Former Giants, Cowboys Legend Tom Landry Credited with Developing Key Innovation

Landry developed a new defensive formation while a player/coach with the Giants.

Nov 6, 1988; E. Rutherford, NJ, USA; FILE PHOTO; New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells talks with Dallas Cowboys head coach Tom Landry prior to the start of their game at Giants Stadium. / RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports

Before Hall of Famer Tom Landry was the longtime Super Bowl-winning icon as head coach with the Dallas Cowboys, he was a defensive coordinator with the New York Giants, where he spent six seasons (1954 to 1959) drawing up plays. 

Landry was credited with developing some innovations that still exist in the game today, such as the 4-3 defense that took advantage of linebacker Sam Huff’s strengths. That formation helped him land on Pro Football Network's Dallas Robinson’s list of . 

"Intent on stopping the run, pre-1950s NFL defenses typically stacked defenders near the line of scrimmage," Robinson wrote. 

"However, after vertical passing offenses started to show up in the mid-1940s, the New York Giants began experimenting with a 6-1-4 defense in which two defensive ends would drop into coverage.

Giants defensive back Tom Landry helped install the system, then further tweaked it upon becoming New York’s defensive coordinator in 1954.

"In 1956, he became the first NFL [defensive coordinator] to deploy a base 4-3 defense. The Giants ranked first in defense and won the NFL Championship. Unsurprisingly, the rest of the league took note and adopted Landry’s scheme. 4-3 defensive alignments have since become the norm in the NFL."

Landry, the first-ever head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, led the Cowboys to five NFC Championships and two Super Bowls. 

During his tenure, Landry earned the 1966 AP Coach of the Year award and was twice named Pro Football Writers of America and UPI Coach of the Year. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a head coach in 1990.

Landry played 84 games for the Giants and had 32 interceptions. He had eight interceptions in three different seasons.

Landry was named to the Pro Bowl and earned AP first-team All-Pro honors in 1954.

As head coach of the Cowboys, Landry was dominant against the team he once played for. Landry's record against the Giants was 35-16-2. 

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