The 1956 All-Pro Team consisted of the best players at each position among players in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

as chosen by various selectors. The 1956 New York Giants won the NFL championship and had nine players who received first-team All-Pro honors: offensive end

Kyle Rote William Kyle Rote Sr. (October 27, 1928 – August 15, 2002) was an American professional football player who was a running back and wide receiver for eleven years in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants. He was an All-A ...

; offensive tackle Rosey Brown; center Ray Wietecha; quarterback Charlie Conerly; halfback

Frank Gifford Francis Newton Gifford (August 16, 1930 – August 9, 2015) was an American professional football player, actor, and television sports commentator. After a 12-year playing career as a halfback, flanker and safety for the New York Giants of ...

; defensive end

Andy Robustelli Andrew Richard Robustelli (December 6, 1925 – May 31, 2011) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Giants. He played college football ...

; defensive tackle Rosey Grier; linebacker Bill Svoboda; and defensive halfback Emlen Tunnell. Gifford also won the 1956

National Football League Most Valuable Player Award In American football, most valuable player (MVP) awards are given by various entities to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the most valuable during the regular season. Organizations which issue an NFL MVP award include t ...

. Consensus All-Pro players included ends Billy Howton and Harlon Hill who led the NFL with 1,188 and 1,128 receiving yards, respectively;

Bobby Layne Robert Lawrence Layne (December 19, 1926 – December 1, 1986) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas Longhorns before ...

who had 1,909 passing yards and led the league with 99 points scored (including 12 field goals and 33 extra points); and fullback Rick Casares who led the league with 1,126 rushing yards. The All-Pro selectors included: *

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...

(AP) *

Newspaper Enterprise Association The Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) is an editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1902. The oldest syndicate still in operation, the NEA was originally a secondary new ...

(NEA) selected by NFL players themselves *

United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ...

(UP) * ''The Sporting News'' (TSN) * New York ''Daily News'' (NYDN) - For the 20th year, the ''Daily News'' selected an All-Pro team. Its selections were selected based on votes "by the top football writers in every league city." Players receiving first-team honors from three of the four selectors are shown in bold.

Offense

Ends

* Harlon Hill, Chicago Bears (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) * Billy Howton, Green Back Packers (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) * Billy Wilson, San Francisco 49ers (AP-2, NEA-2, UP-2) *

, New York Giants (AP-2, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-2) *

Johnny Carson John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, and writer best known as the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' (1962–1992). Carson is a cultural phenomenon and w ...

, Washington Redskins (TSN) * Darrel Brewster, Cleveland Browns (NEA-2) *

Elroy Hirsch Elroy Leon "Crazylegs" Hirsch (June 17, 1923 – January 28, 2004) was an American professional American football, football player, sport executive and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 and the College Football H ...

, Los Angeles Rams (NYDN-2) FHOF

Tackles

* Rosey Brown, New York Giants (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Lou Creekmur, Detroit Lions (AP-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-2) FHOF* Bill Wightkin, Chicago Bears (NEA-2, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-1) * Bob St. Clair, San Francisco 49ers (NEA-1) FHOF*

Lou Groza Louis Roy Groza (January 25, 1924 – November 29, 2000), nicknamed "the Toe", was an American professional American football, football Tackle (gridiron football position), offensive tackle and placekicker while playing his entire career for th ...

, Cleveland Browns (AP-2, UP-2, NYDN-2) FHOF* Don Boll, Washington Redskins (AP-2) * Mike McCormack, Cleveland Browns (TSN, NEA-2) FHOF* Bob Miller, Detroit Lions (TSN)

Guards

* Dick Stanfel, Washington Redskins (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-2) FHOF* Stan Jones, Chicago Bears (AP-1, NEA-2, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Duane Putnam, Los Angeles Rams (AP-2, NEA-1, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-1) * Red Stephens, Washington Redskins (TSN) * Herman Clark, Chicago Bears (AP-2, NYDN-2) * Jack Stroud, New York Giants (UP-2) * Harley Sewell, Detroit Lions (NEA-2)

Centers

* Larry Strickland, Chicago Bears (AP-1, NEA-2, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-1) * Charlie Ane Jr., Detroit Lions (AP-2, NEA-1, UP-1) * Ray Wietecha, New York Giants (TSN, NYDN-2)

Quarterbacks

, Detroit Lions (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Tobin Rote, Green Bay Packers (AP-2, NEA-2, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-2) * Charlie Conerly, New York Giants (TSN)

Halfbacks

, New York Giants (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF*

Ollie Matson Ollie Genoa Matson II (May 1, 1930 – February 19, 2011) was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional football player. He played as a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 t ...

