Leonard Charles Eshmont (August 26, 1917 – May 12, 1957) was an American professional football halfback and safety for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) and the San Francisco 49ers, then in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC).
 Eshmont in 1949 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2, 81 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Halfback Safety | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | August 26, 1917 Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died: | May 12, 1957 (aged 39) Charlottesville, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 179 lb (81 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Mount Carmel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Fordham | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1941 / round: 5 / pick: 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career AAFC/NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life and college
editLen Eshmont hailed from Atlas, Pennsylvania, a small town near Mount Carmel.
He played college football at Fordham University in The Bronx; as a senior in 1940, he led the Rams to a 7–1 regular season record and a berth in the Cotton Bowl, which they lost by a point to sixth-ranked Texas A&M.
Professional career
editEshmont was selected by the New York Giants in fifth round of the 1941 NFL draft, 36th overall.[1] He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and then played for the 49ers from 1946 to 1949, and scored the first touchdown in franchise history.
Coaching career
editAfter his playing career ended, Eshmont was an assistant coach at the U.S. Naval Academy under Eddie Erdelatz. He moved to the University of Virginia in 1956 under new head coach Ben Martin, whom he had coached with at Navy.[2][3]
Death and legacy
editEshmont died at age 39 in 1957 of infectious hepatitis at the University Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he had been a patient for his final three months.[3]
The 49ers created The Len Eshmont Award, the team's most prestigious annual honor, which is given to the Niner who best exemplifies the "inspirational and courageous play" of Eshmont.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "1941 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
- ^ LEN ESHMONT, 39, EX-FOOTBALL STAR; Halfback With Fordham and the Forty-Niners Is Dead -- College Coaching Aide Leading Ground-Gainer, The New York Times, May 13, 1957.
- ^ a b "Head coaches pay tribute to Eshmont". Free-Lance Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. May 13, 1957. p. 8.
External links
edit- San Francisco 49ers – Len Eshmont Award
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Len Eshmont at Find a Grave