William Gordon "Johnny" Grinnell[1] (December 29, 1909 – June 26, 1997) was an American football player and coach. He played football at Tufts University from 1932 to 1934. He was the head football coach at Northeastern University from 1946 to 1947. Grinnell was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.[2]
 Grinnell pictured in Cauldron 1949, Northeastern yearbook | |
| Tufts Jumbos – No. 21 | |
|---|---|
| Position | End |
| Class | Graduate student |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | December 29, 1909 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died: | June 25, 1997 (aged 87) Centerville, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 158 lb (72 kg) |
| Career history | |
| College |
|
| High school | Bridgton Academy (Medford, Massachusetts) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| College Football Hall of Fame (1997) | |
Playing career
editGrinnell played end for the Tufts football team from 1932 to 1934.[1][2] He was a protégé of legendary Tufts player Frederick "Fish" Ellis.[3]
In 1934, Grinnell led Tufts to an 8–0 record.[3] That year, Tufts ceded only one touchdown in eight games and cumulatively outscored its opponents by a margin of 91–9.[3] On account of his high caliber of play, Grinnell was named to the first-ever Small College All-America team.[4]
While at Tufts, Grinnell also played basketball, baseball, and track. He was a three-time member of the All-New England basketball team.[3] Grinnell graduated from Tufts in 1935.[5]
Coaching career
editGrinnell coached the Northeastern football team from 1946 to 1947, amassing a 4–8 record.[6]
Death and legacy
editGrinnell died on June 26, 1997, due to congestive heart failure.[2]
In August 1997, Grinnell became the first Tufts alumnus inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[1][2] He was one of the first 13 non-Division I-A players admitted into the Hall of Fame.[1]
On April 21, 2018, Grinnell was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Tufts University Athletics Hall of Fame.[3][5]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Ramgopal, Vivek (October 28, 1997). "Collins, Grinnell honored by Tufts". The Tufts Daily. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Sauer, Anne; Branco, Jessica; Bennett, John; Crowley, Zachary (2000). "Grinnell, William G. "Johnny", ca.1915-1997". Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts History. Medford, MA: Tufts University Press. Archived from the original on June 3, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "First Class Inducted into Tufts Athletics Hall of Fame Saturday Night". Tufts University Athletics. April 22, 2018. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Jumbo Football to Play 1,000th Game at Trinity on Saturday". Tufts University Athletics. October 9, 2006. Archived from the original on June 4, 2018.
- ^ a b Samuels, Eddie (April 23, 2018). "Tufts inducts inaugural Hall of Fame class". The Tufts Daily. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018.
- ^ "Career Coaching Records (Football)". Northeastern University Athletics. Archived from the original on June 4, 2018.