New York . After initially trying to get a cut of the purchase price from Cowboys coach Leroy Andrews , he later said of the sale : Owen ' s leadership became clearly evident during the 1927 NFL season when he served as captain of a team that outscored opponents 197 – 20 and was awarded the NFL title with an 11 – 1 – 1 record . By 1930 , Owen had become a player - coach , splitting the duties for the final two games of the season with another future Hall of Famer Benny Friedman . The 2 – 0 finish was a hint that Owen would enjoy success when he became sole head coach the following season , accepting the position under a unique arrangement — he never signed a contract , but had a handshake agreement with the Mara family . He retired as a player following the 1931 NFL season , but briefly came back in 1933 , helping the team to an 11 – 3 record and a berth in the title game , the first of eight appearances the Giants would make during his tenure . The team slipped to 8 – 5 during the 1934 campaign , but managed to garner a spot in the NFL Championship game . Facing the 13 – 0 Chicago Bears , the Giants entered the game as huge underdogs and trailed 13 – 3 at halftime . The icy conditions and nine - degree weather then forced an adjustment that became a memorable part of National Football League lore as New York ' s players donned sneakers and proceeded to run off 27 unanswered points for a 30 – 13 victory and the team ' s first title . More than seven decades later , the contest is still remembered as , " The Sneakers Game . " Despite the institution of the NFL Draft due to the continued dominance of the Bears and Giants , the Giants returned to the championship game in 1935 , then went on to win their final title under Owen in 1938 . In the latter contest , the Giants defeated the Green Bay Packers 23 – 17 , despite being outgained in yardage , 379 – 208 , using two blocked punts to collect nine points . New York made four more appearances in the title clash , but never again would be champion under Owen . In 1950 , the Giants faced a powerful new foe with the arrival of the All - America Football Conference champion Cleveland Browns . Despite finishing runnerup in each of the next three seasons , Owen ' s " Umbrella Defense " that shut down passing attacks made life miserable for the Browns as New York won four of their six regular season meetings , while dropping an 8 – 3 defensive playoff struggle during the first year . After the Giants slipped to 3 – 9 in 1953 , Owen announced his retirement as head coach of the Giants and put in charge of the team ' s scouting department , ending his 23 + seasons with a record of 150 – 99 – 17 . After one year away from the sidelines , Owen helped both the University of South Carolina and Baylor University during the spring practice , then accepted an assistant ' s role with the latter school on July 18 , 1955 . Just weeks after the end of the 1955 NFL season , the Philadelphia Eagles hired Hugh Devore as head coach , then added Owen as an assistant soon after . Two seasons of struggling in Philadelphia resulted in the entire coaching staff ' s dismissal , with Owen eventually returning to the coaching ranks as interim head coach of the Canadian Football League ' s Toronto Argonauts on September 21 , 1959 . The Argonauts declined Owen ' s application to be full - time coach for the 1960 season , but retained him as a scout and advisor . He was hired by the league ' s Calgary Stampeders on August 23 , 1960 to be interim head coach , again finishing up the year before being replaced . On December 29 of that year , he was named head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders , a team that had won just once during the previous campaign . Owen ' s 1961 team nearly reached the playoffs , then competed in them the following year and earned CFL Coach of the Year accolades . However , after suffering a heart attack that year , Owen announced his resignation on January 6 , 1963 . Not able to stay away from the sport , Owen was hired as head coach of the United Football League ' s Syracuse Stormers on March 20 , 1963 , but then was again named a scout for the Giants that November . Unfortunately , the latter position would last only a short while when he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage . After eight days of lying in critical condition , he died on May 17 , 1964 .