Y.A. Tittle
Hall of Fame quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, known for his prolific passing and iconic Sports Illustrated cover.
via Wikipedia: Y. A. Tittle · see source
Yelberton Abraham Tittle Jr. (October 24, 1926 – October 8, 2017) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants; he also played for the original Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Known for his competitiveness and leadership, Tittle was the centerpiece of several prolific offenses throughout his 17-year professional career from 1948 to 1964.
Quick Facts
- Position
- Quarterback
- Born
- 24 October 1926
- Birthplace
- Marshall, Texas, U.S.
- Died
- 8 October 2017
- Place of death
- Stanford, California, U.S.
- High school
- Marshall
- College
- LSU (1944–1947)
- Draft year
- 1948
Lore & Background
Tittle played college football for Louisiana State University, where he was a two-time All-SEC quarterback. As a junior, he was named MVP of the 1947 Cotton Bowl Classic, a scoreless tie against Arkansas. He was drafted in the 1947 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions but chose to play in the AAFC for the Colts. With the Colts, he was AAFC Rookie of the Year in 1948.
After the Colts folded, he was drafted by the 49ers in the 1951 NFL draft. Through ten seasons in San Francisco, he was invited to four Pro Bowls, led the league in touchdown passes in 1955, and was named NFL Player of the Year by the United Press in 1957. He was part of the 49ers' Million Dollar Backfield, was the first professional football player featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and is credited with coining 'alley-oop' as a sports term.
Traded to the Giants after the 1960 season, he twice set the league single-season record for touchdown passes, including a 1962 game with 7 touchdown passes and 500 yards passing, and led the Giants to three straight NFL championship games. He retired as the NFL's all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, attempts, completions, and games played. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, and his jersey number 14 is retired by the Giants.
Reader's Guide
Tittle appeared on the November 22, 1954 Sports Illustrated cover wearing his 49ers uniform and helmet featuring an acrylic face mask distinct to the time period. The cover photo also shows a metal bracket on the side of Tittle's helmet which served to protect his face by preventing the helmet from caving in.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in San Francisco 49ers
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced