Gaynell Tinsley
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Gaynell Charles "Gus" Tinsley (February 1, 1915 – July 24, 2002) was an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...
and
coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...
. He played professionally for the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) from 1937 to 1938 and in 1940. He attended
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
, where he was a consensus All-American for the
LSU Tigers football The LSU Tigers football program, also known as the Fighting Tigers, represents Louisiana State University in college football. The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) an ...
team in 1935 and 1936. In 1937 he was drafted by the Cardinals, with whom he was an All-NFL selection in 1937 and 1938. During his three years in the NFL, Tinsley set or tied NFL single-season records with 674 receiving yards in 1937 and 41 pass receptions in 1938. He later served as the head football coach at LSU from 1948 to 1954. He was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
in 1956.


College career

Tinsley was born in Ruple, Louisiana and raised in
Homer, Louisiana Homer is a town in and the parish seat of Claiborne Parish in northern Louisiana, United States. Named for the Greek poet Homer, the town was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by Frank Vaughn. The present-day brick courthouse, built ...
in the northern part of the state. He attended Louisiana State University where he played
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
and was selected as the captain of both teams. He was considered one of the greatest receivers in college football, earning consensus All-American honors in both 1935 and 1936. As a junior in 1935, Tinsley was named a first-team All-American by the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
,
United Press United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
, ''
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
'' (selected based on a poll of 1,521 varsity players in all parts of the country), ''
Collier's Weekly ''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Colli ...
'', the Newspaper Editors Association, the
International News Service The International News Service (INS) was a U.S.-based news agency (newswire) founded by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1909.
, and ''
The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...
''. At the time, at age 19 he was one of the youngest ever named to the All-America team. In 1936, Tinsley repeated as a first-team All-American with each of these publications and also received the first-team designation from the
Central Press Association The Central Press Association was American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. Originally independent, it was a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate from 1930 onwards. At its peak, the ...
(selected by the captains of more than 50 college football teams at "important universities and colleges throughout the United States"), and the Walter Camp Football Foundation. Tinsley's profile at the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
describes him as such: "Tinsley was a magnificent athletic specimen, standing 6-0, and weighing 196-pounds, size he used equally well as a defensive stalwart who was a blocking master." As a sophomore in 1934, Tinsley had a 65-yard pass reception, thrown by halfback
Abe Mickal Ibrahim Khalil "Abe" Mickal ( – September 20, 2001) was a Lebanese-American college football player and a doctor. He played as a halfback for the LSU Tigers football team of Louisiana State University, where he was notable for his passing s ...
, against
Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , prov ...
, which stood as a record for several years as "the longest pass in Southern football history." Tinsley's coach at LSU,
Bernie Moore Bernie Hawthorne Moore (April 30, 1895 – November 6, 1967) was an American college football, basketball, track and field coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Mercer University (1926–1928) and Louisi ...
, once said, "Tinsley could have made All-American at any position. He was so tough, he made blockers quit. He's the greatest lineman I ever saw." Tinsley concluded his college career by playing in the
Chicago College All-Star Game The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League (NFL) champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year. It was also known as the C ...
, an annual game between college all-stars and an NFL team. Tinsley scored the only points of the game on a 47-yard touchdown pass from
Sammy Baugh Samuel Adrian Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American professional football player and coach. During his college and professional careers, he most notably played quarterback, but also played as a safety and punter. He ...
, as the college players defeated the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, 6–0. This was the first victory for the college players against the professionals in the series. In 1993, LSU selected its all-time team as part of the celebration of the centennial of LSU football. Tinsley was "the only unanimous choice" for LSU's "Early Years Team of the Century." Upon his death in 2002, LSU Sports described his contributions to the school's football teams of the mid-1930s as follows:
Tinsley is widely considered to be among the finest athletes to ever play at LSU. The star end led the Tigers to their first two SEC titles and played in two Sugar Bowls. He earned All-SEC and All-American honors in 1935–36 for his ability to dominate a game on both sides of the ball. In 1936, he was also second in balloting for national MVP honors. ... At 6-3, 215 pounds, Tinsley was considered to the prototype end of his era because of his mobility.


