Y. A. Tittle facts for kids
Tittle c. 1960
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| No. 63, 64, 14 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 24, 1926 Marshall, Texas, U.S. |
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| Died: | October 8, 2017 (aged 90) Stanford, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Marshall (Marshall, Texas) | ||||||||||||
| College: | LSU | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1948 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Pro Football Hall of Fame
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Yelberton Abraham Tittle Jr. (born October 24, 1926 – died October 8, 2017) was an American professional football player. He was a famous quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). Tittle played for the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, and Baltimore Colts. He played for 17 years, from 1948 to 1964. He was known for being very competitive and a great leader.
Tittle played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU). He was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) quarterback. In 1947, he was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the "Ice Bowl." This was a famous game in a snowstorm that ended in a tie. After college, the Detroit Lions drafted him. But he chose to play for the Colts in a different league called the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
With the Colts, Tittle was the AAFC Rookie of the Year in 1948. He led his team to the playoffs. After the Colts team stopped playing, the 49ers drafted Tittle in 1951. He played ten seasons in San Francisco. During this time, he went to four Pro Bowls. He also led the league in touchdown passes in 1955. The United Press named him the NFL Player of the Year in 1957. Tittle was part of the 49ers' famous "Million Dollar Backfield." He was also the first professional football player on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Many people thought Tittle was too old at 34. But he was traded to the Giants in 1961. Over the next four years, he won many awards. He set a league record for touchdown passes twice. This included a game in 1962 where he threw 7 touchdown passes. He also led the Giants to three straight NFL championship games. Even though he never won a championship, his time with the Giants is remembered as a great era for the team.
In his last season, a famous photo was taken of Tittle. He was bloodied and kneeling in the end zone after a tackle. This picture is one of the most famous in sports history. When he retired, Tittle held many NFL records. These included career passing yards and touchdowns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. The Giants also retired his jersey number 14.
Contents
Early Life and College Football
Y. A. Tittle Jr. was born and grew up in Marshall, Texas. His parents were Alma and Yelberton Abraham Tittle Sr. From a young age, Tittle dreamed of being a quarterback. He spent hours practicing in his backyard. He would throw a football through a tire swing. He wanted to be like his hero, Sammy Baugh. Tittle played high school football at Marshall High School. In his senior year, his team had a perfect record. They even made it to the state finals.
After high school, Tittle chose to go to LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He played for the LSU Tigers. He joined a strong group of players in 1944. Because of World War II, freshmen could play on the main team. So, Tittle played right away. He once said his best moment at LSU was beating Tulane as a freshman. He set a school record with 238 passing yards in that game.
His coach first had Tittle play as a tailback. But in his second year, he became a quarterback. In 1946, Tittle threw three touchdown passes against Tulane. This helped LSU get into the Cotton Bowl Classic. This game was called the "Ice Bowl." It was played in freezing weather on an ice-covered field in Dallas, Texas. LSU played the Arkansas Razorbacks. Neither team scored, and the game ended in a tie. Tittle was named a co-MVP of the game. He was also named to the All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) first-team.
In 1947, Tittle was again named All-SEC first-team quarterback. Back then, players often played both offense and defense. In one game, Tittle intercepted a pass. His belt buckle broke, and his pants started to fall! He ran down the sideline holding the ball with one arm and his pants with the other. He tripped and fell before he could score.
During his college career, Tittle set school records. He completed 162 passes for 2,525 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also ran for seven touchdowns himself. These records stood until the 1970s.
Professional Football Career
Baltimore Colts Years
The 1948 NFL Draft picked Tittle sixth overall. But he decided to start his career with the Baltimore Colts in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1948. He was called a "passing ace" and was named the AAFC Rookie of the Year. He threw for 2,739 yards. After two tough seasons, the Colts team closed down. This meant Tittle could be drafted by an NFL team.
San Francisco 49ers Years
The San Francisco 49ers drafted Tittle in 1951. He was able to play right away because he had a special exemption from military duty. In his first two years, he shared playing time with another quarterback. In 1953, Tittle became the main starter. He threw for 2,121 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was invited to his first Pro Bowl. The 49ers finished with a good record and scored the most points in the league.
