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 and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
end End, END, Ending, or ENDS may refer to: End Mathematics *End (category theory) * End (topology) * End (graph theory) * End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) * End (endomorphism) Sports and games *End (gridiron football) *End, a division ...
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 * Coac ...
. He played 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 gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) from 1937 to 1938 and in 1940. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the LSU Tigers, where he was a consensus
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
. He was drafted in the second round of the 1937 NFL draft 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 Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
in 1956 as a player.


College career

Tinsley was born in Ruple, Louisiana and raised in
Homer, Louisiana Homer is a town in and the County seat, parish seat of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Claiborne Parish in northern Louisiana, United States. Named for the Greece, Greek poet Homer, the town was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by Fra ...
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, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
and
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
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 not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
,
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 ...
, ''
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'' (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 F. Collier, Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened i ...
'', 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 Conservatism in the United States, conservative Online newspaper, news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) onlin ...
''. 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 print syndication, 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. ...
(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 Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
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 (June 15, 1913 – September 20, 2001) was a Lebanese-American college football player and a doctor. He played as a Halfback (American football), halfback for the LSU Tigers football team of Louisiana State Universit ...
, against
Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...
, 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 Louis ...
, 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 ...
, 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 quarterback who played 16 seasons with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the TCU Horne ...
, 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, 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 in the second round as the 12th overall pick in the 1937 NFL draft. 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 ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'', 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
. 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 ...
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), nicknamed "the Alabama Antelope", was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). In the era of the one-platoon football, he played a ...
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 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
for the Marshall Tigers of the East Texas League. 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, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States, located just south of the Arkansas border. The population was 2,039 in 2020. Haynesville is known as the "Gateway to North Louisiana" and ...
, replacing Cecil Crowley. 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 ...
, 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 Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...
, Tinsley worked as a high school football coach in
Haynesville, Louisiana Haynesville is a town in northern Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States, located just south of the Arkansas border. The population was 2,039 in 2020. Haynesville is known as the "Gateway to North Louisiana" and ...
. 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 only ...
against
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. 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 Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
in 1956. He was elected as one of three charter members to the
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (LHOF) is an hall of fame exhibit that honors the accomplishments of athletes, coaches and other sports figures in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Located in a facility in the downtown historic district of the city ...
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 the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...
, 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 20th-century American sportsmen