Ox Emerson was a member of the NFL All-Decade 1930's Team. He started his professional football career in 1931 with the Portsmouth Spartans. In his second season, he was selected to his first of five straight First Team All-Pros. Despite being ironically nicknamed due to his height of under six feet and weight of less than 200 pounds, Emerson used his skill and smaller size to his advantage, evading tacklers with his footwork and positioning.
After the Spartans relocated to Detroit, the team was renamed the Lions. Emerson played a crucial role in their 1935 championship win. Throughout his career, his work in the trenches was vital to the team's rushing success, making him one of the best linemen Detroit ever had. Emerson has been a Centennial Slate Hall of Fame Finalist, indicating he may gain entry through a seniors committee in the future, though given the Hall’s recency bias, we would not bet on it.
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