databasefootball death_place death_date years birth_place teams article_title position birth_date draftedpick college draftedround draftedyear
eshmolen01 charlottesville , virginia 12 may 1957 1941 1946-1949 mount carmel , pennsylvania new york giants san francisco 49ers -lrb- aafc -rrb- len eshmont
 running back defensive back 26 august 1917 36 fordham 5 1941
len eshmont

leonard charles eshmont -lrb- august 26 , 1917 -- may 12 , 1957 -rrb- was an american football running back and defensive back for the san francisco 49ers of the national football league .
eshmont scored the first touchdown in 49ers history .
he was drafted out of fordham university by the new york giants in the 1941 nfl draft .
he served as an assistant football coach at virginia .
eshmont died in 1957 of infectious hepatitis .
the 49ers created the len eshmont award , the team 's most prestigious annual honor , which is given to the niner who best exemplifies the `` inspirational and courageous play '' of len eshmont , a player from the original 1946 forty niners team .
