18 Facts About Kyle Rote

Kyle Rote was an All-American running back for the SMU Mustangs and was the first overall selection of the 1951 NFL draft.

Kyle Rote's family suffered tragedies during World War II; when he was 16, his mother was killed in a car accident and his older brother Jack was killed on Iwo Jima.

Kyle Rote attended Thomas Jefferson High School in San Antonio, where he earned All-State honors in both football and basketball, while being considered one of the region's brightest pro-baseball prospects.

Kyle Rote was a running back in football, a guard in basketball, an outfielder in baseball, and a member of the track team.

Immediately after graduation at SMU, Kyle Rote signed a contract with the Corpus Christi Aces of the Class B Gulf Coast Baseball League.

Kyle Rote started out as a running back, but after the first two years switched to wide receiver due to a knee injury.

When Kyle Rote retired after the 1961 season, he had become the Giants' career leader in pass receptions, receiving yardage, and touchdown receptions.

Kyle Rote was second highest in total touchdowns and fifth-leading scorer.

Kyle Rote was the captain of the New York Giants for eight years.

Kyle Rote fooled the panel into thinking he was the officer, garnering three of the four possible votes from Polly Bergen, Jim Backus, and Joan Fontaine.

Kyle Rote spearheaded the movement that became the NFL Players Association, fighting for equal opportunities for all players, so that all players of all races would receive equal treatment when the teams played on the road.

Kyle Rote became the NFLPA's first elected president serving for several years, and acted as the Giants team representative.

Kyle Rote was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, Texas Pro Football Hall of Fame, San Antonio Hall of Fame, Texas High School Football Hall of Fame, Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame, Southwest Conference All-Time Team, and received the SMU Distinguished Alumni Award.

In 1995, Kyle Rote was named as wide receiver on the All-Time Giants Team in conjunction with the 75th celebration of the founding of the NFL.

Kyle Rote retired in April 1962, then was the Giants' backfield coach for two seasons; in both those years, New York captured the NFL's Eastern Division championship, a third consecutive in 1963, but fell in each of the title games.

Kyle Rote was the cousin of Tobin Kyle Rote, a multi-championship winning and record holding AFL and NFL quarterback.

Kyle Rote authored the books, Pro Football for the Fans and The Language of Pro Football, and wrote the Giants Fight Song.

Kyle Rote published two volumes of poetry, was an ASCAP songwriter, accomplished pianist, and oil painter having a number of his works shown at museums throughout the United States.