Y. A. Tittle
Y. A. Tittle, born Yelberton Abraham Tittle Jr. on October 24, 1926, in Marshall, Texas, was a celebrated American football quarterback known for his remarkable skills and resilience. Despite facing challenges such as asthma and not fitting the typical athlete's mold, Tittle excelled in football from a young age, eventually leading his high school team to the state finals and earning a scholarship to Louisiana State University (LSU). At LSU, he became renowned for his passing ability, leading the team to significant victories and earning all-Southeastern Conference honors.
Tittle's professional career began with the Baltimore Colts in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), where he quickly made a mark. He later played for the San Francisco 49ers and became their starting quarterback, leading them to impressive seasons. His career reached new heights after joining the New York Giants, where he led the team to three consecutive Eastern Conference Championships from 1961 to 1963. Despite his success, the NFL Championship eluded him.
Tittle's career spanned 17 years, during which he set numerous records and earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. After retiring, he remained involved in football as a mentor and ventured into business. Tittle passed away on October 8, 2017, at the age of 90, remembered as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, particularly for his late-career achievements that inspired many.
Y. A. Tittle
- Born: October 24, 1926
- Birthplace: Marshall, Texas
- Died: October 8, 2017
- Place of death: Stanford, California
Sport: Football
Early Life
Yelberton Abraham Tittle Jr. was born on October 24, 1926, in Marshall, Texas, a small lumber town near the Louisiana border. Tittle’s father was a rural postman named Yelberton Abraham Sr. Tittle was the second of three sons reared by Alma and Yelberton Tittle. Both parents taught their children to work hard in every task.
Tittle was a big-eared, bony-faced boy who did not look the part of the great athlete that he became. He also had asthma, but this did not stop him from playing football. Football was the sport to play in that part of Texas, and Tittle began throwing a football as soon as he could get his hand around it. Tittle’s boyhood idol was the great Washington Redskins quarterback Sammy Baugh.
The Road to Excellence
Tittle was a 6-foot 185-pound star tailback for the Marshall High School football team. He led the team to the state finals. In 1943, he was named to the all-state team. Many colleges sought Tittle not only for his football skills but also because he was ineligible for the military draft because of his asthma. He chose Louisiana State University (LSU) and was given a scholarship. In 1944, with the team short of players as a result of the war, Tittle made the starting lineup as a seventeen-year-old freshman. In the final game of that year, Tittle completed 15 of 17 passes for 300 yards and three touchdowns to lead LSU to a crushing 25–6 defeat of archrival Tulane University.
LSU quarterback coach Carl Brumbaugh had a significant impact on Tittle’s career in his sophomore season. Brumbaugh introduced him to the T-formation that was currently revolutionizing the game. When LSU switched to the T-formation, he turned into a great quarterback because that formation enabled him to use his greatest skill—his passing ability. He became one of the finest collegiate quarterbacks of his time, along with Bobby Layne of the University of Texas, Charley Conerly of the University of Mississippi, and Harry Gilmer of the University of Alabama. Tittle gained all-Southeastern Conference honors in his junior and senior seasons and led LSU to the 1946 Cotton Bowl.
The Emerging Champion
In 1948, Tittle graduated from LSU but was overlooked by teams in the National Football League (NFL). The Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) selected him. The Browns quickly traded him to the Baltimore Colts, and he became the Colts’ starting quarterback. In his first professional game, he set four AAFC records as he led the Colts to a 45–28 victory over the New York Giants. Then the AAFC folded after the 1949 season and he joined the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL.
Frankie Albert was the 49ers quarterback at the time, so Tittle sat on the bench until Albert retired in 1952. He then took over as starting quarterback and kept the job for the next eight years. His best year with the 49ers was 1957; he led the team to a first-place tie with the Detroit Lions for the Western Conference title. He combined with receiver R. C. Owens to produce the famous alley-oop pass that helped the 49ers win several games. Tittle was also chosen for the all-NFL team that year.
In 1961, the 49ers began looking for a younger quarterback. When one was found, Tittle, thirty-five years old, was traded to the New York Giants. In New York, he emerged as a late-blooming star at an age when most quarterbacks are retired. He led the Giants to three straight Eastern Conference Championships from 1961 to 1963. He passed for an incredible 86 touchdown passes during those seasons and was chosen as the NFL player of the year in 1962 and 1963. The only goal that eluded him was the NFL Championship.
Continuing the Story
Tittle was a tremendous competitor who fired up the Giants and led them to three of the franchise’s greatest years. His courage inspired fans and teammates alike. While opposing linemen rushed after him, he calmly held on to the ball and threw when he felt ready. The oncoming linemen never hurried or scared him. In the 1963 NFL Championship game against the Chicago Bears, he hurt his left knee so badly that by halftime he could not bend it. However, he played the whole game, and his teammates said that they always remembered Tittle’s courage that day.
First and foremost, Tittle was a great passer. He had a strong right wrist that helped him delay his passes as long as possible. He was adept at throwing long or short passes and could throw them sidearm or overhand. Giants coach Allie Sherman called Tittle the best quarterback he had ever seen. Former teammate Ed Henke said that there was not a finer person in professional football. Tittle, embarrassed by such praise, said that he was a professional who worked hard to do his best week after week.
Tittle retired after the 1964 season after completing 2,427 passes for 33,070 yards and 242 touchdowns in his seventeen-year career. In 1971, he was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After retiring from playing football, he served as a quarterback mentor for the Giants and continued working hard. He purchased an ownership in an insurance company in Palo Alto, California, named Y. A. Tittle & Associates Insurance Services. His daughter, Dianne, wrote the 1995 book Giants and Heroes about her father, and, with Kristine Setting Clark, he wrote and published Nothing Comes Easy: My Life in Football in 2009.
After struggling with dementia for several years, Tittle died surrounded by his family at a hospital in Stanford, California, on October 8, 2017; he was ninety years old.
Summary
Y. A. Tittle was one of the greatest quarterbacks in New York Giants history. He will be best remembered for having achieved great success at an age when most football players are finished. His career is an inspiration for anyone in any profession who is discouraged. When the 49ers gave up on him, he did not give up. He proved that success can come at any age by working hard and remaining dedicated to the goal.
Bibliography
Benson, Michael. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: New York Giants. Triumph Books, 2007.
De Laet, Dianne Tittle. Giants and Heroes: A Daughter’s Memoir of Y. A. Tittle. Steerforth Press, 1995.
Goldstein, Richard. "Y.A. Tittle, Quarterback Who Led Giants to 3 Title Games, Dies at 90." The New York Times, 9 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/09/obituaries/ya-tittle-dead-giants-quarterback-in-hall-of-fame.html. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.
McCullough, Bob. My Greatest Day in Football: The Legends of Football Recount Their Greatest Moments. Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 2002.
Rand, Jonathan. The Gridiron’s Greatest Quarterbacks. Sports, 2004.
Tittle, Y. A., and Don Smith. I Pass! My Story. 2nd ed., Franklin Watts, 1966.
Wickersham, Seth. "Awakening the Giant." ESPN, 15 July 2014, www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/‗/id/11214487/hall-fame-quarterback-ya-tittle-takes-final-trip-home-espn-magazine. Accessed 30 Mar. 2018.