By Darin Paul “Tank” Younger shatters records and breaks barriers on his unstoppable path from Grambling State to NFL history.
Football Bio
June 25, 1928 – Grambling, Louisiana – The stork visited the Younger home on this day as Paul “Tank” Younger, the great Grambling fullback/linebacker from 1945 to 1948, arrived on the scene.
The National Football Foundation has a great bio on Paul, noting that this legend started out as a tackle but that the wise old coach Eddie Robinson recognized that this player’s athleticism would be best suited to a playmaker role. Younger earned the nickname “Tank” by running over everything that got in front of him.
Tank was the Tigers’ leader on offense and defense. As a freshman, he led the nation in scoring with 25 touchdowns, scoring many times on end-around plays. In his junior year, he rushed for 1,207 yards and scored 18 touchdowns. Younger also completed 43 of 73 pass attempts, 11 for touchdowns.
His career totals show 60 touchdowns, which at the time was a collegiate record. After his senior season, he was named Black College Football Player of the Year. Paul Younger’s collegiate football records are celebrated in the College Football Hall of Fame after his induction in 2000.
The talent of this great player did not stop when he finished college. Tank played in the NFL for the LA Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning five Pro Bowl selections during his career. When he hung up his cleats, he became the National Football League’s first African-American Assistant General Manager.
Paul “Tank” Younger cements a legacy as a true pioneer of the gridiron. By dominating both sides of the ball and transitioning from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) star into an NFL Champion, he completely rewrites the rules for professional prospects. Younger carries his relentless “Tank” mentality into the front office, opening doors for future generations as the league’s first African-American Assistant General Manager.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2000.
- NFL Pioneer: The first NFL player to come from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
- NFL Champion: 1951 (Los Angeles Rams).
- Front Office Trailblazer: The first African American to become an NFL Assistant General Manager (San Diego Chargers, 1975).
- Pro Bowl Selections: 4× Pro Bowl (1951, 1952, 1953, 1955). (Note: While some older accounts mention five, official NFL records confirm four selections).
- All-Pro Honors: First-Team All-Pro in 1951.
- Black College Football Player of the Year: 1948.
- Collegiate Scoring Leader: Scored 25 touchdowns as a freshman in 1945, leading the nation.
- Collegiate Record Setter: Concluded his college career with 60 touchdowns, a collegiate record at the time.