Education
Conerly attended and played college football at the University of Mississippi (Ole Mission).
Conerly attended and played college football at the University of Mississippi (Ole Mission).
Conerly was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966. He started at Ole Mission in 1942, but left to serve as a Marine in the South Pacific during World World War II where he fought in the Battle of Guam. He returned to Mississippi in 1946 and led the team to their first Southeastern Conference (Securities and Exchange Commission) championship in 1947.
He played the halfback position for the Rebels.
Conerly"s 1947 squad had upset wins over Kentucky (14–7 in Oxford), Florida (14–6 in Jacksonville, Florida), Louisiana State University (20–18 in Baton Rouge), and Tennessee (43–13 in Memphis). He placed fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting and was a two-time All Securities and Exchange Commission performer.
He set numerous school records and still ranked 12th in 2008 in career total offense with 3,076 yards. He was ranked 12th in career passing with 2,313 yards and 26 TDs.
Conerly also played baseball at Ole Mission, where he hit.467 in 1948 and was offered a professional contract.
Conerly was drafted in the 11th round of the 1945 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played his entire career with the New York Giants as a quarterback, where he was a two-time Pro Bowl selection in 1950 and 1956 and was NFL"s Most Valuable Player in 1959 by the Newspaper Enterprise Association. He led the Giants to three NFL Championship games in four seasons (1956, 1958–1959), including a 47–7 victory over the Chicago Bears in the 1956 NFL Championship game.
During his professional career, he earned the alliteration nickname Chucking Charlie Conerly.
Connerly portrayed the "Marlboro Manitoba" in commercials after playing for the Giants. Conerly and his wife, Perian (author of the book, Backseat Quarterback) retired to his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, where he spent his final days. Conerly owned shoe stores throughout the Mississippi Delta. On December 13, 1959, Perian appeared on an episode of What"s My Lincolnshire?. Her line was she wrote a football column for newspapers. Conerly was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Ole Mission Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987. He is also a member of the Ole Mission Team of the Century (1893–1992). Conerly is the namesake of the football award, the Conerly Trophy, given annually to the top college player in the State of Mississippi.
He is also a member of the Ole Mission Team of the Century (1893–1992).