In 1954, the 49ers created their famous "Million Dollar Backfield." It had four future Hall of Fame players: Tittle, John Henry Johnson, Joe Perry, and Hugh McElhenny. Tittle said it made his job easy because he had three amazing running backs. The team hoped to win a championship. But injuries stopped them. Tittle played in his second Pro Bowl. He threw two touchdown passes and one of his teammates was named MVP of the game.
Tittle was the first professional football player to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine. This happened on November 22, 1954. He wore his 49ers uniform and a helmet with a special face mask. The photo also showed a metal brace on his helmet to protect his face. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated four times in his career.
In 1955, Tittle led the NFL in touchdown passes with 17. But he also threw the most interceptions. In 1956, the 49ers hired a new coach. Tittle was replaced by a rookie quarterback for a while. But after the team struggled, Tittle got his starting job back. The team then finished the season without losing a game.
In 1957, Tittle and receiver R. C. Owens created a special play. Tittle would throw the ball high in the air. Owens, who was 6 feet 3 inches tall, would jump to catch it. Tittle called this play the "alley-oop." This was the first time that term was used in sports. The play worked very well. The 49ers had a good season. Tittle had a league-leading 63.1% completion rate. He threw for 2,157 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also ran for six touchdowns. He was named "pro player of the year" and made his first All-Pro team. He was also invited to his third Pro Bowl.
After a tough preseason in 1958, another quarterback, John Brodie, started instead of Tittle. But fans were not happy. Tittle came in during a game against the Lions. He led the team to a winning touchdown. An injury to his right knee ended Tittle's season early. Tittle and Brodie continued to share quarterback duties for the next two seasons. In his last Pro Bowl with the 49ers in 1959, Tittle played very well.
In 1960, the 49ers started using a new play style called the shotgun formation. Tittle was injured, so Brodie played quarterback in the shotgun. The team started winning. Tittle thought about retiring. But he decided to keep playing to prove he was still a good quarterback. However, before the 1961 season, the 49ers traded him to the New York Giants.
New York Giants Years
In August 1961, the 49ers traded 34-year-old Tittle to the New York Giants. Many people thought Tittle was too old to play well. The Giants planned for him to share quarterback duties with 40-year-old Charlie Conerly. At first, the other players were loyal to Conerly and did not welcome Tittle.
Tittle missed the first game due to a back injury. His first game with the Giants was in week two. He and Conerly both threw a touchdown pass. Tittle soon became the main starter. He led the Giants to first place in their conference. He was named the NFL's MVP by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). In the 1961 NFL Championship Game, the Giants lost badly to the Green Bay Packers. Tittle threw four interceptions in that game.
In January 1962, Tittle said he would retire after the 1962 season. But he ended up playing and starting in a career-high 14 games. On October 28, 1962, he tied an NFL record. He threw seven touchdown passes in one game against the Washington Redskins. In the last game of the regular season, Tittle threw six touchdown passes. This set a new single-season record of 33 touchdowns. He won player of the year awards from many organizations. The Giants again finished first in their conference. They faced the Packers again in the 1962 NFL Championship Game. It was a very cold and windy game. Tittle struggled against the Packers' strong defense. The Packers won 16–7.
Tittle returned to the Giants in 1963. At 37 years old, he broke his own record. He threw 36 touchdown passes in a season. The Giants scored more points than any other team. For the third year in a row, they won their conference title. They played against the Chicago Bears in the 1963 NFL Championship Game. In the second quarter, Tittle hurt his knee. He needed a shot to keep playing. The Giants were ahead at halftime. But Tittle threw four interceptions in the second half. The Bears won 14–10.
In 1964, Tittle's final season, the Giants had a very bad record. In the second game, he was hit hard by a defensive end. Tittle suffered crushed ribs, a cracked chest bone, and a concussion. But he played in every game that season. He later became a backup quarterback. He retired after the season at age 39. Over his 17 years as a professional, Tittle completed 2,427 passes for 33,070 yards and 242 touchdowns. He also ran for 39 touchdowns.
