Leemans played for the Giants from 1936-43. He was personally scouted by Wellington Mara and was a sec-ond-round draft choice in the inaugural NFL draft in 1936 out of George Washington. Mara sent a telegram setting up a meeting with Leemans to convince him to accept a career in the NFL with the Giants. Leemans was the 1936 College Football All-Star game MVP. He led NFL rushers as a rookie in 1936 with 830 yards on 206 attempts. Leemans was named All-NFL in 1936 and 1939. An aggressive, dedicated do-everything team leader, he totaled 3,142 yards rushing, 2,324 yards passing, 442 yards receiving and threw 16 touch-down passes during his career. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

<< BACK TO GIANTS RING OF HONOR