Before the 1948 season, the Giants signed defensive back Emlen Tunnell, the first African American player in team history, and later the first African American inducted into the Hall of Fame. From 1947 to 1949, they never finished above .500, but came back with a 10–2 record in 1950. However, they lost to the Cleveland Browns, whom they had beaten twice in the regular season, 8–3, in the 1950 divisional playoff game. In 1949, halfback Gene "Choo-Choo" Roberts scored a league-high 17 touchdowns, and in 1950, he set a team record that would stand for over 50 years, when he rushed for 218 yards on November 12.