Paul Younger: "It's Time to Grab Grass and Growl"

By TJ Troup 

Tank Younger

Mr. John Turney and I relish writing stories on men who played the game that displayed versatility. Looking up the definition of the word versatile in a number of dictionaries we learn that being versatile is "able to adapt to many different functions" "turning easily from one to another various tasks". . . and versatile comes from a Latin word that meant moving around. 

These definitions sure help to define Paul "Tank" Younger. 

Paul was not drafted by the Rams in 1949 as he joined the team as a free agent. Scouting is essential to each team putting talented athletes on the field, and Los Angeles was the best at doing so. Younger is joing a team that played strong football at times in '48 yet would never be considered a contender in '49 since the Cardinals and Bears were so damn good in '48. 

Clark Shaughnessy has strong beliefs in how to advance the football both running and passing. Formations, motion, blocking assignments, and intricate pass patterns must be mastered if you play for this man. He was in his own vast world of x's & o's....and seemingly cared very little for the men that played for him. Winning can solve any issues with personalities, but you have to win. 

Studying film of Younger and the '49 Rams is fascinating. Opening night in Coliseum and the lowly Detroit Lions lead Los Angeles till late in the fourth quarter, but the Rams found a way to win to start the season on the right note. 

How did Paul Younger do in his first game you ask? 

He started at right halfback, and on the second play from scrimmage he "hit the center for a gain of two". He starts many games, but not all, and he carries the ball in ten of the twelve games, but he is not featured in the offense. 

Evaluating him during his rookie year is very easy; he is a willing blocker, runs hard, and when the ball is thrown to him on simple flare, circle, or up route patterns he catches the ball. The whirlwind 6-0 start is fading as the Bears have caught fire and on the last Sunday of the season can win the conference with a win over the Cardinals (Lujack's greatest game), and a Redskin upset win in the Coliseum. 

Paul does not start but does play some on offense in the Rams masterful 53-27 demolition of Washington. Will digress for a brief moment to share the following: this game should be shown on the NFL Network in their "Classic Games" series. Waterfield and Van Brocklin are pinpoint accurate in shredding the porous Redskin secondary, while Slingin' Sam comes off the bench to pass for over 300 yards in his 13th campaign. Could, but won't go hours on who started, and how well each Ram defender played, yet to sum up the Ram defense. 

While they were only a decent defense statistically, they were opportunistic, taking the ball away, and much more cohesive than in '48. The mudbowl loss to a powerful Eagle team leads to the following for 1950. Shaughnessy is dismissed, and the roster as strong as it was in '49 is even better in 1950. From a cultural standpoint the Rams have joined the Browns in being open to having African-American players. Los Angeles adds Woodley Lewis, Bob Boyd, and Deacon Dan Towler to the team. Though Gerry Cowhig was an adequate left linebacker in the Rams 5-3-3 defense in '49 he is replaced at left linebacker. 

So, if Younger is now on defense, who is gonna carry the ball?

 Already having Hoerner, Smith, and Kalmanir, with the edition of Glenn Davis and Towler the Rams have depth and talent in the backfield. Since Hirsch lost his job at left halfback during the '49 season, he is moved to right end to replace Bob Shaw (traded to the Cardinals for Reinhard). 

So much has been written about Los Angeles and their prolific scoring machine in 1950 how much ink does the defense receive? While the Ram defense was not the best, they were again opportunistic in taking the ball away, and now have two young stalwart linebackers. 

Don Paul improved during '49, and is even better in '50, while the best left linebacker in football without a doubt is Paul Younger. When you look at his defensive stats you come away with the feeling he did very little, and was not around the ball much, but you would need to study hours of film to see his strengths. 

Trust me, Younger is impressive. 

He handles the strongside sweep well due to his quickness, and speed. He has the size to fend off any blocker, and the athleticism to take the proper angle to take down a ball carrier. Watched him take the right end, when aligned tight or flexed in man coverage at times, and run step for step with him. 

A back going in motion and running up the sideline, no problem—he has the instincts and athleticism to stay with a halfback. Rarely is Younger sent on a red dog, and though he is excellent in pursuit you do not see him dashing across the field making tackles. Paul patrols his area and is disciplined enough to stay in his assigned area. Younger carries the ball a few times during the year, but he is now a defensive player. 

The heartbreaking loss to a powerful Cleveland team just motivates these young men even more for the '51 campaign. The 1951 National Conference race still stands the test of time as one of the best (if not the best). 

