FARMINGTON —
It might be hard for some of Marion County’s young athletes to imagine ever growing up and moving away from home and being successful at whatever it is they choose to do in life.
But those young people need not look for an example of someone who not only used football as a way to get to college, but to also pave a successful path through life.
Sam Huff, Pro Football Hall of Famer, grew up just outside Farmington in the No. 9 coal mining camp. He starred on the gridiron for the Farmington High Farmers before going on to an All-American career at West Virginia University. Huff was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1956 NFL draft.
Huff spent eight seasons with the Giants before being traded to the Washington Redskins, where he ended his 14-year playing career in 1969. During his career, Huff played in the 1958 NFL championship game, also known widely as “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” and was coached by football legends Vince Lombardi with the Redskins and Tom Landry with the Giants. Landry, a defensive coach for New York, designed the now widely used 4-3 defensive scheme around Huff.
WVU Sports
Related Photos
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Fairmont Senior football coach Jared Mileto shakes hands with Pro Football Hall of Famer Sam Huff while Vincent Delligatti, an honorable mention All-State player for the Polar Bears in 2011, looks on. PHOTO BY DANNY SNYDER
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Sam Huff gets his first view of the new plaque from the Pro Football Hall of Fame that will be displayed in his hometown of Farmington. The plaque was unveiled by close friend Mike Arcure. PHOTO BY DANNY SNYDER
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The “Hometown Hall of Famer” plaque recognizing Sam Huff’s pro football accomplishments will be permanently displayed at the Farmington Community Center. PHOTO BY DANNY SNYDER
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Sam Huff reaches over his new plaque to shake an old friend’s hand. PHOTO BY DANNY SNYDER
Huff comes home: SLIDESHOW AND VIDEO
WVU, NFL legend a role model for area athletes
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