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Emlen Lewis Tunnell (March 29, 1924 [1] – July 23, 1975), nicknamed " the Gremlin ", [2] was an American professional football player and coach. He was the first African-American to play for the New York Giants and also the first to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Tunnell became the first African American to play for the Giants. He was also the first African American to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Even though Em proved to be an exceptional special teams player, it was on defense that he made his lasting mark.
- Growing Up in Philly
- Broken Neck Interrupts Tunnell’s College Career
- Tunnell Enlists
- Hero For A Second Time
- Tunnell Plays For Iowa
- The Giants Sign Tunnell
- Tunnell Is A Natural
- Well Liked
- Interception Machine
- New York Wins A Championship
Emlen Lewis Tunnell was born on March 29, 1924 (although his birth year has also been listed as 1922, 1923, and 1925) in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. His parents divorced when he was young, and Tunnell’s mother worked as a housekeeper for wealthy Philadelphia families. As he got older, Tunnell befriended neighbors of different ethnicities and thrived. ...
Tunnell began playing football for the Rockets in 1942 and proved to be a spark plug on offense and defense. Not long into the season in a game against Marshall University, Tunnell was blocked while attempting to make a tackle. The block ended up breaking Tunnell’s neck, and he was knocked unconscious. Next thing he knew, Tunnell awoke to see a pri...
After Tunnell returned home following the 1942–43 school year, he wore a neck brace to help heal his injury. At the same time, World War II was raging. Tunnell dropped out of school to do his part. He tried to enlist in the Navy and Army, but both passed on Tunnell due to his injury. Tunnell pressed on and went to the Coast Guard where he was accep...
Only a few months after the incident in New Guinea, Tunnell found himself playing football and basketball for the Coast Guard. In November of 1944, Tunnell and his Coast Guard teammates played against legendary coach Amos Alonzo Staggand his team from the University of the Pacific. Playing from his halfback position, Tunnell passed for a touchdown ...
While serving in the Coast Guard, Tunnell met a serviceman named Jim Walkerwho had played for the University of Iowa football team before enlisting. Walker, who was black, told Tunnell that he should try out for the Hawkeyes after he left the service. He further explained the Iowa coaches gave players of color an opportunity to play ball. After lea...
A few months after returning home, Tunnell noticed a letter from the New York Giants. The team was aware that Tunnell’s college eligibility had expired, and he was permitted to be contacted by pro teams. Tunnell was skeptical at first, but a longtime friend, Vince McNally, encouraged Tunnell to give the NFL a chance. Encouraged, Tunnell knew he had...
When Tunnell joined the Giants in 1948, the franchise was going through a funk. The season before, New York won just two games. In 1948, the team would win four games followed by six in 1949. Despite the lack of wins, it’s safe to say that Tunnell wasn’t the issue. As a rookie, Tunnell picked off seven passes and returned one for a touchdown. He al...
When Tunnell first arrived in New York City, the Giants fans would jeer at him, primarily based on the color of his skin. By the end of his rookie year, those jeers had turned into cheers. Tunnell quickly became a fan favorite and one of the best players on the Giants. Having grown up seeing racism firsthand, Tunnell had the ability to push prejudi...
In 1950, Tunnell began a string of nine Pro Bowl appearances. Known for his knack of playing “offense on defense”Tunnell had seven interceptions during New York’s 10-2 season. He also added 305 punt return yards, which was second in the league. Then, in the 1950 Conference Playoff game, the G-Men lost to Cleveland, 8-3. During the 1951 season, The ...
In 1956, the Giants got back on track and went 8-3-1 for the year. Tunnell’s use on special teams declined at the beginning of that year, but he kept picking off passes in the secondary. That season, he had six pick-offs for 87 return yards and was a tackling machine, many times with devastating results for the hitter and hittee. When the regular s...
Checkout the latest stats for Emlen Tunnell. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.
- March 29, 1925
Jul 19, 2024 · Emlen Tunnell was an American gridiron football player who in 1967 became the first African American to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His career stretched from 1948 through 1961, and he was a key member of National Football League (NFL) championship teams in New York and Green Bay.
Jan 15, 2012 · GREEN BAY, Wis. — Emlen Tunnell, a star defender for the glittering, magnetic Giants, had been summoned to Green Bay. It was 1959, and the new Packers coach, Vince Lombardi, traded for Tunnell,...
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Pro Football Hall of Fame Safety Emlen Tunnell comes in at number 79 on NFL Films' "The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players" list produced in 2010.Subscribe to N...
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