Emlen Tunnell facts for kids
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| No. 45 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||
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| Born: | March 29, 1924 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania |
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| Died: | July 23, 1975 (aged 51) Pleasantville, New York |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 187 lb (85 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| College: | Toledo (1942) Iowa (1946–1947) |
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| Undrafted: | 1948 | ||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Emlen Lewis Tunnell (born March 29, 1924 – died July 23, 1975) was an amazing American football player and coach. People sometimes called him "The Gremlin". He made history as the first African American player for the New York Giants. He was also the first African American to be chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Emlen grew up in the Philadelphia area. He played college football at the University of Toledo in 1942. Later, he played at the University of Iowa in 1946 and 1947. He also served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II. He was a hero, saving shipmates from danger.
After college, Emlen played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was a safety for the New York Giants (1948–1958) and the Green Bay Packers (1959–1961). He was chosen as a first-team All-Pro six times. He also played in nine Pro Bowl games. His teams won NFL championships in 1956 and 1961. When he stopped playing, he held NFL records for interceptions (79) and punt return yards (2,209).
After his playing career, Tunnell became a coach. He worked for the New York Giants from 1963 to 1974. He is remembered as one of the greatest football players ever.
Contents
Early Life and Heroism
Emlen Tunnell was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the Garrett Hill area. His mother raised him and his three siblings. She worked as a housekeeper for wealthy families. Emlen's sister remembered their neighborhood as a place where "everybody mingled." This helped Emlen learn to get along with different people.
He went to Radnor High School. There, he was a star halfback in 1940 and 1941. In 2003, Emlen was part of the first group of people inducted into the Radnor High School Hall of Fame.
College Football and Military Service
Emlen started college at the University of Toledo in 1942. He played halfback for the football team. During a game in 1942, he broke his neck while trying to make a tackle. Even with his injury, he helped the Toledo Rockets men's basketball team reach the finals of a big tournament in 1943.
Because of his neck injury, the Army and Navy would not let him join. But in May 1943, Emlen joined the United States Coast Guard.
Coast Guard Hero
From 1943 to 1944, Emlen served on a cargo ship called the USS Etamin. It was in the South West Pacific. In April 1944, a Japanese plane attacked their ship. Emlen saved a shipmate who was on fire. He used his hands to put out the flames, burning his own hands. He then carried his shipmate to safety.
In March 1946, Emlen was in Newfoundland. He saw a shipmate fall into the very cold water. Emlen jumped in and saved him from drowning. For his bravery, he was given the Silver Lifesaving Medal.
The Coast Guard has honored Emlen Tunnell in many ways. In 2011, a gym on Coast Guard Island was named after him. In 2017, the Coast Guard named a new ship, the USCGC Emlen Tunnell, after him. This ship is number 45, the same number he wore for the New York Giants. In 2021, they also named an athletic building at the Coast Guard Academy after him.
Playing for Iowa
Emlen left the Coast Guard in April 1946. He then went to the University of Iowa for college. In 1946, he led the Iowa football team in total offense. He also had the second-most rushing yards.
In 1947, he set an Iowa record with 155 receiving yards and three touchdowns in one game. He left Iowa in January 1948 to earn money. He needed to return for summer school to be eligible to play football again.
Professional Football Career
New York Giants Star
On July 24, 1948, Emlen Tunnell joined the New York Giants. He was the first African American player ever signed by the Giants. He once said he hitchhiked to New York City to ask for a tryout. He thanked a banana-truck driver who dropped him off near the stadium.
As a rookie in 1948, Emlen intercepted seven passes. One of these he returned for a touchdown. From 1949 to 1952, he was known as one of the best players at defending passes and returning punts. He was a key part of the Giants' "umbrella defense." People called him the Giants' "offense on defense."
Here are some of his amazing achievements with the Giants:
- In 1949, he led the NFL with two interceptions returned for touchdowns. He also had three non-offensive touchdowns.
- In 1951, he was chosen as a first-team All-Pro. He led the NFL with 489 punt return yards. He also had four non-offensive touchdowns. He returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. His 37.8 yards per kick return is still a Giants record.
- In 1952, he was again chosen as a first-team All-Pro. He led the NFL with six fumbles recovered. He also had 411 punt return yards.
Emlen played for the Giants for 11 years (1948-1958). During this time, he was a first-team All-Pro six times. He played in eight Pro Bowls. He set Giants records with 74 intercepted passes and 1,240 interception return yards. He also holds records for 257 punt returns and 2,206 punt return yards.
Green Bay Packers Champion
After the 1958 season, the Giants' coach, Vince Lombardi, became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. In 1959, the Packers bought Emlen Tunnell from the Giants. He played three years with the Packers. He helped their defense with his experience. He also helped teach the younger players. He was known as a helpful leader for the team.
He played for the 1961 Packers team that won the NFL championship. He played in important defensive situations. His coach said Emlen was still a strong tackler. He used his experience to predict what offensive players would do.
Career Highlights and Awards
In March 1962, Emlen Tunnell stopped playing football. At that time, he held several NFL records:
- His 79 career interceptions were an NFL record. They are still the second-most in NFL history.
- His 1,282 interception return yards were an NFL record for 40 years. They are still among the top in NFL history.
- He played in 158 games in a row, which was also an NFL record.
Emlen Tunnell has received many honors for his amazing career:
- In February 1967, he was chosen for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was the first African American player and the first defensive back to be inducted.
- In 1969, he was named to the National Football League 1950s All-Decade Team.
- In 1975, he was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame.
- In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him number 70 on its list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
- In 2010, he was one of the players in the New York Giants Ring of Honor.
- In 2014, a book ranked him as the second greatest player in New York Giants history.
On June 2, 2018, a statue of Emlen Tunnell was put up in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
Coaching Career
In 1962, Emlen Tunnell worked as a scout for the Giants and Packers. He watched college players and future opponents. In May 1963, the Giants hired him as a special assistant coach.
In February 1965, Emlen was promoted to assistant coach for the Giants' defensive backs. Some people say he was the first African American assistant coach in the NFL. However, Fritz Pollard was a head coach in the 1920s, and Lowell Perry was an assistant coach in 1957.
Emlen Tunnell had a minor heart attack in October 1974. After that, he became the Giants' assistant personnel director. In July 1975, Emlen died from a heart attack during a Giants practice. He was buried in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.
Images for kids
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Emlen Tunnell played basketball for the racially integrated District 12 team in 1943.
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The Coast Guard named the Bernard C. Webber, and all its other Sentinel class cutters, after heroes, and chose to name the 45th vessel after Tunnell, the number he wore during his Hall of Fame career with the NY Giants.
See also
In Spanish: Emlen Tunnell para niños
