Hugh McElhenny
Hugh McElhenny was born in Los Angeles, California, United States on December 31st, 1928 and is the Football Player. At the age of 95, Hugh McElhenny biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 95 years old, Hugh McElhenny has this physical status:
The San Francisco 49ers selected McElhenny in the first round, with the ninth overall selection, of the 1952 NFL Draft. His first play as a professional was a 40-yard touchdown run which had been drawn in the dirt because he had not yet learned the team's playbook. He recorded the season's longest run from scrimmage (89 yards), the longest punt return (94 yards), and the top rushing average (7.0 yards per carry). He was unanimously recognized as the season's top rookie.
McElhenny was also an asset in the receiving game, becoming a favorite target of quarterback Y. A. Tittle on screen passes. His versatility drew praise from opposing coaches, including George Halas of the Chicago Bears and Steve Owen of the New York Giants. Former Bears quarterback Johnny Lujack lauded McElhenny as "the best running back I have seen in a long, long time." Also noted was his vision; he had an uncanny ability of seeing and reacting to tacklers in his peripheral vision. "If you ever watched McElhenny", explained Washington State coach Jim Sutherland, "you'd think he had eyes on the back of his head. I've seen him cut away from a tackler that 99 percent of the backs wouldn't even have seen. It wasn't instinct—he just saw the guy, out of the corner of his eye." McElhenny described his playing style as such:
McElhenny repeated as a Pro Bowler for 1953, joining his backfield teammates, Tittle and fullback Joe Perry. In 1954, with the addition of halfback John Henry Johnson, the 49ers formed their famed "Million Dollar Backfield" of McElhenny, Tittle, Perry, and Johnson. The team had championship aspirations, but McElhenny separated his shoulder against the Bears in the sixth game, ending his season. The offense struggled without McElhenny in the lineup. Before the injury, he led the league with 515 rushing yards and an 8.0 yards-per-carry average. He still managed to make the AP's second-team All-Pro team and was a first-team selection by the New York Daily News.
After a down year in 1955 for the 49ers and for McElhenny, he had his most productive rushing season statistically in 1956, picking up 916 yards and eight touchdowns. He was invited to his third Pro Bowl. John Henry Johnson was traded prior to the 1957 season, which broke up the Million Dollar Backfield. Led by McElhenny and Tittle, the 49ers finished the 1957 regular season tied for the Western Conference title with the Detroit Lions. In the Western Conference tiebreaker, McElhenny carried 14 times for 82 yards and caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, but the Lions won with a comeback victory to advance to the 1957 NFL Championship Game. Following the season, McElhenny was invited to the 1958 Pro Bowl and was named the player of the game.
After another Pro Bowl year in 1958, injuries over the next two seasons hampered his production. The 49ers placed the 32-year-old McElhenny on the 1961 NFL expansion draft list.
McElhenny joined the newly formed Vikings in 1961 through the expansion draft. That year, he led the team in rushing and had seven total touchdowns, including his first punt return touchdown since his rookie season. He was invited to his sixth Pro Bowl following the season. In his second season with the Vikings in 1962, he was held scoreless for the first time in his career. The Vikings then looked to part ways with McElhenny as the team turned to an emphasis on youth. He described his time with the Vikings as a "dead end street," since he "didn't fit into their plans for the future."
The Vikings traded McElhenny to the Giants in July 1963 for two draft choices and player to be named later. The trade reunited him with Tittle, who had been traded to the Giants two seasons earlier. On the reunion, McElhenny responded that it was "great to be with a winner," and he played with renewed enthusiasm. The Giants made it to the 1963 NFL Championship Game, where McElhenny carried nine times for 17 yards, had two receptions for 20 yards, and had a 47-yard kickoff return in the 14–10 loss to the Bears. He was released by New York during training camp in 1964, and he was soon picked up by the Detroit Lions, for whom he appeared in eight games before retiring after the season.