, Chicago Cardinals (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Hugh McElhenny, San Francisco 49ers (AP-2, NEA-2, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-2) FHOF* Alex Webster, New York Giants (AP-2) * Preston Carpenter, Cleveland Browns (UP-2) * Ron Waller, Los Angeles Rams (NEA-2) *

Lenny Moore Leonard Edward Moore (born November 25, 1933) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a Halfback (American football), halfback and wide receiver, flanker for the Baltimore Colts of the National Football Leag ...

, Baltimore Colts (NYDN-2) FHOF

Fullbacks

* Rick Casares, Chicago Bears (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) * Alan Ameche, Baltimore Colts (AP-2, NEA-2, TSN, NYDN-2) * Johnny Olszewski, Chicago Cardinals (TSN) *

Leon Hart Leon Joseph Hart (November 2, 1928 – September 24, 2002) was an American football player. He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, winning the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award in 1949. He also received All-American hon ...

, Detroit Lions (UP-2)

Defense

Defensive ends

Gene Brito Gene Herman Brito (November 23, 1925 – June 8, 1965) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Washington Redskins and the Los Angeles Rams from 1951 t ...

, Washington Redskins (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) *

, New York Giants (AP-1, NEA-2, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Gino Marchetti, Baltimore Colts (AP-2, NEA-1, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-2) FHOF* John Martinkovic, Green Bay Packers (TSN) * Ed Meadows, Chicago Bears (AP-2) * Bob Gain, Cleveland Browns (UP-2) * Tom Scott, Philadelphia Eagles (NEA-2) * Len Ford, Cleveland Browns (NYDN-2) FHOF

Defensive tackles

* Rosey Grier, New York Giants (AP-1, NEA-2, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) *

Art Donovan Arthur James "Fatso" Donovan Jr. (June 5, 1924 – August 4, 2013), was an American professional American football, football player who was a defensive tackle for three National Football League (NFL) teams, primarily the Baltimore Colts. He pla ...

, Baltimore Colts (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-2) FHOF* Ernie Stautner, Pittsburgh Steelers (AP-2, NEA-1, UP-1) FHOF* Ray Krouse, Detroit Lions (TSN, NYDN-1) * Don Colo, Cleveland Browns (AP-2, UP-2) * Bud McFadin, Los Angeles Rams (NEA-2, NYDN-2)

Middle guards

* Bill George, Chicago Bears (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN) FHOF* Dale Dodrill, Pittsburgh Steelers (NEA-2, UP-2, NYDN-2)

Linebackers

* Joe Schmidt, Detroit Lions (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia Eagles (AP-2, NEA-1, UP-1, NYDN-1) FHOF* Les Richter, Los Angeles Rams (AP-1, TSN, NYDN-1 uard FHOF* Chuck Drazenovich, Washington Redskins (AP-2 iddle guard NEA-2, UP-2, TSN) * Bill Svoboda, New York Giants (AP-2, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-2) * Roger Zatkoff, Green Bay Packers (NEA-2, NYDN-2)

Defensive halfbacks

Night Train Lane Richard Lane (April 16, 1928 – January 29, 2002), commonly known as Dick "Night Train" Lane, was an American professional American football, football cornerback who played for 14 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the ...

, Chicago Cardinals (AP-1, NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Emlen Tunnell, New York Giants (AP-1 afety NEA-1, UP-1, NYDN-2) FHOF* Jim David, Detroit Lions (AP-2, NEA-2, UP-2, NYDN-2 afety * J. C. Caroline, Chicago Bears (UP-2, NYDN-1) * Warren Lahr, Cleveland Browns (TSN)

Safeties

* Jack Christiansen, Detroit Lions (AP-1 alfback NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF* Bobby Dillon, Green Bay Packers (AP-2 alfback NEA-1, UP-1, TSN, NYDN-1) FHOF*

Yale Lary Robert Yale Lary Sr. (November 24, 1930 – May 11, 2017) was an American professional football player, businessman, and politician. He played for 11 seasons as a safety, punter and return specialist for the Detroit Lions of the National Foo ...

, Detroit Lions (AP-1, NEA-2, UP-2, TSN, NYDN-2 alfback FHOF* Jack Butler, Pittsburgh Steelers (AP-2, NEA-2 ef halfback TSN) FHOF* Lindon Crow, Chicago Cardinals (AP-2) * Ken Konz, Chicago Bears (UP-2, TSN) * Dicky Moegle, San Francisco 49ers (TSN) * Will Sherman, Los Angeles Rams (NEA-2) * Ray Gene Smith, Chicago Bears (NYDN-2)

References

External links

1956 NFL All-Pros – Pro-Football-Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:1956 All-Pro Team All-Pro Teams 1956 NFL season