'Tank' Younger, ex-Rams great, dies
Associated Press
Paul "Tank" Younger, the first athlete from a predominantly black college to play in the NFL, died yesterday morning in Inglewood, Calif. He was 73.
The St. Louis Rams said Younger, who spent 46 consecutive years in the NFL as a player and executive, died after a long illness.
Younger played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1949-57 and ended his career with Pittsburgh in 1958.
He was a member of the Rams' renowned "Bull Elephant Backfield" along with "Deacon" Dan Towler and Dick Hoerner. The Rams won the 1951 NFL title, beating Cleveland, 24-17.
Younger signed with the Rams as a free agent following his college career at Grambling State in Louisiana.
With 3,296 yards, Younger is the sixth-leading rusher in Rams' history. He was a first-team All-Pro selection at linebacker in 1951.
Younger had a long career as a scout and front-office executive, mostly with the Rams. He left the Rams in 1975 to become assistant general manager of the San Diego Chargers, a job he held until 1987.
Younger then returned to the Rams and retired in 1995. Last year, Younger was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Younger is survived by wife Lucille; son Howard; and two daughters, Harriette and Lucy. The Rams said services are pending.
GIANTS
• Thanking the heroes: About 35 New York Giants spent more than 90 minutes yesterday shaking hands and thanking rescue workers searching for survivors in the rubble at the World Trade Center.
"It was an unbelievable effort," fullback Greg Comella. "One guy told me he had been working for 20 hours straight and that he lost his brother. It was worse than anything on TV."
The players were ferried from Jersey City to Manhattan in shifts by New York City Police boats starting around 1 p.m.
The players had brought supplies for the rescue workers to a staging area in Jersey City, when they decided to see if they could go to the financial district and lend moral support.
"The guys didn't know if it was the right thing to do," said Pat Hanlon, the team's vice president of communications. "But they saw that what they did carries weight. At the end of the day, they felt like they'd done something."
The players were allowed to go almost right up to the rubble of the twin towers, Hanlon said.
"Everybody all week long who has seen the destruction firsthand has said it's surreal," Hanlon said. "It is. To anybody who has been in the financial district, it's incomprehensible what it looks a like now."
What was inescapable for the Giants was the enormity of the task being performed.
"It's an immense logistical nightmare," guard Glenn Parker said. "It's amazing how well they are handling it."
Hanlon said the team was impressed by the efforts of the workers at the site.
"We met a lot of heroes today, true heroes," Hanlon said.
SCHEDULING
• Playoffs may be reduced: The NFL is leaning toward keeping a 16-game schedule but reducing the playoff field to make up for the postponement of this weekend's games after the terrorist attacks.
Under the plan, this week's schedule would be played the weekend of Jan. 5-6, which was slated for wild-card games. The postseason then would begin the following weekend with eight playoff teams instead of 12 — there would be just one wild-card team from each conference instead of three.
League and team officials and others closely connected to the NFL, speaking on condition of anonymity, said discussions were continuing. Another plan was still under consideration, they said, but the league seemed to be leaning toward the 16-game plan for two reasons: continuity, and so players are paid for an entire season.
The second option would simply erase the games scheduled for this weekend. That would mean 30 teams would play 15 games this season and the San Diego Chargers, who were scheduled to be off this week, would play 16.
Under that scenario, the 12-team playoff format would not be reduced.
Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Tampa Bay general manager Rich McKay, chairman of the competition committee, told him yesterday both plans still were under consideration. The committee's decision will be an important factor in commissioner Paul Tagliabue's decision.
Fisher favors having all teams play 16 games. "If we play everything, then everything will work itself out," he said.
