GMEN HQ
FanSided

Top 10 Best Undrafted NFL Players Originally Signed by the New York Giants

By Neal Lynch

Aug 9, 2014; East Rutherford, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz gestures to the crowd before the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports
Aug 9, 2014; East Rutherford, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz gestures to the crowd before the preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Perlman/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 11
Next

Embed from Getty Images

1. Emlen Tunnell – CB/KR/PR, Iowa Hawkeyes (1948)

Approximate Value with Giants: N/A

Average AV per season: N/A

From NFL.com’s “All-Undrafted Team“:

"“Tunnell hitchhiked to New York City to ask the Giants for a tryout. Tunnell would go on to play 14 seasons in the NFL, 11 with the Giants and three with the Green Bay Packers. He was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, and a two-time NFL champion (1956 with the Giants, 1961 with the Packers). At the time of his retirement, Tunnell was the NFL’s career interceptions leader with 79, a record surpassed by another former Hawkeye, Paul Krause (81). Tunnell was a 1967 inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”"

In those 11 seasons with Big Blue, Tunnell had 74 interceptions returned for more than 1,200 yards and four touchdowns in 130 games. In 1949, his second season in the league, he nabbed 10 picks for 251 yards and 2 touchdowns in just 12 games!

On top of that, Tunnell was an outstanding kick and punt returner. Emlen led the league in punt returns twice in 1951 and 1953, leading the NFL in punt return yardage in 1951 (489) and 1952 (411).

Tunnell was a four-time first team All-Pro (1951, 1952, 1955, 1956) who made the Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1950s Team and Pro Football Reference 1st team All-1950s Team.

Oh, and then there’s these accolades:

1949 1st Team All-NFL/AAFC Int. News Service
1950 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1951 1st Team All-NFL Associated Press
1951 1st Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1951 1st Team All-NFL UPI
1952 1st Team All-NFL Associated Press
1952 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1952 1st Team All-NFL UPI
1954 2nd Team All-NFL Associated Press
1954 1st Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1955 1st Team All-NFL Associated Press
1955 2nd Team All-NFL Newspaper Ent. Assoc.
1955 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1955 1st Team All-NFL Sporting News
1955 2nd Team All-NFL UPI
1956 1st Team All-NFL Associated Press
1956 1st Team All-NFL Newspaper Ent. Assoc.
1956 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1956 1st Team All-NFL UPI
1957 2nd Team All-NFL Associated Press
1957 2nd Team All-NFL Newspaper Ent. Assoc.
1957 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1957 1st Team All-NFL Sporting News
1957 2nd Team All-NFL UPI

***

Home/NY Giants All-Time Lists