Allie Sherman, who took Giants to three title games, dies at 91

Two-time NFL Coach of the Year Allie Sherman has died at the age of 91. He led the Giants to NFL championship games in his first three seasons.

Allie Sherman, who coached the Giants to NFL championship games in his first three seasons, has died at the age of 91, reports the New York Times.

Sherman won NFL Coach of the Year honors in 1961 and '62, when the Giants lost the title games to the Packers. In 1963, the Giants lost the championship game to the Bears. Sherman went 57-51-4 in eight seasons coaching New York.

The son of Russian immigrants, Alex Sherman was born in Brooklyn and played football at Brooklyn College. The skinnny lefty began as a tailback before moving to quarterback his final two seasons. He spent five years as a backup quarterback with the Eagles, then got into coaching.

"Never have I seen a player with a greater understanding of the game," then-Eagles coach Greasy Neale once said, per the paper.

The 5-10, 160-pound Sherman characterized his accomplishments as a player this way:

"I was the best left-handed ball holder on conversion kicks in the history of the NFL," said Sherman, who became the studio analyst alongside Chris Berman on ESPN's first NFL broadcast in 1987.