The Bears will again be contenders and have suddenly become a major Ram rival. Though the New York Yanks will fall in '51, and the Packers are still struggling with an identity (and talent) there are two new kids on the block that have to be reckoned with. 

Buddy Parker has built the Lions into a team that can win, and Buck Shaw has the 49ers improved on both the offensive and defensive line, and added to key ingredients. A passer in Tittle (he rotates in with Albert much like Van Brocklin does with Waterfield), and a nasty difference-maker in Hardy Brown at 5-3 MLB. 

For the eighth consecutive year the Rams have beaten the Lions on the road at Briggs and with a record of 3-1 journey to Kezar. There have been games historically that need to be discussed since the strategy impacted the game overall (and we still see the effects today)....and October 28th, 1951 is one of them. Buck Shaw ably assisted by Phil Bengston realizes they cannot stop this Ram offense in a standard defense. 

Have watched this game film over and over, and still learn from it. San Francisco aligns in the standard 5-3-3 defense, but has two halfbacks with speed at the outside linebacker position. This becomes cutting-edge coverage due to the depth of the pass drop, and the responsibilities...sometimes zone, sometimes man, and sometimes combination. 

Hardy Brown in long-yardage situations at times aligns seven yards from the line of scrimmage, and then drops to the hole ala Jack Lambert. San Francisco also aligns in a 5-2-4. Final score 49ers 44 Rams 17. Since the Bears continue to win (now 4-1), the Lions are 2-2-1, and the suddenly resurgent Niners are now 3-2. Folks, we have a race on our hands! 

Game of the Week for November 4th will be in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the Niners travel south to take on the Rams. Can you spell budding r-i-v-a-l-r-y! Hampton Pool must have an answer to the Niners defense. Smith, and Davis both have outstanding quickness and speed, but are small, and not sure if they have ever blocked anyone. 

Younger (#13) on the tackle

Hampton Pool has the answer and it is Paul "Tank" Younger. He does not carry the ball much in the rematch, but when he is in on offense he can lead Towler on strongside sweeps with the help of fullback Dick Hoerner. 

Believe writer Frank Finch coined the term "Bull Elephant" backfield. Ok, Niners put those little guys in at outside linebacker and see what we run at you. Clarity is always a goal, and in this game the Rams do NOT run the power sweep over and over. Los Angeles gets the lead and the threat of seeing the bull elephants sends the message to the 49er sideline. 

The Rams have the premier deep threat in pro football in '51 in Hirsch, yet a balanced attack of run/pass is always optimal. Final: Los Angeles 23 San Francisco 16. The Rams crush the Cardinals and Yanks, and the best strongside linebacker in football is Tank Younger. 

Who was the best two-way player in the NFL in the early '50's? Nomellini with the 49ers? Bednarik with the Eagles? Connor with the Bears? 

How many minutes do these men play in a game? 

We will never know, yet the three above-named men sure stood out, and they are joined by a man who at times played 45 minutes of the game (he also is involved in the kicking game)....Mr. Paul "Tank" Younger. 

Am not advocating that the Tank be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, but he is a pioneer. The first and best African-American outside linebacker, and can be sent into the game on offense and contribute at a high level. The Washington Redskins upset the Rams at Griffith Stadium, and no Ram defender plays well as the "Skins ran the ball down the Rams' throats. 

Los Angeles will again be featured in the Game of the Week on December 2nd. 

Going to Wrigley to play the Bears and Halas can be a nightmare, but the Rams are up to the task, and explode late in the game to win convincingly 42-17. The famous photo was taken at Wrigley that day of Waterfield, Hoerner, Towler, and Younger. 

Bull Elephant Backfield - Deacon Dan Towler #32, Dick Hoerner #31, Tank Younger #13, Bob Waterfield #7

The Bull Elephants, two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks, the best receiver in football, and a usually sturdy defense (at times the secondary struggles). Beat the Lions at home on December 9th and the conference crown is yours. 

Ooooooopps! Buddy Parker and his pride of Lions play resilient red zone defense (Waterfield makes 5 of 7 field goal attempts), and upset Los Angeles 24-22. Younger again plays a strong game at left linebacker, and plays plenty on offense, but the race comes down to the last weekend. 

Four teams can win the conference crown, and we start with San Francisco again beating the Lions; thus they tie for second. 

