Paul "Tank" Younger

Sport: Football

Induction Year: 1973

University: Grambling

Induction Year: 1973

In 1949, Grambling’s Paul “Tank” Younger became the first player from an all-black college to sign a National Football League contract.

Younger, who set a state collegiate record by scoring 60 touchdowns, signed with the Los Angeles Rams. But that wasn’t his first trip to L.A. His family moved to Los Angeles in 1940, but Paul’s godfather – Grambling College president Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones – wanted him to be educated at Grambling. Paul stayed with Dr. Jones and his godmother, Mrs. Fidelia O. Johnson, during each school year, and spent each summer in Los Angeles with his family.

Eddie Robinson, the Grambling football coach, “discovered” Younger when he took over the high school team at Grambling after the college football program was shut down during World War II.

The most incredible aspect of Younger’s record-breaking college career is that he was a tackle for two years.

“But he couldn’t keep his hands off the ball,” Robinson recalled. “When he ran downfield to cover punts in practice, he would push the safety out of the way and catch the ball himself. One day I thought I would teach him lesson; I told you two of our linemen to pop him when he caught the ball.”

One fell off Younger, and he ran over the other one.

Robinson sent down two more linemen, then three, with the same results. “I was such a dummy,” he recalled. “I would up getting half of my linemen hurt trying to prove a point to one boy.”

After that practice, the Grambling coach added a couple of end-around plays to his offense, By the end of his sophomore year, Younger has scored 25 touchdowns — and had never lined up in a backfield position.

Dr. Jones didn’t spoil his godson. Paul got up at 6 a.m. to pen the home-ec department, and washed cars on Saturdays. He also had to maintain regular study hours.

Younger’s career total of 2,632 yards rushing was as school record for more than 30 years. But the highlight of his college career was a 1947 victory over Southern University – Grambling’s first win over its state rival. Snow Taylor ran 55 yards for a touchdown to give the Jaguars an early lead, but the Tigers fought back to win, 21-6.

Rams scout Eddie Kotal first saw Younger play in Birmingham ‘s Vulcan Bowl on Jan. 1, 1948. Wilberforce beat Grambling 26-21, but Younger scored two touchdowns and set up another.

After the game, Kotal asked him, “Have you ever considered playing professional football?”

“No,” said Younger, who had one more year of college eligibility. “I’ve never given it a thought.”

The following year, the New York Yankees picked Younger in the All-American Conference draft and the Detroit Lions also contacted him. But he was overlooked in the NFL draft. Kotal correctly guessed he would be available as a free agent, and went to Grambling to sign him.

“That was some kind of day,” Robinson recalled 30 years later.

After dinner at home of Dr. Jones, four men (Dr. Jones, Robinson, Kotal and Younger) climbed into a car and took a scenic tour of Lincoln Parish. “We ended up in Ruston ,” Robinson recalled. “We parked the car and got out, still talking.”

At that time, the pay scale for rookies ranged from $4,000 to $6,000. Kotal told them Paul’s chances to make it to the club would be better if they brought him in at $4,000. Robinson was adamant. “Give him $6,000,” he insisted, “and if he isn’t good enough, cut him.” Younger was listening, but not talking. He hadn’t dreamed of getting that much money to play football.

Clark Shaughnessy, the Rams’ coach, tried Younger at safety and linebacker. He wasn’t impressive at either position, and didn’t help his situation when he missed a team plane.

When the Rams played exhibition games in the South, Younger couldn’t stay in hotels with his teammates. He had to stay in the homes of black families. Playing on both offense and defense, he helped the Rams win two straight division titles. In 1951, Younger averaged 50 minutes per games as the Rams won the NFL title, beating the Cleveland Browns 24-17 in the championship game.

Although he was playing both ways, he scored 35 touchdowns and rolled up nearly 5,000 yards in nine pro seasons – 3,640 rushing on 770 attempts and 1,167 on the receiving end of 100 passes. He was the last NFL player to win All-Pro honors on both offense and defense, and played in the Pro Bowl three times. He scored 210 points.

“I could have played two or three more years, “Younger said later, “but football always was a fun game to me. When I got to the point where football was no longer fun, I quit.”

Younger said he never considered the possibility that he might not make it in the NFL. “The day I left Grambling,” he said. “Eddie Robinson told me I had to make it. He told me if I railed, black college football would fail.”