When calling George Young, the greeting on the other end of the phone was really no greeting at all.

During his hugely successful tenure as general manager of the Giants, Young would field calls from reporters with an irascible edge. He would not simply say “Hello’’ or “This is George Young’’ or even “Good morning.’’ Young would pick up the phone and ask — demand is more accurate — “Why?’’ in a tone that suggested the person on the other end had better have a darn good reason for this interruption.

This was far more playful than off-putting, as Young adored a good debate and never hid from engaging in conversation about the team he worked for. Young did it better than anyone who ever held the title for the Giants, which is why he was enshrined Wednesday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in a special ceremony in Canton, Ohio. A 90-minute enshrinement special will air Saturday on NFL Network as part of the NFL Draft weekend.

Young is actually a member of the 2020 Hall of Fame class, but there was no ceremony last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Young will be inducted posthumously; he died in 2001 at the age of 71 from a neurological disease. He is part of a special Centennial Slate for the Class of 2020. To celebrate the NFL’s 100th anniversary, a blue-ribbon panel voted in 15 new members — 10 players from at least 25 years ago, three contributors and two coaches. Young made it in the contributor category.

“He would have made light of it, being his personality, but it would have meant the world to him,’’ Ernie Accorsi, Young’s longtime friend and, like Young, a former Giants general manager, told The Post. “It was his life’s work.

“He was the consummate football executive. There are a lot of them that are greater scouts and great personnel directors. George was the consummate executive.’’

Young ran the Giants’ football operations from 1979 through the 1997 season. He arrived with the franchise in turmoil. Within three years, Young had turned the Giants into a winning team. He hired, and then stuck with, Bill Parcells as head coach and was rewarded with two Super Bowl triumphs..

Young’s first draft pick, quarterback Phil Simms, was hugely unpopular at the time of the selection. Young also drafted Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Joe Morris, Leonard Marshall, Jeff Hostetler, Mark Bavaro, Pepper Johnson, Michael Strahan and Amani Toomer — all players who helped the Giants win Super Bowls. Young won five Executive of the Year awards. After leaving the Giants, Young worked in the NFL office as the senior vice president of football operations from 1998 until his death.

“George is certainly very deserving of being in the Hall of Fame,” co-owner John Mara said when Young was selected for induction. “My only regret is that he’s not around to enjoy this. He took our organization from being in last place and not having a lot of respect around the league, to being a Super Bowl champion.’’