Hall of Fame

Paul " Tank" Younger

  • Class
  • Induction
    1994
  • Sport(s)
    Football
  • Grambling State
  • Paul “Tank” Younger was a trailblazing fullback and linebacker at Grambling State University in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), where he scored a collegiate-record 60 touchdowns from 1945-48 and earned Black College Football Player of the Year honors in 1948.
  • He became the first player from an HBCU to play in the NFL when he signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 1949 and went on to a ten-year professional career, earning four Pro Bowl selections and winning an NFL championship in 1951.
  • In recognition of his outstanding collegiate achievements and lasting impact on SWAC and HBCU athletics, Younger was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 1994.