In 1948, Emlen Tunnell walked into the New York Giant offices unannounced and asked for a tryout. It's most likely that no Giants staff member had even heard of the 6'1", 200-poun halfback who had sat out his senior season at Iowa because of eye surgery. But sometimes good fortune arrives unexpectedly.
Emlen Tunnell was the first
undrafted free agent to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. See more pictures of the football greats. |
The NFL's merger with the AAFC in 1950 brought the Giants three more outstanding defensive backs in Tom Landry, Otto Schnellbacher, and Harmon Rowe. Those three and Tunnell formed the pass-protecting "ribs" of the Giants' famed "Umbrella Defense," which revolutionized defensive thinking in the early 1950s.
"Emlen the Gremlin" was the most honored of the quartet. He was named All-NFL four times and played in nine Pro Bowls. Not only was he a pass-snatching ballhawk, but he paralyzed opponents with his brilliant returns of interceptions, kickoffs, and punts.
He was called "The Giants' Offense on Defense" for good reason. In 1952, his return yardage was greater than that achieved by any New York ball carrier or pass receiver. In fact, it was more than the yardage gained by NFL rushing leader Dan Towler.
While the other ribs of the umbrella retired or, like Landry, became more deeply involved in coaching, Tunnell continued to excel at safety as the Giants won the NFL championship in 1956 and a division title in 1958.
In 1959, he went to Green Bay and helped Vince Lombardi turn that teetering franchise into a dynasty. When he retired after the 1961 season, Tunnell held the NFL career records for interceptions (79), interception yardage (1,282), punt returns (258), and punt return yardage (2,209).
When he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967, he was both the first African American to be enshrined and the first player to be named for strictly his defensive contributions.
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