Notable people · Athlete · Football · Coach
Glenn Presnell
A Nebraska-born halfback who played and taught science in Ironton in 1929-30 as player-coach of the Ironton Tanks. He later starred for the Portsmouth Spartans and Detroit Lions and died in Ironton at 99.
At a glance
- Born
- 1905-07-28
- Died
- 2004-09-13
- Education
- University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 1925-1927
- Known as
- Athlete, Football, Coach
- Organizations
- Ironton Tanks, Portsmouth Spartans, Detroit Lions, Eastern Kentucky University
Life story
Glenn Presnell was born in Nebraska in 1905 and starred at the University of Nebraska from 1925 to 1927.
He came to Ironton as player-coach of the Tanks in 1929-1930 and taught science at Ironton High School. In 1930 the Tanks beat the New York Giants 13-12 and the Chicago Bears; he scored two touchdowns against Chicago, one on an 88-yard run.
He then played for the Portsmouth Spartans (1931-1933) and, when that team moved, for the Detroit Lions (1934-1936), helping win the 1935 title. Later he coached at Eastern Kentucky and served as its athletic director. He died in Ironton in 2004 at age 99.
Timeline
- 1905-07-28: Born in Gilead, Nebraska (Gilead, NE) source
- 1925: Plays at Nebraska (to 1927) (Lincoln, NE) source
- 1929: Joins Ironton Tanks as player-coach (to 1930) (Ironton, OH) source
- 1930: Tanks beat the Giants 13-12 and the Bears (Ironton, OH) source
- 1931: Portsmouth Spartans (to 1933) (Portsmouth, OH) source
- 1934: Detroit Lions debut season; 54-yard field goal (Detroit, MI) source
- 1935: Lions win first NFL championship source
- 1954: Head coach at Eastern Kentucky (to 1963) (Richmond, KY) source
- 2004-09-13: Dies in Ironton (Ironton, OH) source
What Glenn is known for
- Led the NFL in total offense in 1933
- Set a 54-yard field goal record in 1934 that stood 19 years
- Helped the Detroit Lions win the 1935 NFL championship
Inventions and firsts
- Ironton Tanks, a leading pro football team outside the NFL (1919-1930) credit is disputed
Honors and things named for them
- Nebraska Hall of Fame (1973)
- Professional Football Researchers Association Hall of Very Good (2007)
- Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame (2020)
Ohio places
Where Glenn Presnell was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: Gilead, Nebraska, Thayer (Nebraska) County
- Worked: Ironton, Lawrence County ZIP 45638 · Ironton · Lawrence County
- Lived: Ironton, Lawrence County ZIP 45638 · Ironton · Lawrence County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Glenn Presnell birth/death; Nebraska; Ironton Tanks 1929-30; Spartans; Lions; coaching; honors; died in Ironton