Professional career

Tinsley was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals as the 12th overall pick in the
1937 NFL Draft The 1937 National Football League Draft was the second draft held by the National Football League (NFL). The draft took place December 12, 1936, at the Hotel Lincoln in New York City. The draft consisted of 10 rounds, with 100 player selections, ...
. He played for the Cardinals for three years: in 1937, 1938 and 1940. As a rookie in 1937, Tinsley set an NFL record with 675 receiving yards. He also ranked among the NFL's 1937 leaders in several categories, including 36 receptions (second in the NFL), 675 receiving yards (first in the NFL), 677 total yards from scrimmage (second in the NFL), five receiving touchdowns (second in the NFL), 18.8 yards per reception (first in the NFL) and 61.4 receiving yards per game (first in the NFL). At the end of the 1937 season, Tinsley was selected as a first-team All-NFL player by the United Press, the NFL, ''
New York Daily News The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'', and ''Collyers Eye'' magazine. Tinsley twice set the record for the longest pass reception in NFL history. He set the mark first in 1937, when he caught a 97-yard pass from Pat Coffee for a touchdown against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
. He broke his own record the following season, against the
Cleveland Rams The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team that played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945. The Rams competed in the second American Football League (AFL) for the 1936 season and the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 194 ...
in the Cardinals' final game, with a 98-yard touchdown reception from Doug Russell. Several NFL receivers have since recorded 99-yard receptions, but Tinsley's 98-yarder remains a Cardinals franchise record (although it has been tied twice). In 1938, Tinsley continued as one of the league's top receivers. He caught passes in nine of the Cardinals' eleven games during the season. His 41 receptions in 1938 tied the all-time NFL single-season record, set by
Don Hutson Donald Montgomery Hutson (January 31, 1913 – June 26, 1997) was an American professional football player and assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as an end and spent his entire 11-year professional career with the ...
two seasons prior. He also ranked among the 1938 league leaders with 516 receiving yards (second in the NFL) and 46.9 yards per game (fourth in the NFL). He was again selected as a first-team All-NFL player, this time receiving the honor from Pro Football Writers, the NFL, and ''Collyers Eye'' magazine. In March 1939, Tinsley signed a contract to play professional minor league baseball for the Marshall Tigers of the
East Texas League The East Texas League was a Texas–based minor league baseball league that existed between 1916 to 1950. The East Texas League played as a Class D level league in 1916 and from 1923 to 1926. The league became a Class C level league from 1936 ...
. He also left the Cardinals a week into training camp to take up a head coaching position at Haynesville High School in
Haynesville, Louisiana Haynesville is a town in northern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States, located just south of the Arkansas border. The population was 2,327 at the 2010 census. Haynesville is known as the "Gateway to North Louisiana" and the "Butterfly Ca ...
, replacing
Cecil Crowley Cecil C. Crowley (August 31, 1908 – July 31, 1991) was an American college basketball coach. He was the head coach of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball program from 1940–1942 and 1945–1964. Crowley was a native of Corsicana, Texas and ...
. He returned to the NFL and played in seven games in 1940 before he suffered a torn ligament in his left knee while making a tackle against the
Cleveland Rams The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team that played in Cleveland from 1936 to 1945. The Rams competed in the second American Football League (AFL) for the 1936 season and the National Football League (NFL) from 1937 to 194 ...
, which effectively ended his season. When Tinsley retired, he ranked fourth in NFL history in pass receptions, despite having played only three seasons of professional football. At the time, he was cited along with Don Hutson as being one of "the two greatest pass receivers of all time."


Coaching career

After service in the
U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
, Tinsley worked as a high school football coach in
Haynesville, Louisiana Haynesville is a town in northern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States, located just south of the Arkansas border. The population was 2,327 at the 2010 census. Haynesville is known as the "Gateway to North Louisiana" and the "Butterfly Ca ...
. He then served as an assistant football coach at LSU through the 1947 season. In 1948, LSU's long-time football coach, Bernie Moore, retired, and Tinsley was promoted to replace his former mentor. In 1949, Tinsley's team finished the regular season 8–2 and played in the
Sugar Bowl The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
against
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
. He became the first person to participate in the Sugar Bowl as both a player and a head coach. Tinsley's LSU teams never met with the same success they had achieved in 1949. In seven years as head coach at LSU, Tinsley's teams compiled a record of 35–34–6. Displeased with the team's performance, the LSU board of supervisors fired Tinsley in February 1955, though they agreed to pay his salary of $12,500 per year for the two remaining years on his contract. After the vote to remove him, Tinsley said, "I have not made any future plans as yet, but I do know that I will continue to help LSU whenever and wherever I can."


Later years

Tinsley was named to the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
in 1956. He was elected as one of three charter members to the
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is located in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum – Natchitoches in a new facility in the downtown historic district in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After years of planning and con ...
in 1959. Despite playing only two seasons during the decade, he was voted to the
NFL 1930s All-Decade Team This is a list of all NFL players who had outstanding performances throughout the 1930s and have been compiled together into this fantasy group. The team was selected by voters of the Pro Football Hall of Fame retroactively in 1969 to mark the lea ...
. Tinsley died in 2002 at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in
Baton Rouge, Louisiana Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana's most populous parish—the equivalent of counties i ...
, at age 87.


Head coaching record


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tinsley, Gaynell 1915 births 2002 deaths American football ends Chicago Cardinals players Louisiana Christian Wildcats football coaches LSU Tigers baseball players LSU Tigers football coaches LSU Tigers football players All-American college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees People from Homer, Louisiana Coaches of American football from Louisiana Players of American football from Louisiana Baseball players from Louisiana