Tut Imlay


Talma W. "Tut" Imlay was an American football player who played two seasons in the National Football League in 1926 and in 1927. During those two years, Tut played for the Los Angeles Buccaneers and the New York Giants. In 1927, Tut won an NFL Championship with the Giants. In 1926, Imlay earned 1st Team All-NFL honors by the Green Bay Press-Gazette. According to the Harlor Formula Imlay recorded 131 passing yards, 225 rushing yards, 175 receiving yards, and 234 punt return yards in 1926 for the Los Angeles Buccaneers.

College football

Tut played college football at the University of California. In 1925 he was named the captain of the Golden Bears football team. While in college, Imlay once tossed a football to teammate Harold Muller from the top of a 415-foot building in San Francisco. On December 26, 1925, the first touchdown scored in East–West Shrine Game history was a 27-yard pass by Imlay to Brick Muller, which turned out to be the only points scored in the inaugural game, resulting in a 6–0 West victory. It was the only touchdown pass Imlay ever threw in a football game.

Pro football

In 1926, the NFL established a traveling team in California, called the Los Angeles Buccaneers. The Bucs played all their games on the road, and ran out of Chicago. Brick Muller and Tut were then named the team's co-head coaches. Muller and Imlay both not only coached the team and also played for the Bucs. L.A. finished the 1926 season with a record of 6–3–1. After the 1926 season, he left Muller and the Bucs and joined the New York Giants. The Buccaneers folded shortly afterwards, while the Giants went on to win the 1927 NFL Championship.