8 replies to this topic

[james]

I've always heard how great Emlen Tunnel was. My question is for the people who saw him play or have studied game film of him, how was he against the run and also pass coverage? Was he wak at one or great at both? How does he compare to other DB's of his era?

[Jagade]

I've always heard how great Emlen Tunnel was. My question is for the people who saw him play or have studied game film of him, how was he against the run and also pass coverage? Was he wak at one or great at both? How does he compare to other DB's of his era?

Emlen Tunnell was also a good punt returner.

Tunnell was one of the many great players on those Giants teams of the late 1950's including Frank Gifford, Alex Webster, Sam Huff, Andy Robustelli, Rosey Grier, Dick Modzelewski, Jim Katcavage, Bill Svoboda, Jim Patton, Lindon Crow, Dick Lynch, Rosey Brown, Ray Wietecha, Jack Stroud, as well as Tunnell.

I remember one game when a punt was about to roll dead. At the last second, Emlen picked the ball up and ran for another 10 or 15 yards. I think that is about the only time I ever saw a player try that.

Emlen was great at pass coverage, and I don't remember him making tackles, but I am guessing that he could do that well when he had to. With the Giants defensive line and linebackers, Emlen probably didn't have to make many tackles during the late 1950's.

[james]

I hadn't realized that Emlen was also a great punt returner.

[Mark L. Ford]

I hadn't realized that Emlen was also a great punt returner.

I didn't know without looking, but at one time, he had the NFL record for most punt returns in a career as well as the most interceptions in a career. On the punt return record, the Hall of Fame bio says 262 while the pro-football-reference.com says it was 258. I gather the HOF includes post-season play.

[rhickok1109]

In 1952, Tunnell accounted for 924 yards on kickoff, punt, and interception returns. The Giants' top rusher that year, Eddie Price, gained only 748 yards

[coach tj troup]

In 1952, Tunnell accounted for 924 yards on kickoff, punt, and interception returns. The Giants' top rusher that year, Eddie Price, gained only 748 yards

....11/21/'48 in milwaukee tunnell knocked the taste out of indian jack jacobs mouth(over the bench out of the game). early in his career tunnell was more involved in tackling(nyg played with a 3 man secondary). with tom landry "forcing" the run to the strongside(now nyg with 4 man secondary)tunnell was an adequate tackler/hitter. there is a bias here...yet watching him on film...he was truly an instinctive, and far ranging pass defender. though he never led the league in ints, he had a streak that is unsurpassed(from 11-14-48 through 10-7-51; 31gms)when he intercepted 27 passes. famous photo of 11/9/'52 game vs. sf in polo grounds in which he ranges across the field in front of gordie soltau and intercepts high against his chest under his chin the photographer probably did not realize that this was emlen's 36 career int...making him the all-time leader in just his 53rd game! of course he held the record for 27 years. each team has a "nemesis"...an opponent who has intercepted more of their passes than anyone else. the record tunnell holds....he intercepted 15 redskin passes in his career(at least 1 eight straight years). for many reasons this record will never be broken. compare/contrast? ed reed has picked off 10 cleveland passes(he does not hold the nemesis record against cleveland). as for returning punts/kick-offs...nyg used many guys on kor(though em had his moments). gifford talked about tunnell's soft hands(agree), yet his courage is what counts....he refused to fair catch(plus a fair catch counted as a return....and em relished leading the league in pr average). he was not exceptionally fast....he glided, cutback, and had some moves. when lombardi went to gbay convinced em to come with him. he was a mentor for willie wood(gee, he was pretty good too). his last 2 years, played only in goaline situations. his rival in this era was the lions jack christiansen...so, the two best safeties in this era both played left safety, and on 10/14/51 had record setting days returning punts. jack had a short career due to the amount of violent hits on his skinny body(175). jack was the complete package. wrote a lengthy story on christiasen/tunnell(left safety)that was not accepted by the previous pfra administration. relish this topic, especially since steve sabol allowed me to detail tunnell on his show in '98.

[james]

....11/21/'48 in milwaukee tunnell knocked the taste out of indian jack jacobs mouth(over the bench out of the game). early in his career tunnell was more involved in tackling(nyg played with a 3 man secondary). with tom landry "forcing" the run to the strongside(now nyg with 4 man secondary)tunnell was an adequate tackler/hitter. there is a bias here...yet watching him on film...he was truly an instinctive, and far ranging pass defender. though he never led the league in ints, he had a streak that is unsurpassed(from 11-14-48 through 10-7-51; 31gms)when he intercepted 27 passes. famous photo of 11/9/'52 game vs. sf in polo grounds in which he ranges across the field in front of gordie soltau and intercepts high against his chest under his chin the photographer probably did not realize that this was emlen's 36 career int...making him the all-time leader in just his 53rd game! of course he held the record for 27 years. each team has a "nemesis"...an opponent who has intercepted more of their passes than anyone else. the record tunnell holds....he intercepted 15 redskin passes in his career(at least 1 eight straight years). for many reasons this record will never be broken. compare/contrast? ed reed has picked off 10 cleveland passes(he does not hold the nemesis record against cleveland). as for returning punts/kick-offs...nyg used many guys on kor(though em had his moments). gifford talked about tunnell's soft hands(agree), yet his courage is what counts....he refused to fair catch(plus a fair catch counted as a return....and em relished leading the league in pr average). he was not exceptionally fast....he glided, cutback, and had some moves. when lombardi went to gbay convinced em to come with him. he was a mentor for willie wood(gee, he was pretty good too). his last 2 years, played only in goaline situations. his rival in this era was the lions jack christiansen...so, the two best safeties in this era both played left safety, and on 10/14/51 had record setting days returning punts. jack had a short career due to the amount of violent hits on his skinny body(175). jack was the complete package. wrote a lengthy story on christiasen/tunnell(left safety)that was not accepted by the previous pfra administration. relish this topic, especially since steve sabol allowed me to detail tunnell on his show in '98.

Thank you Coach. Great insight like you always have. Would you say that Christiansen was the better Safety of the two? Would it be safe to say that Tunnell and Christiansen were the two best Safety's in the 1950's?

[coach tj troup]

Thank you Coach. Great insight like you always have. Would you say that Christiansen was the better Safety of the two? Would it be safe to say that Tunnell and Christiansen were the two best Safety's in the 1950's?

...when dr.z asked for my help with the all-time secondaries for the sports illustrated football book(page 306)left safeties are #1 tunnell, #2 jc #3 jimmy patton, while right safeties are #1 bobby dan dillon #2 yale lary, and #3 jerry norton(we should have switched patton to right, and norton to left), yet these are the six best overall for the decade. tom keane & otto s. would have been under consideration if they had played longer. dillon was an outstanding pass defender, and a solid open field tackler, just not as physical as jack or emlen. tunnell & christiansen are the best of this decade.

[james]

...when dr.z asked for my help with the all-time secondaries for the sports illustrated football book(page 306)left safeties are #1 tunnell, #2 jc #3 jimmy patton, while right safeties are #1 bobby dan dillon #2 yale lary, and #3 jerry norton(we should have switched patton to right, and norton to left), yet these are the six best overall for the decade. tom keane & otto s. would have been under consideration if they had played longer. dillon was an outstanding pass defender, and a solid open field tackler, just not as physical as jack or emlen. tunnell & christiansen are the best of this decade.

Thanks Coach. I hadn't realized that Jimmy Patton was that good. Great insight on Safety's from the '50's.