William Grinnell

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]

For the Third Assistant Secretary of State, see William Morton Grinnell.
William Grinnell
Grinnell pictured in Cauldron 1949, Northeastern yearbook
Born:(1909-12-29)December 29, 1909
Boston, Massachusetts
Died:June 25, 1997(1997-06-25) (aged 87)
Centerville, Massachusetts
Career information
Position(s)End
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight158 lb (72 kg)
CollegeTufts University

Playing career

Grinnell 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

Grinnell coached the Northeastern football team from 1946 to 1947, amassing a 4–8 record.[6]

Death and legacy

Grinnell 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]

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References
  1. Ramgopal, Vivek (October 28, 1997). "Collins, Grinnell honored by Tufts". The Tufts Daily. Retrieved June 4, 2018.
  2. 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.
  3. "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.
  4. "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.
  5. Samuels, Eddie (April 23, 2018). "Tufts inducts inaugural Hall of Fame class". The Tufts Daily. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018.
  6. "Career Coaching Records (Football)". Northeastern University Athletics. Archived from the original on June 4, 2018.
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