Emlen Tunnell
The Gremlin: Giants legend, Hall of Famer, and hero on and off the field.
Emlen Lewis Tunnell (March 29, 1924 – July 23, 1975), nicknamed "the Gremlin", 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.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Cornerback; Halfback
- Pro bowl selections
- 9 times (5 with NY Giants, 4 with Green Bay Packers)
- Hall of fame induction
- 1967
- Historic first
- First African American inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- All-pro honors
- Multiple selections
Lore & Background
Tunnell was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, though sources conflict as to his year of birth. He grew up in the Garrett Hill neighborhood of Radnor Township. He played college football for Toledo (1942), San Francisco Coast Guard Pilots (1944), and Iowa (1946–1947). He served in the United States Coast Guard from 1943 to 1946 and received the Silver Lifesaving Medal for heroism in rescuing a shipmate from flames during a torpedo attack in 1944 and rescuing another shipmate who fell into the sea in 1946. He played 14 NFL seasons as a safety and return specialist for the New York Giants (1948–1958) and Green Bay Packers (1959–1961). He was a first-team All-Pro six times and played in nine Pro Bowls. He was a member of NFL championship teams in 1956 and 1961. When he retired, he held NFL career records for interceptions (79), interception return yards (1,282), punt returns (258), and punt return yards (2,209). After retiring, he served as a special assistant coach and defensive backs coach for the New York Giants from 1963 to 1974. He was named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team and was ranked number 70 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
Reader's Guide
Emlen Tunnell was a pioneering African American player for the New York Giants, known for his exceptional skills as a safety and return specialist. He set multiple NFL career records and was a key part of the Giants' "umbrella defense" in the early 1950s. His heroism in the Coast Guard earned him the Silver Lifesaving Medal. He later coached for the Giants and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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