Paul Tank Younger Bully of the Backfield

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, where they say this legend started out as a tackle but the wise old coach Eddie Robinson recognized that this player’s athleticism would best be suited as a playmaker. 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's 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 Los Angeles Rams and the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl five different times during his professional career. When he hung up his cleats, he became the National Football League’s first African-American Assistant General Manager.