New York Giants: Top 10 Second Round Draft Picks of All-Time

5 Tuffy Leemans – RB, George Washington Colonials (1936, #18)

Games: 80

The Giants selected Alphonse “Tuffy” Leemans with the 18th overall pick in the second round of the 1936 NFL Draft, was the first draft in league history. At that time, there were only nine teams and Chicago had two of them (Bears and Cardinals). The Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates were football teams and the Redskins played in Boston.

Legend has it the Giants first learned about Leemans after Wellington Mara, then a high schooler, told his father Tim Mara about Tuffy’s performance against Alabama.

Tuffy’s best year was his first, when he rushed for 830 yards on 206 carries in 12 games. Those numbers led the league along with his 69.2 rushing yards per game. He also led the league in rushing yards per game in 1940. In addition to his 20 total rushing and receiving touchdowns, Leemans also threw for 32 scores. He led the team in rushing yards six seasons in a row from 1936 to 1941 and was the team’s leading passer in 1941 and 1942.

The 2-time Pro Bowler & 1-time First-Team All-Pro was inducted into Hall of Fame in 1978 and his #4 was retired by the Giants.

Tuffy’s long list of honors is below:
NFL All-1930s Team
1936 2nd Team All-NFL Chicago Daily News, 1st Team All-NFL Collyers Eye Mag., 1st Team All-NFL NFL, 2nd Team All-NFL UPI
1937 2nd Team All-NFL NFL, 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1938 2nd Team All-NFL Collyers Eye Mag., 2nd Team All-NFL Pro Football Writers, 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News, 2nd Team All-NFL UPI, 2nd Team All-NFL Collyers Eye Mag., 2nd Team All-NFL Pro Football Writers, 1st Team All-NFL Int. News Service, 1st Team All-NFL NFL, 1st Team All-NFL NY Daily News, 1st Team All-NFL UPI
1940 2nd Team All-NFL Int. News Service
1941 2nd Team All-NFL Associated Press, 2nd Team All-NFL Chicago Herald Am., 2nd Team All-NFL NFL, 2nd Team All-NFL NY Daily News
1942 2nd Team All-NFL Associated Press, 2nd Team All-NFL Int. News Service

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