1956 Pro Football Yearbook*

1956 was a banner year for professional football, as the sport leaped to new heights in popularity thanks largely to a national television package. What the fans saw on TV and in the stadiums was a game that moving into a new era of sophistication and precision.

Both conferences featured exciting, down-to-the-wire races. New York(8-3-1), with its well-known cast of veteran stars, was the class of the east, though they had to fend off a surprise challenge from a Chicago(7-5) club that posted one of its few winning seasons. The "Redbirds" were fueled by an effective ground game and a stiff defense which--unfortunately for them--was hit by injuries late in the year. Washington(6-6) posted a third-place finish with a balanced offense that rotated eight different players into and out of the backfield. Cleveland(5-7) had dominated pro football for years, but 1956 saw a shaky quarterback situation that resulted in their first-ever losing season. Pittsburgh(5-7) fielded its usual gruff squad of hard-nosed players, and filled the air with footballs in a pre-cursor to the "run-and-shoot" offenses of the '80s and '90s. Philadelphia(3-8-1) brought up the rear, saddled with one of the feeblest offensive performances of the decade, but still won a handful of games with a defense that occasionally played outstanding football.

Out west, Chicago(9-2-1) edged out Detroit(9-3) in a bitter race that went down to the final game of the season. In that game, Chicago's storied defense zeroed in on Detroit's star quarterback, knocking him out of the game early with a savage blind-side hit. That effectively crippled Detroit's offense, and with tempers flaring all game Chicago posted a 38-21 win. San Francisco(5-6-1) put points on the board with a flashy halfback and a star end, but a leaky defense resulted in a break-even season. Four of their six losses, though, were to Detroit and Chicago. Baltimore(5-7)trudged through a losing season, but discovered their future hall-of-fame quarterback in mid-year. Green Bay and Los Angeles(both 4-8) brought up the rear of the conference. In Green Bay, a new QB fresh from the Canadian league injected some pizzazz into a largely moribund club, leading the team in both passing and rushing. Los Angeles had its usual quarterback controversy, and an offense that generated lots of yards but not very many points.

With Second Season's 1956 Pro Football Yearbook, you can re-live--or discover for the first time--the early days of modern pro football! You get all twelve teams--over 400 players individually-rated.