(1924-2002)
Inducted into Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, 1985
Born and raised in Hartford, Yellin graduated from Weaver High School, where he became known as “Bull” for his role as fullback on three powerful Weaver varsity football teams. In 1940, Yellin scored both touchdowns to lead Weaver to a 12-6 victory over archrival Hartford High School in their annual Thanksgiving battle watched by thousands of fans. The next season, Yellin was elected captain of the Weaver varsity football team, and subsequently led Weaver to its first undefeated football season. Yellin was an all-around athlete, playing on the varsity baseball and basketball teams for each season and earning three varsity letters in each of his three high school years at Weaver. It was said that he hit the longest home run in Weaver history and was offered a try-out to play major league baseball. Instead, he accepted a scholarship offer from Temple University. In his freshman year, Yellin earned a berth on the varsity football team, playing at quarterback. He was thereafter written about in a national football magazine as an outstanding player “to watch” in the next football season but left school to volunteer in the U.S. Air Force in World War II.
Yellin served for three years in the 13th Air Force and served overseas in New Guinea and in the Philippines. After the war, he returned to Temple and completed his college degree in Business Administration and joined his father’s business and then another family business, the New Britain Plumbing Supply Company in New Britain. He worked there for more than 30 years before retiring in 1997. In the late 1960s, Yellin and his brother Mark led the purchase of the Hartford Capitols professional basketball team in the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA). As Director of Player Personnel, Yellin built a strong Caps team, delighting local fans for many years by bringing many talented professionals to this area. These included former Celtic star and Hall of Famer, K. C. Jones; Art Heyman, Duke All-American and the 1963 College Player of the Year; York Larese, great North Carolina All-American; former Celtic’s center and Boston Braves pitcher, Gene Connelly, and many more.
In 1970, Yellin again demonstrated his great athletic ability when he teamed up with Donald “Red” Wallace of New Britain to win the International Racquetball Championships in St. Louis, MO. They were old enough to be considered Seniors and could have competed in that category, but instead chose to compete in the over-all championship and won. Yellin served as chairman of the West Hartford Republican First District Committee, and later served on the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission. He served for 25 years as an active committee member of the annual Cancer Research Golf Tournament, raising substantial money for cancer research at UConn Health Center.