Emlen Tunnell

Emlen Lewis Tunnell (March 29, 1924 – July 23, 1975), nicknamed "the Gremlin", was an American professional football player and coach. He was the first African American to play for the New York Giants and also the first to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born and raised in the Philadelphia area, Tunnell played college football for the Toledo Rockets in 1942, the San Francisco Coast Guard Pilots in 1944, and the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1946 and 1947.

He also served in the United States Coast Guard from 1943 to 1946. He received the Silver Lifesaving Medal for heroism in rescuing a shipmate from flames during a torpedo attack in 1944 and rescuing another shipmate who fell into the sea in 1946. He next played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) as a safety and return specialist for the New York Giants (1948–1958) and the Green Bay Packers (1959–1961).