Ed McGinley dominates the 1920s gridiron with blazing speed and unmatched tackling power, establishing himself as an absolute force of nature for the University of Pennsylvania.
Football Bio
August 9, 1899 – Ed McGinley, the tackle from the University of Pennsylvania, who was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in the 1979 ceremony, was born.
He was born that day, and legendary coach Amos Alonzo Stagg once said, Ed McGinley is the most effective lineman I’ve seen in a long while, according to the NFF bio on Ed.
He had an uncanny speed unmatched by any other tackle of comparable size in the college game of that era.
McGinley was particularly effective at downing punts within the opponent’s 20-yard line.
The 1924 Penn-Cornell Thanksgiving Day Classic went down in history as a punting duel, and McGinley was largely responsible for that duel.
McGinley set the Big Red back twice in the opening minutes by downing punts within the Cornell 20-yard line.
In the final quarter, McGinley downed a Penn punt on the Cornell 10-yard line and another Quaker boot on the Reds’ 11-yard line.
He played almost the entire game as Penn romped to a 20-0 victory, and he went on to play professionally for the NFL’s New York Giants franchise.
Ed McGinley cements his legacy as one of the most remarkable tackles to ever wear the Red and Blue. His incredible speed and flawless defensive technique continue to inspire the standards by which modern collegiate linemen are measured today.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 1979.
- Consensus All-American: Earned consensus First-Team honors in 1924, selected by Walter Camp.
- Collegiate Dominance: Anchored a 1924 Penn defense that surrendered only 31 points over 11 games en route to a 9-1-1 record.
- NFL Career: Played professionally for the New York Giants during their inaugural 1925 season.
- Coaching History: Served as the head football coach for Saint Joseph’s College in Philadelphia in 1925.
