But it wasn't always Huff's aggressive, hard-hitting style that impressed his opponents.

"When Sam arrived in the NFL, he didn't bring a lot of pure skill, yet Sam was a unique individual because he was so addicted to detail," Brown said. "Every time he walked on the field, he had an edge. That much dedication requires extraordinary will. Sam's will and his brain made him one of the most effective middle linebackers in NFL history."

Huff grew up in West Virginia, coal-mining country where a man's life was spent underground and unhealthy. Huff watched relatives die either in the mines or because of them, and because he always feared that lifestyle, he made sure he became the best football player he could be.

He was a superb two-way player at West Virginia, and that earned him a draft nod by the New York Giants in 1956. When he arrived at Giants camp, the coaching staff didn't know what to do with him.

"We know he's a football player, but we just don't know where to put him," defensive coordinator Tom Landry said.

Huff wasn't big enough to be a defensive tackle and he didn't seem to be quick enough to play linebacker. The first few weeks of his inaugural camp did not go well, and Huff decided, along with fellow rookie Don Chandler, to quit football. The two men left the Giants dormitory and headed for the airport.

Vince Lombardi, then the Giants offensive coordinator, found out the two had flown the coop and rushed to the airport to intercept them. The plane was late in taking off, and this gave Lombardi enough time to find the boys and tell them they were crazy for quitting because they were going to make the team.

"If that plane had been on time, Chandler would have been on it, and I would have gone with him," Huff said.

Landry was installing his 4-3 inside defense in 1956, and he finally settled on Huff as the middle linebacker in that formation. Almost as soon as Huff was inserted, it was obvious he was going to become a great player.

In 1959, CBS decided to do a prime-time documentary - narrated by Walter Cronkite - focused on NFL defenses, highlighting the rugged nature of football. Huff, being in the mega media market of New York, was the perfect choice. CBS miked him during a game, filmed his every move, and Huff became the league's first defensive star.

"Sam really wrote the book on how to play middle linebacker in the 4-3 defense," Giants defensive end Andy Robustelli said. "He also had the emotional tools. Like Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke who followed him as stars of their teams, he was fiercely competitive."

Huff made All-Pro twice and appeared in four Pro Bowls as a member of the Giants, helping the team win six division titles during his eight-year tenure before the shocking trade that sent him to Washington prior to the 1964 season.

Giants coach Allie Sherman thought Huff was slowing down at the age of 29, so he dealt him to the Redskins for defensive tackle Andy Stynchula and running back Dick James. The trade made front-page news in New York and was greeted with venom by the team's fans.

Huff was just as shocked.

"Even as I heard Allie telling me, I didn't really believe I had been traded. I guess that was just because I didn't want to believe it."

Huff played five more years with Washington, retiring in 1968. But he came back to play one more year when Lombardi was named coach of the Redskins in 1969.

He set the standard for middle-linebacker play and paved the way for the great middle linebackers of the 60s such as Butkus, Nitschke, Tommy Nobis and Mike Curtis.