Playing Style and Personality
Tittle threw the ball with a unique sidearm, almost underhand, motion. This unusual style, along with his baldness, made him very recognizable. People often called him the "Bald Eagle." Even with his unique throwing style, he had a very strong and accurate arm. He could release the ball quickly. He was excellent at reading defenses, which made him one of the best at throwing screen passes.
Tittle was a perfectionist and very competitive. He expected his teammates to be the same. He was a great leader and understood the game very well. He played with a lot of energy, even when he was older. Giants teammate Frank Gifford once said, "Tittle has the attitude of a high school kid, with the brain of a computer." Tittle believed he got better with age because of his many years of experience.
Legacy and Records
When Y. A. Tittle retired, he held several NFL records:
- Career passing yards (28,339)
- Career passing touchdowns (212)
- Career pass attempts (3,817)
- Career pass completions (2,118)
- Passing touchdowns in a season (36)
- Passing touchdowns in a game (7)
- Career total offense (29,338)
- Games played (176)
Tittle was the fourth player to throw seven touchdown passes in a game. This happened in 1962. His record of 36 touchdown passes in 1963 stood for over two decades. It is still a Giants team record today.
Even with his amazing statistics and three championship game appearances, Tittle never won a title. His record as a starter in playoff games was 0 wins and 4 losses. He threw four touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in his playoff career. After Tittle retired, the Giants struggled for many years.
He was selected to seven Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro teams. He was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player or Player of the Year four times. Sports Illustrated featured him on four covers.
The trade that sent Tittle from the 49ers to the Giants is seen as one of the worst trades for the 49ers. But it is considered one of the best trades in Giants history.
Famous Photo
A photo of a dazed Tittle in the end zone is one of the most famous images in sports history. Morris Berman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took it on September 20, 1964. Tittle was in his last season. He was photographed without his helmet, bloodied, and kneeling. This happened right after he was tackled by John Baker of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had just thrown an interception that was returned for a touchdown. Tittle suffered a concussion and a cracked chest bone on the play. But he still played the rest of the season.
At first, the Post-Gazette editors did not want to publish the photo. They wanted "action shots." But Berman entered the photo in contests, and it became very famous. It won a National Headliner Award. This photo helped change how photographers looked at sports. It showed the power of capturing a moment of emotion. It hangs in the lobby of the National Press Photographers Association headquarters. A copy is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Another similar photo was taken by Dozier Mobley. It shows Tittle looking forward instead of down. This version was published in Life magazine. Tittle eventually grew to like the photo. He put the Mobley version on the back cover of his 2009 autobiography. He said, "That was the end of the road. It was the end of my dream. It was over." John Baker, the player who tackled Tittle, later used the photo in his campaign to become sheriff in North Carolina. He was elected and served for 24 years.
Honors and Awards
Tittle was honored for his high school and college careers. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1987. He also joined the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.
In 1971, Tittle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a charter member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame in 2009.
The Giants had already retired jersey number 14 for another player. But Tittle asked for it and was given the number by the Giants owner. After Tittle retired, the number 14 was retired again. It is now retired in honor of both players. In 2010, Tittle became a charter member of the New York Giants Ring of Honor.
Personal Life
After retiring from playing, Tittle worked as an assistant coach for the 49ers. Then he became a quarterback mentor for the Giants. During his NFL career, Tittle also worked as an insurance salesman in the off-season. After retiring, he started his own company, Y. A. Tittle Insurance & Financial Services.
Tittle lived in Atherton, California. His wife, Minnette, passed away in 2012. They had three sons, Michael, Patrick, and John, and a daughter, Dianne. His daughter is a harpist and poet. In 1995, she wrote a book about her father called Giants & Heroes: A Daughter's Memories of Y. A. Tittle.
In his later years, Tittle suffered from severe dementia. This affected his memory. Y. A. Tittle passed away on October 8, 2017, in Stanford, California. He was 90 years old.
- List of 500-yard passing games in the National Football League