The Chicago Bears again stumble against the Chicago Cardinals to finish 7-5 and 4th, and with their impressive win over the Packers the Rams again go to the title game. Los Angeles earned the championship with big plays and strategy that bordered on cutting edge. The 1951 Los Angeles Rams might be the best 8-4 team in NFL history. 

Tank Younger will earn his first trip to the Pro Bowl, and play a masterful game at left linebacker in the National Conference 30-14 win over the American Conference. The league manual lists Younger starting at right halfback on offense, and no doubt he started at left linebacker...thus is he the first and only African-American to start both ways in the Pro Bowl? The season of '52 is another interesting chapter in Rams' history. 

The slow start, the eight-game win streak, a defense that seemed to score or set up a score every week, and again Los Angeles goes to the playoffs (under a different coach). Younger plays stellar defense, but not as much as in 50 & 51, as he plays more on offense (carries the ball 63 times in '52). He intercepts opening day in Cleveland and recovers a Texan fumble in rainy and windswept Dallas to demonstrate he is still around the ball. Younger is again voted to the Pro Bowl. 

Younger is now a full-time offensive player in 1953, and again is selected for the Pro Bowl. Los Angeles is 5-1 at mid-season, but falters as they lose games to the Bears and Niners, and tie the lowly Cardinals. Beating the champion Lions twice is not enough, and no playoffs for this talented team. 

Younger does not play outside linebacker in 1954 (he should have)as the Rams' defense allows 49 more points than in '53. The Tank rumbles and rolls in '54 as he gains 610 yards rushing in just eight games (has three straight one-hundred-yard rushing performances). 

The highlight was his eye-popping performance against the Bears in the Coliseum in October. The Bears after two disastrous seasons have found an offense with rookie Harlon Hill, and a resurgent rushing attack, but if you want a rushing attack...well give the ball to #35 of the Rams (Younger wore #13 early in his career). 

Griffin recovers a Bear fumble and the first play for the Rams is the Tank rumbling for 23 yards. He also has 16 and seven-yard runs before he crashes over from the two. Next Ram possession Younger fumbles the ball to the Bears ....yes he does lose the ball once in a while. The score is tied at 21 at the half and Younger has gained 79 yards on 11 carries. 

The Rams' first possession of the third quarter he first loses three on a sweep, then is stopped for no gain. Will Sherman intercepts Blanda, but the Tank fumbles again. The Bears take the lead, and Younger being the champion he is...responds with gains of 9 and 6 before a Statue of Liberty play thunders for 22 to set up his second touchdown. 

Early in the 4th quarter, Los Angeles drives 79 yards to score as Younger gained 46 yards on three carries. Though the Bears score late to make the score seem close at 42-38 this is Paul's greatest offensive performance; 27 carries for 186 yards.

Later in the season, a three-game winning streak has the Rams as the only team that can catch the Lions, but they lose to the Bears and the Colts. Coach Pool is dismissed, and Tank will play for a fourth coach in what will be his seventh season in '55. Younger was not chosen for the Pro Bowl in '54 due to injury. He again is instrumental in helping the Ram offense move the chains in '55 as Los Angeles wins the division over the Bears. 

Younger returns to the Pro Bowl as he gained 644 yards rushing and continued to be an excellent lead blocker for rookie Ronnie Waller. Younger still contributes in both 1956 & '57 but the Rams are not a premier team anymore. 

The last game of '56 he blocks for Tommy Wilson as he sets a new league record for yards gained rushing in a game, and from the sideline in Cleveland in '57 he watches rookie Jim Brown tie Wilson's record. Paul Younger is traded to the Steelers and Buddy Parker in 1958. He joins Bobby Layne in the backfield and winning takes place in Pittsburgh (this is new for this franchise). 

When given the ball Younger is the best Steeler fullback in years, and on October 26th against the Giants, Layne focuses on a coverage flaw in the Giant secondary and completes 5 passes to the big man (he still has retained some of his speed) for 109 yards including a 51-yard gainer. Saturday afternoon December 13th and Pittsburgh takes on a team they always beat in the Chicago Cardinals. 

The snow and cold do not bother Layne as he directs a Black & Gold attack that gains over 600 yards of offense. Orr, McClairen, and Tracy all gain over 100 receiving as Layne shreds a porous Cardinal secondary. This will be Younger's last game, and the Tank goes out with style as he pounds out 106-yard rushing on just 13 carries. 

Younger (#35) with Steelers

Tomorrow is Paul Younger's birthday...and this is a tribute to a man who displayed durability, versatility, and class his entire career.