He started at Ole Miss in 1942, but left to serve as a Marine in the South Pacific during World War II where he fought in the Battle of Guam.

[citation needed] Conerly also played baseball at Ole Miss, where he hit .467 in 1948 and was offered a professional contract.

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.

[3][4] Conerly and his wife, Perian (author of the book, Backseat Quarterback) retired to his hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi, where he spent his final days.

The Professional Football Researchers Association named Conerly to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2006.

He died on February 13, 1996, of heart failure following a long illness, his wife told The New York Times.