Known as the Bald Eagle during a football career that spanned three different decades, Y.A. Tittle was one of the most-popular players during his time.
Starting with the then Baltimore Colts in 1948 and starring for the downtrodden San Francisco 49ers before moving on to the New York Giants, Tittle was in some ways a transcendent figure around the professional football world.
A member of the 49ers Hall of Fame and the Giants Ring of Honor, Tittle reportedly passed away on Monday in California at the age of 90. An alumnus of LSU, the Tigers football program confirmed Tittle’s death.
#LSU mourns the loss of one of the game's all-time greats, as Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle passed away Sunday night at the age of 90. https://t.co/7k0fvfgLyd
— LSU Football (@LSUfootball) October 9, 2017
Tittle was suffering from severe dementia at the time of his death.
NFL surely lost a great one on Monday. A Pro Football Hall of Famer, Tittle earned the NFL MVP in 1963, throwing for a league record 36 touchdowns. It’s a record that stood until Dan Marino broke it some quarter-century later. Tittle was also the first quarterback to throw for north of 500 yards and seven touchdowns in the same game.
The accolades don’t end there. Here earned seven Pro Bowl trips in an awe-inspiring 17-year career, being named First-Team All Pro three different times.
A man that coined the alley-oop pass on the gridiron prior to making its way to the basketball court, Tittle was a trendsetter for his era. Tittle is survived by his daughter, Dianne de Laet.