CBS Sports has named Emlen Tunnell the New York Giants’ best free agent signing of all time.
It’s certainly hard to argue with that choice.
The first Black player to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, Tunnell was signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie in 1948. Nicknamed “The Gremlin,” Tunnell helped the Giants capture their first league title in 1956. The best kickoff/punt returner of his era, Tunnell retired with 79 interceptions, the second-highest total in NFL history. Tunnell spent his final three seasons with the Packers, where he helped Vince Lombardi win his first of five NFL titles in 1961. Tunnell was named to the NFL 100 All-Time Team in 2019.
Tunnell started his collegiate sports career in 1942, playing football and basketball for the University of Toledo. In 1943, Tunnell attempted to join the Army to help in World War II but was rejected because of a neck injury he suffered playing football. He would then join the Coast Guard for the next few years, playing football for the San Francisco Coast Guard Pilots football team as a halfback and defender.
During his time with the Coast Guard, the star athlete also amazed off the field by saving a drowning teammate from freezing water. After his time with the Coast Guard, Tunnell enrolled at the University of Iowa, setting a single-game receiving record of 155 yards and three touchdowns for the Hawkeyes.
Tunnell passed on his final year of eligibility at Iowa in 1948. He hitchhiked to New York and persuaded the Giants front office to give him a tryout. The team had never signed a Black player, and Tunnell broke that barrier. During his 11 seasons with Big Blue, Tunnell had 74 interceptions for 1,240 return yards and four touchdowns while also adding 15 fumbles recovered. He was also a valuable returner, recording 2,206 yards and five touchdowns on punt returns and 1,215 yards and one touchdown on kick returns.
Tunnell went on to win two NFL championships (one with New York) and earn six first-team All-Pro nominations and nine Pro Bowl selections. He is rightfully in the Giants’ Ring of Honor and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
