American football player (1926–2017)

Player stats at NFL.com:·:PFRPro Football Hall of Fame

Yelberton Abraham *tle Jr. (October 24, 1926 – October 8, 2017) was a professional American football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, and Baltimore Colts, after spending two seasons with the Colts in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Known for his compe*iveness, leadership, and striking profile, *tle was the centerpiece of several prolific offenses throughout his 17-year professional career from 1948 to 1964.

*tle played college football for Louisiana State University, where he was a two-time All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) quarterback for the LSU Tigers football team. As a junior, he was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the infamous 1947 Cotton Bowl Cl*ic—also known as the "Ice Bowl"—a scoreless tie between the Tigers and Arkansas Razorbacks in a snowstorm. After college, he was drafted in the 1947 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, but he instead chose to play in the AAFC for the Colts.

With the Colts, *tle was named the AAFC Rookie of the Year in 1948 after leading the team to the AAFC playoffs. After consecutive one-win seasons, the Colts franchise folded, which allowed *tle to be drafted in the 1951 NFL Draft by the 49ers. Through ten seasons in San Francisco, he was invited to four Pro Bowls, led the league in touchdown p*es in 1955, and was named the NFL Player of the Year by the United Press in 1957. A groundbreaker, *tle was part of the 49ers' famed Million Dollar Backfield, was the first professional football player featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and is credited with having coined "alley-oop" as a sports term.

Considered washed-up, the 34-year-old *tle was traded to the Giants following the 1960 season. Over the next four seasons, he won several individual awards, twice set the league single-season record for touchdown p*es:– including a 1962 game with a combined 7 touchdown p*es and 500-yards p*ing with a near perfect (151.4 out of 158.33) p*er rating, and led the Giants to three straight NFL championship games. Although he was never able to deliver a championship to the team, *tle's time in New York is regarded among the glory years of the franchise.

In his final season, *tle was photographed bloodied and kneeling down in the end zone after a tackle by a defender left him helmetless. The photograph is considered one of the most iconic images in North American sports history. He retired as the NFL's all-time leader in p*ing yards, p*ing touchdowns, attempts, completions, and games played. *tle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, and his jersey number 14 is retired by the Giants.

Contents

• 1 Early years and college career
• 2 Professional career
  • 2.1 Baltimore Colts
  • 2.2 San Francisco 49ers
  • 2.3 New York Giants
• 3 Career statistics
• 4 Profile and playing style
• 5 Legacy
  • 5.1 Famous photo
• 6 Honors
• 7 Personal life
• 8 Notes
• 9 References
• 10 Further reading
• 11 External links

Early years and college career

Born and raised in Marshall, Texas, to Alma *tle (née Allen) and Yelberton Abraham *tle Sr., *tle aspired to be a quarterback from a young age. He spent hours in his backyard throwing a football through a tire swing, emulating his fellow Texan and boyhood idol, Sammy Baugh. *tle played high school football at Marshall High School. In his senior year the team posted an undefeated record and reached the state finals.

After a recruiting battle between Louisiana State University and the University of Texas, *tle chose to attend LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and play for the LSU Tigers. He was part of a successful 1944 recruiting cl* under head coach Bernie Moore that included halfbacks Jim Cason, Dan Sandifer, and Ray Coates. Freshmen were eligible to play on the varsity during World War II, so *tle saw playing time immediately. He later said the finest moment of his four years at LSU was beating Tulane as a freshman, a game in which he set a school record with 238 p*ing yards. It was one of two games the Tigers won that season.

Moore started *tle at tailback in the single-wing formation his first year, but moved him to quarterback in the T formation during his sop*re season. As a junior in 1946, *tle's three touchdown p*es in a 41–27 rout of rival Tulane helped ensure LSU a spot in the Cotton Bowl Cl*ic. Known notoriously as the "Ice Bowl", the 1947 Cotton Bowl pitted LSU against the Arkansas Razorbacks in sub-freezing temperatures on an ice-covered field in Dallas, Texas. LSU moved the ball much better than the Razorbacks, but neither team was able to score, and the game ended in a scoreless tie. *tle and Arkansas end Alton Baldwin shared the game's MVP award. Following the season, United Press International (UPI) placed *tle on its All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) first-team.

