Conerly, "Charlie" (Charles A.)
Football
b. Sept. 19, 1921, Clarksdale, MS
A tailback at the University of Mississippi in 1941 and 1942, Conerly spent three years in the Marines during World War II. When he returned to Mississippi in 1946, he became quarterback in the newly installed T formation.
Conerly captained and quarterbacked the team to a 9-2-0 record in 1947, when Mississippi won its first Southeast Conference championship and beat Texas Christian 13-9 in the Delta Bowl. He completed 133 of 233 passes for 1,367 yards and 27 touchdowns that season and was a consensus All-American.
In 1948, Conerly joined the NFL's New York Giants and he was named rookie of the year. In a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that season, he completed 36 of 53 passes. Conerly went on to help lead the Giants into championship games in 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1961. He threw two touchdown passes in New York's 47-7 victory over the Bears in 1956.
"Chuckin' Charlie," as sportswriters liked to call him, retired after the 1961 season. As a professional, he completed 1,418 of 2,833 passes for 19,488 yards and 173 touchdowns. He also scored 10 rushing touchdowns.