Emlen Tunnell

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 attended Radnor High School where he was a star halfback in 1940 and 1941. He enrolled at the University of Toledo in fall 1942 and played college football as a halfback, but sustained a broken neck in a game on October 26, 1942. After being rejected by the Army and Navy, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in May 1943. He served on the USS Etamin and rescued a shipmate during a torpedo attack in April 1944, receiving the Silver Lifesaving Medal. He also rescued another shipmate in March 1946. He played college football for the San Francisco Coast Guard Pilots in 1944 and for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1946 and 1947. He signed with the New York Giants on July 24, 1948, and played 14 NFL seasons as a safety and return specialist for the Giants (1948–1958) and Green Bay Packers (1959–1961). He was selected as 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 Giants from 1963 to 1974.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Yankee Stadium was thick with anticipation on a crisp autumn Sunday. Emlen Tunnell adjusted his helmet, the blue and white colors stark against the grey sky. He wasn't just lining up to play; he was standing as a pioneer. As the quarterback dropped back, Tunnell mirrored every step, his eyes locked on the receiver. With a burst of speed that silenced the doubters, he intercepted the pass near midfield. The crowd roared, not just for the play, but for the man who had changed everything. In that moment, on the hallowed turf of New York, history was written in green and white.

Reader's Guide

Emlen Tunnell was a Hall of Fame safety and return specialist who played for the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers. He was the first African American to play for the Giants and the first African American inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard, not the Army, and was selected to nine Pro Bowls, not six.

Did You Know?

• Tunnell was nicknamed "the Gremlin".
• He received the Silver Lifesaving Medal for rescuing a shipmate from flames during a torpedo attack in 1944 and rescuing another shipmate who fell into the sea in 1946.
• He held NFL career records for interceptions (79), interception return yards (1,282), punt returns (258), and punt return yards (2,209) when he retired.
• He was named to the NFL 1950s All-Decade Team and the all-time All-Pro team.