UPI again named *tle its first-team All-SEC quarterback in 1947. In *tle's day of iron man football, he played on both offense and defense. While on defense during a 20–18 loss to SEC champion Ole Miss in his senior season, *tle's belt buckle was torn off as he intercepted a p* from Charlie Conerly and broke a tackle. He ran down the sideline with one arm cradling the ball and the other holding up his pants. At the Ole Miss 20-yard line, as he attempted to stiff-arm a defender,(#87 Jack Odom), *tle's pants fell and he tripped and fell onto his face. The fall kept him from scoring the game-winning touchdown.

In total, during his college career *tle set school p*ing records with 162 completions out of 330 attempts for 2,525 yards and 23 touchdowns. He scored seven touchdowns himself as a runner. His p*ing totals remained unbroken until Bert Jones surp*ed them in the 1970s.

Professional career

*tle with the Colts, depicted on his rookie card from 1950 Bowman Football

Baltimore Colts

*tle was the sixth overall selection of the 1948 NFL Draft, taken by the Detroit Lions. However, *tle instead began his professional career with the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference in 1948. That season, already being described as a "p*ing ace", he was unanimously recognized as the AAFC Rookie of the Year by UPI after p*ing for 2,739 yards and leading the Colts to the brink of an Eastern Division championship. After a 1–11 win–loss record in 1949, the Colts joined the National Football League in 1950. The team again posted a single win against eleven losses, and the franchise folded after the season due to financial difficulties. Players on the roster at the time of the fold were eligible to be drafted in the next NFL draft.

San Francisco 49ers

*tle was then drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1951 NFL Draft after the Colts folded. While many players at the time were unable to play immediately due to military duties, *tle had received a cl* IV-F exemption due to physical ailments, so he was able to join the 49ers roster that season. In 1951 and 1952, he shared time at quarterback with Frankie Albert. In 1953, his first full season as the 49ers' starter, he p*ed for 2,121 yards and 20 touchdowns and was invited to his first Pro Bowl. San Francisco finished with a 9–3 regular season record, which was good enough for second in the Western Conference, and led the league in points scored.

In 1954, the 49ers compiled their Million Dollar Backfield, which was composed of four future Hall of Famers: *tle; fullbacks John Henry Johnson and Joe Perry; and halfback Hugh McElhenny. "It made quarterbacking so easy because I just get in the huddle and call anything and you have three Hall of Fame running backs ready to carry the ball," *tle reminisced in 2006. The team had aspirations for a championship run, but injuries, including McElhenny's separated shoulder in the sixth game of the season, ended those hopes and the 49ers finished third in the Western Division. *tle starred in his second straight Pro Bowl appearance as he threw two touchdown p*es, including one to 49ers teammate Billy Wilson, who was named the game's MVP.

*tle on a 1954 trading card

*tle became the first professional football player featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated when he appeared on its 15th issue dated November 22, 1954, donning his 49ers uniform and helmet featuring an acrylic face mask distinct to the time period. The cover photo also shows a metal bracket on the side of *tle's helmet which served to protect his face by preventing the helmet from caving in. The 1954 cover was the first of four Sports Illustrated covers he graced during his career.

*tle led the NFL in touchdown p*es for the first time in 1955, with 17, while also leading the league with 28 interceptions thrown. When the 49ers hired Frankie Albert as head coach in 1956, *tle was pleased with the choice at first, figuring Albert would be a good mentor. However, the team lost four of its first five games, and Albert replaced *tle with rookie Earl Morrall. After a loss to the Los Angeles Rams brought San Francisco's record to 1–6, *tle regained the starting role and the team finished undefeated with one tie through the season's final five games.

In 1957, *tle and receiver R. C. Owens devised a p* play in which *tle tossed the ball high into the air and the 6:ft 3:in (1.91:m) Owens leapt to retrieve it, typically resulting in a long gain or a touchdown. *tle dubbed the play the "alley-oop"—the first usage of the term in sports—and it was highly successful when utilized. The 49ers finished the regular season with an 8–4 record and hosted the Detroit Lions in the Western Conference playoff. Against the Lions, *tle p*ed for 248 yards and tossed three touchdown p*es—one each to Owens, McElhenny, and Wilson—but Detroit overcame a 20-point third quarter deficit to win 31–27. For the season, *tle had a league-leading 63.1 completion percentage, threw for 2,157 yards and 13 touchdowns, and rushed for six more scores. He was deemed "pro player of the year" by a United Press poll of members of the National Football Writers *ociation. Additionally, he was named to his first All-Pro team and invited to his third Pro Bowl.

