Emlen Tunnell Honored as Coast Guard Hero and first Black inducted into NFL Hall of Fame
3Radnor, Pennsylvania - Emlen Tunnell the first African American inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame was honored throughout Philadelphia this week in several tributes. He was acknowledged for being a Delaware County hometown hero and a pioneer both in the NFL and U.S. Coast Guard.
"He wanted to do as much as he could, as long as he could," his goddaughter Mialee Anderson said, "If you go through his history, he did a lot of firsts. And in doing so, he set precedent for others to follow."
Tunnell was born in Bryn Mawr and graduated from Radnor High School. He was the first African American to play for the New York Giants in 1948, and started as a walk-on. He later played for the Green Bay Packers in 1959. He is a two time Super Bowl champion, and Tunnell played in many Pro Bowls.
"Emlen, he was a kind man for being a football player and individual of great stature. He was actually a scout for the Giants when I was a player at Penn," said Don Clune who knew Tunnell personally.
Tunnell is also commemorated in several tributes for his service during World War II.
"This is a big chance to celebrate and merge those two stories of a Coast Guard hero who is awarded the Silver Life Saving Medal for saving two coast guard men," Admiral U.S. Coast Guard Karl Schultz said.
In April 1944, in Papua New Guinea Tunnell suffered burns when he used his bare hands to save a shipmate when a Japanese tornado hit cargo.
Recently, the U.S. Coast Guard named the 45th Fast Response Cutter after him. It's the first military ship to carry the name of a professional athlete. Number 45 was Tunnell's number with the New York Giants.
"Here's a guy who didn't set out to be a trailblazer or break any glass ceilings. He was just a great human being who wanted to make a difference in the world," Schultz said.
Check us out on:
Website - www.localish.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/localish/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/localish/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/localish
Localish is all about bringing out the good in America’s cities. Our locally-sourced stories transcend city limits so you can live like a local wherever you go.
#Localish #GoodPeople #GoodNews