Giants Ring of Honor: Steve Owen

During the off-season, the staff here at GMenHq will be featuring a member of the Giants Ring of Honor on each Monday and Friday.  Today’s feature is on: Steve Owen

Steve Owen is simply a legend that all future Giants stand upon the shoulders of. Steve Owen was born in 1898 in Oklahoma when it was still a territory! Mr. Owen joined the New York Giants in 1926 when he was sold to the team for $500. He played for the Giants from 1926-1931 and then again in 1933. He played in a total of 69 games for the Giants as a player.

Steve Owen then became one of the legendary coaches in the history of the New York Giants. He was the lone head coach of the Giants from 1930-1953. The most amazing fact during his tenure…he never had a contract. It was a handshake agreement between him and the Mara family. Under his tutelage, the Giants played in eight of the first 14 championship games of the National Football League. The team’s victory in the 1934 “Sneakers Game” is well documented. He coached the Giants to another title in 1938. He originated the “umbrella defense” – the secondary was likened to an umbrella with four deep defensive backs representing the umbrella’s spokes. (NFL Hall-of-Fame). He ended his Giants coaching career with a 150-99-17 record. One of the best in Giants history.

After retiring from the Giants, Mr. Owen had coaching stints with the Eagles, the Canadian Football League and the United Football League. He died in May 1964.