After a poor 1958 preseason by *tle, Albert started John Brodie at quarterback for the 1958 season, a decision that proved unpopular with the fan base. *tle came in to relieve Brodie in a week six game against the Lions, with ten minutes left in the game and the 49ers down 21–17. His appearance "drew a roar of approval from the crowd of 59,213," after which he drove the team downfield and threw a 32-yard touchdown p* to McElhenny for the winning score. A right knee ligament injury against the Colts in week nine ended *tle's season, and San Francisco finished with a 7–5 record, followed by Albert's resignation as coach. *tle and Brodie continued to share time at quarterback over the next two seasons. In his fourth and final Pro Bowl game with the 49ers in 1959, *tle completed 13 of 17 p*es for 178 yards and a touchdown.

Under new head coach Red Hickey in 1960, the 49ers adopted the shotgun formation. The first implementation of the shotgun was in week nine against the Colts, with Brodie at quarterback while *tle nursed a groin injury. The 49ers scored a season-high thirty points, and with Brodie in the shotgun won three of their last four games to salvage a winning season at 7–5. Though conflicted, *tle decided to get into shape and prepare for the next season. He stated in his 2009 autobiography that at times he thought, "The hell with it. Quit this damned game. You have been at it too long anyway." But then another voice within him would say, "Come back for another year and show them you're still a good QB. Don't let them shotgun you out of football!" However, after the first preseason game of 1961, Hickey informed *tle he had been traded to the New York Giants.

New York Giants

In mid-August 1961, the 49ers traded the 34-year-old *tle to the New York Giants for second-year guard Lou Cordileone. Cordileone, the 12th overall pick in the 1960 NFL Draft, was quoted as reacting "Me, even up for Y. A. *tle? You're kidding," and later remarked that the Giants traded him for "a 42-year-old quarterback." *tle's view of Cordileone was much the same, stating his dismay that the 49ers did not get a "name ballplayer" in return. He was also displeased with being traded to the East Coast, and said he would rather have been traded to the Los Angeles Rams.

Already considered washed up, *tle was intended by the Giants to share quarterback duties with 40-year-old Charlie Conerly, who had been with the team since 1948. The players at first remained loyal to Conerly, and treated *tle with the cold shoulder. *tle missed the season opener due to a back injury sustained before the season. His first game with New York came in week two, against the Steelers, in which he and Conerly each threw a touchdown p* in the Giants' 17–14 win. He became the team's primary starter for the remainder of the season and led the revitalized Giants to first place in the Eastern Conference. The Newspaper Enterprise *ociation (NEA) awarded *tle its Jim Thorpe Trophy as the NFL's players' choice of MVP. In the 1961 NFL Championship Game, the Giants were soundly defeated by Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, as they were shut-out 37-0. *tle completed six of 20 p*es in the game and threw four interceptions.

In January 1962, *tle stated his intention to retire following the 1962 season. After an off-season quarterback compe*ion with Ralph Guglielmi, *tle played and started in a career-high 14 games. He tied an NFL record by throwing seven touchdown p*es in a game on October 28, 1962, in a 49–34 win over the Washington Redskins. Against the Dallas Cowboys in the regular season finale, *tle threw six touchdown p*es to set the single-season record with 33, which had been set the previous year by Sonny Jurgensen's 32. He earned player of the year honors from the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club, UPI, and The Sporting News, and finished just behind Green Bay's Jim Taylor in voting for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award. The Giants again finished first in the Eastern Conference and faced the Packers in the 1962 NFL Championship Game. In frigid, windy conditions at Yankee Stadium and facing a constant p* rush from the Packers' front seven, *tle completed only 18 of his 41 attempts in the game. The Packers won, 16–7, with New York's lone score coming on a blocked punt recovered in the end zone by Jim Collier.

*tle on a 1962 trading card

*tle returned to the Giants in 1963 and, at age 37, supplanted his single-season p*ing touchdowns record by throwing 36. He broke the record in the final game with three touchdowns against the Steelers, three days after being named NFL MVP by the AP. The Giants led the league in scoring by a wide margin, and for the third time in as many years clinched the Eastern Conference *le. The Western champions were George Halas' Chicago Bears. The teams met in the 1963 NFL Championship Game at Wrigley Field. In the second quarter, *tle injured his knee on a tackle by Larry Morris, and required a novocaine shot at halftime to continue playing. After holding a 10–7 halftime lead, The Giants were shutout in the second half, during which *tle threw four interceptions. Playing through the knee injury, he completed 11 of 29 p*es in the game for 147 yards, a touchdown, and five interceptions as the Bears won 14–10.

The following year in 1964, *tle's final season, the Giants went 2–10–2 (.214), the worst record in the 14-team league. In the second game of the year, against Pittsburgh, he was blindsided by defensive end John Baker. The tackle left *tle with crushed cartilage in his ribs, a cracked sternum, and a concussion. However, he played in every game the rest of the season, but was relegated to a backup role later in the year. After throwing only ten touchdowns with 22 interceptions, he retired after the season at age 39, saying rookie quarterback Gary Wood not only "took my job away, but started to ask permission to date my daughter." Over 17 seasons as a professional, *tle completed 2,427 out of 4,395 p*es for 33,070 yards and 242 touchdowns, with 248 interceptions. He also rushed for 39 touchdowns.

Career statistics

Profile and playing style

*tle has the at*ude
of a high school kid, with
the brain of a computer.

—Frank Gifford

*tle threw the ball from a sidearm, almost underhand position, something novel at those times, though it was common practice in earlier decades. It was this seemingly underhand style that drew the curiosity and admiration of many fans. This, in tandem with his baldness—for which he was frequently referred to as the "Bald Eagle"—made him a very striking personality. Despite his throwing motion, he had a very strong and accurate arm with a quick release. His ability to read defenses made him one of the best screen p*ers in the NFL. He was a perfectionist and highly compe*ive, and he expected the same of his teammates. He possessed rare leadership and game-planning skills, and played with great enthusiasm even in his later years. "*tle has the at*ude of a high school kid, with the brain of a computer," said Giants teammate Frank Gifford. Baltimore Colts halfback Lenny Moore, when asked in 1963 to compare *tle and Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas, said:

I played with *tle in the Pro Bowl two years ago, and I discovered he's quite a guy:... He and John, however, are entirely different types:... *tle is a sort of 'con man' with his players:... he comes into a huddle and 'suggests' that maybe this or that will work on account of something he saw happen on a previous play:... The way he puts it, you're convinced it's a good idea and maybe it will work. John, now, he's a take-charge guy:... He tells you what the other guy's going to do, what he's going to do, and what he wants you to do.

*tle's most productive years came when he was well beyond his athletic prime. He credited his ability to improve with age to a feel for the game borne from years of league experience. "If you could learn it by studying movies, a good, smart college quarterback could learn all you've got to learn in three weeks and then come in and be as good as the old heads," he told Sports Illustrated in 1963. "But they can't."

Legacy

At the time of his retirement, *tle held the following NFL records:

• Career p*ing yards (28,339)
• Career p*ing touchdowns (212)
• Career p* attempts (3,817)
• Career p* completions (2,118)
• P*ing touchdowns in a season (36)
• P*ing touchdowns in a game (7)
• Career total offense (29,338)
• Games played (176)

*tle was the fourth player to throw seven touchdown p*es in a game, when he did so in 1962 against the Redskins. He followed Sid Luckman (1943), Adrian Burk (1954), and George Blanda (1961). The feat has since been equaled by four more players: Joe Kapp (1969), Peyton Manning (2013), Nick Foles (2013), and Drew Brees (2015). *tle, Manning and Foles did it without an interception. His 36 touchdown p*es in 1963 set a record which stood for over two decades until it was surp*ed by Dan Marino in 1984; as of 2016 it remains a Giants franchise record.

Despite record statistics and three straight championship game appearances, *tle was never able to deliver a *le to his team. His record as a starter in postseason games was 0–4. He threw four touchdown p*es against 14 interceptions and had a p*er rating of 33.8 in his postseason career, far below his regular season p*er rating of 74.3. Seth Wickersham, writing for ESPN The Magazine in 2014, noted the dichotomy in the 1960s between two of New York's major sports franchises: "...:Gifford, Huff and *tle, a team of Hall of Famers known for losing championships as their peers on the Yankees—with whom they shared a stadium, a city, and many rounds of drinks—became renowned for winning them." The Giants struggled after *tle's retirement, posting only two winning seasons from 1964 to 1980.

He made seven Pro Bowls, four first-team All-Pro teams, and four times was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player or Player of the Year: in 1957 and 1962 by the UPI; in 1961 by the NEA; and in 1963 by the AP and NEA. In a sports column in 1963, George Strickler for the Chicago Tribune remarked *tle had "broken records that at one time appeared un*ailable and he has been the hero of more second half rallies than Napoleon and the Harlem Globetrotters." He was featured on four Sports Illustrated covers: three during his playing career and one shortly after retirement. His first was with the 49ers in 1954. With the Giants, he graced covers in November 1961, and he was on the season preview issue for 1964; a two-page fold-out photo from the 1963 *le game. *tle was on a fourth cover in August 1965.

The trade of *tle for Lou Cordileone is seen as one of the worst trades in 49ers history; it is considered one of the best trades in Giants franchise history. Cordileone played just one season in San Francisco.

Famous photo

The photograph "immortalized *tle in football lore as an image of the aging warrior who had finally fallen."

A photo of a dazed *tle in the end zone taken by Morris Berman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on September 20, 1964, is regarded among the most iconic images in the history of American sports and journalism. *tle, in his 17th and final season, was photographed helmet-less, bloodied and kneeling immediately after having been knocked to the ground by John Baker of the Pittsburgh Steelers and throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown at the old Pitt Stadium. He suffered a concussion and cracked sternum on the play, but went on to play the rest of the season.

Post-Gazette editors declined to publish the photo, looking for "action shots" instead, but Berman entered the image into contests where it took on a life of its own, winning a National Headliner Award. It is regarded as having changed the way that photographers look at sports, having shown the power of capturing a moment of reaction. It became one of three photos to hang in the lobby of the National Press Photographers *ociation headquarters, alongside Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima and the Hindenburg disaster. A copy has hung in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

A similar photo by Dozier Mobley of the *ociated Press, which shows *tle looking forward rather than down, was published in the October 2, 1964, issue of Life magazine. After at first having failed to see the appeal of the image, *tle eventually grew to embrace it, putting the Mobley version on the back cover of his 2009 autobiography. "That was the end of the road," he told the Los Angeles Times in 2008. "It was the end of my dream. It was over." Pittsburgh player John Baker, who hit *tle right before the picture was taken, ran for sheriff in his native Wake County, North Carolina in 1978, and used the photo as a campaign tool. He was elected and went on to serve for 24 years. *tle also held a fundraiser to *ist Baker in his bid for a fourth term in 1989.

Honors

In recognition of his high school and college careers, respectively, *tle was inducted to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1972.

*tle was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with its 1971 cl*, which included contemporaries Jim Brown, Norm Van Brocklin, the late Vince Lombardi, and former Giants teammate Andy Robustelli. By virtue of his membership in the pro hall of fame, he was automatically inducted as a charter member of the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame in 2009.

The Giants had originally retired the number 14 jersey in honor of Ward Cuff, but *tle requested and was granted the jersey number by Giants owner Wellington Mara when he joined the team. It was retired again immediately following his retirement, and is now retired in honor of both players. In 2010, *tle became a charter member of the New York Giants Ring of Honor.

Personal life

After his retirement, he rejoined the 49ers staff and served as an *istant coach before being hired by the Giants in 1970 as a quarterback mentor. During his NFL career, *tle worked as an insurance salesman in the off-season. After retiring, he founded his own company, Y. A. *tle Insurance & Financial Services. *tle appeared on the October 9, 1961 episode of To Tell the Truth as one of three challengers. *tle claimed to be hair stylist-weekend pro wrestler Richard Smith. *tle received one vote from the four Celebrity Panelists (Johnny Carson).

Until his death, *tle resided in Atherton, California. His wife Minnette died in 2012. They had three sons: Michael, Patrick and John, and a daughter, Dianne *tle de Laet. Their daughter is a harpist and poet, and in 1995 she published a biography of her father *led Giants & Heroes: A Daughter's Memories of Y. A. *tle.

In his later life, *tle suffered from severe dementia, which adversely affected his memory and limited his conversation to a handful of topics. *tle died on October 8, 2017, at a hospital in Stanford, California, of natural causes.

• List of 500-yard p*ing games in the National Football League

Notes

References

Further reading

• Cavanaugh, Jack (2008). Giants Among Men: The Smartest Football Team There Ever Was. Random House. ISBN:978-1588366979.
• De Laet, Dianne (1995). Giants & heroes: a daughter's memories of Y. A. *tle. University of Michigan: Steerfoth Press.
• Maiocco, Matt (2013). San Francisco 49ers: Where Have You Gone? Joe Montana, Y. A. *tle, Steve Young, and Other 49ers Greats. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN:978-1613215722.
• Schwartz, Paul; Mara, Wellington (2011). Tales from the New York Giants Sideline: A Collection of the Greatest Giants Stories Ever Told. Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN:978-1613210321.
• *tle, Y.A.; Clark, Kristine Setting (2009). Nothing Comes Easy. Triumph Books. ISBN:978-1-60078-210-7.

External links

• Official website
• Y. A. *tle at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com:·:Pro Football Reference:·: