WORLD CHAMPIONS
The 1962 Green Bay Packers - 13-1 (1ST - Western Conference)
Head Coach: Vince Lombardi
1962 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (6-0)
OFF DEF
AUGUST (4-0) RESULT RECORD ATT RSH PSS RSH PSS STARTING QB LEADING RUSHER LEADING PASSER LEADING RECEIVER
3 College All-Stars at Chicago W 42-20 1- 0-0 65,000 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (43) Bart Starr (255) Boyd Dowler (6-137)
10 at Dallas Cowboys W 31- 7 2- 0-0 54,500 110 233 129 116 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (42) Bart Starr (164) Boyd Dowler (5-66)
18 St. Louis Cardinals at Jacksonville W 41-14 3- 0-0 18,250 73 122 68 176 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (49) Bart Starr (86) Max McGee (4-46)
25 M-CHICAGO BEARS W 35-21 4- 0-0 44,326 162 172 80 25 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (119) Bart Starr (187) Boyd Dowler (6-67)
SEPTEMBER (2-0)
3 G-NEW YORK GIANTS W 20-17 5- 0-0 38,669 168 142 42 155 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (83) Bart Starr (165) Boyd Dowler (5-44)
8 Washington Redskins at Columbus, GA W 20-14 6- 0-0 16,000 93 272 99 209 Bart Starr Tom Moore (37) Bart Starr (177) Two tied with 5 each
1962 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (13-1)
SEPTEMBER (3-0)
16 G-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0) W 34- 7 1- 0-0 38,669 185 123 129 48 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (75) Bart Starr (108) Boyd Dowler (3-95)
23 M-ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (1-0) W 17- 0 2- 0-0 44,885 171 163 16 115 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (122) Bart Starr (173) Boyd Dowler (5-82)
30 G-CHICAGO BEARS (2-0) W 49- 0 3- 0-0 38,669 244 165 85 91 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (126) Bart Starr (154) Boyd Dowler (5-57)
OCTOBER (4-0)
7 G-DETROIT LIONS (3-0) W 9- 7 4- 0-0 38,669 129 190 107 92 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (95) Bart Starr (198) Max McGee (5-69)
14 at Minnesota Vikings (0-4) W 48-21 5- 0-0 41,475 209 297 46 260 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (164) Bart Starr (297) Max McGee (10-159)
21 M-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (3-2) W 31-13 6- 0-0 46,010 251 85 163 19 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (160) Bart Starr (107) Ron Kramer (4-67)
28 at Baltimore Colts (3-3) W 17- 6 7- 0-0 57,966 111 141 155 154 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (68) Bart Starr (152) Ron Kramer (3-76)
NOVEMBER (3-1)
4 at Chicago Bears (4-3) W 38- 7 8- 0-0 48,753 215 161 65 147 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (124) Bart Starr (181) Max McGee (4-58)
11 at Philadelphia Eagles (1-6-1) W 49- 0 9- 0-0 60,671 294 334 30 24 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (141) Bart Starr (274) Max McGee (7-174)
18 G-BALTIMORE COLTS (5-4) W 17-13 10- 0-0 38,669 87 29 189 193 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (46) Bart Starr (57) Max McGee (2-26)
22 at Detroit Lions (8-2) L 14-26 10- 1-0 57,578 73 49 157 147 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (47) Bart Starr (142) Ron Kramer (4-62)
DECEMBER (3-0)
2 M-LOS ANGELES RAMS (1-9-1) W 41-10 11- 1-0 46,833 146 218 146 91 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (71) Bart Starr (260) Dowler/McGee (4-67)
9 at San Francisco 49ers (6-6) W 31-21 12- 1-0 53,769 164 130 36 269 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (79) Bart Starr (130) Ron Kramer (4-48)
16 at Los Angeles Rams (1-11-1) W 20-17 13- 1-0 60,389 181 246 207 96 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (156) Bart Starr (205) Max McGee (5-58)
1962 POST-SEASON SEASON RESULTS (1-0)
1962 NFL CHAMPIONSHIP - DECEMBER
30 at New York Giants (12-2) W 16- 7 64,892 148 96 94 197 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (85) Bart Starr (85) Boyd Dowler (4-48)
G - Green Bay M - Milwaukee
1962 IN REVIEW
Of all the teams to take the field under Vince Lombardi, the 1962 squad came the closest to perfection. Green Bay ripped off ten straight wins to start the season, before falling to Detroit 26-14 on Thanksgiving. The final three games went to the Packers, as did the NFL title game for the second straight year. Even a knee injury to Paul Hornung, which forced him to miss five games, could not slow down Green Bay. Adding in the exhibition season, the Packers went 20-1 in 1962. Green Bay scored a league-high 415, while holding opponents to a league-low 148. The running game set an NFL record with 36 touchdowns. The defense, led by Herb Adderley and Willie Wood, intercepted the most passes - 31 - in the NFL. The only question remaining at the end of the season was "Could Green Bay win three championships in a row?".
A THANKSGIVING TRADITION
The Green Bay Packers were one game from perfection in 1962, and that one loss came on Thanksgiving Day 1962. The Lions' "Fearsome Foursome" (DE Darris McCord, DT Alex Karras, DT Roger Brown and DE Sam Williams) sacked Packers QB Bart Starr 11 times for 110 yards in a 26-14 Detroit destruction of Green Bay. The Packers were 10-0 coming into the game and the Lions' win avenged a 9-7 last-second Green Bay win earlier in the season. Green Bay and Detroit would meet again the following Thanksgiving Day, before Vince Lombardi was able to convince the NFL schedulers to end the series, which ran from 1951 to 1963. Other memorable Packer-Lions Thanksgiving Day games of that series (Courtesy of the Detroit Lions website):
1951 - The highest scoring Thanksgiving Day game in history was the first of 13 straight Turkey Day appearances in Detroit by the Packers. QB Bobby Layne passed for four TD's and B Jack Christiansen returned two punts for a TD (89 and 72-yarders) to spark Detroit to a 52-35 victory. B Bob Hoernschemeyer also chipped in with an 85-yard touchdown run.
1953 - Green Bay led 15-7 at halftime but QB Bobby Layne connected with E Cloyce Box on a 97-yard TD play (now the third-longest in Lions history) and the Lions won 34-15 on the way to their second straight NFL crown.
1954 - Detroit beat Green Bay, 28-24, extending its streak of consecutive wins over the Packers to 12. It was the second time in five days the Lions defeated Green Bay as the clubs met the previous Sunday with Detroit edging the Packers at Lambeau Field, 21-17. Detroit finished the season 9-2-1 but lost the World Championship to Cleveland, 56-10, in a rematch of the 1953 contest.
1956 - A late-game QB Tobin Rote TD pass erased the Lions' title hopes in a 24-20 loss to the Packers. It was the first Thanksgiving Day game shown on national television, something now that is taken for granted.
The teams would not meet again on Thanksgiving Day, after 1963, until 1984.
NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE YR PR AG G HOW ACQUIRED
Herb Adderley 26 CB 6- 1 205 Michigan State 2 2 23 14 1961 Draft-1st
Gary Barnes 80 E 6- 4 210 Clemson 1 1 22 13 1962 Draft-3rd
Ed Blaine 60 G 6- 2 240 Missouri 1 1 22 14 1962 Draft-2nd
Lew Carpenter 33 FB 6- 2 215 Arkansas 4 9 30 14 1959 Trade-Cleve
Dan Currie 58 LB 6- 3 240 Michigan State 5 5 27 12 1958 Draft-1st
Willie Davis 87 DE 6- 3 240 Grambling 3 5 28 14 1960 Trade-Cleve
Boyd Dowler 86 E 6- 5 225 Colorado 4 4 24 14 1959 Draft-3rd
Bill Forrester 71 LB 6- 3 240 SMU 10 10 30 14 1953 Draft-3rd
Ron Gassert 73 DT 6- 3 260 Virginia 1 1 22 11 1962 Draft-4th
Forrest Gregg 75 G 6- 4 250 SMU 6 6 28 14 1956 Draft-2nd
Hank Gremminger 46 DB 6- 1 205 Baylor 7 7 29 14 1956 Draft-7th
Earl Gros 40 FB 6- 3 230 Louisiana State 1 1 22 14 1962 Draft-1st
Dave Hanner 79 DT 6- 2 260 Arkansas 11 11 32 14 1952 Draft-5th
Paul Hornung 5 HB 6- 2 215 Notre Dame 6 6 26 9 1957 Draft-Bonus
Ken Iman 53 C 6- 1 230 SE Missouri St 3 3 24 14 1960 FA
Henry Jordan 74 DT 6- 3 250 Virginia 4 6 27 14 1959 Trade-Cleve
Gary Knafelc 84 E 6- 4 220 Colorado 9 9 30 11 1954 FA-Cardinals
Ron Kostelnik 77 DT 6- 4 260 Cincinnati 2 2 22 14 1961 Draft-2nd
Jerry Kramer 64 G 6- 3 255 Idaho 5 5 26 14 1958 Draft-4th
Ron Kramer 88 E 6- 3 240 Michigan 5 5 27 14 1957 Draft-1st
Norm Masters 78 T 6- 2 250 Michigan State 6 6 29 14 1957 Trade-Det
Max McGee 85 E 6- 3 205 Tulane 7 7 30 14 1954 Draft-5th
Tom Moore 25 HB 6- 2 215 Vanderbilt 3 3 24 14 1960 Draft-1st
Ray Nitschke 66 LB 6- 3 235 Illinois 5 5 25 14 1958 Draft-3rd
Elijah Pitts 22 HB 6- 1 200 Philander Smith 2 2 23 14 1961 Draft-13th
Bill Quinlan 83 DE 6- 3 250 Michigan State 4 6 30 14 1959 Trade- Cleve
Jim Ringo 51 C 6- 1 235 Syracuse 10 10 32 14 1953 Draft-7th
John Roach 10 QB 6- 4 200 SMU 2 5 29 8 1961 Trade-St. L
Bob Skoronski 76 T 6- 3 250 Indiana 5 5 28 13 1956 Draft-5th
Bart Starr 15 QB 6- 1 200 Alabama 7 7 28 14 1956 Draft-17th
John Symank 27 DB 5-11 180 Florida 6 6 27 14 1957 Draft-23rd
Jim Taylor 31 FB 6- 0 215 LSU 5 5 27 14 1958 Draft-2nd
Fuzzy Thurston 63 G 6- 1 250 Valparaiso 4 5 27 14 1959 Trade-Balt
Nelson Toburen 61 LB 6- 3 235 Wichita 2 2 23 10 1961 Draft-14th
NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE YR PR AG G HOW ACQUIRED
Jesse Whittenton 47 DB 6- 0 195 Texas-El Paso 5 7 28 14 1958 FA-Bears
Howard Williams 29 DB 6- 1 190 Howard JC 1 1 24 3 1962 FA
Willie Wood 24 DB 5-10 185 USC 3 3 25 14 1960 FA
NO - Jersey Number POS - Position HGT - Height WGT - Weight YR - Years with Packers PR - Years of Professional Football AGE - Age on September 1 G - Games Played FA - Free Agent
1962 PACKERS DRAFT (December 4, 1961)
RND-PICK NAME POS COLLEGE
1 - 14 Earl Gros FB Louisiana State
2 - 28 Ed Blaine G Missouri
3a - 41 Gary Barnes (A) E Clemson
3b - 42 to Cleveland Browns for John Roach
4 - 56 Ron Gassert DT Virginia
5a - 65 *-Chuck Morris (B) HB Mississippi
5b - 70 Jon Schopf G Michigan
6a - 79 John Sutro (C) T San Jose State
6b - 84 Oscar Donahue E San Jose State
7 - 98 Gary Cutsinger T Oklahoma State
8 - 112 *-James Tulis HB Florida A&M
9 - 126 Pete Schenk DB Washington State
10 - 140 Gale Weidner QB Colorado
11 - 154 *-Jim Thrush E Xavier
12a- 158 Jim Thorne (D) HB S. Dakota St
12b- 168 Tom Pennington K Georgia
13 - 182 Tom Kepner T Villanova
14 - 196 Ernest Green HB Louisville
15 - 210 Roger Holdinsky HB West Virginia
16 - 224 *-James Field DB LSU
17 - 238 Buck Buchanon T Grambling
18 - 252 Bob Joiner QB Presbyterian
19 - 266 Jerry Scattini DB California
20 - 280 Mike Snodgrass C W. Michigan
A - from New York Giants for Joel Wells B - from Baltimore Colts for Lamar McHan C - from Washington Redskins for Dale Hackbart D - from Dallas Cowboys for Steve Meilinger * - Juniors
1962 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS
JULY 18 - Traded LB Tom Bettis to PITTSBURGH for 1963 3rd round choice and 1963 7th round choice
JULY 21 - G Jon Schopf (5th round) left camp.
JULY 29 - Traded T John Sutro to DALLAS for 1963 draft choice. Placed HB Don Ellersick, C George Haney, HB Roger Holdinsky, T Ted Kepner and HB Jerry Scattini on waivers.
AUG 12 - Traded HB Ernie Green to CLEVELAND for 1963 7th round choice
SEPT - Traded DE Ben Davidson to WASHINGTON for 1963 5th round choice
SEPT 4 - Traded E Lee Folkins to DALLAS for 1963 6th round choice and 1963 6th round choice. Traded HB Paul Dudley to NEW YORK for 1963 4th round choice. Waived QB Bob Joiner, K Ben Agajanian and T Dick Davis. HB Howard Williams placed on injured waiver list.
SEPT 11 - Released E Oscar Donahue.
TITLE WIN, RECORD PLAYOFF ENRICH CITY, PACKERS
JAN 2 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay wore an ear-to-ear smile after the "richest" New Years' weekend in our town's history. And a lot of sobering Packer faithful were still pinching themselves - even though the Pack's smashing 37 to 0 victory over the Giants is two days old. The first championship game ever played in Green Bay, the world title, the recognition given the city and fans via the 80 million television audience and national press - all of these things added up to a non-monetary richness for Green Bay. Vince Lombardi hesitated in the revelry Sunday night to now "how wonderful this is for the people of Green Bay." "I have been fortunate enough to receive honors and winning today was the greatest, but I am most happy for the people here. It has been a long time for them. It was wonderful for the city, being shown to millions on television." Lombardi sort of led the complete happiness on the part of everybody in our town New Year's Eve. And people remaining in a state of smile all weekend. There was a re-run of the weekend glow Monday night - when the entire game was shown on TV. For the Packer players, this was the richest payoff in the history of the championship game. Each Packer player received $5,195.44 - not to mention the valuable silver trays from the fans and gifts from the merchants (presented at the Christmas party). In addition, each
players' wife, mother or sweetheart (whatever the case) received a mink stole from the Packer Corp. The winner's share edged by $78.89 the previous record high of $5,116.55 for each member of the champion Eagle team of 1960. Each losing Giant received $3,339.99, compared to the $3,105.14 for each losing Packer after the '60 game. Compare these figures to the $1,441.02 received by each Packer for winning the '44 title! This was the easiest game in the world to savor. First off, the Packers won. Next, the big score. And, of course, every player turned out to be a hero. The domination was complete. The offense scored 11 times - four touchdowns, four extra points and three field goals. The defense shut out the Giants, and, for gravy, intercepted four passes and recovered one fumble. Two of those interceptions, by Ray Nitschke and Hank Gremminger, set up Touchdowns 2 and 3 in the second quarter, the fumble recovery by Forrest Gregg on a punt set up Paul Hornung's second field goal, and an interception by Jess Whittenton set off Hornung's final FG. Actually, the defense set off the spark that put the Pack into a 24-0 halftime lead and capped the 24-point second quarter - with the first of two interceptions, both off Y.A. Tittle, giving the Pack position on the Giant 34 and 36. Bart Starr convinced the Packers that they could move the Giants "great" defense right early. The Bays' QB moved the offense 80 yards in 12 plays for a 7-0 lead, with Hornung scored from six yards out. The key play was a third and six short pass from Starr to Hornung for 26 yards to the Giants' 45. Starr then started popping Hornung and injured Jim Taylor, who gained 186 yards in the earlier Giant game, from the left, middle or right side of the line. Here's the sequence: Hornung left tackle 5 yards, Taylor draw at center 4 yards, Taylor right tackle 5, Taylor right guard 5, Hornung left tackle 7, Taylor right tackle 5. That put it on the 20. The interference on Dowler, Taylor's one-yard smash and Hornung's run produced what turned out to be the only points Green Bay needed. That TD came with four seconds gone in the second period. In the next 10 minutes, the Giants had the ball for just six plays. One was a draw that netted four yards. The other five were Tittle passes, and they were all incomplete but two - the interceptions by Nitschke and Gremminger. The ball caught Nitschke was deflected by Hank Jordan and Gremminger danced like a shot in front of Kyle Rote to intercept the ball. Starr used up 14 plays in producing the two touchdowns after these interceptions. He threw to Boyd Dowler 13 yards for the first and to Ron Kramer for the second. The defense put on a more convincer that period and it must have ruined the confidence of the Giants' offense. The visitors move all the way to the Pack's six but were forced to cough up the ball on downs. The Giants had a third and one situation on the six and Joel Wells was stopped cold up the middle thanks to the big four - Jordan, Dave Hanner, Willie Davis and Bill Quinlan. On fourth down Bob Gaiters tried a running pass and overthrow Rote who was free in the end zone. From the 20 the Pack moved for a field goal chiefly on Hornung's running and a 37-yard Starr-Kramer pass. That was it. The record crowd of 39,029 just sat back and really enjoyed the second half...BRIEFS: In officially accepting the bid to play in the 1962 College All Star game by Tribune Asst. Sports Editor George Strickler, Lombardi laughed, "We were planning on it last year."...Besides breaking Otto Graham's record of 18 with 19 points, Hornung tied a playoff mark for the most field goals in one game, which is three. Jack Manders of the Bears ('33), Bob Snyder of the Bears ('41), Lou Groza of the Browns ('53) and Pat Summerall of the Giants ('59) also kicked three...On the Giants' six first downs was by penalty, again pointing up the job done by the Pack's defense. The Giants got 31 yards rushing, which gives them an even 100 in two games. They made 69 in the Dec. 3 game...Lou Rymkus, the departed coach of the Houston Oilers who handled the Packer offense line in the mid-1950s, wired his best wishes to the Packers yesterday. And you'll never guess who called this office Monday night. Harry Wismer, owner of the NY Titans who sounded like he was happy with the Giants losing. He passed on his congratulations and noted that the TV announcers didn't give the Packers a break in their game telecast. Harry apparently didn't know the official game telecast was re-run here Monday night. We viewed and listened carefully and thought announcers Chris Schenkel and Lindsey Nelson were extremely fair. What's more, they paid exceptional tribute to the Pack during and after the game. And that wasn't easy for Chris, who telecasts the Giants during the season.
PACK, FANS STILL RIDING CLOUD 9
JAN 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay was still pretty well wound up Tuesday. Wires continued to pour into the Packer office. Vince Lombardi felt like jelly. And it wasn't easy getting back to normal today. Conversation about the Packers' 37 to 0 victory over the Giants in the Championship Game Sunday kept things at a standstill yesterday. Customers in downtown stores struck up chats with clerks about the game and sometimes forgot what they came in to buy. Folks working in business offices got little or nothing done. Another holiday? The Packer office was on Cloud 9. Players came in and out to bid their "so longs" until training camp time, and also to pick up wires and letters. Lombardi found it most difficult to concentrate. He received hundreds of telegrams from personal friends, people around the league and fans. The wires were headed by one from President John F. Kennedy, whose message from The White House read: Congratulations on a great game today. It was a fine victory for a great coach, a great team and a great town. Best Regards." Lombardi perhaps explained the feeling of everybody in our town. He flopped his shoulder and explained, "I feel like jelly today." Lombardi faces a busy schedule. He leaves for the league meeting in Miami Thursday. After the NFL sessions, which will take up most of the week, Lombardi will go to Washington to receive the Touchdown Club's Coach of the Year award. Then, he'll visit his mother and father in Brooklyn before returning to Green Bay. A well-earned vacation will follow. Vince and Wife Marie will then go to Europe with the Wellington Maras of the Giants and their long-time friends, the Dr. Tony Pisanis. They'll start with a visit to Rome. Back on the business front, one coach, Red Cochran, is on the scouting and signing trail at the moment. He took in the Sugar Bowl and is now looking in on practices at the Senior Bowl. Scout Dick Voris and Coach Bill Austin covered the Orange Bowl, getting a good look at back Earl Gros, the Pack's first draft choice...FIRST IN LINE: Norman C. (Nibs) Bishop and Joe Hogan didn't waste any time getting ready for the Packers' 1962 season. They ordered four tickets for the College All Star game Aug. 3 at the Packer office Monday...LEFTOVER QUOTE (via Jim Ringo, after title victory): "This is a culmination of everything Coach Lombardi told us when he spoke to us at our first meeting in training camp in 1959."...The Green Bay and Western Railroad has ordered a flock of new box cars and they'll carry the Packer message. The cars will be pained green with gold lettering and will carry a large decal of the Pack...A.F. Bowman, former Racine resident who now lives in Madison, Conn., has written a letter to Mayor Wagner of New York. He penned in part: "In proper recognition of the great international victory at Green Bay, Wis., of the world famous Green Bay Packers, new international champions over the also famous New York Giants, I wish to take this occasion to recommend to you as the first order of business in 1962 of the New York City Council - the changing of the name of your most famous street, Broadway, to Green Bay Avenue."...George Halas, Jr., representing the Bears at the game, was highly impressed by the enthusiasm shown at the game and noted that "it was a great break for the All Star game that the Packers won. Attendance had been going down."...Lombardi's theory on football was carried in large letters in this week's Sports Illustrated, as follows: "Some people try to find things in this game or put things into it which don't exist. Football is two things. It's blocking and tackling. I don't care anything about formations or new offenses or tricks on defense. You block and tackle better than the team you're playing, you win."
SNODGRASS TO CANADA GRID
JAN 3 (Ottawa) - Mike Snodgrass, 6-2, 218-pound lineman from Western Michigan, signed with the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League today. Snodgrass was the 20th draft choice of the champion Green Bay Packers of the NFL.
QUICK LINE-UP CLUE TO STARR'S VALUE
JAN 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A fellow wanted to know who called that quick line-up to stop the clock just before the half of the title game Sunday. "Starr," answered Coach Vince Lombardi, "he's the one with the brains out there? That, Packer Backers, gives you an idea of Bart Starr's stature on this here world championship Packer team. And apparently the fans think the same way because Starr received the largest ovation of any of the Packers removed singly near the end. That was a heart-warming thing for Starr whose college and earlier pro football career was rock-strewn. This pigskin Alger never won a game at Alabama and played behind three quarterbacks for nearly four years with the Packers before winning his first game - that 17-0 victory over Washington here Nov. 22, 1959. He shared the QB'ing in '60, but Lombardi gave him the job by trading Lamar McHan last winter. "He performed like a champion," Lombardi said of Starr after the 37-0 victory, adding, "He called the plays and made the offensive changes that were needed. The score speaks for the job he did." After McHan went to the Colts, Vince pointed to Starr, "He's our No. 1 quarterback. We rise or fall with him." The Packers going into every game exceptionally well prepared to take advantage of anything the enemy has to offer, Starr, a real thinking man's quarterback, than picks the plays that will work the best as the action progresses. Starr threw just 17 passes at the Giants and completed 10 of them. Three of those went for touchdowns - two to Ron Kramer and one to Boyd Dowler. Five of the 10 were quick slants, with the receiver angling toward the middle. The Giants didn't necessarily leave the middle open but they apparently hadn't expected to get hit air-wise in the mid-section. Starr's second pass of the day was toward the middle but he set it up with a bomb to Max McGee. On a second and six situation on the Packer 24, Starr hurled deep to McGee down the left-side sideline. Dick Lynch broke it up by snapping Max's head back with his fingertips just as Max was about to catch the ball around the Giant 30. On the next play, Paul Hornung circled around left end and, running toward the middle, took Starr's pass in stride for a 26-yard gain. The biggest testing job on the Giant defense was on the enemy's plans for Jim Taylor and Hornung. He shot Hornung five times at the Giants' right side where Taylor had run wild in the earlier game. "I never thought of matching wits with them. We wanted to see what defense they had devised for Taylor," said Bart. Hornung thus wound up as the runner and the injured Taylor as blocker and decoy. That quick line-up? With 10 seconds left in the half, Starr completed a 37-yard pass up the middle (of course) to Ron Kramer to the Giants' 10-yard line. Kramer stood like a beacon on the 10 while the rest of the Packers sprinted from their original spot for a quick play. They beat the clock by about 2 seconds, lining up on the ball while Starr quickly threw it into the right flat. This stopped the clock and enabled Hornung to kick a field goal. Starr, himself, gave credit to the Packers' offensive line. "They were off that ball faster than they have been all season. They gave me all the protection I needed. And don't forget the defense. They kept getting that ball back for us," he told writers after the game. Charley Conerly, the Giants' 40-yard old quarterback immortal, summed up Starr's work after the game in one simple remark: "That Starr played a might good game!"
QUIPPPING HUFF CALLS SELF, NOT HORNUNG, 'MOST VALUABLE'
JAN 4 (New York) - Sam Huff, the New York Giants' rugged linebacker, may have lost a couple of teeth and a lot of pride in last Sunday's NFL title game at Green Bay, but his sense of humor emerged undamaged. The 250-pound miner's son from West Virginia had nerve enough to show up at a press luncheon Wednesday honoring Green Bay's Paul Hornung as the most valuable player in the Packers' smashing 37-0 victory, and Huff stole the show. Huff said he couldn't understand why Hornung was receiving the sports car (from Sport magazine) for his role in the game. "Paul wasn't the most valuable player for Green Bay - I was," he said. "I think everybody who saw the game will agree to that." The Giant defensive star told about the eerie feeling of playing in the Green Bay stadium, surrounded by 41,00 fans, all of them hostile. "When I got home, a friend told me he thought his television had gone dead when the Giant players were introduced," Sam drawled. "But it hasn't. When they called out our name - nothing but stony silence. I assured my friend the Green Bay Packers could make a noise like when Y.A. Tittle was trying to call out signals." In a brief serious vein, Huff said he believed that one of the reasons the Giants took such a disgraceful licking was that they had spent too much of themselves in the last game of the regular season against the Cleveland Browns (a 7-7 tie). "We always get up for the Browns for some reason," e added. "That was true again in this case, and we played a hard game. We had a natural letdown." Huff said also the Giants may have let themselves get more concerned over the frozen turf than over the Packers themselves. "I've always said that the only way to beat this club (Green Bay) is to get a quick jump on them and make them go to passing and play your game," he added. "You can't let them play their game - (ball control) - they're murderous. If you let them get the ball on the 50, they'll run it right down your throats. They've got the backs to do it with, too. It's getting so in this league the backs are bigger than the linemen (Hornung weighs 215, so does Packer fullback Jim Taylor). I figure this is no longer the game for me. I've got to get out of this and into something softer - like television or writing." Someone asked Huff about a widely-circulated picture showing a half dozen Packers prancing gingerly away from a play while Huff was struggling to get off his hands and knees. "Trick photography," Sam quipped. "Nothing but trick photography." (The memorable picture was show by Russ Kriwanek of the Press-Gazette staff. And Russ said, This was no trick photography. Huff was a little slow getting up.") Of his award, Hornung said, "It could have gone to any one of the Packers - to Bart Starr, who played a great game at quarterback; Ron Kramer, who caught two touchdown passes, or to the entire offensive line." Of the championship Packers themselves, the versatile halfback remarked, "We're not a great club. We don't have a Johnny Unitas at quarterback. We have no speedy halfbacks and no breakaway fullback like Jimmy Brown. But I've never seen a team with better purpose, more intelligence or greater unity of purpose. Every man knows his job and does it in a cool, businesslike manner." And of the title game, Hornung said, "We knew right after the kickoff we were going to win. And win big." He added that he could not understand the downgrading of the Giants. "We got every break in the book and capitalized on all of them. We respected the Giants, and still do. On any given day, they can beat anybody. But it happened to be our day."
HORNUNG, NITSCHKE, DOWLER OUT BY JULY?
JAN 4 (Washington) - Major league baseball players called to active military service last fall probably won't make spring training, but they could see action before the 1962 season is half over. There has been no definite decision, but it appeared possible today that such players as Tony Kubek of the world champion New York Yankees and Ron Hansen of the Baltimore Orioles, both shortstops, may be cavorting around the infield before July 4...TWO NEW DIVISIONS: President Kennedy announced yesterday that two new regular Army divisions will be formed this year. The announcement said that two National Guard divisions and assorted guard and reserve units reactivated in September and October "will be released this year as the international situation and the readiness status of the two new divisions permit." Under law, the 32nd division of Wisconsin and the 49th division of Texas can be held until Oct. 15. But defense department officials have indicated they are shooting for deactivation by June 30. Some smaller units could be released before then. Reactivated professional football players, many of whom managed to finish the 1961 season by obtaining weekend passes, would be demobilized in plenty of time for the 1962 season if the June 30 is achieved...NO SPECIAL CONSIDERATION: Among the solider-players who scurried from camp to gridiron and back this fall and winter were three key members of the NFL champion Green Bay Packers - Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke. Besides Kubek and Hansen, some of the major leaguers called to active duty last fall included Steve Barber and Barry Shetrone of Baltimore, Bob Johnson of Washington, Jim Grant, Wynn Hawkins and Walter Bond of Cleveland, Dick McAuliffe of Detroit, George Thomas of the Los Angeles Angels, Rueben Amaro and Jim Coker of Philadelphia, Dick Bertell of the Chicago Cubs and John Orsino of San Francisco. Pentagon officials, in discussing the possible release by June 30, stressed that no special consideration will be shown to professional athletes.
GROS NOW WORLD CHAMP; VOWS 'GOOD TRY'
JAN 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Earl Gros became a world champion at 7:15 Thursday night. Fittingly, the Packers' first draft choice was the first player to sign with the newly-born champs. Scout Dick Voris signed the 220-pound LSU fullback to a Packer contract at the Battle House in Mobile, Ala., and Voris quickly called the good news to Tom Miller, the Packer publicist who spread it world wide, and to Coach Vince Lombardi, who is at the NFL convention in Miami. Voris said Gros "was extremely happy to sign with us" after bidding with the AFL Houston Oilers, who had made him their first choice. Gros, reached in Mobile today, said, "I had given both teams a lot of thought and I made up my mind Thursday. I guess I just wanted to play in the National League." The 21-year old back, who is a native of Houma, Ls., explained that "the National League certainly is a bigger challenge and I'll give it a good try." Asked if he was acquainted with the Packers, Gros said he was able to see the first half of the championship game on television. "That 24 to 0 score looked good. I didn't know too much about the Packers except they're a good team and I know Jim (Taylor). They do good blocking up there." The new Packer said he plays about the same weight as Taylor - "between 210 and 220. I weight a little over 220 right now." Gros, which is pronounced "grow," stands just under 6-3. Gros is married and has a three-month old son, Earl II. "We don't call him Earl Junior, just Earl the Second," the young father pointed out. His wife, Mickey, hails from Delhi, La. Baltimore Coach Weeb Ewbank, who is coaching the South in the televised Senior Bowl in Mobile Saturday (Gros will wear No. 33), says Gros didn't get in until Tuesday but he learned all the plays in a hurry. "I believe he's an intelligent athlete," Ewbank said, "and he runs exceptionally hard and catches the ball well." Weeb added: "I'd like to have him myself but we saw this Houston thing coming and we needed a defensive back, so we picked Wendell Harris." Ewbank also added his congratulations to the Packers for winning the "big one," pointing out: "You people really played a fine game. You came to play." Lombardi expressed pleasure with Gros' signing. "He should fit in well with our other running backs. He's along the lines of Taylor, Moore and Hornung," Vince said. Tom Moore, Paul Hornung and Taylor are 200-plus-pounders. Elijah Pitts, who made such a hit in his rookie year, packs 194. The Packers now have signed their top four choices in the current draft. Added earlier were guard Ed Blaine of Missouri, 230 pounds; end Gary Barnes of Clemson, 210; and tackle Ron Gassert of Virginia, 240. George Versprille, 180-pound halfback from Howard College, has been signed to a Packer contract as a free agent. Versprille averaged 6.7 yards a carry in school but he'll be tested as a defensive back and punter.
CAL'S COMMENTS
JAN 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Ever since 1919, Green Bay, "the pro town with the college spirit," has beamed with pleasure as the Packers gained football glory across the country, from New York to California and from Minnesota down to Texas. During the many years that the Packers pranced to gridiron glory, including seven NFL championships, there were many odd "happening," and here are more of 'em: 1930 - We had a back-to-back series with Minneapolis. We played the first one in the Twin Cities and won, 13-0. The crowd there wasn't anything to enthuse about. As a matter of fact, when I went to the office after the game to get the check, I got some back news. Val Ness, secretary of the Minneapolis game, casually remarked there would be no money for us - they couldn't pay our guarantee. Fortunately, Minneapolis was scheduled to play in Green Bay the following weekend. I told them there would be no money for them for that one and they said that would be all right, they would show up. Even so, I was nervous about it until they sent a starting lineup and roster later in this week - that eased our fear a little bit. Sunday morning came and I was a reception committee of one at the North Western railroad station. The train pulled in and I watched all the passengers get out - but no football players. Then my troubles began. I finally found a brakeman and asked him, "Don't you have any football players on this train?" He laughed and said, "Oh, yes, but they asked to cut off the train in the yard so they could get a little extra sleep." I stopped sweating immediately...1933 - Lavvie Dilweg, the All-American end from Marquette who played with us from 1937 through 1934, made one tackle in his career as a Packer when he was not in uniform. The Packers at that time had their ticket office in the old Columbus Club Bldg. It was during the week before the Bear game, for which tickets had been selling like hotcakes - as usual. The report got around that some fake ducats were being circulated, which had the people around the courthouse lawn across the street walking around on tip-toe. They were a little bit uneasy. Finally, some "stranger" approached a couple of fans and offered to sell some tickets for half price. One of the fans said, "Oh, so you're the one who is selling those fake tickets?" And the individual trying to dispose of the paste boards started to run. Just about that time, Dilweg appeared on the scene heard the yells and ran after him. After a short chase, Lavvie made a diving tackle and nabbed the alleged culprit. It was a few years later that Dilweg made another good run - for Congress. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1942, serving one term.
PACKERS CHALLENGE TO OTHER NFL TEAMS
JAN 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Remember the Packers' late lamented 11-year famine? Not a "plus" season from 1948 through 1958! There are some experts who feel the Packers are beginning a long, long feast. That was the aftermath around the country of the Pack's convincing 37 to 0 victory over the Giants in the championship game a week ago today. This is certain. The Packers present a stiff challenge to the 13 other clubs in the NFL. The men of Vince Lombardi did some amazing things in '60 under the handicaps of injuries, sickness and the Army. They won the Western Division championship in 12 games, with a 10-2 record, and then gave the rest of the league a stern warning by smothering New York. One wonders what would have happened if the Pack hadn't lost Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke to service. They were called up shortly after the Packers demolished the Browns Oct. 15. Lombardi called the Packers of that day the greatest he had ever seen. With injuries and the three servicemen coming and going and not practicing, the Bays still won going away. Concerning enemies around the league now is the youth of the world champions. It's fairly obvious that the team, other than two or three players, will be together for another four or five years. And you can bet Lombardi will constantly be on the lookout for replacements for worn out parts. He won't let the team grow old. The 12 offensive starters, including Jerry Kramer, who was knocked out by injury for the season at the start of the seventh game, average slightly under five years of experience. Their years total 59. Jim Ringo has played nine years; Bart Starr and Max McGee six each; Paul Hornung, Forrest Gregg and Norm Masters five each; Jim Taylor, Ron Kramer, Bob Skoronski, J. Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston, four each; and Boyd Dowler three. Starr, who ranks right up there with John Unitas, is looking forward to a long career. And he's the key to the offense. None of the other offensive starters have even mentioned early retirement. Ringo, still practically a kid at 29, could easily play five more years. The 12 defensive starters, including the alternating Tom Bettis and Ray Nitschke at middle linebacker, average slightly over five years of experience. Their years total 67. Dave Hanner has played 10 years; Bill Forester nine; Bettis seven; Jess Whittenton and Hank Gremminger six each; John Symank, Hank Jordan and Bill Quinlan five each; Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke, Dan Currie four each; Willie Wood two. Hanner, 31, loves football and he'll hate to leave. He's fresh from one of best years despite an appendectomy in mid-season. Dave, rarely hurt, probably will play three more years. Forester was ready to put away the moleskins three years ago, but the big linebacker now would like to go the "route." Bill is just turning 30 and is always in good condition. Other than Em Tunnell, Gary Knafelc and Lew Carpenter, the Packer bench is real young. Tunnell is the daddy at 35 years of age and 14 years of experience. Carpenter and Knafelc have each played eight years but they're only 29, which makes them practically futures. Both played little but still had what might be termed "good years." The Bays have another old one, Mr. Ben Agajanian, the kicking specialist. Ben came along late, as insurance on Hornung's right toe. Not counting Agajanian who actually is a part-time player, Tunnell is probably the only retirement possibility. Em is convinced he can play another year and he'll probably try it - unless he changes his mind over the long winter. He's a wonderful guy and a tremendous influence on all of the players. He'd be missed. Others on the bench are Ken Iman, a sophomore; Joh Roach, the four-year quarterback who came to GB from Cleveland; and the six rookies - Herb Adderley, Ben Davidson, Lee Folkins, Ron Kostelnik, Elijah Pitts, and Nelson Toburen. And speaking about the future, the Packers wasted no time in planning for the future. They've signed their top four draft choices already, including the No. 1 pick, the 225-pound fullback from LSU, one Earl Gros.
PACKERS WILL NOT BE FAT CATS IN '62, LOMBARDI VOWS
JAN 8 (Miami Beach, FL) - The Green Bay Packers will not be fat cats, resting on their well-padded bank accounts next fall, if Vinnie Lombardi can help it. "Complacency always is a problem with a championship team," said Lombardi who doubled in brass as coach and general manager of the Packers. "We'll have to try to overcome it." Those who have watched Lombardi drive his men in 15-below degree weather on a frozen field do not doubt for a minute that he will find a way to keep the fearsome Packers in line. Lombardi, whose Packers humbled New York 37-0 in the NFL title game, refused to single out one team as top contender in the loaded Western Conference. "The Chicago Bears finished real strong," he said. "Baltimore always will be a contender as long as they have Johnny Unitas. You expect Los Angeles to explode any minute. San Francisco has great speed. Detroit has a solid defense and Minnesota is coming. We have a fine balance in the Western Conference. The East has some good clubs at the top but tapers off in the lower regions." After his Packers thumped Cleveland in mid-season, Lombardi said they were "the best football club ever." He still thinks so but he does not believe their playoff game with the Giants was their best effort. "We were a perfect football team against Cleveland that day," he said. "We weren't blocking as crisply against the Giants. Actually, I think we were better offensively in our first game with the Giants than in the playoff game." Lombardi thinks he came out with a top flight draft choice in Earl Gros, Louisiana State fullback who scored two touchdowns in the Senior Bowl game. "Gros is a 227-pounder," he said. "We'll have four big running backs in Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Tom Moore and Gros. To help Boyd Dowler at flanker back, we drafted Oscar Donahue of San Jose State who has good speed and Gary Barnes of Clemson. I think we helped ourselves considerably. We are a young club, averaging only 25. They'll all be back, except possible Em Tunnell. Our offensive line should be intact and we drafted John Schopt of Michigan and Ed Blaine of Missouri, two offensive guards. Don't forget we won without Jerry Kramer, the best guard in the league. We also hope to have our three men out of the Army by then - Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Dowler. On defense, the only man with any age is Dave Hanner and he is not too old. Ron Gassert, a tackle from Virginia, may help and we also have Ron Kostelnik, who was a rookie last year. Our linebackers are young. We drafted quite a few defensive backs because we needed more depth." Lombardi, a disciple of old meat and potatoes football, said he didn't plan to change. "We'll go with the 'big men' offense. The smaller men with speed may be faster, but we like to control the ball." With the draft choices added to the championship team that rolled to an 11-3 record, the Packes are sure thing to be odds-on favorites to repeat next fall.
PACK HAS SIGNED MOST DRAFT PICKS
JAN 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers came out of the Dec. 4 draft with 23 players, out of a possible 20. Vince Lombardi picked up a few extras via trade. So what's the score today - 35 days, one Western Division championship and one world championship later. Tom Miller, Packer publicist, was rehashing the Pack's draft list at the weekend luncheon meeting of the Mike and Pen Club at the Elks Club Monday noon. Milwaukee unearthed these facts: (1) Eighty-five percent of the list has been signed; (2) two players were signed by the rival AFL; (3) one went to Canada; (4) six players have been announced as signed; and (5) "some of our boys looked good in the bowl games." Five of the 23 players are "junior eligibles," meaning that they have another year of college football left. They could be drafted because their original class will be graduated this coming June. Lost to Canada was center Mike Snodgrass, the 20th choice from Western Michigan College. Going to the AFL were tackle Gary Cutsinger of Oklahoma State, seventh choice; and back-kicker Tom Pennington of Georgia, the 12th choice. Without the five juniors and three departees, the Packers have 15 players left for 1962. Six of the leftees have been signed - Choices 1, 2, 4, 4, 18 and 19. The remaining nine players are unsigned or unannounced for various reasons, including spring sports. The signers are headed by fullback Earl Gros of LSU, the first choice. The others are guard Ed Blaine of Missouri, No. 2; end Gary Barnes of Clemson, No. 3; tackle Ron Gassert of Virginia, No. 4; quarterback Bob Joiner of Presbyterian, No. 18; and back Jerry Scattini of California, No. 19. Miller enthused over the play of the potential Packers in the various bowl games, pointing out: "Gros looked strong and he gained 114 yards. It's quite a thing Gros and the Bears' first choice (Ronnie Bull) looking so good in the game (Senior Bowl). And how about Gassert in the U.S. Bowl? He was picked as the third outstanding player and that's something when you consider that linemen hardly ever get a tumble when they have to compete with backs. Gassert looked like Henry Jordan's twin - the way he walked, ran around and even some of his plays. I think Weidner surprised everybody as quarterback for Colorado in the Orange Bowl. He didn't have much help. And did you notice that Schenck intercepted a pass in the Senior Bowl?" The Packers may go to camp with two rookie quarterbacks if Weidner gets on the bandwagon with Joiner. Lombardi is constantly on the lookout for a future Starr. Weidner and Joiner, you can be sure, will get a close look.
NFL CLUBS TO GET $320,000 EACH UNDER NEW TV PACT
JAN 11 (Miami Beach, FL) - The NFL signed a two-year, $9.3 million television contract with a single network (CBS) today under which each of the 14 clubs will receive about $320,00 a year. Commissioner Pete Rozelle said the only club that would received less for its TV rights was Baltimore, which worked with a different network last season. Pittsburgh, which also had a separate deal, will receive about the same as last year, Rozelle said. "All the other clubs will receive appreciably more," he said. "All 14 clubs are happy. Equality of competition has been the greatest single factor in the success of the league. This equal distribution of TV income will aid us appreciably in preserving a balanced league. It will enable teams like Dallas and Minnesota, both of which have made spectacular strides in their short existence, to compete on an even stronger level with the established clubs." Rozelle said all the clubs, except Dallas, made money during the past season. He re-emphasized there was no talk of merger with the rival AFL. Under the old agreement, each club made separate deals with networks or sponsors. A league contract with one network (CBS) was negotiated last April but was nullified in July when a federal judge ruled it violated an anti-trust law. The league then reverted to its policy of separate deals by each club in 1961. Eleven used CBS facilities. Baltimore and Cleveland worked with Sports Network. As a result, some non-league cities had two games on the same day. A bill, introduced by Rep. Emanuel Celler, D-NY, was signed in October by President Kennedy, The law exempts pro football, baseball, basketball and hockey leagues from anti-trust law in the area of a single network TV contract. Rozelle said the $4,650,000 would be split 14 ways annually after a deduction of $40,000 each for the two late season Saturday games and league fees. He estimated each club would get about $320,000. The league spent the balance of the day of its final session trying to agree on preseason exhibition schedules. They will be announced
later by individual clubs. Coach-GM Vince Lombardi is representing the Packers. The regular championship schedule will be drawn up later. Each club will play 14 regular season games as in 1961...Colts' owner Carroll Rosenbloom believes the new TV contract will force his club to operate in the red during 1962. "For the past two years, our television contract with NBS has kept us in the black," Rosenbloom said last night. "If we had not had the pact, we would have operated in the red those two years because of our continually increasing operating costs. We will take a beating on the new TV contract," he said, "which means we will operate in the red next season. We agreed to the contract solely because we knew it would help strengthen the league over the long run and make NFL football better." Rosenbloom said he believes the package deal was sold too cheaply. "The deal is much too little," he said. "Why networks put on spectaculars costing over $1 million for just an hour show. We are selling our games for something over $4 million for a whole season."
PACK SHOULD HAVE OVER 8 IN 'BOWL'
JAN 11 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers should have more than eight players in the Pro Bowl game in Los Angeles. That's not hometown prejudice speaking. That paragraph comes straight from the top - Commissioner Pete Rozelle, himself. Rozelle mentioned it at the press, radio and TV breakfast at the Northland Hotel the morning of the championship game. "You might explain," Pete pointed out, "that we're bending over backwards now with eight from Green Bay. There should be more but seven is the limit. Paul Hornung is a logical choice but being in service he can't play. There are several other Packers who should be there." Five members of the Packers' starting offensive team were selected - quarterback Bart Starr, fullback Jim Taylor, end Max McGee, tackle Forrest Gregg and center Jim Ringo. The Packer defensive players named were linebacker Bill Forester, halfback Jess Whittenton, and tackle Hank Jordan. They're drilling under Coach Norm Van Brocklin in LA this week. Hornung, of course, is the top player in the league and it's unfortunate he can't be present. At least two more members of the Pack's high-scoring offense easily could have made the West team - guard Fuzzy Thurston and end Ron Kramer. Thurston was quite puzzled when the picks came out since he made three all-pro teams, the AP, UPI and NEA. And can you find a better blocking and pass catching closed end in the West than Kramer? Not on your life! West's offensive guards are Ted Connolly of the 49ers and Stan Jones of the Bears. Gregg is one of three tackles (with Bob St. Clair of the 49ers and Jim Parker of the Colts) but he can also play offensive guard - as he did with such brilliance when Jerry Kramer, another all-pro, was injured midway in the season. Mike Ditka, the Bears' star who was named rookie of the year, is getting the call over Kramer. Ditka caught 12 touchdown passes - the highest rookie total since McGee caught nine as a freshman in '54. Billy Howton broke in with 13 for the Pack in '52. Incidentally, McGee, one of the most underrated ends in the league, will be playing in his first pro bowl game. The other seven world champions are repeat selections. Two more members of the Pack's defense, which shut out the Giants in the title game, could have made the West squad. How about Dan Currie and Willie Davis? Forester's linebacking teammates will be Bill George of the Bears, Joe Schmidt of the Lions and Les Richter of the Rams. Currie could easily get the nod over Richter. The defensive ends are Doug Atkins of the Bears and Gino Marchetti of the Colts. Big Gino is a cinch but, methinks, the West team could use Davis' speed to better advantage than Atkins' straight-ahead power. The Packers were due to have one more representative in LA. That would be Coach Vince Lombardi, who, as coach of the Western Division champions, is the logical choice to handle the West. Lombardi, however, begged off and Van Brocklin was named West coach. Vince coached the 1961 West team to a 35-31 victory...Giant coach Al Sherman, who will coach the East team in the Pro Bowl, feels about the same two weeks later - about the 37-0 loss to the Pack, that is. He told LA scribe Al Wolf this week: "I couldn't care less about the abuse of the players and coaches of the Giants have received from various sources since that game. (The NY press panned the Giants unmercifully after the game.) My men played great ball all season against many obstacles. We were rated only third or fourth before the race began and we encountered some very damaging injuries to key personnel. But the club came through with a great effort. I'm mighty proud of every Giant. Let people say what they want. Green Bay was a prime team in every respect the day we met them for the title - line to line, backfield, offense, defense. Admittedly, we weren't at a peak. And those things get to snowballing. Green Bay deserved to win and they did. What's the difference whether it's 1 point or 37 points. You still lose."
WHAT DOES VINCE NEED? MARA ASKS
JAN 12 (Miami Beach, FL) - A fellow made the rounds of the NFL asking each club "What do you need most?" Wellington Mara, vice-president of the New York Giants, answered. Then he added: "I can't wait t read the story to see what Vince Lombardi needs." Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, of course, clobbered the Giants 37-0 in the league championship game on New Year's eve. The survey showed that even Lombardi was not satisfied. He wanted help, too. Trade talk, begun at the league's annual meetings, probably will solve some of the problems for the 14 clubs. Others hope to fill the gap wit the new crop of college draftees. Here is what they want, club by club: WESTERN DIVISION, GREEN BAY - A defensive lineman and a defensive back. Lombardi thinks his draftees will fill the bill. DETROIT - A running back, offensive lineman, and possibly a quarterback. BALTIMORE - A big halfback to help Johnny Unitas and defensive backs. Wendell Harris of LSU may bolster defensive backfield. CHICAGO - Help in the secondary both at halfback and safety positions. LOS ANGELES - A big rushing lineman like the Packers' Henry Jordan and
offensive lineman, Drafted heavy in offensive linemen. SAN FRANCISCO - A linebacker, offensive backs and ends, set at quarterback. MINNESOTA - Defensive players, up front and in the secondary after giving up more points than any other club in the league. Count on Roy Winston of LSU as a linebacker...EASTERN DIVISION, NEW YORK - Defensive lineman to lighten the load for the "big four" that played all the way in most of 14 games. Also help for offensive line. PHILADELPHIA - Offensive lineman to hold off the rush on Sonny Jurgensen and a linebacker to replace Chuck Bednarik if he retires. Also could use an offensive end. CLEVELAND - Offensive tackle, receivers, a linebacker and a defensive back. Also a defensive end to replace Jim Houston who went into the Army. Ernie Davis of Syracuse due to carry heavy load at halfback, taking some pressure off Jimmy Brown. Gary Collins of Maryland expected to make it as offensive end and punter. Count on Charles Hinton of North Carolina College and the return of Gene Hickerson who broke leg in first preseason game. PITTSBURGH - An outside running threat and a quarterback to spell, and perhaps replace, Bobby Layne. Expect big lift from fullback Bob Ferguson of Ohio State. Think Gary Ballman of Michigan State may be flanker needed. DALLAS - Big men all along the line needed on both offense and defense with key carryover personnel of Bob Lilly, Jerry Tubbs, Don Bishop, Don Meredith and Don Perkins. ST. LOUIS - Offensive linemen and a little more luck after losing 11 men due to injuries during the 1961 season. Count on tackle Fate Echols of Northwestern and Irv Goode of Kentucky for offensive line. WASHINGTON - Offensive lineman and a fullback with the hope that Ron Hatcher of Michigan State can do the job. George Marshall thinks he has found the speed he needs in Bobby Mitchell of Cleveland and LeRoy Jackson of Western Illinois.
TITLE REMATCH (PACK VS. GIANTS) IN BOWL?
JAN 12 (Los Angeles) - The NFL's best players - minus the No. 1 among them - square off Sunday in what almost looks like a rematch of the NFL title game. Eight Green Bay Packers and eight New York Giants - nearly 25 percent of each squad - will be in the Eastern and Western division lineups. But missing is the NFL's most valuable player, Paul Hornung, who is still driving jeeps at Ft. Riley, Kan. Position-by-position battles in this 12th annual All-Star game will in many cases pit men who opposed each other in the title game. Easterners, of course, hope for a different result than the 37-0 trouncing New York took from the Packers. One element is certain to be different: The weather. Fans shivered in 21 degree temperature two Sundays ago in Green Bay. The weatherman here looks for clear mid-60 to upper-60 air at Los Angeles Coliseum, which should allow attacks to open up more and pass receivers to grab the ball with greater ease. The Giant-Packer battle begins at quarterback, with Y.A. Tittle opening for Allie Sherman's East team, and Bart Starr throwing for Norm Van Brocklin's Westerners. The unspectacular Starr finally gained a star's recognition this year, showing that Green Bay won because, not in spite, of him. Tittle, traded by San Francisco, sent Charlie Conerly to the bench for much of the year as he guided the surprising New Yorkers. Each will have a favorite end in the lineup - Del Shofner from the Giants and Max McGee from the Packers. The primary fullback battle pits Green Bay's Jim Taylor against Cleveland's Jim Brown. But New York's Alex Webster is available to spell Brown and led title game atmosphere. Elsewhere on offense, Green Bay has center Jim Ringo and tackle Forrest Gregg. Each club has a defensive halfback - Packer Jess Whittenton and Giant Erich Barnes. Each has a linebacker - Bill Forester and Sam Huff. The East also has two New York ends, Jim Katcavage and Andy Robustelli, and a safety, Jim Patton. The West has Packer tackle Henry Jordan.
CAL'S COMMENTS
JAN 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers started "railroading" to gridiron fame in the early twenties (the plane-hops came years later) and these trips took them to many cities that no longer dot the NFL map. These spots included Rock Island, Duluth, Providence, Boston, Stapleton, New York, Pottsville, Pa., Portsmouth, Ohio, Frankford, Pa., Brooklyn, Kansas City and St. Louis, which dropped out after the 1923 season and again after a brief reappearance in 1934 when a team called the Gunners took over the franchise forfeited by Cincinnati in November, but returned to the circuit in 1960 when the Chicago Cardinals moved to the Mound City...1923: The Packers were just starting to get some football "ink" when they invaded St. Louis in 1923 and the St. Louis Sun Times spread it on thick about the "Wisconsin Wonders." Frank (Zach) Taylor, a native Green Bayite who died here Jan. 16, 1961, was the managing editor of the newspaper. He did everything possible to make the Bays feel at home, and was in turn invited to sit on the Packer bench at the game. The contest was played under "leaden" skies and the sidelines were muddy but editor Taylor enjoyed every minute despite the muck. The teams battled to a scoreless tie through three quarter, but late in the fourth frame the Packers recovered a fumble on the St. Louis 20-yard line, and Howard (Cub) Buck kicked a field goal to cinch a 3-0 victory for Green Bay. Everybody on the Packer bench jumped for joy as Buck's boot sailed between the uprights. In the excitement, editor Taylor slipped down in the mid, but he got up smiling and said, "Who cares! It was a great win for my old hometown."...1937: The Packers invaded the East and instead of putting up in New York, the entire squad went out to the Blue Hills Country Club in New Jersey, where there were hills - and everything else. It was quite a layout. Cots were put up for the players in a big barracks, which also was used as an auditorium. There wasn't enough room for the whole squad to sleep there so a number of the players camped in at a small hour right near the edge of the country club's property. Strange as it may see, adjoining the country club property was an insane asylum, from which weird sounds were often heard. Curly Lambeau sent Red Smith, our line coach at the time, down to the adjacent building to supervise things. After Red got his house in order, he came back to the big barracks to talk shop with the coach. In the meantime, the players at the "out camp" fixed Smith's bed so that it would tumble down the minute he sat on it. When Red came back, three or four of them sneaked out the side door. Red's bed, which was right up against the window, collapsed the minute he sat down. The guys outside started pounding on the window, making crazy noises and yelling, "We'll get you, we'll get you." They scared the living daylights out of him. As you can imagine, it didn't take Red long to get his clothes and rush out of there. We all pretended to be asleep when he came dashing into the big barracks - you should have seen the expression on his face. Red sat up all night in a rocking chair - he was afraid to close his eyes. The next morning, Lambeau made arrangements to vacate Blue Hills and, at 2:30 in the afternoon, we left for New York and the Victoria Hotel - much to Red's relief. Among those who had a hand in Smith's "downfall" were Arnie Herber, Joe Laws, Clarke Hinkle and Bernie Scherer, all fun-loving boys.
UNITAS, JORDAN SPARKS 31-30 WEST VICTORY
JAN 15 (Los Angeles-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers' Henry Jordan and the Colts' John Unitas made the amazing plays in the most thrilling Pro Bowl game in history in the Coliseum Sunday. Unitas hurled a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jon Arnett in the last two seconds and Jim Martin, with Bart Starr holding, kicked the extra point that gave the West a hair-raising 31 to 30 victory over the East in this 12th postseason game before 57,609. Jordan provided the early difference by blocking an extra point kick by Bobby Walston after Milt Plum hurled a seven-yard pass to Walston for the East's second touchdown in the third period. That made the score 24-16, West. "It was easy," said Jordan, explaining: "That big Dou Atkins of the Bears pulled the East guard for me and I went in to block it. It's a good thing the kick was straight up the middle or else I might have missed it with my arms." Jordan was like a shot and was five yards back of kicker Walston before the kicker dropped his foot. "I was in on somebody during the league season but the kick was off to one side and I missed it," said Henry. Unitas' game-winning touchdown pass, which electrified this West-loving crowd, was a typical "General John" maneuver. The Colts' great quarterback, lining up his team with time running out, was bumped on the last play by Andy Robustelli but he kept his feet and lofted a high pass to Arnett, who was all alone in the end zone. Starr, always an admirer of Unitas' brilliance, marveled at John's skill Sunday and pointed out that the winning TD came down on a play that actually broke down. "He had started with the idea of throwing to his right but the play broke down when he was hit and the receivers were covered. Arnett went straight down the sideline and he was all alone when Unitas spotted him." Starr, the West's starter and offensive captain, hurled a 10-yard TD pass
to Hugh McElhenny to give the West a 24-10 margin at the start of the third quarter. After Walston's score and miss gave the West an eight-point lead, Starr received a bad break in closing the West team in on a 31-16 lead. With big Jim Taylor running for two first downs and Starr hurling 14 yards to McElhenny, the West reached the East's 44-yard line. At this point Starr pitched an 18-yard strike to Mike Ditka to set up a "touchdown." However, the Wests were in motion on the play and the ball and Starr's chances went back to the 50. All of the Packers got their licks in except Max McGee, who played left end when Starr was at QB. McGee didn't have a pass thrown to him all afternoon and Starr explained later, "Maybe I should have thrown something his way."...TAYLOR TOP GAINER: Taylor turned up as the West's top ground gainer with 27 yards in seven carries. Forrest Gregg played both tackles and guards in relieving on the offensive line, while Jim Ringo went the distance at center for his second straight year. Ringo was most pleased - "Four times we got Sam Huff this year," he grinned, noting the Pack's three earlier victories over Huff's team, the Giants. Jordan led the Pack's defensive players, also including Jess Whittenton and Bill Forester. Jordan was rated as the game's most valuable defensive player. Besides blocking the punt, he threw the East quarterback for losses three times. Few gains were made off the right side, which featured Forester and Whittenton. Jordan played up and down the defensive line, playing both ends and his pet tackle spot. Jimmy Brown was rated the offensive player of the game, the vote coming before he fumbled to set up the West's winning TD. Brown reeled off 120 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown that gave the East a 30-24 lead with six minutes left in the game. The Chicago Bears' Bill George, who pried the ball loose from Brown, recovered it to set up Unitas' heroics. Jordan came up with water on the knee after the game due to an injury suffered in the first quarter. The hurt didn't bother his play the rest of the way. All of the Packers pulled out Sunday night. Starr headed for Montgomery, Ala., where he'll be feted at a Bart Starr Day program Wednesday. Jordan went to Virginia for a few days before returning to Green Bay along with Starr. It was a sad day for the East's Y.A. Tittle, the balding quarterback from the Giants, who starred in a losing cause. Tittle mixed his plays beautifully, tossing touchdown passes of 9 and 2 yards and engineered several other long marches. When Brown fumbled in the final minute, the weary Tittle flung his helmets to the ground and marched off the field dejectedly. Brown's touchdown run broke the old Pro Bowl record of 66 yards set by the Colts' Alan Ameche in 1958. The big fullback was tackled on the goal line by San Francisco's Abe Woodson, but lurched over the score. It was the third straight touchdown for the East, which overcame a 24-16 deficit to apparently win the game before Unitas' heroics. In the first period, Dick (Night Train) Lane of Detroit intercepted a Tittle pass and galloped 42 yards for a touchdown. It broke the old Pro Bowl interception record of 39 yards set by the Packers' Bob Dillon in 1958. The East opened the scoring with a 33-yard field goal by Walston early in the first period. But the West roared back with an 11-play, 47-yard scoring march, Unitas passing 16 yards to teammate Raymond Berry for the touchdown. Lane's 42-yard interception run gave the West a 14-3 edge as the quarter ended. Tittle narrowed the score to 14-10 by engineering a 76-yard, nine-play scoring drive. The veteran quarterback tossed a 9-yard pass to Dick Bielski of Dallas for the score. Shortly before the half ended, Martin kicked a 27-yard field goal and the West led 17-10 at halftime. In the third quarter, Yale Lary of Detroit intercepted a Milt Plum pass and ran it back 27 yards to the East 10. Two plays later Bart Starr hurled a 10-yard TD pass to Hugh McElhenny of Minnesota. The East came right back with an 80-yard touchdown drive in nine plays, with Plum passing to Walston for 12 yards and the score. It was then that Jordan and Lane blocked the conversion attempt, and the West led 24-16 as the period ended. Then it was Tittle's turn again as he piloted the East 80 yards in 16 plays, flipping a two-yard pass to Alex Webster of the Giants for a touchdown early in the final quarter. The underdog East then trailed by a point, 24-23. That set the stage for Brown's run and Unitas' winning pass.
PRO FOOTBALL SCOUT NOW HAS TO BE PITCHMAN, PRIVATE EYE
JAN 16 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It is no longer sufficient for a talent scout to merely know football flash - he also must be a combination pitchman and private eye. These last are requisites today in an open market which finds the Packers and their NFL brethren scrambling for the cream of college football's crop in competition with AFL and Canada's pro "salesmen," Packer talent chief scout Dick Voris informed the Mike and Pen Sports Club of Green Bay at the Elks Monday noon. "You must sell your product, you must sell your people who are on your coaching staff to the player and you must be enthusiastic about your product," Voris declared. "It's now getting to be such a problem that it's just like college recruiting." Money, then, is not an overriding consideration? "Some of the boys we've signed have definitely received better offers from clubs in the other leagues," Dick replied. "It's important, of course, but it's only one factor. The personal aspect is very important, too. What is the town like? Would they be accepted? What is there for the wives to do? How are the schools? These are the questions they all ask. Earl Gros, our number one draft choice from LSU, is a good example of how things are now. He told me, 'If there's one team I hoped did not draft me, it was the Packers. They have Taylor, they have Hornung and they have Moore. How can I make that football team?'" This, Voris noted, has a particular Packer problem. "They all wonder how they can make a world championship team and," Dick admitted, "they would stand a better chance with most other clubs."...'WAS I CAPABLE': Such doubts, however, permit him to pursue "one of my main selling points," Voris said. "Everybody knows the NFL is the best football league in the world, so I tell them, if you sign with the AFL or the Canadian league, you will always wonder, 'Was I capable of playing with the best in the NFL?'" He allows this to be digested, then follows with another logical point, "If you don't make it with our team, there are other clubs in the league who may be able to use you. And if you can't make it with any of those, you always can go to the AFL or the Canadian league." "This is something of a switch," Packer Publicist Tom Miller injected. "When the team was down in the 50's, some of the good college players didn't want to come here. They wanted to play with the best." Ultimately, this - plus an assist from rival NFL scouts and coaches - was the approach that won Gros over, Voris disclosed. "On my first visit to Louisiana, I talked to him for hours but couldn't sign him. I went to the West Coast, then back to Louisiana, and talked to him some more, then out to Miami for the Orange Bowl, where LSU played Colorado. I got him room on the floor just below him," Dick grinned, "and I talked to him every day. I even talked to him while he was in the shower - I never let him out of my sight. I still couldn't sign him, though. He said he was going to get a lawyer and think it over for awhile."...PENNINGTON GOT AWAY: "Then he went to the Senior Bowl - and so did I. I talked to him every day there and I also asked scouts and coaches from other teams in the NFL who were there to tell him they were sure he could make it in our league. The boy developed confidence from what they told him and, finally, he signed." There have been other, less pleasant experiences, Voris reported. "Tom Pennington (a talented kicker from Georgia) signed with Buffalo of the AFL right away. I'm convinced, thought, we would have signed him if we could have gotten there first. That's why it's so important to have a lot of people out to sign players right after the draft," the ex-University of Virginia coach emphasized. "Some want to sign right away and I'm confident you'll get a good percentage, probably five or six choices, if you get to them right away. You can't count on a boy's word these days - there's too much high pressure recruiting going on," he added. "Take the case of our boy Barnes (Gary) from Clemson. He promised he wouldn't sign with any team until he went to New York to talk with the Titans. I talked to him for five hours and even had Vince (Lombardi) on the phone, and I couldn't sign him. So I had the boy call the general manager of the Titans right from there and ask them to make an offer. The Titan GM said he'd match any offer we'd make, but he didn't mention any figure, so I gave him ours. The boy signed with us. You go out one door and Houston's coming in the back door," Dick smiled. "It's just like college recruiting." Green Bay itself has ben a help in the "Battle of the Buck," Dick said. "It's an easy town to sell. They're all intrigued by what they've heard about the enthusiasm of the fans. It played a big part in signing Gros. His wife was completely sold."
PACKERS, COUNCIL PASS BOUQUETS, ASK STADIUM CONSTRUCTION REVIEW
JAN 17 (Los Angeles-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It was bouquet tossing time for the City Council and Green Bay Packers Tuesday night over 1961 accomplishments, but the Council also ordered a session on City Stadium construction proposed for 1962. The Council received a letter from Vince Lombardi, Packer general manager, praising the city for the playing field, parking lot, and stadium conditions for the championship game. For its part, the Council approved a formal resolution congratulating the Packers for their Dec. 31 victory. For good measure, the Council received a congratulatory resolution from the Manitowoc City Council. A Stadium Committee request to discuss City Stadium improvements was sent to a Jan. 23 session of the Finance Committee. The 1962 city budget provides for stadium construction of $49,150 in addition to an operations budget of $27,150. Revenues of $37,000 are anticipated in addition to the annual $35,000 Packer payment as rent to the stadium construction debt. While the proposed 1962 construction was not spelled out during budget sessions, the Council was told any work depended upon new financial arrangements with the Packer...FAVORABLE COMMENT: In his letter to the Council, Lombardi expressed thanks "for a job well done." He said Green Bay had reaped favorable publicity in the national press because of conditions provided by the city for the game. "I am particularly pleased that we were able to bring the championship to the people of Green Bay. No league city deserved it more," said Lombardi. The Council resolution said it was typical of Lombardi that he would recognize the efforts of others despite his own accomplishment. The resolution said the
the Council was "bursting with pride over the fact that the greatest football team in the world is a component of the greatest little city in the world" and expressed thanks to all of the Packer team and organization "for the fame and glory you have brought to our city."
VAL KECKIN INKS BALTIMORE PACT
JAN 18 (Baltimore) - Quarterback Val Keckin, a free agent from Los Angeles, Wednesday signed a 1962 contract with the Baltimore Colts. Keckin, 24 years old next month, was the 11th draft choice by the Green Bay Packers in 1960, but was cut before last season started. The six-foot, three-inch, 212-pound signal caller attended Los Angeles City College and Mississippi Southern before the Packers draft.
'I'M NOT LEAVING PACK,' AUSTIN SAYS
JAN 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bill Austin, Packer offensive line coach, said Thursday night he has received "some coaching offers" but he is looking forward to the 1962 season with the NFL champions. "I'm associated with a great man and I want to continue that association," Austin said in praising Head Coach Vince Lombardi. "It would be pretty darn tough leaving a championship club." Austin denied reports he had been offered the head coaching job by the Buffalo Bills and indicated he would be reluctant to leave the NFL for a job in the rival AFL...'FEW THINGS TO LEARN': "I've been in the National League too long to swing allegiance," he told a sports night gathering at St. Bernard Parish in suburban Wauwautosa. Austin said he hopes that "some day a head job will come, but it's not in my present plans." He noted that he is "quite young at 33," and "I've got a few things to learn." After seven years as a guard for the New York Giants, Austin spent a year coaching at the University of Wichita before being brought to Green Bay by Lombardi in 1959. In three seasons with the Packers, he helped build the most awesome offensive line in football. Looking ahead to next season, Austin said he was particularly pleased with the Packers' signing of Missouri guard Ed Blaine, a 6-3, 240-pounder who was a second draft choice...CITES THURSTON, TACKLES: "We need a third guard to go with Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston," he said. "If Blaine is good enough to push a veteran out of a starting job, so much the better." Austin called Thurston the Packers' "most improved lineman:" and tackles Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters the "most underrated: on the club's offensive forward wall. "We're a young group," he said. "Center Jim Ringo is the oldest at 28, but he shows no signs of slowing up. I'd have to say 1961 was Ringo's greatest year. There was no center quicker. Tackle Forrest Gregg, who too over at guard after Jerry Kramer was hurt, performed admirably. He was down to 233 pounds at the end of the season, but he's all man." Austin praised the Green Bay defense in the Packers' 37-0 rout of New York in the championship showdown Dec. 31. "When the defense gets the ball for you that many times as against the Giants, the offense naturally picks up," he said. "It's a great psychological thing."
NFL TRYING FOR QUICK AFL KNOCKOUT: BREEN
JAN 19 (Houston) - An official of the Houston Oilers said Thursday he is convinced the NFL is trying for a quick knockout of the rival AFL. John Breen, director of player procurement for the AFL champions, said the NFL will not succeed and its strategy may backfire. "There is no question in my mind but what the rich clubs of the NFL are viciously trying to eliminate the AFL by paying big bonuses, big annual salaries and giving no-cut contracts to the rookies," Breen said. "The dollar competition has gone out of sight, out of all reason." "The NFL strategy just might backfire on the 'have-nots' of the NFL," Breen said. "The NFL clubs that can't afford the big payments and no-cut contracts are suffered as a result," Breen cited the case of Billy Neighbors of Alabama as an example. He said Mike Holovak, head coach of the AFL Boston Patriots, made an offer to Neighbors and told him it was final. "Neighbors went to the Washington Redskin scout and asked what the Redskins would offer," Breen said. "He was told the Redskins wouldn't give a figure, but were interested in what he wanted to sign. Neigbors naturally wanted to get as much as he could. But he wanted to be honest about it and wouldn't name a figure or say what he had been offered by Boston. So Neighbors signed with Holovak." Breen said Houston's loss of Earl Gros of Louisiana State to Green Bay gave the Oilers an acute awareness of what NFL clubs are offering...Packer talent scout Dick Voris, who signed Gros early this month after pursuing the LSU star to the Orange and Senior Bowls, declined to discuss whether Gros had been given a no-cut contract in a talk before the Mike and Pen Sports Club of Green Bay last week, but did say he felt "they are very rare in the NFL." As a matter of policy, financial terms of Packer contracts are never divulged.
PACKERS PAY $29,600 FOR CHAMPIONSHIP RENT
JAN 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay today received a check of $29,600 from the Packer Corp. representing the NFL rent payment for City Stadium for the Dec. 31 championship game. The check was presented to City Attorney Clarence Nier, Stadium Commission president, by Vince Lombardi, Packer general manager. The amount represents eight percent of gross ticket sales for the game. Nier said he would outline a final financial report for the championship game to the City Council Finance Committee at a session scheduled for Jan. 30. The commission also recorded $5,426 in stadium parking lot revenue and $2,238 from concession sales. The city received 20 percent of gross concession sales under terms of a contract calling for the addition to the fee for regular league games. After the game, city expenses were estimated at about $18,000, most of it for snow removal. Nier said today no final figure could be given because costs were still being apportioned. The commission asked for the Jan. 30 session at the Council session Jan. 16 to discuss stadium construction proposed for 1962. The 1962 city budget provided $49,150 for stadium construction in addition to an operations budget of $27,150. The commission said, however, that construction would depend on new financial arrangements with the Packers. The budget anticipated stadium revenue of $37,000 in addition to the $35,000 Packer rent payment toward the stadium construction debt.
PACKERS WILL BE GOOD IN '62; VINCE PROMISES NO MORE
JAN 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers will have a good football team in '62. That sounds like the understatement of the century. But Coach Vince Lombardi will promise no more. And he explained with a hearty chuckle: "When I cam here in 1959, they said you don't have to win the championship; just give us a good football team." Lombardi has been nothing short of a miracle worker. He took a 1958 team that had a miserable 1-10-1 record and whipped it into a 7-5 good-football-team winner in his debut year in 1959. He then captured two straight Western Division championships and added the '61 world title for good measure. The Packers will be heavy favorites to repeat as division titlists in '62 - just as they were a year ago after taking the '60 crown. While Lombardi readily accepts this "favorite" fact of pro football life, he approaches the new season aware of problems that loom even at this early date. "There's the problem of the longer non-league season, starting with the All Star game. There's the problem of coming back after playing the earlier All Star game. There's the problem of fatheadedness," Vince pointed out. In their new role of world champions, the Packers are "special people," as it were. They have heavy demands for non-league showings and, as Vince explained, "we'll have to play six preseason games, including the All Star game." If the Packers repeat, the 1962 title game would be Game 21. The 1961 title game was the 20th contest. Competing in the All Star game has a tendency to play too much strain too early on a team. Result: A tendency to drop off in efficiency during the league season. Fat-headedness? "That's something we have to be careful of," Vince smiled. But anybody who knows Lombardi knows that such a "sickness" just won't be permitted. Lombardi also mentioned "the question of how hungry we'll be." He explained that the Packers will need a real desire to win a third straight title: "There's a challenge here because few teams have won it three in row," Vince said. The Packers of 1929-30-31 were the only team ever to win three straight world titles. Other teams have won three straight divisional crowns. Lombardi goes into the league's 43rd championship season with a ready-made team but "we'll always need help," he said. The coach feels that the Packers have a "fine draft and we expect some of the new players to give us more depth." He believes that greater depth will make the Packers stronger. The Pack's draft is topped by the
225-pound fullback from LSU, Earl Gros. Looking back on the world championship season before departing for a vacation in Europe, Lombardi reiterated his believe that "this was the team's victory. You can't credit them enough, coming back as they did in the face of losses to the Army and injuries," adding: "The loss of players (Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler) upset them for only one game, the Colts. I don't say we would have won that day (Baltimore won 45-21), but we might have looked better." Vince and his wife, Marie, left today for New York where they'll join up with longtime friends, the Wellington Maras and the Dr. Tony Pisanis, for a month's vacation in Europe. Their first stop will be in Rome where they'll have an audience with Pope John XXVIII early next week.
STARR READY TO HIBERNATE IN HIS BASEMENT - AT PROJECTOR
JAN 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bart Starr is ready to hibernate in the basement of his Green Bay home, 1624 Chateau Drive. The Alabama-born quarterback of the world champion Packers isn't going underground to dodge the cold of the Wisconsin weather. He's going to the basement to learn. Starr, here for a banquet, said it's time for him to go into his "cellar" projection room with films of last season's game. "It takes me about a week and a half to go over one game," said Starr, who will study his work in every contest. "I look for mistakes on my part and the execution of the plays. Then I look at the overall defensive patterns thrown against us," he said. "I want to see the defensive plan, not so much what the individuals on the other teams do." Starr, who tossed three touchdown passes in the Packers' 37-0 beating of the New York Giants in the NFL championship game, says he is already looking forward to the next season. July can't come too fast, he said, when the Packers will open training for the summertime clash with the College All-Stars. "I wasn't picked for that game as a collegian," he said, "so I'll really welcome the shot the Packers have at it." Starr was questioned about a report earlier in the week that he played a good share of the season with a torn abdominal muscle that kept him from standing up straight. He said he suffered the injury in the game with Cleveland, just about the same time the Army began calling up Packer stars, including halfback Paul Hornung, the league's most valuable player. "I didn't want to tell Coach (Vince) Lombardi about it," Starr said when he was pressed for answers. "He was up to his ears with problems at the time and I figured mine really didn't matter that much." During practice he wore a harness to keep him standing up, but in the following two games with the Minnesota Vikings, he asked for a pain killer. "At first it helped," he said, "and I thought it had run its course. But at Baltimore, I had a miserable time. Only after a 10-day rest following the Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit did it leave for good." While passing from a crouching position, Starr directed the Packers to a pair of victories over the Vikings and triumphs over the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and the Lions. Only the Colts were able to beat the Packers while Starr was nursing the injury. The six-year veteran of pro warfare said he definitely was interested in coaching when he is "no longer a value to the Packers." He made no bones about being closely associated with Charlie Bradshaw, who recently took over the head coaching job at Kentucky. "He was on my high school coaching staff and we're close friends," said Bart. "I'd like to coach for him." Then he added quietly, "but the man I'd like to coach for the most is Coach Lombardi." Looking ahead to next season with the world champions, Starr said "as long as we stay hungry we can stay on top." He looked for a dogfight in the West with "everyone pointing to knock us off."
INTERCEPTION BRINGS OUT GET-QB GROUP
JAN 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - When the Packers intercept a pass, a Get-The-Quarterback Committee is quickly formed and put into operation. This group is not dedicated to send the signal caller to the shower or to the hospital. Safetyman John Symank explained: "It's not like it sounds. On an interception, the quarterback many time is the only player in a good position to tackle the player who intercepts the ball. As soon as the interception is made, some of us keep an eye on the quarterback and block him out." This came to mind when Sonny Jurgensen, the Eagles' quarterback, suffered a shoulder separation when blocked out by the Lions' Wayne Walker in the recent Runner-up Bowl. Jurgensen's throw had been intercepted by Yale Lary and Jurgensen, seeing the steal, got into position quickly to pick up Lary. Walker, a linebacker, blocked Sonny. "It was a clean block," Symank noted, absolving Walker of any blame for the injury. The quarterback is in an especially good position to make the tackle since most tackles are intercepted on the right or left side of the field - especially the short throws. "Usually the quarterback is the guy who has the last shot. So we try to get him out of there," added Norb Hecker, coach of the Packers' secondary. Norbie felt that Jurgensen dislocated his shoulder when he fell on his elbow, explaining "it often happened when you fall on an elbow." The Packers intercepted 29 passes in the regulation season. They stole four Giant passes in the championship game. The Bays have a word for an interception - "Bingo." When they hear this interception-signal, they become blockers instead of tacklers and one of the first men to get is the quarterback. It's also the signal for the offensive team to leap off the bench and go to work. Quarterbacks are aware of the value of their hides when they thrown an interception. Packer QB Bart Starr hurled an interception in the 49er game in San Francisco and made the tackle, after a 68-yard runback, to save a touchdown. Starr was able to elude the "committee."
COUNCIL UNIT BACKS STADIUM CONSTRUCTION
JAN 31 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A financing plan for a $150,000 Packer Corp. business and ticket office and team building at City Stadium, which the Packers would pay for over 10 years, was endorsed Tuesday night by a special session of the City Council Finance Committee. The endorsed plan would call for the Packers to pay 107 percent of the project cost over 10 years, 75 percent in the first two years. After the 10 years, the city would negotiated a rental figure for the building with the Packers...FEB. 6 COUNCIL ACTION: The plan was outlined to the committee by members of the Stadium Commission, which has been meeting with Packer officials. The committee endorsement will go to the Feb. 6 Council session. Approval than would enable the city to make the formal offer to the Packers. "The idea is that no tax dollar would go into this proposition," said City Attorney Clarence Nier, who is commission president. The new building would be at the head of the ramp leading from the north end of the playing field. The team locker building at the south end of the stadium will be turned into public toilets to serve the 6,000-seat addition of 1961...TWO-STORY STRUCTURE: Preliminary sketches for the building call for a two-story, 53 by 116 foot structure. The first floor would house team rooms for the Packers and opponents, the second floor would have offices. A 26 by 54 foot single-story area at the front (Highway 41) side of the building would house ticket offices. The Packers would end business operations at the S. Washington Street building in which space is leased. This building was purchased in 1961 by the adjoining Downtowner Motel. The committee recommendation for the plan limits it to the estimated building maximum of $150,000. If the cost is more, the committee action would call for the Packers to pay the difference. Based on the $150,000 figure, the Packers would pay 40 percent, $60,000, when the construction started and 35 percent, $52,500, in January of 1963. They would then pay four percent of the cost total yearly from 1964 through 1971...PROFIT OF $10,500: This would bring a total payment of 107 percent of the cost over the 10 years, or $10,500 more than the estimated $150,000 cost. The proposal calls for the Packers to pay for heat and light. The ability of the Packers to pay $112,500 in the first two years was attributed to the new league two-year television contract. The Finance Committee action included a $25,000 "commitment" of city surplus funds to cover the total cost when construction starts...TERMS OF CONTRACT: Covering of a $150,000 construction contract would be patched together in this way: The Packers would play their first $60,000; about $44,000 would come from stadium construction appropriations in the 1962 city budget; about $21,000 would come from commission funds including a $16,849 "profit" from the playoff game; and $25,000 would be committed for later recovery from the city surplus. The $16,849 remains after deduction of city costs from a $29,603 NFL check for the playoff game rent. The city also received $7,484 from parking and concessions, which went into regular city revenue accounts. The financial arrangements for the building would be in addition to the annual Packer stadium rent payments. The Packers pay $30,000 yearly as their agreed half of the bond issue debt, a payment which was raised to $35,000 last year when the Packers financed the seating addition. Committee discussion was limited to the financial arrangements. Nier said the Packers were in need of larger administrative space and that building more seats at the stadium was impossible before meeting Industrial Commission orders for more public toilets. Mayor Roman Denissen asked whether high schools could use the locker rooms of the new building. "I presume so, I'm sure something could be worked out," said Richard Bourguignon, Packer Corp. representative on the Stadium Commission.
PACKERS ADD TWO TACKLES
FEB 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Two tackles have been signed to 1962 Packer contracts, it was announced today by Publicity Chief Tom Miller. They are Tom Kepner of Villanova, the 13th draft choice, and Richard Davis of Kansas University, a free agent. Kepner stands 6-3 and weighs 245; Davis 6-2 1/2 and 235. Seven draft choices have been announced as signed thus, in addition to halfback Paul Dudley, who was drafted as a junior eligible a year ago.
PACK POWER FOR YEARS - HIRSCH
FEB 2 (Milwaukee) - Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch, general manager of the Los Angeles Rams, said Thursday he thinks the Green Bay Packers will be a NFL power for years. "Vince Lombardi has done an incredible job at Green Bay, the greatest three year accomplishment I've seen in this league," Hirsch said in praising the coach and general manager of the 1961 NFL champions. A former University of Wisconsin and NFL star, Hirsch praised both the Packers' offense and defense during a visit to Milwaukee. "They've got the greatest offensive line around," he said. "That Jim Ringo is fabulous. There isn't a center in the league who can touch him. And the Packers have the finest blocking tactics I've ever seen." Hirsch said that in football dealings "everything is a gamble." But, he added, "who could pick up players like Bill Quinlan, Henry Jordan and Willie Davis from the Cleveland Browns and figure they would be hungry for a championship." "They made the Packer defense," Hirsch said of the three big linemen. "And Jesse Whittenton, defensive back, is 10 times the player he was when the Rams let him go. And Bart Starr really commands respect. The players and coaches in Green Bay must feel very confident with him in there." Hirsch said he thinks the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions will be the biggest threats to Green Bay in 1962. As for his own Rams, who had a 4-10 record in 1961, he said that the "outlook is definitely bright." He said the Rams are "high" on former Wisconsin quarterback Ron Miller.
PAUL HORNUNG'S MOST DECORATED
FEB 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Paul Hornung is quite a boy. He's the best football player in our land, the most famous of Uncle Sam's soldiers, and the most-wanted athlete-speaker. The Packers' fabulous halfback is the most-decorated of athletes - college or pro. The Chicago branch, Football Writers of America, gave him their top award Friday night. Monday night, he gets the famed Maxwell Trophy in Philadelphia. Saturday, he spoke at the Catholic Action Youth Convention in Milwaukee. Paul had to play second fiddle to just one athlete this year - Roger Maris, the Yankees' slugger who beat Hornung out of the Athlete of the Year award in a worldwide contest sponsored by the Associated Press. Maris also beat Paul in the annual Hickock athlete of the year. There seems to be no end of the things Paul can do. A natural scorer, Hornung, put on a basketball uniform Friday night and led the Packerderms in, you guessed it, scoring. A week ago, Hornung did his bit in the Cerebral Palsy telethon on Channel 2 and scored a big hit. A natural ham, Hornung doesn't have to act. He just speaks, sings or dances - or just looks. He was exceptionally entertaining. And he might have been highly instrumental in helping the telethon go over the top. Hornung is the best liked player on the Packer squad. He gets a lot of kidding. He takes it - and he likes it. He has a bushel of nicknames. Somebody started calling him "trophy head" a year or so ago because of all the awards he gets. Hornung already has picked up eight "trophies: and there could be many more. Being in the Army makes it rather difficult to get around and various awards around the country hardly will even come to light - unless he is present. The donors then merely inform him by letter and send along the hardware. And Hornung is the last guy to let anybody know about his honors. Here are some of Hornung's known honors thus far this season: 1 - Most valuable player in the NFL, Associated Press; 2 - Outstanding player in the NFL, United Press International; 3 - Outstanding player in the championship game, Sport Magazine; 4 - Wisconsin Athlete of the Year, AP; 5 - Washington Touchdown Club pro player of the year; 6 - Columbus Touchdown Club pro player of the year; 7 - Maxwell pro player of the year (Philadelphia); 8 - Football Writers, Chicago, player of the year; 9 - Second in Athlete of the Year, AP; 10 - Second in Hickock athlete of the year. If you're introducing Hornung at a banquet, you are just warmed up after reciting about the above 10 honors. How about such facts: This is the third consecutive year Hornung has been the NFL's leading scorer, breaking Don Hutson's all-time scoring mark in 1960 with 176 points. He broke the all-time scoring record for a championship game with 19 points against the Giants. He was the Packers' second leading ground gainer the last two years but through his blocking, helped Jim Taylor lead the Packers in rushing. Hornung is everybody's hero in our town. He's an exciting player and oldtimers will tell you that he's in a class by himself - as compared to some of the greats of early Packer days. He's the idol of all the kids around town. In fact, there's a frequent visitor to the Packer dressing room who thinks Paul Hornung is the greatest football player there is. The visitor is Bart Starr, Jr., four-year-old son of the Packer quarterback. "Paul's his idol," says Bart Sr.
'NOT THIS TEAM'
FEB 4 (Milwaukee) - Green Bay halfback Paul Hornung fears that the Packers will have a letdown - in five or six years. The NFL's leading scorer, here at a Catholic Action Convention, disagreed Saturday with his coach, Vince Lombardi, who said recently that the championship Packers would have to guard against becoming complacent and fat headed next year. "Fat
headed?" he asked. "Not this team. We like to win too much and we haven't won that much. Wait until we have won five or six years in a row and then we'll see if we're getting fat headed. This is a team. There are no cliques or factions. We have our parties together. Vince and his staff stress togetherness. If someone doesn't fit in - well, he'd just better fit in. Last year was a great year. I think we now realize what a great ball club we've got but we know the job is for next year. We won't settle for anything, less than the best." Hornung is an Army private stationed at Fort Riley, Kan.
LOMBARDI HIGHLY IMPRESSED OVER PAPAL AUDIENCE
FEB 6 (Rome) - Vince Lombardi, head coach and general manager of the champion Green Bay Packers of the NFL, had an audience with Pope John XXIII Monday and said he was tremendously impressed. Lombardi and his wife went to the audience along with Wellington Mara and his wife. Mara, vice president of the New York Giants, is a rival of Lombardi on the playing field and a close friend off. Lombardi was the backfield coach of the Giants before taking over the position with Green Bay. The Lombardis and Maras were received with several other groups. The two couples will spend a vacation of several more weeks in Italy.
PACKERS HAVEN'T REACHED PEAK YET - THURSTON
FEB 7 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers haven't reached their peak yet. That's the opinion of offensive guard Fred (Fuzzy) Thurston, who earned all-pro honors in helping the Packers win the world championship. The native of Altoona, Wis., was here to address a sports night at Our Savior's Lutheran Church. "Last season, we did not have the opportunity to work as a full team. Injuries and service callups prevented this," Fuzzy said. "We're still a young team and I look for us to be right up there, if not champions, for the next five years." The only Wisconsin-born member of the champion Packers, the 250-pound guard, whose blocking paved the way for running backs Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor, said his toughest job was protecting quarterback Bart Starr on pass plays. "When you're protecting the passer, you're being belted by some of the biggest men in the sport who have the power and brute strength to overrun you." Thurston recalled that about 11 years ago "I began my descent in sports." He noted that he didn't play football in high school. Altoona didn't have a team and he went to Valparaiso on a basketball scholarship. As he continued to gain weight, he went through a series of demotions as far as college basketball was concerned. But the added weight made him a football player. Asked what football has done for him, Thurston said that Altoona is going to have a team and the athletic field is to be named "Fuzzy Thurston Field." "I never would have been honored this way had it not been for the opportunity to play with the Packers," he said. Thurston played for Baltimore's NFL champions in 1958 before being acquired by the Packers for linebacker Marv Matuszak. How about a comparison of the Colts then and Green Bay's 1961 champs? "Both teams were great ones, but, as far as I'm concerned personally, there is no comparison," Thurston said. "I was a substitute lineman at Baltimore. Being a regular at Green Bay, I felt more a part of that title."
CITY VOTES PACKER BUILDING, CHANGE IN ALDERMAN TERMS
FEB 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The City Council Tuesday night voted final approval to an ordinance changing the length of aldermanic terms to help bring reapportionment and endorsed a financing plan for a $150,000 Packer office and team building at City Stadium. Both votes were unanimous. The Council action on the new building at City Stadium, which the Packers will pay for over 10 years, authorized signing of a lease if the city's offer is accepted. This is regarded as a formality since the Packers have representation on the Stadium Commission which worked out the plan. Ald. Thomas Atkinson was the only alderman to question the plan. He said the city was putting the Packers in a tax-free building and losing $35,000 in taxes over 10 years at the present rate. "We are subsidizing a private business by building them a tax-free building," said Atkinson...RENT FOR TAXES: But Atkinson joined in voting for the plan when City Atty. Clarence Nier, Stadium Commission president, noted the Packers would be paying rent to the city instead of taxes. The Council action set $150,000 as the maximum figure for which the city will furnish funds. The financing plan will require the pledging of about $25,000 from city surplus to start work with the rest of the money coming from the first Packer payment of $60,000, $44,000 from stadium appropriation of the 1962 budget, and $21,000 from other commission funds including a $16,849 "profit" from the playoff game. The Packers will pay 75 percent of the cost by next Jan. 15, 40 percent when construction starts and 35 percent next January. They then would pay four percent of the project total yearly through 1971, for a total of 107 percent of the project total. After 1971, a rent charge would be negotiated...TWO-STORY BUILDING: Preliminary plans call for a two-story, 53 by 116 foot structure with an attached 26 by 54 foot single story area for a ticket office. The building would be on the north side of the stadium and present team rooms on the south side of the field would be turned into public toilets at a
cost of about $16,000. The first floor of the new building would house locker rooms for Packers and their game opponents. The second floor would have offices. The Packers would end business and ticket operations at the space they rent on S. Washington Street, a building involved in expansion of the Downtowner Motel. The new Packer payments would be in addition to annual payments of $35,000 toward the stadium construction debt, about half of the bond issue. Before the vote, Nier said the commission was preparing a detailed financial report for 1961. Parking gross revenues totaled about $20,000 and share of concessions was $14,000, which left an operating "profit" of $13,515 for the season before debt payments, he said. The championship game brought the city $23,685 in rent, parking and concessions above costs of about $16,000, Nier said.
49ERS JUNK SHOTGUN; VINCE SEES 'CHALLENGE'
FEB 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Gary Knafelc has been named vice president of the Coleman School Supply, Inc., under President Frank Meleski. The Pack's veteran end, looking forward to his ninth season, will concentrate on the Green Bay area. Colorado Gary has worked at several jobs since settling down here but "this is it - a fine opportunity and a 35-year business," he said...VALENTINE GIFT: Here's one gal who is keeping the offseason hot stove boiling and satisfying her hubby at the same time. Mrs. Tony Ledworowski, in ordering a copy of the Packer Yearbook sent to a certain address in Beaver Dam, wrote: "I am making this yearbook a part of a Packer Package as a Valentine gift for my husband. I'm having you mail the yearbook to our neighbor. The package will include Chuck Johnson's book, a Titletown U.S.A. flag, and, for extra good measure, am hoping Paul Hornung comes through with an autographed picture. Feb. 14 will be renamed The All-Packer Saints Day. In the meantime, good luck and carry on...MUSEUM PIECE: The 49ers have junked the shotgun. Coach Red Hickey said the club would put it away because John Brodie did such a fine job with the T. Red still insists the weapon is a good one and he maintains that fumbles and faulty blocking, more than the defenses, stopped it. Seems the Pack did a good job on the shot gun at City Stadium last fall - with rookie tackle Ron Kostelnik playing in Dave (Appendectomy) Hanner's spot...OPENING DAY: Vince Lombardi will key his opening day talk with one word next summer - "challenge." Vince explained: "The team faces a definite challenge - the opportunity to win three straight conference titles. Few teams have done it." Last to make it was Detroit - from '52 through '54...ONE MORE: Aging Em Tunnell would like to play in '62. Said Em: "Before I quite, I'd like one more season. Why I could make tackles until I'm 50. It's all in your heart."
KRAMER HAS PIN REMOVED FROM INJURED ANKLE
FEB 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jerry Kramer, the Packers' giant offensive guard, had the pin removed from his injured ankle at St. Vincent Hospital Thursday. Kramer was hurt on the opening kickoff of the Packers' seventh game, against Minnesota, and then missed the rest of the season. A pin was put in by Dr. Jim Nellen, team physician, to keep the badly stretched tendons together. Offensive line coach Bill Austin reported that "Jerry has excellent movement and he'll be back to normal for the new season."
WILLARD RYAN, 71, FORMER PACKER, WEST COACH, DIES
FEB 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Willard J. (Bill) Ryan, 71, original coach of the Green Bay Packers and a coach at West High School from approximately 1918-21, died Wednesday at the Veterans Hospital in Phoenix, Ariz. The deceased was a former superintendent of schools at Gilbert, Minn., and retired in 1955 as an agriculture instructor at Eveleth, Minn. He moved to Phoenix six months ago.
AMAZING WORD FOR PACK OFFENSIVE LINE IN DRIVE TO TITLE
FEB 11 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jerry Kramer's stop on town the other day to have the pin removed from his injured ankle brought to mind (1) the amazing job performed by the Packers' offensive line in the absence of Kramer and (2) the makeup of the line in '62. Other than the brief period when Dave Hanner was out with his appendectomy and the uncertainty of Pvts. Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke being on hand, the major change along the 1961 championship trail centered in the offense line coached by Bill Austin. Right guard Kramer played six complete games and then was injured on the kickoff of Game 7. After Ken Iman was given a brief trial at guard, the amazing Forrest Gregg was shifted from right tackle to Kramer's sport and Norm Masters, who was backing up Bob Skoronski at left tackle, took over at right tackle. Jim Ringo, of course, stayed at center and Fuzzy Thurston at left guard. With Kramer cheering on the sidelines, the "new" offensive line carried on brilliantly, pacing the offense to the Western Division championship with a 415-yard performance in Game 12. The unit also kept Bart Starr's uniform spotless in the title test. Kramer, a real all-pro, has regained normal movement in his injured leg and that means the big Idahoan will be a terror in '62. Besides, he'll want to "make up" for what he missed in the '61 season. With Kramer back, Gregg thus will return to his "normal" spot (he's an all-pro anywhere) and Masters goes back to the left side where Skoronski doesn't intend to be moved. The Packer offense averaged a fat 336 yards (rushing and passing) over the 14-game haul last year. That represents a lot of blocking in the offensive line!...Jess Whittenton is now a Green Bay businessman. The Packers' slick defensive halfback and his cousin, Don Whittenton, have purchased Lemeron's Bar and Restaurant on N. Broadway. Jess says the spot will be known as "Whittenton's King X." The Whittentons previously operated a similar establishment in El Paso, Tex... Stranger things have happened, but it seems right unusual that Paul Horning should kick the same number of extra points and field goals in '61 as he did in '60. He booted 41 PATs and 15 FGs in each season. The difference was in touchdowns - 15 in '60 and 10 in '61. He played in 12 games in each season, missing the two Ram games last year...The Redskins' John Aveni, onetime Bear, is not at all surprised by the fine play of the Pack's Ron Kramer. "When I was in college at Indiana and Ron was at Michigan, he was the best end I played against."...This
item appeared in the 32nd Division's Red Arrow paper: At a troop information class in one of the 32nd Division units recently, a confident information officer asked one of his men how he felt about being called on active duty. The private, with tongue in cheek, replied: "Sir, how else could I have met Ray Nitschke?"
NOW PFC., HORNUNG EARNS $8 RAISE
FEB 15 (Ft. Riley, KS) - Green Bay Packer halfback Paul Hornung has received an $8 a month raise from the Army. Hornung, a reservist called to active duty last fall, was promoted Wednesday to private first class. Now he gets $107 a month from the government. The NFL's leading scorer the past three years commented: "It's the hardest $8 I ever made."
FORMER PACKER LARABA KILLED IN AUTO CRASH
FEB 17 (San Diego) - Bob Laraba, 28-year old linebacker for the San Diego Chargers of the AFL, was killed today when his station wagon crashed into a light pole in a rain storm. Police said his car was traveling at 65 to 70 miles per hour when it hit the curb of a center island coming out of a curve and then struck the utility pole and wrapped around its base. Laraba was alone in the car. Laraba, survived by his widow and two children, was born in Sheldon, Vt., and grew up in Niagara Falls, N.Y. He played college football at Texas Western, was drafted by Green Bay of the NFL in 1959 and then went to the Chargers in 1960. He tried out with Green Bay in 1959.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (January 9th 1961)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (January 16th 1961)
This biography of Packers’ RB Paul Hornung, titled Paul Hornung: Pro Football Golden Boy was a “SPORT Magazine Library Book.” It covers Hornung’s life from boyhood through the 1961 championship season with the Packers. Other books in this series profiled Johnny Unitas, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and others. This was the golden era of sports heroes for the youth of America. (CREDIT: Packerville, USA)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (January 25th 1961)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 1st 1961)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 2nd 1961)
Appleton Post-Crescent (February 6th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (February 7th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 9th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 21st 1962)
PACKERS AVERAGE RECORD 40,514 IN 10 HOME GAMES
FEB 18 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It is time to move from the Packer field to the stands. And herald a "championship" for Joe Phan. Big Joe set all sorts of attendance records while the Bays were crashing to the world championship. First off, the Packers played 10 games at home (Milwaukee and Green Bay), and that's a record number - seven league games, two non-league (Shrine in Milwaukee and Bishop's Charities in Green Bay), and the championship playoff in Green Bay. Those 10 games drew a total of 405,148 fans - a new all-time Packer home total, passing with ease the 270,209 in eight games in 1960. The 10 games attracted an average crowd of 40,514. That figure is fantastic, when you consider the Packers never reached "30" until five years ago. The fat average easily snaps the former record of 33,776 in 1960. Four games were played in Milwaukee County Stadium; six in Green Bay City Stadium. Crowds at both places were record breakers. Milwaukee averaged a tremendous 44,497, including 42,560 at the Shrine game, 44,307 at the league opener vs. Detroit, 44,112 at the Minnesota game and 47,012 at the Dec. 3 windup against New York. The record 47,012, largest crowd ever to see the Pack play in Wisconsin, was richly rewarded. The Packers beat the Giants that day for the Western Division title. Green Bay, with an enlarged stadium, averaged 37,859 in the six games, including 33,452 for a "new promotion." That would be the first annual Bishop's Charities game, which promises to be a fixture. It was played on Labor Day night. The four league games at City Stadium each drew 38,669 and the title
title game almost miraculously fell short of capacity. The crowd, 39,029, missed the seat total by nearly 2,000. Oddly enough, the Dec. 31 game was "sold out" (in everybody's mind) hours after the Pack clinched the title Dec. 3. The 1961 attendance was actually 134,939 higher than in 1960. The six league games in 1960 drew 204,423, including over 75,000 at the two in Milwaukee, and the two non-leaguers pulled in 65,786. The Pack played two league games in Milwaukee and four in GB in '60. When the Vikings entered the league last fall, the seventh league game was installed in Milwaukee. There's one home attendance record the Packers can't get a shot at in '62. That would be the playoff mark. The 1962 game will be held in the home of the Eastern Division champion. PS - Coach Vince Lombardi isn't worried about the '62 playoff attendance. He just wants to get the Packers into the magic game.
PACKERS, BROWN SHARE RUSHING HONORS
FEB 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It's official now, the World Champion Packers and Cleveland's Jimmy Brown grabbed top honors in the NFL's 1961 rushing derby. The Packers copped the team rushing title held a
year earlier by the St. Louis Cardinals and leading the Pack's assault was their own Jim - fullback Taylor. Green Bay's rugged ground game piled up 2,350 yards in 474 carries enroute to an 11-3 regular season record, a campaign that was capped by the 37-0 walloping handed the New York Giants in the playoff. Brown became the only player in NFL history to win five times, official statistics released Saturday night show. Brown lugged 305 times for 1,408 yards, just 119 shy of his league record of 1,527 set in 1958. The Cleveland fullback also chalked up the year's best individual performance when he got 237 yards in 34 carries in the 45-24 win over Philadelphia. Taylor finished second to Brown with 1,307 yards in 305 tries. The Packer team total was 535 yards short of the league record set by Detroit in 1936. Taylor succeeded mate Paul Hornung as the NFL's top touchdown maker via rushing. Taylor got 15 TDs, two more than Hornung had in leading the league a year ago. Brown set a league mark with 305 rushing attempts, topping his 290 total of 1959. Dick Bass of Los Angeles got off the season's longest run from scrimmage, 73 yards in a 42-21 loss against Minnesota. The record of 97 is shared by Andy Uram of the Packers (1939) and Bob Gage of Pittsburgh (1949). Philadelphia won the team passing title for the second straight year by getting 3,605 yards, 789 more than the Norm Van Brocklin-led Eagles of 1960. Milt Plum of Cleveland won the individual passing honors, thanks mainly to a 58.6 completion percentage. Johnny Unitas of Baltimore set a league record for number of attempted passes, 420. The longest completion was credited to Billy Wade of the Bears, who tossed 98 yards to John Farrington in a 31-17 win over Detroit. Lenny Moore of Baltimore had the best rushing average, 7.0 carrying 92 times for 648 yards. Rounding out the top five teams were Cleveland, 2,163 yards; Baltimore, 2,119; San Francisco, 2,100, and Los Angeles, 1,958. New York's Alex Webster was third in the individual race with 928 yards, followed by Nick Pietrosante of Detroit with 841 and San Francisco's J.D. Smith, 823.
GROUND TEAM? PACK CATCHERS WERE GOOD
FEB 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - For a team noted mainly for an awesome ground attack, the Packers had some fair country receivers in the passing department en route to the NFL championship in the recent 1961 season of fond memory. Official league statistics released today disclose that Max McGee was 11th among the NFL's top pass receivers. Boyd Dowler tied for 25th and Ron Kramer was deadlocked for 29th. Jim Phillips of the Los Angeles Rams led the league with 78 receptions good for 1,092 yards and five touchdowns. Phillips' best game was 13 grabs in the Ram's 24-17 loss to the Pack Dec. 17. McGee caught 51 passes for 883 yards, an average of 17.3 per reception, and seven touchdowns as Bart Starr's favorite target in the Packers'
air arm. Dowler caught 36 passes for 633 yards and three touchdowns, despite missing time by his call to active duty by the Army, while Kramer hauled in 35 tosses for 559 yards and four touchdowns.
PACKERS RANK 4TH IN INTERCEPTIONS
MAR 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Green Bay Packers finished fourth in team pass interceptions in the 1961 NFL race. League statistics released today showed that the New York Giants topped the circuit in pass interceptions. The Packers had 29 interceptions for 446 yards, an average of 15.4 yards. They intercepted seven percent of 414 passes thrown. The Giants, led by defensive backs Dick Lynch, Jimmy Patton and Erich Barnes, had 8.5 percent on 33 steals of 386 passes thrown by opponents. The Giants gained 526 yards on runbacks of pass interceptions. Lynch topped all backfield operatives with nine pass interceptions; Barnes led
in most touchdowns scored on pass thefts along with three others plus coming up with the longest return (102 yards) of a stolen pass, and Patton, a perennial NFL all-star, tied for second in pass interceptions. Lynch returned his nine stolen passes for 60 yards; Patton returned eight for 163 yards and Barnes returned seven for a league-leading total of 195 yards and two touchdowns. Dale Hackbart of Washington and Jerry Norton and Billy Stacy of St. Louis also returned two passes for TDs. Dallas finished second to the Giants in the team race with a total of 25 pass interceptions, good for 374 yards, while Detroit had 29 for 312, Green Bay had 29 for 446 and Los Angels had 23 for 277. The team title was based on percentage.
PACKERS RANK SECOND IN LEAGUE KO RETURNS
MAR 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay's champion Packers ranked second in kickoff returns last season according to statistics released today by the NFL. With speedy Tom Moore carrying the brunt of the kickoff return duty, the Packers returned 41 kicks for an average gain of 26.3 yards. This was topped only by the San Francisco 49ers, who returned 49 yards for an average of 26.6 yards. Moore, who handled 15 boots, rambled for 409 yards and an average of 27.3 yards a return. The league leader was the LA Ram's chunky Dick Bass, who returned 23 kicks for an average of 30.3 yards. Green Bay's longest return was for 60 yards, and the Pack failed to register a touchdown on a kickoff. The Eagles' Tom Brown had the longest return, a TD romp of 105 yards.
EX-PACKER WALT KIESLING DIES
MAR 3 (Pittsburgh) - Walter Kiesling, a 35-year veteran of the NFL, died at Devine Providence Hospital Friday following a lingering illness. He was 58. Kiesling spent much of his time in the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a player, an assistant coach and a head coach. He spent the last few years as an assistant with Pittsburgh. He also played with the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears and coached with the Packers. In all, he played for nine years and coached for 26. He played college football at St. Thomas College in Minnesota. He also played Triple A baseball with St. Paul at one time.
Kiesling starred at guard for the Chicago Cardinals and the Bears for several years before being traded to the Packers in 1935. He spent two years with the Steelers and then joined the Steelers as an assistant coach. He returned to Green Bay in 1944 as an assistant coach.
HORNUNG, PACK IN NFL SCORING SWEEP
MAR 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Champion Green Bay Packers, led by their explosive 1-2 backfield punch of halfback Paul Hornung and fullback Jim Taylor, dominated the scoring statistics in the NFL during the past season, official figures disclosed today. The Packers won the team title with a whopping 391 points en route to their league title while Hornung, picked the league's most valuable player, repeated as individual scoring leader despite his status as a full-time soldier and part-time player. The former Notre Dame All America tallied 146 points, 30 short of his record 176 in 1960. His Army duties caused him to miss two of the Packers' games...TAYLOR SCORES 16: Taylor's 16 touchdowns, 15 on rushing, led the league. Tommy McDonald of Philadelphia scored a league-leading 13 touchdowns on passes while Pat Summerall of New York led in extra points with 46. Baltimore's Steve Myhra tried and made the most field goals, 21 of 39. The Packers' powerful offense scored the most touchdowns, 49, and had a league-leading total of 31 by rushing. Green Bay's 49 extra points also were tops. The Eastern Champion New York Giants, who lost to the Packers 37-0 in the title game, were second in team scoring with 368 points. Philadelphia, 1960 champ, was third with 361, San Francisco fourth with 346, Chicago fifth with 326 and 1960 scoring leader Cleveland sixth with 319...HORNUNG HAS TOP GAME: Hornung scored 10 touchdowns, eight on rushes, kicked 41 extra points and 15 of 22 field goals. He also had the best single-game performance, scoring 33 points against Baltimore in Green Bay's 45-7 victory on Oct. 8. Philadelphia's Bobby Walston, who set a career scoring record in the NFL during the past season, was second to Hornung with 97 points while Myhra and Taylor were tied with 96.
LOMBARDI TO BE SALUTED AT TESTIMONIAL APRIL 30
MAR 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi will be saluted at a community testimonial dinner at the Elks Club Monday evening, April 30. The banquet will be a civic expression of appreciation and admiration to the Packers' head coach and general manager for returning Green Bay and the Packers to national prominence. Thus, the Packers' amazingly-successful chief will be honored for the first time in his newly-adopted hometown. He had been feted throughout the country in each of three off-seasons since he was named Coach of the Year after the 1959 season, his first at the Packer helm. The Green Bay fete is sponsored by a committee of Green Bay businessmen and chairmen in charge are J.H. Boex, Dominic Olejniczak and Chuck Egan. Jim Crowley, one of Notre Dame's legendary Four Horsemen and Lombardi's coach when he played guard at Fordham University, will be the principal speaker. Crowley is a Green Bay native who starred in football at East High. After Notre Dame, Jim played with the Packers. Crowley now is chairman of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission. For men only, the dinner is open to the public on a first come, first served basis. Every seat will be reserved. Seating will be based on the date of purchase. The Elks will accommodate 600 persons. (Tickets are available only at the Elks office between 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily or by mail, with Ed Richter as chairman.) Since he arrived here one cold winter day in January of 1959, Lombardi has electrified Green Bay. He rocketed the Packers from a one-win team (left from '58) to a 7-5 winner in '59, a Western Division champion in '60 and a world champion in '61. There will be some fierce cheering the night of April 30, right from the heart...Boyd Dowler showed up today as the league's fifth best punter. What's more, he got off the season's second longest boot, a 75-yarder. Only a 78-yard shot by Jerry Norton of the Cards was longer. Dowler punted 38 times and averaged 44.1, his best as a pro. The string-bean end, who had two blocked in '60, came through without any "blocks" last fall. Max McGee punted 13 times and averaged an even 40 yards. The Packers' 51-punt total was the second fewest in the league. Only the Colts punted less, 42. The Packers ranked eighth as a team in punting with an average of 43.0. The runner-up Lions grabbed punting honors, with Yale Lary's 48.4 average topping the league. The Lions, with Earl Morrall punting three times, averaged 47.6...Members of the Mike and Pen Club viewed the film of the Pack's championship game victory - in living color, courtesy of Tom Miller, Monday. What a thrill. And what devastation - the manner in which the Packers' offensive line handled the Giants' defense and the way the Pack's defense ate up Charley Conerly and Y.A. Tittle. The film is narrated by Chris Schenkel, a "Giant man," who gives the Packers their due...NFL games were played in an average of two hours and 35 minutes from kickoff to final gun during 1961. The Chicago Bears, on successive Sundays, played in both the shortest and longest of the 98 regular season games. On Oct. 22 at Wrigley Field, the Bears shattered the San Francisco shotgun 31-0 in 2 hours, 11 minutes. On Oct. 29 in Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, it took three hours and three minutes, the only NFL game that lasted more than three hours, for the Bears to edge the Colts 21-20.
PACKERS FACE CARDS; WOOD RETURN CHAMP
MAR 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Like the radio programs, the baby parade comes first. The word today from Dallas is that the Forrest Greggs are now three. It's a boy and the lad is a junior, as follows: Alvis Forrest Gregg, Jr. The new Packer packed 7 pounds, 10 ounces. And now for the news, on the hour: The St. Louis Cardinals announced that they'll hose the Packers in a non-championship game in Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 18. The two clubs met in St. Louis last year, the Packers winning the game and the Cardinals not only losing the game but their fine fullback, John Crow, via a broken ankle. The Packers now have two non-leaguers set, the other being the College All Star game in Chicago Aug. 3. Coach Vince Lombardi and his boys will be out to defend the honor and glory of the NFL in that one. Willie Wood is in the day's feature spotlight, and there is a real radio touch to this one: Mike Ditka and Bill George of the Bears were being interviewed on a Chicago station the other afternoon and the announcer asked Ditka who was the toughest tackler in the league. "My vote will have to go to that Willie Wood up in Green Bay. He put me down a couple of times, almost for keeps." Thus, the Packers have two real tough cookies back there at safety. Green Bay Taxpayer John Symank long has been noted as a mean tackler. Wood bobbed up Wednesday as the league's official punt returning champion, with his average of 16.1 yards on each of 14 returns. He finished a mile ahead of Bobby Mitchell of Cleveland, who had 11.7. Wood's returning, including two for TDs, zoomed the Packers into the team punt returning championship.
Green Bay returned 20 for 355 yards - an average of 17.8. The other six were returned by reliable Lew Carpenter, who must share in Wood's success. It's Lew who calls the signal on whether to return or fair catch or let go, and then does some key blocking. Carpenter likewise got some help from Willie since he averaged 21.7 on six returns - too few to count in the rankings. Wood now has returned 30 punts in two seasons for 331 yards - an average of 11. His first TD run was a 39-yarder vs. the 49rs here last year. Two weeks later he ran one back 72 yards for a TD vs. the Colts here. Incidentally, Wood has started teaching in a junior high school in Washington, D.C., in the offseason. He's also in recreation work.
PACKERS 'COMPARABLY PRICE' TWO STADIUMS
MAR 10 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A method of comparably pricing City Stadium and Milwaukee County Stadium and a sales tax increase on all Packer league game tickets were announced today by Vince Lombardi, Packer general manager and coach. All prices at the two stadiums will be increased 25 cents to allow for the new state sales tax. Net proceeds for 1962 would be decreased by approximately $42,000 if this increase was not made, Lombardi said. The Packer Corp. has been trying to simplify ticket prices on a comparative basis in Green Bay and Milwaukee for a number of years and, Vince pointed out, "We feel that we have now come up with a three-price structure that is fair and workable at both stadiums." The new Green Bay and Milwaukee prices are $6, $5.25 and $3.75. The $6 tickets are for all seats between the 30-yard lines in each park, the $5.25s for the remaining sideline seats in the two parks, and the $3.75s for the end zone seats in both stadiums. The new prices represent an increase in only three sections at City Stadium, not counting the 25-cent tax. They are North Sections 1, 3 and 5 where prices were upped from $2.50 to $3.75. This makes the seats at both ends of City Stadium the same price. Why there was a $1 difference in tickets in the two end zones has always been a "curiosity piece" among season ticket holders. The north-section ticket holders claimed "We have the sun in our eyes" but the south-section holders noted that "the sun can be mighty comfortable when the weather gets cold; so it evens out, and besides the sun also shines on the east side." North sections 7 and 9 will remain as children's sections, but the 25 cent tax will boost the per-seat price to one dollar. Old prices at City Stadium were $5.75 (between the 30s), $5 (other sideliners), $3.50 (south end zone), $2.50 (north end zone Sections 1, 3 and 5) and 75 cents (children's tickets). New ticket prices as listed for Milwaukee are for upper and lower decks and Lombardi pointed out that the County Stadium management "has done much in the past few years to make the stadium more desirable for the viewing of football by relocating the playing field, the building of permanent stands in left field and installing an escalator to the upper decks." Milwaukee previously had five different prices - $5.75, $5.00, $4.00, $3.50 and $2.50. Several sections will be made available to knot-holers at County Stadium.
PACKERS SMOKE OUT FOOTBALL, EYE FUTURE CHAMPS
MAR 11 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Basketball, baseball, track seasons? That's what the headlines indicate these March days but the Packers have smoked out plenty of football. No big games, mind you, but good hard-nosed scrimmages - all over the country! Chief Scout Dick Voris is riding herd on a coast to coast talent-seeking mission designed to add to Boss Vince Lombardi's future collection of world champions. "We will have complete coverage of the schools," Voris said, pointing out the travels of the coaches: Phil Bengtson now is viewing football in Texas schools and then will step into New Mexico. Bill Austin is in the Southeastern Conference - the Louisiana area. Red Cochran is in the South Atlantic Conference - Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas. Norb Hecker will move into the Big Ten schools in two or three weeks and Bengston will later cover other schools in the midwest, including the Big Eight. Em Tunnell, the grand old man of the playing field who did some scouting for the Pack a year ago, will do same this offseason. He'll visit schools in the East, a number of independents and southern Negro schools. Em was in town a couple of days ago to work out an itinerary with Voris. Voris is just back from Arizona and the West coast where he covered 10 schools in one stretch of 10 days. He'll leave shortly for a tour of some Eastern schools. Dick noted that "the snow in the Midwest and East has slowed down practice. The athletes can't get outdoors yet."...No one argues the ability and depth of the Packer running backs, but just for the convincer listen to backfield coach Cochran speak about Earl Gros, the No. 1 draft choice from LSU: "He will be the fastest man we've got. If we can break him clear, look out."...Some have wired, some have written, others have traveled to Los Angeles to support and participate in functions to aid the Gene Brito Appreciation Fund. Others are working all over. Former Packer quarterback Stan Heath has conducted a drive in his Nebraska hometown. But perhaps former defensive back Don Doll has summed it all up the best: "There is an infinite number of players on your team now." Such has been the response to aid Brito, a former Redskin and Ram player. The fund already has passed the $50,000 mark. The goal is $100,000. Brito is hospitalized, paralyzed and critically ill. He has two small children: Sharon, 1, and Michelle, 4. Contributions may be sent to: Gene Brito Appreciation Fund c/o Los Angeles Rams, 7813 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles 36, California...Somebody up there likes the NFL. Fifty-nine of the 98 games, including the one night contest, were played in clear weather during 1961. Clouds appeared 28 times, but it rained on only 10 games and snowed only once. The best weather record went to the Baltimore Colts - all seven home dates in the sun.
PACKERS, GIANTS PLAY SECOND CHARITIES TILT
MAR 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The world champion Green Bay Packers will attempt to make it five wins in a row over the New York Giants when the two teams meet in the second annual Bishop's Charities Game in City Stadium Labor Day night, Sept. 3. Contracts for the second annual event have been signed by Packer head coach and general manager, Vince Lombardi, and Bishop Stanislaus V. Bona, Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, it was announced today by the sponsor. In the first charities tilt last year, the Packers dropped the Giants, 20-17, before a record crowd of 33,542. They also edged the New York team, 20-17, at Milwaukee in a regular season game before humiliating the same team in the championship contest in Green Bay last December, 37-0. In 1960, the Packers defeated the Giants, 16-7, in an exhibition game at Jersey City, N.J. The game is part of a two-year pact, guaranteeing another Bishop's Charities Game in 1963. Proceeds from this year's game, as in the previous contest, will be distributed by Bishop Bona to charities operating in Northeastern Wisconsin. The Rev. William Spalding, the diocesan director of Catholic Charities, was named chairman of the committee in charge of arrangements. Ed Gagnon, of Green Bay, will again be general chairman for the event.
AFL COACHES GIVEN PACK AID - LOMBARDI
MAR 20 (Baltimore) - Vince Lombardi of the NFL's champions Green Bay Packers testified Monday he gave technical assistance to two coaches in the rival AFL. The Green Bay coach and general manager took the stand in U.S. District Court as the NFL started presentation of its defense in the $10 million antitrust suit filed by the AFL. Lombardi said Lou Rymkus, then coach of the Houston Oilers, and Hank Stram, coach of the Dallas Texans, each spent three days with Packer officials discussing the formation of professional teams. The assistance was given, Lombardi said, in March and April of 1960, several months after the NFL voted to expand and admit the Dallas Cowboys into the league. The AFL began operations with the 1960 season. (The AFL coaches met with the Packers at the club's offices in Green Bay and the meetings were generally known.) One of the main contentions of the AFL during the trial, which began Feb. 26, was that the established NFL expanded into Dallas and Minneapolis-St. Paul in an effort to destroy the new league. As the fourth week of the trial began, Chief Judge Roszel C. Thomsen dismissed the Washington Redskins of the NFL from conspiracy aspects of the case. But the judge withheld any decision on whether the Redskins would be included if the NFL itself is found guilty of monopolizing professional football. Judge Thomsen said George Preston Marshall, president of the Redskins, has opposed expansion until the NFL constitution was amended and a unanimous vote was no longer necessary. Then, after his vote was not needed, the judge said, Marshall went along with the majority...DAVEY O'BRIEN WITNESS: Thomsen still has under advisement the NFL motion to dismiss the entire case. Other defense witnesses included Joseph F. Donoghue, vice president of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Davey O'Brien, a quarterback for the Eagles in 1939 and 1940. Donoghue said he had never heard talk by NFL owners that they wanted to expand simply to destroy the new league, and that his own vote for expansion was not for that purpose. O'Brien testified that he met with Bert Bell, former commissioner of the NFL, at the request of Lamar Hunt, founder of the AFL, to seek Bell's cooperation in getting the new league started. O'Brien said Bell told him he saw no reason why the new loop would not be formed. O'Brien is a Fort Worth drilling contractor and FBI agent. He also is a television "color man" and announcer for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys during the fall. Coach Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns and Carroll Rosenbloom, president of the Baltimore Colts, were expected to testify today.
SPENCER TO COACH
MAR 20 (Oakland) - Ollie Spencer, seven-year playing veteran in the NFL, was signed Monday as offensive line coach for the Oakland Raiders. It will be his first shot at coaching. Spencer, 30, played five years with the Detroit Lions and two with the Green Bay Packers. He was a regular offensive tackle for the the Detroit team that placed second in the Western Conference last year. He played college football with the University of Kansas.
LEMM'S STATEMENT 'GREATLY EXAGGERATED' - LOMBARDI
MAR 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer Coach-GM Vince Lombardi today labeled as "greatly over-exaggerated" a statement made Tuesday night by the new coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, Wally Lemm, who piloted the AFL champion Houston Oilers last season. Lemm, addressing an officials' association in Milwaukee, said "as a result of bidding with the AFL, the Green Bay Packers will have a rookie sitting on the bench who has a better contract than either Paul Hornung or Jim Taylor." Lombardi, noting that "the statement is greatly over-exaggerated," pointed out: "There is not one rookie on the Green Bay squad whose contract calls for more than a veteran in the same position." Vince said that he was trying to get in touch with Lemm. It's likely that the Cardinal coach will draw a reprimand from NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. Lemm has been in the NFL less than a month, recently being named Cardinal coach after leaving Houston. Pop Ivy, former Card coach, has taken over at Houston. Lemm's reference to Hornung and Taylor came when he told of bidding against Green Bay for the Packers' first draft choice, while he was with Houston. Lemm didn't mention names but the top pick was Earl Gros, LSU fullback. "In order to match Green Bay," Lemm said, "we would have had to give that boy a two-year, no-cut contract." The bidding for college players, Lemm said, could lead to the collapse of franchises in both leagues. "Unlike the old All-American Conference, which went out of business because it depended upon gate receipts along, the AFL can fall back on television revenues, something like $200,000 per owner per season. However, I feel strongly that the two leagues must get together before they outbid each other out of business." Lemm said he anticipates a compromise between the leagues in the near future. The same expectation was voiced by Jim Barnhill of Kenosha, an AFL game official. Barnhill said "the biggest obstacle for the new league to overcome is the tradition of the NFL. Pro football is built on tradition. We are starting from scratch."
WILLIE DAVIS GOAL: BEST DEFENSIVE END IN LEAGUE
MAR 25 (Cleveland-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Willie Davis has set a goal for himself in pro football. "When football people talk about defensive ends not, they usually mention Gino Marchetti or Andy Robustelli," the Green Bay Packers stalwart said yesterday. "I'm looking to the day when the name of Willie Davis is included. I'll be working hard to get there. That's for sure." The Packer defensive end, who has another season coming up on a two-year contract, admitted that he was an angry young man when the western division club met the New York Giants for the NFL championship. Willie, who used to play with the Cleveland Browns and still makes his home here, was irked by the fact that he'd been passed up in the All Pro selections and for the Pro Bowl squad. "I've just about forgotten it now but I was peeved at the time and decided to show folks what kind of football Willie Davis could play," the big lineman recalled. "I told myself this would be just about the biggest audience I'd ever have watching. It was my chance." Davis followed through with his plan to the discomfort of the Giants. He operates from left end of the Packer line so the right offensive tackle of the Giants was the most frequent
victim. Greg Larson, a rookie who had survived New York's rough run to the eastern division title, went to the sideline early, completely outclassed. He was no match for the quick, aroused Davis. Mickey Walker, a guard, was tested at the spot, and still later, Jack Stroud, a veteran lineman who also lives in Cleveland during the offseason. Neither could halt the marauding Davis, who made life on the winter afternoon miserable for quarterbacks Charley Conerly and Y.A. Tittle. His usual good humor completely restored by time and that lovely championship game check, Willie talked about his conditioning program and his offseason job. He recently became a sales representative for the Duquesne Brewing Co. "The job has been fine because I enjoy getting around and meeting people," explained Davis, former football captain at Grambling College. Now tipping the scales at 246, Davis is only two pounds over his playing weight and doesn't plan to take on any more. "The worst thing for an athlete to do it to let himself go, and then have to come back a long way to get into condition," opined the big end. "I've been playing basketball and it's a good rough league where the boys don't mind contact. In about a month, I'll start a regular conditioning program of weight lifting. Don't worry, I'll be in shape when I check into camp." Davis, who lives with his wife, Ann, a school teacher, and year-old son, Duane, in a pleasant east side home, takes in most of the sports in Cleveland. He frequently gets together with Jim Brown, and other former teammates from the Browns. "I wasn't happy when I was traded but it proved to be just the break I needed," he said of the swap that sent him from Cleveland to the Packers. "It gave me a chance to start all over in a new situation. I got the opportunity to play and to improve. I started every exhibition and every regular season game the last two seasons. I think I'm the only defensive man who played all last season without relief. Now I have the confidence, I know I can do the job." Asked about the remarkable surge of the Packers the last two years, Davis pointed to several factors. "Coach Lombardi is a personable man with a sense of humor, but when he turns to business he means business and everyone knows it. His football is sound, not unlike the Browns. We thought we should have beaten the Eagles the year before and we went to camp last summer determined to rectify things." With pro football training still several months ahead, Willie is already looking forward to the College All-Star game and that 1962 campaign. "We're a young team and could be even better," he said. "I know I'm still learning. And I have that goal. When folks talk about defensive ends, I want them to mention Willie Davis."
EM'S RETIREMENT CLEARS WAY FOR NEW NO. 1 'AIDE'
MAR 29 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Em Tunnell has officially retired - as expected. And the way is now open for a new No. 1 assistant to the Packers' defensive backfield. Tunnell, who turned 40 today, announced his retirement Wednesday night from his home in Rosemont, Pa. He had completed 14 seasons in the NFL. Norb Hecker, coach of the Bays' secondary, said today that Herb Adderley will remain on defense and "we'll also have Don Ellersick, who is like a veteran." Ellersick was on the Pack's "cab" squad last year. Adderley, the Packs' first choice a year ago who moved into the defensive secondary late in the 1961 season, and Ellersick thus join the regular quartet of Cornerman Jess Whittenton and Hank Gremminger and safetyman Johnny Symank and Willie Wood. "Besides Adderley and Ellersick, we'll look at seven rookies in the secondary," Hecker noted, adding: "Adderley will work as a cornerbacker. All he has to do is learn the position. Ellersick looks frail but he goes between 185 and 190 and he has good speed. He will play at safety and corner." Swift Herb made quite a debut on defense last year. With barely a week of practice under his belt, he was sent into a crucial Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit when Gremminger was hurt and made a key interception. Coach Vince Lombardi and Hecker were high in their praise of Tunnell. One of the real pros of the game, Tunnell was exceptionally helpful to rookies - even though it cost him his job. Em helped develop Wood into a sound safety and last year Willie took over Tunnell's duties. "He was still a vicious tackler. When the opposition got inside our 15, we put him in and he responded with the fury of a linebacker. He could fall back on experience and by watching an offensive player's move was seldom beat," Hecker said. Tunnell will continue in football as a talent scout for the Packers and New York Giants. The unusual
two-way job has been approved by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. Tunnell follows former teammate Charley Conerly of the Giants into retirement. Conerly, who is 41, and Tunnell started as rookies with New York in 1948. "When that kid Conerly decided to hang it up, I made up my mind," Tunnell said. Tunnell, who had hinted at retirement before the Championship game, laughed. "I sure hope the Packers can win. I'd hate to have to come back another year." Tunnell was brought to Green Bay in 1959 by Lombardi. "That kept me in football," Em said. He played college ball at Toledo University in 1942 before entering service. He entered Iowa after being discharged. Only three players have topped Tunnell's tenure as a football player in the NFL. Sammy Baugh played with Washington for 16 years, Johnny Blood played with the Packers for 15 years, and Mel Hein played 15 years with New York. Tunnell leaves two records for future players to shoot for. He has the most interceptions in a career, 79, and the most punt returns, 258.
KNAFELC TURNS DOWN COLORADO OFFER
MAR 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer end Gary Knafelc said today he has turned down an offer to serve as an assistant football coach at his alma mater, the University of Colorado. "The offer to coach with Bud (Davis, new Colorado head coach) was very flattering, but I'd like to play one more year with the Packers and I'm in a new business. In addition, I like Green Bay and the area and I have made many friends." Knafelc recently became vice president of the Coleman School Supply Co. He's a Green Bay home owner. The long-legged offensive end has played eight seasons with the Packers. He's widely known as a public speaker and has conducted his own television show.
WILL SWAP HELP LIONS CATCH PACK?
MAR 31 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - In Packerland, it's not a question of which team got the best deal. The query is this: Did the Lions help themselves enough to overtake the Packers in the Western Division race? That can't be answered until the returns are all in next December, but this much is certain: The Lions, who finished second to the Pack in 1960 and 1961, made two major additions to their low-geared offense. Detroit obtained quarterback Milt Plum, halfback Tom Watkins and linebacker Dave Lloyd from the Browns for quarterback Jim Ninowski, halfback Hopalong Cassady and defensive end Bill Glass. Since the Packers play the Lions twice next fall, the Detroit side of the deal is of major concern. The Lions are sorely in need of offense, just plain old points. They were the 12th worst scoring team in the league last year, finishing only ahead of Washington and Minnesota. They were kept afloat by a tremendous defense, which, by the way, allowed the Pack just 30 points in two games in gaining a split with the world champs. Thus, Lion Coach George Wilson traded off one of his prize defenders, Unbreakable Glass, in an effort to build up his offense. Glass is real active and a top-flight player. Lloyd, who packs a hefty 248, figures to make the Detroit linebacking group, what with the retirement of Jim Martin. Plum and Watkins, of course, are the big guns. Plum led the league in passing the last two years, finished seventh in '59, and second in '58 in his first full campaign. An outspoken fellow, Plum recently told the world that he didn't like Paul Brown's system of signal-calling, in which the plays are fed from the bench. Wilson doesn't use the unique system. Plum now gets a chance to prove that he can be a success as his own signal caller. First, though, he'll have to beat out incumbent Earl Morrall, who had beaten out Ninowski last year. Ninowski, who came from the Browns in the first place, has been with the Lions for two seasons, in which the Lions and Packers split four games. Ninowski started three games against the Pack and won one and lost two. He was on the short end in the 28-9 game here in '60, on the long end of the 23-10 Lion victory in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day that year, and on the losing end of the 17-9 game in Detroit last Thanksgiving Day. Morrall started and finished the Lions' 17-13 win over the Pack in Milwaukee last fall. In his three games vs. the Pack, Ninowski completed 51 passes in 96 attempts for 570 yards and one touchdown - an average of slightly over 50 percent. Ninowski couldn't squeeze a touchdown out of Green Bay in two losses. He had to settle for three field goals in each game...WATKINS BIG SURPRISE: Plum had just one shot at Green Bay in his pro career, that 49-17 debacle in Cleveland last fall. He hurled two touchdown passes and completed 17 out of 26 passes for 187 yards. Plum could have used some of the Lions' defense that day. And next fall, he'll have it. The big surprise in the trade could be Watkins, the former Iowa State star. Scribes in Cleveland last fall rated him better than Bobby Mitchell and the 205-pound speedster, who stands 6-1, finished out with 209 yards in 43 carries, for an average of 4.9 yards. The Lions have never been entirely satisfied with Dan Lewis. Wilson expects to make the powerful Nick Pietrosante even more dangerous, with Lewis in reserve.
PACK, BEARS SIGN FOR AUG. 25 SHRINE TILT
APR 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers and Bears - pro football's oldest and bitterest rivalry - will play again for charity. These old foes have been signed up for the 13th annual Midwest Shrine game in Milwaukee County Stadium Saturday night, Aug. 25, it was announced jointly Saturday by Herbert L. Mount, executive director of the Midwest Shrine Game, and Packer Coach-GM Vince Lombardi. With the Shrine game, the Packers this have completed their annual double-barreled bit for charity. They'll play the New York Giants in the second Bishop's Charities game in Green Bay City Stadium Labor Day evening. These two game were playing in 1961 and the two drew 76,102 fans - a record 42,560 for the Packer-Bear Shrine test in Milwaukee and a record 33,542 for the Packer-Giant battle in Green Bay. Both records have been broken since in league games...STARTED IN '59: The Packers started playing the Bears in the Shrine game in 1959 and the three games thus far have averaged 35,665 fans. The Packers have broken even in their first 12 Shrine games - a series originated by Mount back in 1950 with a 16-14 Packer win over the Baltimore Colts at State Fair Park before 17,191 fans. Green Bay will be trying for its seventh victory and its third in a row. The Shrine game is the pro version of the famous East-West Shrine game, which is played each year in San Francisco. Proceeds from the game go to Shrine hospitals for crippled children. The series thus far has produced over $200,000 for the hospital work. Mount said "it is particularly appropriate that these strong young men play football to help boys and girls in the Shrine hospitals who struggled against ever greater obstacles and, but for the opportunity we provide, could not hope to enjoy a happy and useful life."
VIKINGS HELP PACK LAUNCH TITLE DEFENSE HERE SEPT. 16
APR 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Minnesota Vikings, who won the only league opener they ever played, will help the Packers launch their (1) 43rd season in the NFL, and (2) the defense of their world championship at City Stadium Sept. 16. Chicago's Bears, the Detroit Lions and the Baltimore Colts also will play in Green Bay - the Bears Sept. 30, the Lions Oct. 7 and the Colts Nov. 18. Three games will be played in Milwaukee County Stadium - the St. Louis Cardinals Sept. 23, San Francisco 49ers Oct. 21 and Los Angeles Rams Dec. 2. Thus, the Packers will play their first four games at home
- the Vikings, Cardinals, Bears and Lions before taking to the road, according to the schedule announced by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle Tuesday night. After hearing the friendly voices of home fandom for a month of Sundays, Coach Vince Lombardi will take the Packers to nearby Minneapolis Oct. 14 to re-fight the opener and then return home again to meet the 49ers. After the 49ers, the Bays face three rugged road tasks - at Baltimore Oct. 28, Chicago Nov. 4 and Philadelphia Nov. 11. Next comes the annual five-day unpleasantness - the two-games-in-five-days ordeal, Baltimore here Nov. 18 and the Lions in Detroit Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving Day). Following the 10-day rest, the Packers oppose the Rams in Milwaukee Dec. 2 and then close out on the coast - San Francisco Dec. 9 and Los Angeles Dec. 16. A year ago, both west coast clubs played in Green Bay and the Vikings made their state debut in Milwaukee. The '62 card brings the Vikings, a future Packer natural rival, and the Lions, the Pack's worst enemy next to the Bears, to Green Bay from Milwaukee. The Cardinals of the Eastern Division replaces the Giants (Dec. 3, 1961, Championship Clinching Day). Lombardi said he's pleased with the schedule except for the Thanksgiving Day setup. "I hope this will be the last season we have to play the Thanksgiving Day game. It's tough on the team playing two games in such a short period." Vince noted that the then-infant Vikings shocked the league a year ago when they beat the Bears in their first league game, thus pointing to the Pack's early City Stadium problem. On another front, the Packer coaching staff was increased Tuesday to six with the hiring of Tom Fears, the former Ram great, as coach of the offensive ends, Lombardi announced. Fears, who ranks second only to Don Hutson in overall pass catching records, coached Packer ends on a part-time basis in Vince's first year here, 1959, assisting during the training season and then on the two-game swing on the coast. Lombardi actually started Fears in coaching when the native Californian into coming here three years ago. Fears then joined his old pitching partner, Bob Waterfield, on the staff of the Rams but resigned yesterday along with Don Paul, who went into business. The onetime UCLA star will start work May 1. He will move his family here later. Fears, who becomes the Packers' first full-time end coach, developed Boyd Dowler in his rookie season. Dowler, a halfback, quarterback and end in college, was "taught" into a pass catching third end. He won rookie of the year honors in '59 and has been a key figure in the Pack's air game since. Naming of Fears rounds out a staff of five assistants to Lombardi. Other aides are Phil Bengtson, defense line and linebackers; Norb Hecker, defensive backfield; Bill Austin, offensive line; and Red Cochran, offensive backfield. Harland (Swede) Svare, defensive coach of the New York Giants, probably will be hired to replace Paul. General Manager Elroy Hirsch of the Rams said Svare can get his release from the Rams...For the first time in the history of the league, an electronic computer was used as an aid to the complicated scheduling which requires careful selection of early-season sites because of park availability, late-season dates because of weather, and the demands of working out 14 inter-conference games at the even ration of one weekly. The league used the data processing facilities of the Service Bureau Corporation, a subsidiary of IBM, to determine the maximum number of schedules possible from several given sets of basics necessary to a workable schedule. The IMB 704 computer used at SBC's center is the same type as that employed in rocket fuel analysis. "The IBM equipment quickly proved the validity or non-validity of our scheduling pattern in many instances, and at the same time incorporated suggestions of its own which saved many hours of trial and error. I believe it has extensive possibilities for more complete use in scheduling," Rozelle said. "One time we watched it compute and list in printed form a dozen schedules in 8 minutes. We can't even type one in that time and in the early stages of making a schedule it sometimes takes us days just to come up with one playable arrangement."
GAME 8 TOUGH TO WIN FOR PACKERS
APR 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - This is a year of Challenge for the Packers. That's Vince Lombardi's password for '62. The big challenge, naturally, is defending the championship. But there's another one. Namely, winning Game 8 - a sort of eight-ball challenge. Lombardi has suffered through losses in each of his three "eighth" games - Baltimore in Milwaukee in 1959 (28-24), Los Angeles in Milwaukee in 1960 (33-31) and at Baltimore in 1961 (45-21). Actually, the Packers have lost six straight No. 8 games. They walloped the Cardinals in Green Bay in the eighth game in '55 by a score of 31-14 but haven't won an eighter since. No. 8 in '56 was the last game in old wooden City Stadium, a 17-16 loss to 'Frisco. The Rams won the Pack's eighth games in 1957 (31-27) and 1958 (17-7). Lombardi has always expressed some concern over the "middle" of the Packers schedule. Figures for his three seasons of success show that six of the club's 12 losses were absorbed in the sixth, seventh and eighth games - two in the sixth, one in the seventh and three in the eighth. The Packers' only other problem game has been No. 1, oddly enough. The Lombardi-men have lost two of the three
starters. They won that historic debut under Vince in '59 (9-6) and then lost the next two openers. The Packers can square the opening day record next Sept. 16 against a team that never lost an opener - the Minnesota Vikings. The Van Brocklinites, of course, have played only one starter, but they won it last year at the expense of the Bears. But who's for No. 8 this season? None other than the Bears in Chicago! Winning down there is always a challenge...Speaking about challenges, Lombardi, in his letter to season ticket holders, included this paragraph: "The year 1962 will represent a great challenge to the Green Bay Packers. Spartanism, dedication and sacrifice brought the championship to our Wisconsin Packer fans. NFL history proves how difficult it is to repeat as Champions. We will need the same Spartanism, dedication and sacrifice plus the continued loyal support of both our Milwaukee and Green Bay fans to repeat as champions."...Season ticket applications are in the mail and holders are asked to return them by May 1. Also in the "Packer Letter" is an application for subscriptions to Pro Football Illustrated, the new pro football paper sanctioned by the league. And there's a note announcing that children's tickets are for youths 12 years of age or younger. This year's children holding children-section tickets will enter through a special gate and anyone over the age limit will not be admitted. In the past, it wasn't unusual to see a 20-year old "child" in the children's section!
'PACKERS WILL BE GOOD BUT I CAN'T PROMISE TITLE,' VINCE
APR 9 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers of 1962 will be "a good football team but I can't promise a title." Vince Lombardi, looking forward to his fourth campaign at the Packer helm, told more than 200 members of the Milwaukee chapter, St. Norbert College Alumni Assn., at the Eagles Club Sunday night: "Whether we have a representative championship team will depend in part on the demands of the military." The Bays have five players in the Army - Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke, Boyd Dowler, Herb Adderley and Elijah Pitts. Adderley and Pitts are in six-month tours and are expected to be out in time but the status of the other three is unknown. "Repeating as champion is a great challenge," the coach-GM boomed in closing, "and if this team is willing to sacrifice as much as it did last year we the Packers will be ready to accept that challenge." The audience gave Lombardi a standing ovation following his address in which he touched many bases - college football, the Packers, physical education, education of youth, to mention a few. After Vince's talk, John C. Gosling, president of the Milwaukee chapter, announced he formation of a Lombardi Scholarship to be given to a Milwaukee high school senior interested in attending St. Norbert College. The scholarship will be based on need and scholastic ability. A scroll officially designated Lombardi as the scholarship "honoree" was presented to Vince by Gosling. Lombardi spoke highly of two of his players, Jerry Kramer and Hornung, and also noted that "Adderley is a natural as a defensive back. It was due to my own stubbornness that he stayed on offense so long last year. I thought he was a flanker and he looked great but he never did anything in a game." Adderley was switched to defense late in the season last year and starred. "When Jerry Kramer broke his leg last year, I doubted very much that we could stay in the race. He was the league's outstanding guard and some say he may be the best guard in history. Jerry can out-run our backs and he's in good condition now." The coach told about Hornung, the league's most valuable player: "People ask me 'what makes Hornung a great player.' Actually, he's a very ordinary player except when he gets within 15 yards of the goal line; then he's a great football player. He can't do anything but score points." On another front, Lombardi made a pitch for physical fitness in high schools and colleges "but that's only part of it. There also must be competition. While winning isn't everything, trying to win is. Competition provides the urge to be fit." He made these other points: "There is no competition between college and pro football except at the gate. Both pro and college football drew more people plat year. The college are the lifeblood of the professional teams. The pros play a better game because football is their business. To compare college football with pro football would be a severe indictment of college football. We won't forget the organized cheering that greeted us when we came out on the field to play the Giants in Milwaukee. It helped us win the championship that day. We feel we have a very fine draft last year despite the fact that we had to draft last on every round. Earl Gros (the first choice) is an outstanding fullback and he'll be the fastest back on the team."
PACKERS TO START WITH 58 'DEFENDING WORLD CHAMPS'
APR 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer Coach Vince Lombardi will greet 58 "defending world champions" when 1962 practice starts in mid-July. The new group will include 22 first-year men and 36 veterans - all except Em Tunnell, the grand old man of defense who announced his retirement the other day. The league limit for the new season will be 36 and if all veterans make the fourth Lombardi edition the rookies will suffer a shutout. This isn't likely to happen, of course, since the rookie crop is considered to be one of the best. You can be sure there be some excellent competition for most positions. And it must be recalled that six rookies made the 1961 team (Elijah Pitts, Nelson Toburen, Lee Folkins, Herb Adderley, Ben Davidson and Ron Kostelnik), although three spots were opened by the sale of three players to Minnesota. The status of the Packers' five servicemen adds importance to the rookie group. Adderley and Pitts are in under the six-month plan and should get out in time. There were indications this week that the other three solders, all in the National Guard, will be out by order of the President on Aug. 15. Thus, Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler will miss the first month of drills. Nineteen of the first-year men are simon-pures. The other three were here before, as it were - guard Jack Novak, offensive halfback Ed Sutton, and defensive halfback Don Ellersick. They were on the Pack's can squad last year, right down to the happy end. Ellersick seems to have a good chance to make it on defense, what with only five returnees in the secondary - the starting four (Jess Whittenton, Hank Gremminger, John Symank Sr., and Willie Wood) and one replacement, Adderley. Novak joins he two fine rookies in a fight for employment behind the Guardsmen Two (Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer). The newcomers are Ed Blaine of Missouri, the No. 2 draft choice, and John Schopf of Michigan, fifth pick. Novak, incidentally, was the fifth choice a year ago but didn't play because of an injury in the All Star game. Sutton, the onetime Redskin and Giant, is among seven left halfbacks. This group is topped by the league's most valuable player, Pfc. Paul Hornung. Behind him are Tom Moore, who also works at fullback, and sophomore Pitts. Two rookies bring up the rear, Josef Thorne of South Dakota State, 12th choice, and Ernie Green of Louisville, 14th. Two of the highly prized rookies are offensive ends - third choice Gary Barnes of Clemson, a 210-pounder, and sixth choice Oscar Donahue of San Jose State, 200. Both are listed among the flanker ends (Boyd Dowler and Lew Carpenter) and the left ends (Max McGee and Carpenter). The major rookie addition is Earl Gros, the big fullback from LSU who is the team's No. 1 choice. This 220-pounder is expected to add power to the Pack's ground fame. Despite is size, Gros will be the Pack's fastest back. Among the big men on defense, the top two prospects are Ron Gassert, a 238-pounder who is rated "another Hank Jordan." That's quite a compliment because Jordan was the league's leading defensive player last year. Gassert, the second draft choice, has been assigned to left tackler where he'll line up behind Dave Hanner and Ron Kostelnik, the sophomore who also backs up Jordan on the right side. Also on the right will be Tom Kepner, 245, the 13th pick from Villanova. New players are slated for all positions except linebacker. The early roster doesn't show a rookie linebacker. Holdovers are sophomore Nelson Toburen plus the Fearsome Foursome - Bill Forester, Dan Currie, Ray Nitschke and Tom Bettis. There will be one rookie quarterback in camp - Bob Joiner, a 205-pounder from Presbyterian College, the 18th choice, who will join up with Bart Starr and John Roach. Fourteen of the newcomers are listed for offensive duty, leaving eight for defense. Ben Agajanian, the 40-year old kicker, is among the veterans returning. Tunnell's place on the roster has been filled by J. Kramer, who missed the last half of the '61 season because of injury. He had been placed on the injured list.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 26th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (March 9th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (March 15th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (March 20th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (March 23rd 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (April 6th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 6th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (April 15th 1962)
REALTOR BILL QUINLAN WAGES BANQUET BATTLE IN HOMETOWN
APR 22 (Lawrence, MA-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - To borrow one of baseball's now-classic phrases, it still may be "great to be young and to be a Yankee," but these days, according to Green Bay's husky and handsome defensive end Bill Quinlan, "it's not bad being a Packer, either." "If there's any drawback at all in being a member of a championship ball club," says Bill, "It's the fact that since I got home to Lawrence I haven't had much tome to myself. But," he quickly adds, "don't think I'm knocking it. I'm averaging better than one speaking engagement a week and let me tell you the hours are good and so is the money." Naturally, like any athlete plodding the offseason, rubber chicken circuit, Bill has been forced to wage his Battle of the (beltline) Bulge. And to do it it, the 6-3 ex-Michigan Stater, who likes to stay "somewhere near a playing weight of 245-250" has set up an offseason workout schedule at the local YMCA...REAL ESTATE BROKER: "I drop in, two, three times a week," he says, "and take light workouts, nothing very hearty, just enough so I don't need help tying my own shoes." Meanwhile, Quinlan is managing to find time for other things, too. For example, just the other day he received his Massachusetts license to practice as a real estate broker. "The exam wasn't too tough," he quipped. "As long as you can count your fingers and toes twice in a row and get the same answer both times, you're in." And on top of his imminent dabbling in the field of real estate, Bill is also considering another venture. "For some time now, I've been thinking about going back to school. You know, I left Michigan State as a sophomore. Well, I'd like to pack up the school books again and finish the last couple of year in order to get my degree."...FIVE YEARS LEFT: "Right now, in fact, Jim Jordan (the old Lawrence High coach) is looking into my chances of entering Ithaca College (Ithaca, N.Y.). Probably nothing will come of it this year, but eventually I do want to get that degree one way or another." Getting back to the football side of things, Bill has ready answers for a number of questions, to wit: What does he figure his life span is from here on as a defensive end in the NFL. "Oh, I'd say I should probably have five good years left. I'm 29 years now, so if you figure it barring injury, I think I can count on another five years for sure." How about the experience factor as a pro footballer? Does he have any changed theories about the game now? Is his approach any different now than it was back in his rookie days?...GIANTS GETTING OLD: "Oh sure, you know, when I was new at this business, I used to chase the ball all over the field. Tried to be everywhere. But now it's different. I play my spot, cover my responsibility. There are several reasons for that, but one thing that finally dawned on me was this: Most of the backs in this league can cover the 100 in something like 9.8 seconds. Me? I might make it in 14 flat. See what I mean?" Head-to-head, who's the roughest customer he faced last fall in the NFL schedule? "They, they're all tough, but one guy who does stick out above the rest in my book is Jim Parker (Baltimore tackle). He goes 6-5, weights about 280 and he's strong as a horse. On top of that, he's real quick and mobile. You just don't bowl somebody like that over." Since the big, 37-0 title game win over the Giants, has anything else happened to you? "You bet. It's that testimonial they ran for me here in Lawrence. Over 1,000 persons there including Paul (Hornung) and Butch Songin from the other league. It really meant a lot to Betty and me to see all our friends turn out like that. I'll remember that night for a long time." With that, Bill turned to the rest of the family, meaning William David Jr., age 4; Malinda Marie, 2 1/2; and Sean Thornton, 1 1/2. "And," he laughed, "if you think it's tough duty playing pro football, you ought to see me get triple-teamed by that crew of mine. It's somethin'!"
PARILL SIGNS WITH PATRIOTS
APR 25 (Boston) - The Boston Patriots announced today that quarterback Babe Parilli, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, was the first of last year's squad to sign a 1962 contract with the AFL team. The Patriots said that Parilli, who lives in Green Bay, had undergone minor knee surgery following the end of the 1961 season.
PACKERS OBTAIN DALLAS KICKER
APR 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers obtained Allen Green, a kicking specialist from the Dallas Cowboys in a three-cornered trade, Coach Vince Lombardi announced today. The deal started with the trade of New York Giant defensive halfback Dick Nolan to the Cowboys. Nolan then was signed as a defensive halfback coach. To complete transaction, the Packers obtained Green from the Cowboys and then turned over the "cost price," an undisclosed draft choice, to the Giants. Green's presence gives the world champion Packers three kickers on paper, the newcomer thus joining Pfc. Paul Hornung and Ben Agajanian. Hornung figures to get out of service in late summer along with other National Guardsmen. Green, like Agajanian, does nothing but kick. Green played college football at Mississippi and he stands 6-2 and packs 215 pounds. The new Packer makes a habit of winning game with late-second field goals. He booted a 41-yard field goal to give Ole Miss a 6-6 tie with LSU in the last few seconds. As a rookie with the Cowboys last year, his kicking won two games. With one second left, his field goal beat the Steelers 27-24, and there was only one minute left when he kicked a field goal to beat the Giants 17-16. The 1962 season could make the end of Hornung's career as a Packer kicker, what with two kicking specialists now in the satchel. Lombardi had indicated in the past that he would rather have a specialist or a defensive player handling the kicking. Green booted 19 out of 19 extra point boots and five out of 15 field goal tries last year.
HORNUNG EXPECTS RELEASE IN TIME FOR OPENING DRILLS
APR 29 (Milwaukee) - Paul Hornung, running star of the Green Bay Packers, said Saturday night he expects to be released from the Army July 15, the starting date for practice for the 1962 NFL season. Hornung, a Pfc. and jeep driver at Ft. Riley, Kan., flew in to receive the sixth annual Joseph (Red) Dunn Memorial Award as Wisconsin's 1961 "Athlete of the Year." The selection was made by sportswriters and sportscasters of Associated Press members. The hard-running halfback said the latest information he had received about the July 15 release date pleased him because it coincides with the start of Packer practice. Hornung said he now weighs 218 pounds, eight more than when the Packers beat the New York Giants 37-0 in the NFL championship game Dec. 31. He said the added poundage will mean hard work in the training camp but he's counting on the help of Packer head coach Vince Lombardi who will "succeed where I might fail."
HUNTER (PACK) NOW HUNTED, ROZELLE WARNS
MAY 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "The Packers are going to have trouble in 1962. They will be pointed at for 14 straight weeks." That's not only a warning from NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle but a statement of historic fact. He made this observation, among others, while breaking bread with members of the Mike and Pen Club
Green Bay Press-Gazette (April 16th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 25th 1962)
Monday noon. Pete was a guest along with Packer President Dominic Olejniczak and Coach-General Manager Vince Lombardi. "It's tough repeating as champion and it's a terrible thing to combat. The Packers were the hunter for so many games; now they're the hunted," Rozelle added. The commissioner, in town for the Lombardi Testimonial, noted the powerhouses down through the years and their short lives: "Everybody though the Bears of the early 1940s could never be beaten, but they've won only twice since then (1946 and 1957). The Eagles dropped off after winning twice in the late 1940s. The Browns were great in the early 1950s but they have started losing. The Rams were up there a little and then the Colts who have suffered. And now the Packers." Rozelle touched on a number of subjects in the process of answering questions: "We're confident the suit (brought by the AFL against the NFL) will work out as we originally felt it would." "I feel the Miami runner-up game should continue. The players' pension will realize $100,000 annually from that game." "There are two reasons why the attendance at the College All Star game has dropped off. First, the game is televised locally (Chicago) and second, the superiority of the NFL representative." "The NFL has no working agreement with the United Football League, but our clubs may place players there for additional training." "The player limit of 36 is sufficient and I believe we'd be shortsighted if we went to 38. A few years ago, the limit actually helped the Packers - the case of (Fuzzy) Thurston, who was traded to help the Colts get down to the limit. The Rams, who have pioneered the present system of scouting, have always had the problem of cutting." "The Packers were the best draw on the road in 1961." "The new television contract (equal amounts of money to each club) is the greatest thing in the league for everyone. It helps the Packers and other clubs, which don't have as large a TV area as some of the others, complete from an operational standpoint."
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 1st 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 1st 1962)
VINCE GETS 'GREATEST TRIBUTE'
MAY 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "...in my hometown." Those four words spoken by Vince Lombardi exploded 700 Packer fans into furious applause and added frosting to the Lombardi Testimonial Banquet at the Elks Club Monday night. Lombardi was making his response to an enjoyable evening of recognition for the native New Yorker who came to Green Bay three years ago and promptly lifted the Packers from last to first. Lombardi, accepting the invitation of Toastmaster Tim Cohane to step forth and be heard, didn't wait long to "hit home," opening: "I planned to say many things this evening, in appreciation and gratitude, and maybe a little bit witty, but I'm afraid I am so filled with emotion that regardless of what I would say it would not be adequate. I would like to thank the committee, the Elks - in fact, all of you who made this a wonderful night. I received many tributes since I came to Green Bay but none - I don't believe - would ever replace or compare with this great tribute here in my hometown." This was an emotion-packed talk. It gripped Lombardi, as he knew it would, and it gripped the hard core of Packer fandom. There were many watery eyes and lumpy throats. Lombardi thanked the many guests "who traveled many miles" tossed a banquet at the Bear Owner-Coach George Halas - "the dean of all coaches and one of the most respected coaches of all time," and then continued: "I am proud and happy, of course, to bring a championship to Green Bay. I don't know of any city more deserving of a championship than this City of Green Bay for its loyalty, cooperation and its support, for many years - way before I came to Green Bay." "Green Bay has been good to me. It's been good to my family and I am proud and happy to call it my home. However, I cannot accept any tribute without mentioning others who are every bit as important in this Packer organization, and without this help none of this would be possible. And all of them should be up here this evening to share this honor - in particular a very patient and wonderful wife, the Packers executive board and its directors, the fine group of assistant coaches, a great group of players, without whom none of this would be possible." In closing, Lombardi added one other: "And, to the good Lord, for His help and His understanding. And I pray to Him every day to give me enough sense of humor to be serious but never allow me to take myself too seriously." Four presentations were made to Vince - one for his wife, Marie, one to keep Vince healthy, one to commemorate the occasion, and one to symbolize the Packers' world championship." A life-size painting of Vince done by Marianne Schwartz was presented to the coach who in turn must present it to Marie, Vince was given a large plaque officially recording his honor and a putter with a gold head, inscribed "Vince Lombardi, April 30, 1962." This, Chuck Egan said, "is to make sure you play golf and keep healthy." The Jim Thorpe trophy, symbolic of the title, was presented by Commissioner Pete Rozelle.
PACKER BLOCKS, TACKLES FURTHER TRIBUTE: HALAS
MAY 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - You had to see it to believe it. Urbane George Stanley Halas, longtime major-domo of Chicago's cordially detested Bears and immemorial enemy of the Packers, the Green Bay community and all points immediately north, south, east and west, was welcomed to the stronghold of Packerland like a long-lost brother Monday night when he appeared before nearly 700 of the faithful at the "Vince Lombardi Testimonial" in the Elks Club. Halas, who together with the Packers' visionary Curly Lambeau, nursed professional football from a mewling infant into a brawny giant, was greeted with deafening applause, a novel experience for Papa Bear in these traditional hostile surroundings, and later left amid a standing ovation. A scheduled speaker, Lambeau was unable to appear because his mother, Mrs. Marcel Lambeau, is critically ill. Lambeau, at her bedside, sent "his best to Vince and to his old pupil." (principal speaker Jim Crowley), Emcee Tom Cohane announced early in the evening. Halas, who has been more accustomed to the raucous boo and the sibilant hiss in his annual visits to City Stadium, won his audience early in the game when he puckishly concluded his salutation, "and friends of the Chicago Bears." The timeless pioneer subsequently lost no favor when he quipped, "upon seeing all these smiling faces, I can't help but wonder if you are thinking of what you did to the Bears last year or if you are smiling in anticipation of what you expect to do to us next fall." Jocularly reminding Lombardi that "his major job will be stamping out overconfidence," Halas declared. "Everybody has been dwelling on what Vince has done to the league. I would like to talk about what Vince has done for the league."..."GREAT TRADITION": "He has built a great tradition and a loyal and fine community here," the pro football pillar said. "He has established Green Bay as a bastion of football." Lombardi, his coaching adversary, further asserted, "is smart, resourceful and a perfectionist in execution. The Packers' blocking and tackling also is a tribute to Vince as well as to this fine gathering here tonight." But it was a night for levity as well as sentiment and Halas did not long pursue this tack, shortly jesting, "There will be minor problems for Vince this season. I have read that Earl Gros, the Packers' No. 1 draft choice, will be the fastest, toughest and biggest back on the squad. So that does pose a problem for you, Vince," he noted, with a grin in Lombardi's direction. "You will have to decide where to play Hornung - and I don't know if he'll take to playing a new position like tight end. The best solution," George appended, with admirable cheek, "is to trade Hornung."...HAPPY TO COOPERATE: "We will be happy to cooperate to the extent of a 2-for-1 deal," George submitted with unctuous generosity. "We will give up a close end and an offensive guard." This last, he pointed out, "would give you greater bench strength and would than you will not have to play Kramer and Thurston as often, and it will prolong their careers. And our linebackers won't get harmed, either." Halas could not resist a final joke - even though it was on himself. "It looks like the Bears have enjoyed all the laughs we're going to have in 1962," he quipped. Humor aside, Papa Bear took his leave by extending "sincerest congratulations to you, Vince, and many, many successful years in the great city of Green Bay."
FOES HUNT NEW LOMBARDI BUT 'ONLY ONE VINCE,' ROZELLE
MAY 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "But the sad
conclusion they have all reached is that there is just one Vince Lombardi." Speaking was Pete Rozelle, youthful and polished commissioner of the NFL, at the Lombardi tribute program. Rozelle, who flew into what he acknowledged as "Titletown" from New York specifically for the occasion, was concluding "one of the great success stories of the NFL." He was pointing out that many clubs around the league were taking a cue from the amazing job done by Lombardi in Green Bay and thinking of combining the jobs of head coach and general manager, thus centering the full responsibility for every phase of the team's operation. "Many began searching for the right man," he said, "but the sad conclusion they have all reached is that there is only one Vince Lombardi." The commissioner paid "tribute due President (Dominic) Olejniczak and the directors for their recognition of a situation, calling for correction" in the "pre-Lombardi" era. He said that until Lombardi took over the entire league had nothing but a "needle for the Packer organization, run on a committee basis. They still talk now, but it is in a different view," he added. One of the things the Packers were laughed at for in the previous regime, Rozelle smilingly added, was the time they drafted "a misfit from Notre Dame who couldn't pass well enough to play quarterback, wasn't fast enough to play halfback and wasn't big enough for a fullback."...Col. Earl (Red) Blaik, head coach at West Point when Lombardi was an assistant coach there and the man Vince has repeatedly referred to as the greatest of all coaches, could not attend the program but sent his best wishes to "America's finest coach" and described Vince as "volatile, imaginative and highly intelligent."...Toastmaster Tim Cohane, sports editor of Look Magazine and long-time friend of Lombardi since being publicity director at Fordham University while Lombardi was a member of the famed Seven Blocks of Granite, pointed out that "destiny fingered Vince Lombardi for Green Bay." Cohane noted that Lombardi has been due for the hear coaching job at Army until the Academy decided to stay with its graduate coaching tradition. Previously, he had been the top candidate for the job at Fordham, but that school decided to drop football. "It took a long time for Lombardi to get the head coaching position he always wanted," Cohane declared. "He got it at age 45 but God made sure he was ready for greatness before he got it."...Speaking for the coaching staff, assistant Phil Bengtson recalled a typical Lombardi situation and one "that will leave a lasting impression on me." He referred to the time last season when the squad met for the first time minus the military trio of Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler. There wasn't any grumbling, Bengtson pointed out, Vince simply told the team "we'll have to get along without them and we're still going to win."...On behalf of the players, Henry Jordan spoke of Lombardi installing a "desire to win" into the players and "installing the best offensive system in the league, until it meets our defense."...The Rev. Benjamin L. Masse, S.J., a Green Bay native and former star athlete at St. Norbert College, now associate editor of America magazine, represented the Rev. Lawrence J. McGinley, S.J., president of Fordham and described Vince as "the kind of student that every university is proud and happy to have. We are proud but not surprised at his achievement."...The Rev. Tim Moore, O. Carm., athletic director of St. Cecilia's High School in Englewood, N.J., when Lombardi coached there, spent some tome taking joking credit for Vince's six state grid championships in those prep days but admitted, "I have never been so thrilled as I was on THAT New Year's Eve."...Among the other speakers was Ivy Williamson, athletic director of the University of Wisconsin, who acknowledged the fine relationship between the Packers and Badgers. Green Bay Mayor Roman Denissen thanked Lombardi for bringing a fine team to Green Bay. Others introduced were Olejniczak and the Packers directors, the Packer players, John Martinkovic, president of the Packer Alumni; Milt Bruhn, Wisconsin football coach; Art Daley, sports editor of the Press-Gazette; and Lloyd Larson, sports editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel...The Rev. Thomas Fox, O. Praem, representing the Rev. Dennis M. Burke, O. Praem, president of St. Norbert College who was unable to attend the dinner, delivered the Invocation and the Rev. Dean Kilgust of Grace Lutheran Church said the benediction. The Elks Orchestra and Four Clips Quartet provided entertainment. Exalted Ruler Jack Chriske welcomed the entire group on behalf of the Elks and introduced Cohane.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 15th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 20th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 13th 1962)
PACKERS NET $175,075 PROFIT IN '61
MAY 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers had their biggest "dollar" year in history in 1961. This was the frosting today on the Packers' world championship cake, and certainly gilt-edge evidence of the remarkable job performed by General Manager and Coach Vince Lombardi in his three years in Green Bay. Lombardi revealed the figures at the annual meeting of stockholders of Green Bay Packers, Inc., at WBAY auditorium Wednesday night. He announced that the net profit of the Packers' world championship year was $175,075.46 - an increase of $59,847.21 over 1960. The actual profit was $357,360.40, but Uncle Sam knocked off more than half in income taxes, or $182,284.94. The club closed the books on Dec. 31, 1961, with a surplus of $573,141.60. The surplus a year ago was $398,066.14. The Pack's operating income soared above the million mark the third straight year but the '61 total was the highest ever - $1,475,456.56, compared to $1,177,733.61 in 1960. The major '61 figures - profit, surplus and operating income - are all the largest in the club's long history. By comparison, the club's financial statement at the close of business five years ago (Dec. 31, 1956) showed a surplus of $142,993.13, operating income of $680,936 and net profit of $28,683. There were other interesting mosts and first. Lombardi pointed out that for the first time the Packers had higher gate receipts at home than they did on the road. Receipts from home games (Green Bay and Milwaukee) totaled $706,612.90 against $626,308.64 on the road. Ticket sales for home games totaled over a million for the first time - $1,348,984, compared to $953,556 last year. Lombardi noted that the increase in gates and ticket sales resulted some from the extra game (seven home games against six previously) and additional seats. The GM explained the various expenses with large circular drawings, noting that "there was just on expense that was less than a year ago - training camp." Cost of training in '61 was $74,000 against $89,000 in '60. Oddly enough, the radio and television income was less in '61 than it was in 1960. The figure for the past year was $113,500 against $140,20 in '60. Vince said the reason was that there was three nationally-televised games in 1960 compared to one in 1961. Lombardi said that the revenue from TV next year will be in the $300,000 class but he cautioned: "This is only for two years. No one knows what TV or the sponsors will do after that time." In fact, Vince maintained considerable caution during his remarks, pointing out that the Packers have no control of away games, as to attendance. He said that road receipts benefited considerably, for instance, by playing
in New York's big park in '59 and Cleveland's last year. This year the Pack's Eastern venture will be to Philadelphia, which has a much smaller park, Vince said. Lombardi also noted "an ever increasing payroll and the competition from the AFL." On this score, Vince reiterated that no rookie will receive more money on his basic contract than any of the veterans. On the ticket front, the GM wowed the audience with some amazing figures. Nearly, 37,000 season tickets for the four league games at City Stadium have been requested by previous holders. The total sold last year was cut off at 37,800. Thus City Stadium is close to being sold out for '62. Milwaukee is already setting records. The season ticket total for the three league games there has shot over 18,000, which breaks the previous record 16,112 sold last year. Vince estimated that the sale in Milwaukee will reach between 23,000 and 25,000. The general manager turned coach and ran down the club's draft list and then confided that "the 1962 outlook is excellent; we're still a young team - younger now that Em Tunnell has retired." But the road is rocky ahead. "Championships don't come easy. I'd like to promise you one. I don't think there is any question but that we'll be the team to beat. But every team will be pointing at us - even those who are out of the running. Those teams will be fighting for the next year's contracts and they'll be saying, 'let's beat the champions,'" Lombardi said, adding: "This is a great challenge and the only thing I can say is we're ready to accept it." Atty. Fred N. Trowbridge, the Packers' counsel, told of the NFL's lawsuit with the AFL. He said he wasn't optimistic over the outcome but "less pessimistic than I was before the case was heard." The decision is now in the hands of the presiding judge. John Torinus read the minutes of the 1961 meeting and created a chuckle from Lombardi and the audience while reading Lombardi's remarks of a year ago: "We received $50,000 from the championship game but don't count on that every year."
CITY'S FIRST GRID TITLE IN 1897
MAY 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - When the Elks Club honored Vince Lombardi for his Packer miracle this week, it was doubtful that anybody, unless it was Snick Gross, took the time to remember back 65 years when it all started. Snick was the mascot for Green Bay's first championship city football team in 1897. That 1897 team was a far cry from the present Packers, of course, but there were some remarkable similarities, too. In the first place, it was a hometown working on much the same basis as the original Packers, it was a tough outfit, and it also had a mayor for club president. It even had a lawyer for its coach. Football was a new game in town then. The city had had teams in 1895 and 1896 (East High began playing the game in the latter year), but they hadn't done much. In '97, however, the club went all out, racked up an undefeated season and was the toast of the town. But football was only one aspect of a remarkably diversified sports program in the little city just before the turn of the century. The town also had a pretty good baseball club, it was a hotbed of cycling, tennis was just breaking in, the Astors and Navarinos had inaugurated their bowling rivalry, there was track and boxing and a lot of trapshooting. The Green Bay Yacht Club was a going concern - in fact, about the only sport in town that didn't enjoy that year was its old favorite of harness racing...STARTED YEAR BEFORE: The gridiron success actually started in the middle of a mediocre 1986 campaign when T.P. Silverwood was lured out of the Upper Peninsula to play in the line. A notable lineman at the University of Wisconsin, Silverwood promptly sparked the club to a fast finish that carried over into the next season. For the 1897 campaign, the club started with a strong front office that included Mayor F.B. Desnoyers as president, Theodore Kemnitz Jr., vice president; M.J. Corbett, treasurer; Art Fontaine, secretary; Ed Krippner, business manager, and Silverwood as player-coach. Tom, like Vince Lombardi, was a lawyer. Other directors were Alden Arthur, Al Hollman and J.L. Wilcox. Silverwood gathered a team with a heavy line and a light, fast backfield. The line included himself, Pease, Gray, Hanrahan, Jim and Frank Flatley and C. Burns, with Bert Groesbeck, Fred Hurlbut, Van Den Brook and Green in the backfield. Just before the season opened, the team got a big lift when Skenadore, the Oneida Indian fullback who had starred at Carlisle for five years, joined the squad. The season opened in routine fashion with a hard-earned 4-0 victory over Marinette, but really got rolling thereafter when the Bays went to Appleton and crushed Lawrence University, 42-0. The next opponent was Menominee, which took a 34-6 clobbering but had the satisfaction of scoring the only points of the campaign on Silverwood's terrors. Another victory over Marinette, this time 10-0, and a 62-0 rout of Fond du Lac completed the season...COULDN'T BET OPPONENTS: Having rolled up a total of 142 points while yielding only six, the team called it a year. They might have played more games but manager Krippner found most state teams unwilling to take a chance on the Green Bay club. At season's end, the players were feted at a banquet by The Club, an organization of the West Side's most prominent businessmen. Meanwhile, East High, which had taken up the game only the year before, proceeded to turn out a team that won four, lost two and tied one. East split with Kewaunee High School, lost to and tied Manitowoc and romped over Neenah, Kaukauna and Marinette. Joe Geer captained the East eleven and played quarterback. Others were Art Joannes, Eugene Hart and Art DeNevue in the backfield and a line consisting of Ward Gibson, Art McEachron, Joe Richter, Charles Marquardt, Fred Gronnert, Nicholas Schraa, Louis Frisque and Ed Tilton, with Austin Olmsted as sub and manager. West High also fielded its first team that season but didn't get in many games. The only contest they were able to play was with De Pere High, which the West Siders won, 10-0. The West lineup consisted of Newschwander, Hawley, Miller, Keyser, McDonald, Jackso and Lyons up front and Bensil, Kelly, Killian and Griffis in the backfield...PENNANT BID THWARTED: The city baseball team was thwarted in its bid for a pennant when the four-club Northern Wisconsin League blew up in midseason. When the loop folded, Sheboygan was leading by two games, Green Bay was second, and Kaukauna and Manitowoc were well behind. There was some reluctance to get into a league in the first place, since the general feeling was that a league salary limit would cut down the quality of ball the city had enjoyed with an independent club. However, Joe Pigeon was appointed manager and be brought together a good team that didn't always play up to its potential, especially on the road. A 17-game league schedule was adopted and the league opened play early in May. Sheboygan got off to a fast start and led all the way, with Green Bay coming up fast in August. Before the season opened, there was a local rhubarb over where the home games would be played. In previous seasons, the ball park had been up on Webster Avenue, just outside Woodlawn Cemetery, but there had been considerable criticism over playing games on Sunday. Bowing to the criticism, the club decided to move to Washington Park, now the site of East High and old City Stadium, which was the city's combination fairgrounds, race track and amusement park. When the players went to the old field to dismantle the fence and bleachers, however, the owner of the property threatened to have the law on them for playing Sunday ball if they dared move away from his place...MOVED ANYWAY: Since he hadn't shown any fine scruples as long as the club was using his property, nobody took him very seriously. The move went ahead as planned and Washington Park became the home field. With seven games still to play, the league folded when Kaukauna pulled out. An attempt was made to replace Kaukauna by De Pere, which had a club good enough to whitewash the Bays, 8-0, in their only meeting, but De Pere declined. Then, when Kaukauna reconsidered, Manitowoc and Sheboygan wouldn't let it back in and the league collapsed. The Green Bay team finished out the season playing non-league ball with teams from all over the state, winding up in a blaze of glory on Labor Day weekend by blanking the strong Racine club, 9-0. Management took a big gamble for guaranteeing Racine $125 for two contests here and barely made the nut. The main strength of the club lay in its battery, consisting of Billy McGinnis, catcher, and Art Massey, pitcher. The latter worked nearly every game but just before the league blew up threatened to quit the team when Pigeon chewed him out for losing a game with Manitowoc. Frank Bender played first, Lace was on the second, Bendig at third and Menthey and Delforge alternated at short. The outfield consisted of Boulet, Pigeon and Joe Verheyden.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 27th 1962)
$25 PACKER SHARE NOW $146.12 VALUE
MAY 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - One dozen years the Packers stayed alive by selling $125,000 in non-profit stocks, at $25 per share. Seemingly everybody bought a share of stock - from the soda jerker right up to the guy who ran the store. And most good Packers fans now have their stock certificates framed and displayed. Actually, the $25 share of stock was a $25 share of loyalty and/or love for the Packers. But that was 12 years ago - the early spring of 1950 to be exact. What's the "value" of that share of love at the moment? The growth? Dave Nelson, the P-G's treasurer and business manager, came up with the answer, based on the number of Packer shares outstanding, 4,738, and the club's capital-surplus of $692,293. The book value of each share, Nelson says, is now $146.12. Thus, those $25 shares of loyalty have soared to the tune of over 500 percent. The decision to sell non-profit stock in the Packers was made Feb. 6, 1950, and the drive started near the end of March. The late Emil R. Fischer, then packer president, told stockholders before the campaign that "our present cash position is roughly between $40,000 and $50,000." The figures included an insurance settlement on Rockwood Lodge, which had been destroyed by fire. By comparison, Packer General Manager-Coach Vince Lombardi announced a surplus of $573,141.60 at the stockholders' meeting Wednesday night. The Packers progressed financially after the stock drive, although there were some tough years. The arrival
of television revenue in 1953 kept the club in the black. Construction of the new City Stadium in 1957, with an increase of nearly 8,000 seats over the old wooden structure, moved the Bays into the $800,000 operating income class for the first time. The big jump to the "million-dollar business" took place with the arrival of Lombardi in 1959.
PACKER BACKS TO HAVE ADDED 'TITLE' IN 1962: 'RECEIVER'
MAY 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer backs of 1962 will have an added "title." "They'll be known as pass receivers as well as ball carriers," Tom Fears, the Packers' new end coach, explained in answer to one of a thousand and one questions at the Mike and Pen Club luncheon at the Elks Club Monday noon. "Basically, backs don't term themselves as receivers. They're inclined to think of themselves only as ball carriers," he pointed out, adding: "I'll be working with the backs on pass patterns in hopes of having them run patterns like the ends." Fears was hired by Coach Vince Lombardi in 1959 to work with the ends doing training camp. He returned to his pro alma mater, the Rams, as end coach in 1960-61 and just recently joined the Packer staff as a full-time coach. "It's a tough situation," Fears laughed, noting the jump from the lower-division Rams to the world champion Packers, "and where do we go from here." And how did the Rams go about defensing the Packers? "We figured we had to stop their short passing game and of course their running game. We did pretty well stopping up the running out on the coast the last two years. Jim Taylor usually needs a lot of yards to catch Jimmy Brown but he didn't get them," he said. Referring to the 1960 Packer-Ram game at LA in which the Pack won the West, Tom noted: "Bart Starr wasn't supposed to be a long thrower, and he is one of the best short throwers in the league, but he threw the longest pass he ever threw that day - two or three of them." The Packers' three big receivers (Max McGee, Boyd Dowler and Ron Kramer) came in for plenty of discussion. Fears said that "Kramer doesn't know how good he is yet. He's a great blocker, Dowler is open a lot and if he's not open he's such a big target he can't be missed. McGee does a great job of getting open and he runs like a back when he gets it." Fears was asked about the Rams. In regard to the bickering by the three owners and the hiring of Elroy Hirsch as sole manager until the court straightens out the ownership, Tom noted that "it has been a hardship for everyone out there but the hiring of Hirsch to run the team was a good move. He's capable." As to the team, Fears said that "the Rams have great stars but the team is unbalanced. Steps were taken to correct some of the club's weaknesses by drafting eight linemen in the first 10 choices. The Rams are very young and they will be greatly improved this year. I look for them to end up with about a 7-7 record." Fears was escorted by Defense Backfield Coach Norb Hecker and these former Ram teammates had some fun pitching bouquets at each other. Norb pointed out that Fears was the greatest short receiver in the history of the game. "His record of 18 catches in one game against the Packers will probably never be broken," Hecker said, adding: "We needed an end coach the last two years and now we have one who is most capable."
NFL 'VINDICATED' BY COURT RULING: ROZELLE
MAY 22 (New York) - NFL brass, in a jubilant frame of mind after its brand new court victory over the rival AFL, open their three-day spring meeting today. The current sessions are designed to take care of league business carrying over from the winter meetings in Florida and to handle matters that have come up since. On the agenda for club owners and officials are the players' retirement plan, possible additional use of the "sudden death" rule and lesser items. The meeting comes on the heels of Monday's court decision in Baltimore, dismissing the AFL's $10,080,00 damage suit against the NFL. U.S. Dist. Judge Roszel C. Thomsen ruled out the AFL's charges of monopolistic practices. He directed the AFL to pay court costs. IN its suit, th4e AFL contended the 42-year old NFL possessed and used the power to exclude rivals and also conspired against the young AFL by granting franchises to Dallas and Minneapolis-St. Paul in its expansion from 12 to 14 teams. When it was planning for its opening season of 1960, the AFL had franchises for Dallas and Minnesota. Then the NFL announced it was putting a team in Dallas in 1960 and would field another in Minnesota the following year. The AFL stayed in Dallas, but substituted what it termed "an inferior Oakland franchise for a more desirable franchise in Minneapolis." Thomsen dismissed the monopoly claim with the statement that the NFL "did not have the power to prevent or unreasonably to restrict competition." He said the official publication of the AFL itself "asserted that never before in the history of sports has an organization gone so far so fast." NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle called Judge Thomsen's decision a "complete vindication" of the older league. He went on to say, "Representatives of the new league have publicly vilified the NFL for 2 1/2 years. It is now time for the AFL to face up to free and open competition and direct its attention to football. They have blamed the NFL illegal conduct for their lack of success. It is now apparent, as we have known all along, that the AFL was badly misleading the public. We view Judge Roszel Thomsen's decision a complete vindication of the NFL. Since January 1960, the NFL has been defending itself against reckless charges. However, we naturally are gratified with the result and now look forward to making this season the finest in our 43-year history." Clint Murchison, Jr., president of the NFL Dallas Cowboys, said, "The verdict is the only one I expected. I've stated repeatedly that we had a franchise long before the other league was dreamed of." Commissioner Joe Foss of the AFL termed the ruling "very disappointing," and said no decision had been made on an appeal which must be registered within 30 days. Owner Harry Wismer of the New York Titans expressed hope that the court battle was at an end. Wismer said, "I was against the suit from the beginning. Once it began, I was highly critical of the way it was being handled. It has been a most costly lesson and now that it is over, the clubs can settle down to playing football." Top item for the meeting starting today is for the NFL officials to put finishing touches on the players' retirement plan. This is the third phase of the league's benefit phase of the league's benefit program which also includes medical, sickness, accident and group life insurance plans. The officials will also consider making a "sudden death" overtime, now in effect for title games, a part of the rules for the Pro Bowl and the Playoff Bowl, the game between the two divisional runners-up. The Packers are represented at the meeting by Packer President Dominic Olejniczak, General Manager-Coach Vince Lombardi and Business Manager Verne Lewellen.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 31st 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (June 2nd 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (June 6th 1962)
PACKERS' FOUR HOME LEAGUE GAMES SOLD OUT
MAY 23 (New York-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay's City Stadium is sold out for the Packers' four league games. This was announced at the NFL's spring meeting here today by Packer Coach-GM Vince Lombardi and NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who predicted a record gate of four million fans in the league this year. Lombardi said that more than 38,000 season tickets have been sold for the 38,669-capacity park (the remaining tickets are held out for promotion, visiting teams, etc.). Visitors will be the Vikings Sept. 16, Bears Sept. 30, Lions Oct. 7 and Colts Nov. 18. The Packers would have had an advance of 40,000 if the stadium had enough seats, he said. The GM, who is attending the parley with Packer President Dominic Olejniczak and Business Manager Verne Lewellen, said that the Packers expect to sell 25,000 in advance for the three games in Milwaukee - Cardinals Sept. 23, 49ers Oct. 21 , Rams Dec. 2. Rozelle said advance sales were up and might total over 400,000 season tickets. "Last year, the advance sale was 368,075," said Rozelle. "At the current rate, this year's total should be about 405,000." If the NFL does hit that 405,000 figure, it would mean that 2,835,000 tickets would have been sold before the first game, Sept. 16. That total represents about 75 percent of last year's paid attendance when a record of 3,986,159 was set. "There is every reason to believe we will have our first year of 4 million paid attendance," said Rozelle. "Minnesota and Dallas, the two newest teams, should become increasingly competitive and the league should be better balanced than ever." The most startling increase has been in Philadelphia where the Eagles, who sold about 19,000 season tickets last year, count on 40,000 or more this fall. The Eagles consistently drew sellout crowds of 60,671 at Franklin Field last season. New York also expects a 10 percent increase over last year's advance of 38,000 which would put the Giants at the 40,000-plus level. The Giants usually drew about 61,000 to Yankee Stadium but that involved a considerable gate sale. The advanced campaign for the Minnesota Vikings in their first season covered 16 months and resulted in a total of 26,000 season tickets. Although this figure may not be reached again, the first 16 days of the '62 sale accounted for 12,000. The Cleveland Browns, with a new quarterback and All-America back Ernie Davis as added attractions. count on boosting their advance from 19,000 to 25,000. One of the baits is the always-attractive game with the Giants as an opening day attraction, Sept. 16. Dallas, which sold only 4,500 in advance a year ago, is running way ahead of schedule and counts on 9,000. The league already had a solid financial backlog in its new television contract that calls for $4,650,000 a year to be split among the 14 clubs.
APPENDIX BEDS CAPT. HORNUNG
MAY 23 (Kansas City) - The Green Bay Packers' Paul Hornung, the NFL's most valuable player last season, is in a hospital here with what appears to be an attack of appendicitis. Dr. D.M. Nigro said that Hornung, now a corporal in the Army, was in fair condition Tuesday and undergoing tests to determine the exact nature of the illness. He was admitted to the hospital at 5 a.m., Tuesday. Hornung, a reservist, is on active duty with the 1st Infantry Division at Ft. Riley, Kan. Hornung arrived in Kansas City Monday en route to his station from Columbus, Ohio, where he was best man at the wedding of Ralph Guglielmi, another former Notre Dame great who recently joined the New York Giants. Hornung checked into a hotel and at 5 a.m., called Dr. Nigro, active in Notre Dame alumni activities in Kansas City. The doctor took Hornung to the downtown hospital.
ROZELLE'S SALARY RAISED TO $60GS; NO EXPANSION!
MAY 24 (New York) - The NFL has extended another solid vote of confidence in Commissioner Pete Rozelle by voting him a $10,000 bonus and boosting his salary $10,000 to $60,000 a year for five years. In less than two years, the successor to the late Bert Bell has led the league to a clear cut victory over the rival AFL and helped clear the way for a new $9.3 million 2-year single network television deal. As a result of the court victory, the league no longer lives under the shadow of a huge damage action. Under the new TV contract each club will get $320,000 a year from the TV rights. "We have no further expansion moves in mind until our two newest clubs (Minnesota and Dallas) are soundly well off the ground," said Rozelle, when asked about the future. Did the end of the court action mean that the NFL might consider playing exhibition or a playoff game with the AFL? "I always have answered that by saying you don't consider playing games with people who are suing you for millions of dollars," said Rozelle. "Now let's just say we are not considering such a matter at this time." A newsman asked Rozelle if the league would consider lengthening its schedule to start earlier in the fall and thus cut down on the number of exhibition games. "The overlap to the baseball season would be a deterrent to any such idea," said Rozelle. "We soon will have a complete exhibition schedule to announce. I believe each team plays five preseason games, except Green Bay, which also had the College All-Star game at Chicago, Aug. 3." The league set the date of Sunday, Dec. 30, for the 1962 championship game to be played in the home park of the Eastern Conference winner. The Playoff Bowl between the two second-place teams will be moved back from Saturday to Sunday, Jan. 6, at Miami's Orange Bowl. This move was made possible by the cooperation of the Pro Bowl promoters in Los Angeles, who will permit players to report the night of Jan; 6 for their Jan. 13 All Star game. The league heard details of plans for selecting members to the new National Professional Football Hall of Fame, to be dedicated in August 1963 at Canton. Ohio. Dick McCann, director, outlined a plan by which selections would be divided among four different eras of the sport - the early period 1894-1920, the birth of organized pro football 1920-1933, the period of league reorganization 1933-43 and the modern free substitution era 1943-1962. Selections also would be made from a special class to cover non-players who contributed to the game such as officials, organizers, etc. The fans of the nation will be invited to nominate candidates who will be considered by a special board of selection. This board will be made up of representatives from each of the 14 league cities, the men to be selected by newsmen and radio-TV announcers regularly covering the clubs' games. The board will determine how many votes are necessary for election...MAXIMUM OF 20: At least one hall of famer must be selected each year. However, in the first year (1963), a maximum of 20 can be picked. In the second (1964) and the third year (1965), a maximum of five will be selected for each year. There will be no requirements for numbers of years of service as in baseball. A player must have been in actual retirement for at least three years before he becomes eligible. The board of selectors probably will hold their first meeting at the championship game of the NFL this winter. The dedication will be held in August 1963. The first of a series of annual exhibition games to be played at the Canton site will be held Aug. 11 of this year with the New York Giants meeting the St. Louis Cardinals. Cleveland and Pittsburgh will play the dedication game in 1963. Austin Gunsel, league treasurer, received a $5,000 annual increase in his 5-year contract.
OPERATION ON PAUL HORNUNG SATISFACTORY
MAY 24 (Kansas City) - Paul Horning, professional football star now in the Army, underwent surgery for appendicitis Wednesday in a Kansas City hospital. His condition later was reported satisfactory. The Green Bay Packer player was admitted to the hospital Tuesday. He had become ill here while en route from Columbus, Ohio, to Ft. Riley, Kan., where he is a corporal with the First Infantry Division. Dr. D.M. Nigro said Hornung's appendix was severely infected and almost ruptured. Even so, the doctor reported, he should be out of the hospital in a week and ready for full Army duty in two or three weeks. Unless there are unusual complications, he should be going full tilt by the time the Packers start training for the 1962 season on July 15. Hornung is due for release from the Army about the same time.
RAY NITSCHKE SPRAINS ANKLE
MAY 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Linebacker Ray Nitschke of the Packers suffered a sprained ankle several weeks ago but has returned to full duty, an Army spokesman said Wednesday at Fort Lewis, Wash. The Ft. Lewis public information officer said Nitschke, serving with the Wisconsin 32nd Infantry Division, was hurt while playing softball. The sprain was described as minor.
'LOADED' PACK NEEDS ANOTHER RUNNING BACK, VINCE SAYS
MAY 25 (New York) - Everybody knows the Green Bay Packers are loaded but Vince Lombardi still wants more. "We need another running back," said the NFL champion Packers' coach-general manager with a straight face today. However, he was willing to admit that Earl Gros, the powerful rookie fullback from Louisiana State, might fill the bill. "In our system, two boys carry the ball a lot," said Lombardi. "When Paul Hornung couldn't make it last year, which was seldom, we were down to two runners - Tom Moore and Jim Taylor, plus Elijah Pitts, who is more the speedy type you play on a spot basis."...STILL IN ARMY: "Hornung is in the hospital, as you know, with appendicitis. He still is in the Army. We don't know for sure when he will be out. The same thing goes for our other Army men - Boyd Dowler, Ray Nitschke, Herb Adderley and Pitts. I don't think anybody got hit quite as hard as we did." Lombardi, whose Packers will go to camp July 15 to get ready for the Aug. 3 College All Star game at Chicago, said he would go with three running backs in a minute if one could handle the flanker job like Frank Gifford or Alex Webster of the Giants. He said he planned to rotate his four runners - Hornung, Taylor, Moore and Gros, while spotting Pitts. Talking about his fine crop of draftees from last year's college ranks, Lombardi said he had room for a defensive linemen, an offensive guard, a flanker and a defensive back, depending on Adderley's status. "We have two fine rookie guards in Ed Blaine of Missouri and John Schopf of Michigan," said Lombardi. "We think we have a fine prospect for a defensive tackle in Ron Gassert of Virginia. You remember last year when Jerry Kramer was hurt we had to move Forrest Gregg, an all-league tackle, over to guard. This year we hope to be a little deeper in the middle of the line. We also drafted to two flanker-type men in Gary Barnes of Clemson and Oscar Donahue of San Jose State." How many rookies will make it? "I hope we can find room for a lot of them," said Lombardi. Does he fear complacency? "I certainly will be surprised if there is any. There will be no fat cats on our club." Who are the contenders in the Western Conference? "Shall I name them?" asked Lombardi said with a smile. He began to count them off one by one. "Baltimore always has to be considered as long as they have Johnny Unitas. The Chicago Bears came on real strong late last season. Detroit has a real fine defensive club. They have added Tom Watkins to their running. It remains to be seen how much Milt Plum will help at quarterback. Sometimes a trade helps a fellow." Before Vince got around to the Rams, 49ers and Vikings, the man with the notebook fled.
'IF WE DON'T REPEAT, IT'LL BE OUR FAULT,' HORNUNG
MAY 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Will the Packers repeat as world champions? "If we don't, it'll be our own fault." That's the opinion of Paul Hornung, the Pack's fabled halfback who is presently recuperating from an emergency appendectomy in Downtown Hospital in Kansas City. Reached via telephone, Hornung asserted that "we've got the best team and we should win it. Of course, we can't get overconfident. That would ruin our chances." Hornung, a corporal stationed at Fort Riley, Kan., says he expects to get out of the Army Aug. 1. "Some of us fellers might get out a little earlier. I'd like to get in those two weeks before the All Star game. I want to play in that game." Hornung played in the All Star game in 1957 with the Collegians against the New York Giants. The '62 game sends the Packers against the Stars in Chicago's Soldier's Field Aug. 3. The versatile back said he hasn't been doing anything special in the line of training during the offseason. "I'm better off when I come to camp without it. I got in good shape before the 1958 season and got weak about the time of the fourth game," he said. Hornung says he expects to get out of the hospital Monday. The popular soldier expects to check on his new rating, corporal. "I noticed they've been calling me corporal. First I heard of it," Paul laughed. Hornung faces a heavy "chore" with the Pack in '62. He'll be playing as the league's most valuable player - a ranking he won last year, and as the league's three-time scoring champion. The onetime Notre Dame quarterback was the Pack's bonus choice in '57. He played quarterback hat season and then was shifted to fullback for his sophomore season. When Vince Lombardi too over the Pack in '59, Hornung was moved to option and/or left halfback.
'WHALE' (J. KRAMER) SWIFTER THAN EVER
MAY 29 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Whale is back in form. Jerry Kramer, the Packers' giant guard, who missed the last seven games in '61 due to an ankle injury, reported to Coach Vince Lombardi that he is being clocked in the sprints in better time than before the injury. And despite his 245 pounds, Kramer is among the fastest linemen in the league. Kramer, in returning his signed contract for the 1962 season, said he is exercising daily, lifting weights, playing handball and doing plenty of running. Kramer is returning for his fifth season. The former University of Idaho star was the Bays' fourth draft choice in 1958. He suffered a sever ankle injury on the kickoff of the Minnesota game in Milwaukee Oct. 29. It was a big disappointment to Jerry, who had made all-pro honors in 1960. Kramer's return gives the Pack almost a complete all-pro line, including three at guard. Fred Thurston, Jerry's running mate, won the all-pro nod in '61 along with Forrest Gregg, who played both tackle and guard, and center Jim Ringo. Rounding out the line are tackles Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters...Paul Hornung, who underwent an appendectomy last Wednesday, will be released from Downtown Hospital in Kansas City in a couple of days. The corporal stationed at Fort Riley had hoped to get out Monday. He hopes to spend some of his recuperative period with his mother in Miami after leaving the hospital...Tickets for the All Sar game are expected to arrive at the Packer ticket office about June 1. The Green Bay and Milwaukee offices will handle only the $10 and $6.75 tickets. If other price ranges ($4.75, $2.50 and $1.25) are desired fans can write to Chicago All Star game, Tribune Tower, Chicago, Ill.
HALF PACK SECONDARY, JESSE AND SYMANK, SET
MAY 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Half of the Packers' well-balanced defensive secondary is in the fold, with the signing of halfbacks Jesse Whittenton and Johnny Symank for the '62 season. Coach Vince Lombardi announced the signing of the two defensers today, bringing to three the number of world champions on the line for the new campaign. The addition of Jerry Kramer was revealed Tuesday. Symank and Whittenton, a couple of Texans who are spending their first offseason in Green Bay, each intercepted five passes during the title drive. Symank returned his for 99 yards, averaging 19.8 yards, while Whittenton wasn't far behind - just one yard, for a 19.6 average. Jess returned one for a TD, against the Colts. Symank, former University of Florida star is starting his sixth season while Whittenton, a Texas Western ace, is opening his seventh campaign - fifth with Green Bay. Symank came out of nowhere as the Pack's 23rd draft choice in '57. He has been a regular right from the start. Whittenton played two seasons with the Rams and then spent a few weeks with the Bears in '58 before coming to the Pack. Jesse made all-pro teams and the Pro Bowl last year. Symank is a salesman for the E.T. VerHalen Co., while Whittenton recently opened "Whittenton's King's X," formerly Lemeron's Bar...We've been bragging for months now on our world champion Packers. How about a boast for the season ticket buyer. As you know, City Stadium has been sold out in season tickets for the four league games, some 38,000-plus, and the sale for the three league games in Milwaukee is almost certain to go over 25,000. Incidentally, that's an average of around 31,000 persons. Our friends to the west, the Minnesota Vikings, have just gone over the 18,000 mark in season tickets, according to word today from GM Bert Rose. Just thought you'd like to know you're doing better than them thar Gophers...NEWS BRIEFS: Two members of the AFL expansion committee reportedly received $25,000 in earnest money from the Greater Atlanta Athletic Assn. The AFL people (Bud Adams of Houston and Lamar Hunt of Dallas) were impressed with Atlanta's progress. The question is whether the AFL is really planning expansion or whether one of the current clubs is ready to fold...The Tri-States Football League, whose membership includes Manitowoc and Sheboygan, has changed its name to the Central States Football League.
HORNUNG, OUT OF HOSPITAL, 'NEVER FELT BETTER'
MAY 31 (Kansas City) - "I never felt better," Cpl. Paul Hornung said Wednesday as he was dismissed from a hospital to continue his convalescence from an operation of appendicitis. The Green Bay Packer football star headed for his home in Louisville on a two-week leave from Ft. Riley, Kan. Hornung became ill in Kansas City May 21 as he was returning to Ft. Riley from a weekend leave. His appendix was removed the next day. He said the doctors told him not to do anything strenuous for at least a month, but said he should be back in shape for pro football in the fall. He expects to complete his Army service in August.
PACKERS HOPE TO STRETCH SCHEDULE TO 21 CONTESTS
JUN 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers have the longest schedule in the NFL. And they hope to make it longer. Green Bay was down officially today for 20 games - six non-league tests and 14 blood baths. All other clubs are scheduled for 19 games - five and 14, according to the preseason card announced by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. The Packers' big objective is to get into Game 21. This would be the Championship Game, which this year will be played in the home park of the Eastern Division champion. Green Bay's extra non-league game is the College All Star fracas in Chicago's Soldier's Field Friday night, Aug. 3. The complete slate of non-loopers starts the following weekend, with the Packers leading off against the Cowboys in Dallas' Cotton Bowl Friday night, Aug. 10. The 12 other clubs will open the next night. After Dallas, the Packers meet the St. Louis Cardinals in Jacksonville, Fla., Saturday night, Aug. 18. Then it's back to Wisconsin - the Bears in the annual Shrine Classic in Milwaukee Saturday night, Aug. 25, and the Giants (bless 'em) in Green Bay Monday night, Sept. 3. The preseason program ends against the Washington Redskins in Columbus, Ga., Saturday night, Sept. 8. Those Giants are scheduled against Green Bay but once this year, a far cry from 1961 when the Big Town-Little Town pitch was worked three. The Packers made hay in each game. They got the Bishop's Charities project off to a roaring start by beating them in a 20-17 thriller last Labor Day night. Then, on Dec. 3 in Milwaukee, the Packers beat a better Giant team (Tittle and Shofner were there) by the same score for the Western Division crown. Twenty-eight days later, the Packer murdered the same Giants 37-0 for the world title. If the Packers and Giants would somehow get into the 1962 championship game (in Yankee Stadium), there would be considerable ruffling of the fur. This is the first year the league has some balance to its non-league schedule. Some seasons some clubs would have seven games, others four or five. Rozelle said today, "I am particularly pleased with the schedule the clubs worked out. It includes the first game sponsored by the new professional hall of fame (Cards-Giants in Canton, O.), a game at the Seattle's World's Fair (49ers-Vikings), the first pro game ever played at Princeton University (Eagles-Giants), and an interesting experiment - the first pro doubleheader at Cleveland." The twin bill Aug. 18 matches the Cowboys and Lions in the 6:30 opener and the Steelers vs. the host Browns in the 9 o'clock matchup...On the player front, Coach Vince Lombardi
announced the signing of the Pack's fine defensive tackles - Henry Jordan and Dave Hanner. Hanner, the daddy of homegrown Packers, will be starting his 11th campaign and he feels he has at least three more good seasons left. Dave, a five-time all-pro selection, spent his offseason in West Memphis, Ark. Jordan will be opening his sixth season and his fourth in Green Bay. He came to the Packers from the Browns in exchange for a fourth draft choice in 1959. Big Henry ranked as the pro defensive player of the year last year, winning berths on all all-pro teams, getting recognition from opposing coaches, and then starring in the Pro Bowl game. Jordan is winding up his first offseason in Green Bay.
REPEAL COUNTY STADIUM 6-PACK BAN
JUN 6 (Milwaukee) - Fans of the Milwaukee Braves and the Green Bay Packers had the green light again today to pack their coolers with six packs and go out to the ol' ball game. Repeal of the ban on carrying beers and other canned beverages into County Stadium, home of the Braves and site of Milwaukee "home" games of the Packers, was voted 14-10 Tuesday by the County Board. Although it went against recommendation of the County Park Commission, which favored retention of the canned beverage ban, the board kept in force the section of the ordinance barring the carrying of bottled goods into the stadium. Supervisor Cornelius Jankowski, a leader in the repeal movement, contended it was not fair to prevent "workingmen" from toting his beer to the stadium when he could buy it cheaper outside. A 12-ounce bottle of beer, emptied into a cup, sells for 30 cents at the ball park, a six pack can be obtained for $1.00, or less, at package stores and taverns. The carrying of canned beverages and bottled good into the stadium was voted at the start of the Braves' 1961 season. It touched off a fight by tavern operators, who conducted special bus games for patrons and fans, who had been permitted to bring their own beverage to the games since the Braves opened in Milwaukee in 1953. Attendance for the Braves' first 24 home games this season has dropped 103,071 as compared to last year. Leaders in the repeal movement have claimed the drop is due largely to the six-pack ban.
PACKERS FACE THREE DRAFTEES IN ALL-STAR GAME
JUN 10 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers' opposition for the 1962 College All-Star game is now intact. Fifty football players have been selected by All-Star Coach Otto Graham for the Aug. 3 classic in Soldier's Field and announced Saturday night. This will be the first of 20 scheduled game for the Packers, who will be making their first appearance in the Star show since 1945. The All-Star game, invested, sponsored and produced by the Chicago Tribune, will present Green Bay for the fourth time. Before '45, the Pack played the Stars in 1937 and 1940...NEWEST SENSATION: Graham, who will be matching wits with pro football's newest coaching sensation in Vince Lombardi, will have three Packer draftees on his team. They are Earl Gros, the powerful and swift fullback from LSU who was Green Bay's first draft choice; tackle Ronald Gassert, a 255-pounder from Virginia; and tackle Ed Blaine, 220, of Missouri. Graham, a one-time quarterback and passing star for the Cleveland Browns, will rest his All Star QB case with Roman Gabriel, the North Carolina State great who was picked by the Los Angeles Rams; John Hadl of Kansas, and Bobby Ply of Baylor. The Stars' big hope, of course, will be Ernie Davis, the All-American crasher who belongs to the Browns. Other running stars will be Ronnie Bull, the Bears' top draft choice, and Notre Dame's Angelo Dabiero. Graham's list of players is not complete. Two or three of those now selected may not be released from military service in time to prepare for the Soldier's Field game. However, the reserve list, already in hand, will maintain the All-Star squad at approximately 50. They will report at Northwestern University July 12 and begin practice the next day. Graham will be assisted by Don Doll, Dick Stanfel, John Sauer, Mike Scarry and Dante Lavelli. All have had professional experience and all now are college coaches with the exception of Sauer and Lavelli. Graham is coach and director of athletics at the United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn. Eight major college conferences are represented on the 1962 All-Star squad. The Southeastern Conference, with eight players from five of 12 universities in the association, tops the list. The Southwest, with five men from four universities, follows. Ohio State and Northwestern of the Big Ten contribute four football stars. The Buckeyes will be represented by Bob Ferguson, fullback, and Charles Bryant, 220 pound end. Northwestern's players are Fate Echols, 265 pound linemen, and Larry Onesti, superior center...OLSEN FIRST CHOICE: Merlin Olsen of Utah State, 265 pounds, was one of Graham's first choices for the line. Top man, by weight, is Ray Jacobs, 275 pounds, who played tackle and guard with Howard Payne. Even before the announcement of ticket sales by mail order by Chicago Tribune Charities, Green Bay's participation has increased interest in this sports spectacular. The Packers lost, 6 to 0, in their first appearance against the All-Stars, coached by the late Gus Dorais, former Notre Dame quarterback, whose assistants included Bernie Moore, commissioner of the Southeastern Conference; Elmer Layden, Notre Dame fullback, and Lynn Waldorf, then coaching at Northwestern. In 1940, Green Bay defeated the All-Star collegians, 45 to 28, in the most brilliant offensive game of the series. Dr. Eddie Anderson was the All-Star coach. In 1945, the Packers again defeated the All-Stars, 19 to 7. Bernie Bierman, of Minnesota, was head coach.
PACK SIGNS ROOKIES JON SCHOPF, SCHENK
JUN 12 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers have two highly-prized and proven inner offensive linemen - tackles Bob Skoronski of Indiana and Norm Masters of Michigan State. John Schopf of Michigan would like to make that a Big Ten threesome. Schopf, a 235-pound guard and tackle, has signed a Packer contract for '62 along with halfback Peter Schenck of Washington State, it was announced today by Coach Vince Lombardi. Schopf, an All-American candidate in the preseason picks and one of the best tackles in the Big Ten, is tremendously strong and has an extremely quick charge, Lombardi said. The newcomer was the Pack's fifth draft choice. He played prep football at Ottawa High in Grand Rapids, Mich., though he now lives in Kenilworth, Ill. He stands 6-2. Schenck packs 195 on a 6-2 frame. He runs the 100 in 10 flat. He plays flanker on offense and left safety and right corner on defense...Jim Taylor is down to a solid 211 pounds. The Packers' big fullback is as hard as a rock. A real muscle man, Taylor has shifted from the weights to the new isometric contraction system of exercises during the offseason at his home in Baton Rouge, La. Jim also had been keeping busy tending 20 head of Black Angus cattle on his small ranch...Max McGee will start working out next week with Don Bosseler, the Redskin back. Maxie hopes to report for Packer drills July 15 at his regulation playing weight, 205. McGee is located at Hialeah, Fla., where he headquarters as area manager for Falstaff Beer...The College All Stars seem to have licked an annual program, getting good big men to stand up to the giants of the professional teams. The '62 Stars, who play the Packers in Chicago Aug. 3, "are fortunate to have some big men for key line positions," says Coach Otto Graham. The Star roster shows 10 players who weigh 250 pounds or more, including Packer draftee Ron Gassert (255). Three are two in the 265-pound division - tackle Fate Echols of Northwestern and tackle Merlin Olsen of Utah State.
PACKERS SIGN ROOKIE PAIR, DONAHUE, SUTRO
JUN 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Two more rookies were added to the Packer fold today. And another continued his briefing. Latest to sign are two San Jose State stars - end Oscar Donahue and tackle John Sutro, Coach Vince Lombardi announced. Donahue is a long-legged and big-handed pass catcher while Sutro is a quick 250-pounder. Getting his eyes opened to the pro manner of quarterbacking is Bob Joiner, a hefty passer from Presbyterian College in Clendon, S.C., who is here for a week's discussion of the Pack's 1962 offense with Lombardi and veteran QB Bart Starr. Joiner, the Pack's 18th draft choice, is a big one, at 6-2 and 215. The newcomers says 'everything is very surprising and a lot more complicated than college quarterbacking." Joiner said he has always "looked up to Bart Starr. He's from my neighboring state and I saw him play when he was at Alabama. And I'm happy to be here with him." Donahue stretches out to 6-4 and is slim at 200 pounds. The sure-fingered wing was named Northern California Lineman of the Year in '61. He also was selected to play for West in the East-West Shrine game. He caught 35 passes for 527 yards and five touchdowns last year - a big bundle for college. Against Washington State, Donahue nailed eight for 124 yards to break the school record set by Art Powell. Long Oscar, who will be tested as a flanker or wide end, said he "felt good about being drafted - and especially Green Bay." But being affiliated with the Packers in quite a switch for Donahue. "I live right near Kezar Stadium. I was a 49er fan for as long as I can remember, but now now," Donahue said. Sutro was named "player of the week" at San Jose for a top performance against the University of Pacific last year. He's a shot putter on the track team. Donahue and Sutro were both sixth round choices in the draft last December. Donahue was the Pack's own pick while Sutro was actually selected by the Redskins at the request of Green Bay. The Packers received the Redskins' sixth pick in exchange for Dale Hackbart, the former Badger QB and defense back. Hackbart finished out the season in Washington and fits into the Redskins' '62 plans.
PACKERS BAT .809 IN SIGNEE LEAGUE
JUN 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers batted .809 in the Draftee Signee League. They grabbed 23 players in the 1962 draft of college players last Dec. 4. Six weren't touched since they were chosen as eligible juniors (that tis, their classes had graduated but they still have a year of college eligibility left). That left 17 availables. Of that number, 13 will join up with Packer veterans and free agents come the opening of summer practice July 15. Four were lost - three to the rival AFL, and one to Canada. Choice No. 20, center Mike Snodgrass of Western Michigan, went north of the border. The three who selected the AFL were Choice 7, tackle Gary Cutsinger of Oklahoma State; Choice 10, halfback Gale Weidner of Colorado; and Choice 12, halfback Tom Pennington of Georgia...GROS BIG GRAB: The Packers signed the first seven players selected - no mean feat for a championship club. The Bays battled right down the line with AFL clubs whose argument was that it's difficult to make a title team. The big grab, of course, was Earl Gros, the first choice who was nailed by Chief Talent Scout Dick Voris. Signing of the last two draft choices was announced Saturday by Coach Vince Lombardi. They are halfbacks Ernie Green, the 14th choice, and Roger Holdinsky, 15th. Green faces a difficult task breaking into the Pack's offensive backfield but he comes highly recommended - also as a defensive possibility. The University of Louisville star is good sized, 6-2 and 205. Holdinsky is ticketed for a shot on defense. He stands 6 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds. Holdinsky is the Southern Conference's sprint champion...BRIEFS: The Dallas Cowboys will train at Northern Michigan College, Marquette, this year, switching from their Minnesota site. They'll open July 15. The Packers open their non-league (against pro foes) schedule against the Cowboys in Dallas Friday night, Aug. 11...Herb Good of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Paul Menton of the Baltimore Evening Sun and Lew Achinson of the Washington Star are the first three newcomers to be named to the board of selectors for the Professional Football Hall of Fame. Eleven more selectors will be picked from other NFL cities to work with Hall of Fame Director Dick McCann...Dad Braisher, the Pack's property manager, is making his last swing of the season with the Los Angeles Angels, starting with the games in Chicago this weekend. Dad had been with the Angels since the start of spring training as property attendant. He's enjoying it very much and meeting up with Packer players around the country. "We had Paul (Hornung) on the bench with us down in St. Louis. At that game one of our boys got knocked down by the catcher in sliding into home plate and Rigney (Angels Manager) told Paul 'I wish you had been doing the sliding. That catcher would have been knocked cold,'" Dad laughed. Incidentally, there's a ribbon of white piping circling the blue hats of the Angels. What is it? "That's a halo," said Braisher. And that's what it really is.
TAYLOR PRIMED TO BECOME ALL-TIME PACKER 'GAINER'
JUN 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jarrin' Jim Taylor has signed his Packer contract for the 1962 season, Coach Vince Lombardi announced today. Thus, the way is clear for Taylor to become the Pack's No. 1 all-time ground gainer. Providing, of course, he can gain 1,091 yards during the 1962 tour. Taylor, the big LSU blockbuster, is returning for his fifth season and this could be his greatest. "Piano Legs," as he was nicknamed by the Rams after they tried to tackle him as a rookie in 1958, runs best with competition - from among his own teammates or the opposition. Taylor ran like a wild man in his first head-to-head Packer vs. Brown clash with the great Jimmy Brown and the Packer blaster was the winner. The talented Tom Moore serves as a constant threat to Big Jim. And now the Packers have another "threat" for Taylor, but this one will be Jim's pride and joy. That would be first choice Earl Gros, the 225-pound fullback from Taylor's alma mater. They're both Louisianans and good friends. Gros, who will play in the All Star game vs. the Packers Aug. 3, is a powerful runner and blocker, Lombardi is pleased to note. Taylor presently ranks in the No. 3 spot among all-time Packer ground gainers. He has 3,107 yards, Clarke Hinkle 3,877, and leader Tony Canadeo 4,197. Incidentally, Taylor's teammate, Paul Hornung, has leaped into fourth place among the ground leaders with 2,579 stripes. Tobin Rote's 2,202 stands fifth. Taylor stands a good chance to pass Canadeo this season. He would have to average about 78 yards over the 14-game haul to pick up 1,091. During the Pack's 1961 championship year, Taylor rolled up 1,307 yards - an average of 93 per game. Brown nosed him out for the season, totaling 1,408 yards. During his four-year career, Taylor ran 645 times for 3,107 yards - an average of 4.8 per carry. Jim turned into quite a scorer last year, leading the league with 16 touchdowns, 15 of them by rushing. He tied with Steve Myhra of the Colts for third place with 96 points. Bobby Walston of Philadelphia was second with 97 and Hornung topped the list with 146. Taylor now ranks ninth among all-time Packer scorers with 222 points on 37 touchdowns...Lombardi told about the new National Professional Hall of Fame shrine in Canton, Ohio, at the weekly Mike and Pen Club luncheon at the Elks Club Monday noon. He explained procedures of selection and asked the M-P club to select a representative from the Packers' home base (Green Bay and Milwaukee) to serve on the hall of fame's board of selection. The member will be chosen by the newspapermen and radio-TV announcers who regularly report on the club's activities. Lombardi said the Hall of Fame will be opened by the end of the year. A game will be played in each of the next seven years, starting this season, to help finance the project. Each team will be required to play there once in the next seven years.
LIFE BEGINNING FOR PACK'S MCGEE AT 30?
JUN 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Maybe life is just beginning for Max McGee - at 30! The Taxi turns 30 the day Packer practice starts, July 16, and he'll springboard into the 1962 season on the wings of his best Green Bay campaign. McGee, whose signing of a 1962 contract was announced today by Coach Vince Lombardi, caught 51 passes last year, which was 14 more than he caught in any one of his previous five Packer seasons. Maxie will lose his title ("Most Underrated End In The League") for sure this year. He'll be highly rated. Look back: McGee broke into pro football in 1954 with a large bang, snaring 36 passes for 614 yards and nine touchdowns. He disappeared into the air corps for the next two seasons. He returned for 17 catches in 1957, 37 in '58 and 30 in '59, and never quite displayed the 1954 flash. McGee had a habit of dropping a pass here and there - in between heroic catches, as it were. The result: Nobody gave Maxie much of a tumble. The worm started to turn late in the 1959 season and the real payoff was the Pack's big clutch game in 1960, the Rams in Los Angeles. This meant the championship and The Taxi was riding at his best. He caught four for 125 yards and two touchdowns. In the playoff, he scored the only TD. Max ran into his first injury this year when a goal post in San Francisco refused to give. He missed the final game in LA but still led the club n pass catching, turning his 51 catches into 883 yards and seven touchdowns. In his five Packer campaigns, Maxie caught 209 passes, thus averaging 42 a season. He nailed 33 touchdown throws. Max is a manufactured end, so to speak. He was a good pass catching halfback at Tulane University but was drafted fifth in 1954 to play end. He was an immediate hit. Like a pitcher who takes pride in his hitting, McGee takes quite a bit of pride in his punting, though it doesn't bother him in the least if somebody else punts. When Dick Deschaine came along in the late 1950s, McGee shrugged, "He gives me a complex about my punting." Deschaine punted 'em a mile. Young Boyd Dowler took over as the Pack's punter last year, only after McGee "helped" him for two years. McGee averages around 41-42 yards per boot...CATCH THE BALL: McGee twice averaged over 20 yards per catch, which is among the most difficult feats in pro football. He averaged 20.7 in 1960 and 23.2 in 1959. By comparison, only two receivers among the league's top 23 (40 catches of more) averaged over 20 - Gail Cogdill of Detroit, who averaged 21.2 on 45 catches, and Jim Clarke of Dallas, who had 22.4 on 41 receptions. McGee's average this year was 17.3. Red Phillips of the Rams averaged 14 yards per catch in leading the league with 78. Raymond Berry of the Colts, the No. 2 receiver, averaged 11.6 on 75 catches.
GREGG, SKORONSKI, MASTERS, 'BEST IN THE LEAGUE,' SIGN
JUN 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The best group of offensive tackles in the league: It must be true. Tom Miller's press release announcing the signing of Packer Tackleists Forrest Gregg, Norm Masters and Bob Skoronski today rate the trio as "the classiest unit in pro football." And you can be sure coach Vince Lombardi and offensive line coach Bill Austin concur in Paragraphs 1 and 2. One of the best proofs of the value of the three tackles rests in the statistics entitled "ball carrying - team." The Packers led the league in rushing in their world championship year of 1961 with 2,350 yards. That's only the second time since 1932 (when statistics were compiled for the first time) the Packers won the rush crown. The only other ground title came in 1946, when they won it on 1,765 yards. The champion Packers also had the best rushing average, 5.0, the most first downs rushing, 27. Only one other club has more rushes - Cleveland, with 476, against the Pack's 474. Gregg, Masters and Skoronski - all of 1956 vintage - are not only noted for their fierce blocking. They are most valuable for their ability to play other positions. Both Masters and Gregg played guard last year after Jerry Kramer injured his ankle in the seventh game. Skoronski can perform at center. Gregg is rated an all-pro at guard or tackle and he played both positions in this year's Pro Bowl game. Skoronski came into his own this past season and played one of his finest games against the Giants in Milwaukee Dec. 3 when he teamed with Fuzzy Thurston to virtually "control" the right side of the Giants' defensive line. The Bays wound up with 270 yards rushing and most of it was gained on the Pack's left side. Gregg, the SMU star, was the Pack's second draft choice and Skoronski, the New Englander who played at Indiana, was the fifth pick. Norm Masters, Michigan Stater, came to the Pack from Detroit in the Tobin Rote trade. The Cardinals drafted Masters No. 2 in '56 but he played in Canada. The Cards then traded him to Detroit and the Lions in turn included him in the bundle of players for Rote. Masters is the lone Packer survivor. Only one of the other three is still playing - Don McIlhenny, with the Cowboys, while Ollie Spencer and Jim Salisbury have retired.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (June 13th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (June 24th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 1st 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (July 7th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 15th 1962)
CITY STADIUM 'WHOLE' AGAIN; POSTS ARE BACK
JUN 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Johnny Proski, keeper of the green blades at City Stadium, feels better. The goal posts are up. The home of the Green Bay Packers had something missing since 3:30 p.m. of last Dec. 30 when thousands of Packer Backers snapped off the steel posts. Some of uninitiated wondered how five-inch steel pipes could be snapped off. Enthusiasm, engendered by the Packer championship victory, comes first. Then muscle power. The trick is to bend that pipe back and forth until it snaps. It's the same way you'd break a piece of wire without a pliers. The "old" gold goal posts, which went up with the stadium in 1957, are now scattered around Packerland in various shapes and sizes. The broken pipes were lugged downtown after the championship game and cut up with blow torches or steel saws. Chunks are now used for bracelets, paper weights, good luck charms and ash trays - or you name it. This started out to be something about the green grass at City Stadium. So: Proski reports that he had top-soiled the wall-to-wall carpeting where it was needed and then seeded it. "The field came through the winter in good shape. It died out a little on the sides where we had to pile up snow but even that's growing in now," Johnny said. The Packers will have one of the best playing surfaces in the league this year, with a second summer of growth. The present turf was started from seed one year ago. It should be doubly thick and soft come the first Packer presentation - the Giants Sept. 3. This new grass has yet to cushion a Packer loss. In fact, since Vince Lombardi took the handle in '59, the Packers have lost only one league game at City Stadium. His initial production gained four straight victories, opening with that now historic 9-6 triumph over the Bears. The next year the Packers lost their opener to the Bears 17-14, with the Bears scoring all their marks in the last period. Last fall, the Lombardi men won all four - plus the championship game. Including the title game, the Lombardimen scored 12 wins against one loss. The league record for the five years since the new stadium has been in operation stands at 13 wins, 5 losses and 1 ties. Liz Blackbourn, in his last year as Packer coach, posted 1-2, including the dedication win over the Bears. Scooter McLean, in his one year at the helm, had a 1-2-1 record.
DALEY NAMED ON NFL'S 'FAME' BOARD
JUN 27 (Milwaukee) - Art Daley, sports editor of the Press-Gazette, has been named to the board of selectors for the National Professional Football Hall of Fame, it was announced today. Daley, dean of pro football writers now active, was chosen by unanimous vote of the Mike and Pen Sports Club of Green Bay,
delegated by the hall of fame with the responsibility of selecting a Wisconsin representative. Chuck Johnson, assistant sports editor of the Milwaukee Journal, was named as an alternate. Both were selected to three-year terms. Daley, 45, has been covering the Packers continuously since returning to the Press-Gazette from service in May, 1946, and shortly will begin his 18th season in the capacity, having recorded Packer field operations in 1942 before entering the Army. A long-time member of the Wisconsin Hall of Fame's selection committee, Daley is one of 14 representatives to be chosen - one from each city in the NFL, sponsor of the Hall of Fame. The veteran sportswriter also is co-publisher of the "Packer Yearbook," which he founded in company with Jack Yuenger in 1960...LOCATED AT CANTON: Johnson has covered the Packers on a seasonal basis since 1953 and is the author of a recent history, "The Green Bay Packers." The national board of selection, under present rules, will meet once each year for the purpose of considering nominations for admission to the hall. Attendance of nine representatives will be considered a quorum for balloting on nominations for enshrinement. The hall of fame will be located at Canton, Ohio, where the NFL was organized in 1922. Dick McCann, former general manager of the Washington Redskins, has been appointed director of the $100,000 shrine.
AFL TO CONTINUE AS 8-CLUB LOOP FOR NOW
JUN 28 (Boston) - The door was still open today for AFL expansion but the feeling was the present eight-club setup will continue another year at least. The AFL's Executive Committee decided Wednesday against expanding to 10 teams with two new franchises starting play in 1963. Commissioner Joe Foss said he felt there was no reason to rush expansion at this time. However, he said a decision to expand could still be reached later this year. That decision would have to come prior to the league draft the last week of November if it is to come at all this year, he said. He said an expansion committee will, in the meantime, confer with franchise applicants from New Orleans, Kansas City and Atlanta, and that enlargement of the league is still possible this year in time for the 1963 playin season. At the conclusion of the three-day meeting of the eight member committees, Commissioner Foss planned to move on to Buffalo for a Thursday-Friday meeting of AFL coaches and general managers to discuss intra-league operational procedural problems, including player transactions and waivers. The eight-club owners conferred in Boston for three days discussing a variety of league matters in addition to hearing presentations of franchise applications from syndicates in New Orleans, Kansas City and Atlanta. The league did take two steps at its final get-together. It voted to reduce the team player limit to 33 men instead of 36 and set up a system designed to strengthen the weakest clubs in the loop. The player limit had been tentatively raised from 33 to 36 at a January meeting, subject to review. The system provides that, on Aug. 14, a month aft4er the start of training camps, each team will place 35 of its training squad on an "untouchable" list. Then two clubs, Oakland and Denver, which finished lowest in the league standings last year, will have the privilege of selecting three players each from the remainders, above the "untouchables." After the Oakland and Denver clubs have completed their selections of three players each, all clubs may participate in another player draft.
Petersen’s Pro Football 1962 correctly predicts the Packers to win the West (Photo Credit - Packerville.blogspot.com)
PACKER FRANCHISE 40 YEARS OLD
JUN 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Forty years ago this week, Curly Lambeau and Don Murphy returned from a trip to Ohio. Carefully stored today in the safety deposit vault of the Kellogg-Citizens National Bank is the tangible evidence of that junket of the proceeds of Murphy's automobile - the Green Bay franchise in the NFL. Aside from its historical significance, the cracked and yellowing piece of paper, resembling an ornate stock certificate, must be listed as one of the greatest bargains in sports history. Lambeau shelled out 50 clams for it; estimate value today is somewhere between $1 and $2 million. Any such transaction is bound to create legends, and in the intervening four decades Curly's deal has acquired its share. Like most such tales, they are only partly true. When the leaders of the struggling American Professional Football Assn. met in late June, 1922, Green Bay found itself on the outside looking in. The Packers had joined the league in 1921, but after an artistically successful, financially lean season, they had suddenly been booted out...PACKERS GOT CAUGHT: Neither their brand of play, which was of high caliber, nor their financial situation, which was as good as most of the other league members, had anything to do with the ouster. The Packers had succumbed to the temptation to play college stars in a non-league game against Racine in Milwaukee and got caught. Violation of the league prohibition against using college players brought prompt expulsion. Lambeau wasn't willing to give up, however. Knowing a league reshuffle was in the making, Curly got in touch with Joe Carr, president of the league, and secretary Carl Stock about reinstatement. Shortly before the league's summer meeting, he received an application blank for a franchise in the mail. The franchise would cost only $50 but from Curly's point of view there was a catch in it. Favorable consideration depended on his presence at the session, scheduled for June 23-24, and he didn't have enough money to both buy the franchise and get to the meeting...CONFUSION OVER SITE: There's some confusion today over exactly where that meeting was held. The stories about it in the Press-Gazette are all datelined Cleveland, Ohio, but Curly insists it took place in Canton. Well, Curly was there - he ought to know. Getting to either place posed a major problem for the young Packer leader. He had scraped together the price of the franchise but not enough to make the trip. That's where the familiar Murphy story comes in. A week or so before the scheduled meeting, Lambeau ran into Murphy in the Elks Club and shed a few judicious tears on Don's sympathetic shoulder. Murphy told him to quit worrying...SOLD HIS CAR: Don was short of cash himself but he had a car - one of the sportiest jobs in town. It was a low-sling, cream-colored Marmon with wire wheels and gleaming super-charger exhaust pipes on the outside of the hood. The story has always been that Murphy pawned the car, then took off in it with Curly for Ohio. Actually, according to Lambeau, Don sold the car to a local bootlegger for $1,800 and they made the trip in high style. Once at the meeting, Lambeau had little difficulty getting the Packers reinstated. In fact, the league magnates - bulky young fellows like himself for the most part, still in their playing prime - were only too anxious to have as many clubs as possible in the league, and Green Bay was a proven quality. Having sacrificed his car to the Cause, Murphy passed up a chance to represent Green Bay at the meeting. Since each club was entitled to two representatives, Lambeau invited him to sit in as a fully accredited delegate but Don got buck fever and retreated in some confusion to the hotel barbershop. He did, however, get one thing he wanted out of his gesture. When Lambeau first put the problem to him, Don had agreed to help with the half-joking proviso that Curly let him play in one game. That fall, Lambeau kept his promise and Murphy saw action as a full fledged pro - for exactly one play...VITAL GROUND WORK: The two-day session accomplished a great deal more for the future of professional football than merely letting Green Bay back into the league. The entire organization was revamped, a new constitution was adopted, and several other clubs were admitted and the name changed to the National Football League. Of greatest significance, in Lambeau's opinion, was the re-election of Carr as league president. Joe, whom Curly insists was the greatest figure in the early days of professional football and should be the first enshrined in the game's new Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio, headed the league for 18 years, until his death in 1939. By that time, pro football had been established on a firm and enduring foundation, from which others built it to its present status. Three other clubs were also awarded franchises at the meeting - Milwaukee, Racine and a gang long a thorn in Packer sides, the Chicago Bears. The latter was merely the 1921 champion Decatur Staleys transplanted to Chicago by owner-player-coach George Halas and renamed. Today, the Packers and the Bears are the only 1922 members still doing business at the old stands. The Bears, in fact, have one edge in that department on the Packers. They are still playing their games in Wrigley Field while the present City Stadium is the Packers' fourth home in Green Bay...FIGURE OF SPEECH: When Curly returned after the meeting, George Calhoun's welcome home story in the Press-Gazette said he had the franchise "in his pocket." That was merely a figure of speech. Curly didn't bring even a receipt for his $50 back with him. Actually, although Lambeau bought the franchise on June 24, the paper is dated Aug. 6. Reasons for the time difference, however, were purely mechanical. Since the league had changed its name it had to design, print and fill out new franchises for everybody. That took some time, and the precious Packer document arrived by mail several weeks later. On one other count, the transaction points up what a bargain Lambeau really picked up. When Joe LeClair obtained the original franchise the year before it cost him $100. By 1922, however, the NFL was hurting so badly for members it slashed the price in half.
LAMBEAU MUST AS FIRST PACKER IN HALL OF FAME
JUL 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There can be no doubt about this: Earl (Curly) Lambeau will be the first nominee from Green Bay for a berth in the NFL's Hall of Fame! He's the guy who started the Packers, and first thing first. Lambeau engineered his baby into six world titles. Vince Lombardi, getting ready for his fourth season at the Packer helm and the constructor of World Title No. 7, tabbed Lambeau as must for Green Bay's first selection in the new Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. The NFL, at its meeting in Florida last winter, had just completed H of F plans when Lombardi told the group that Curly would be his choice as the first Packer in the "Hall." Lambeau was recently elected to the Wisconsin Hall of Fame, which is located in the Milwaukee Arena. He will be installed next fall. The NFL Hall of Fame is now under the process of construction. A director has been chosen - Dick McCann, former Washington Redskin general manager, and representatives are being chosen on the board of selection, This board is composed of one representative and an alternate from each league city. Six members already have been selected, the newest being Sam Greene of the Detroit News, Jimmy Conzelman of St. Louis and Art Daley. You're right about Conzelman, who happens to be the ex-coach, player and sportswriter who is now an advertising agency executive in St. Louis. Jimmy was selected when sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the Cardinal decided it would be more fitting if they deferred to someone who had been closer to the game than they. The Cards moved to St. Louis before the 1960 season and the majority of the newsmen in the area had been covering pro football for only about two years. Under the hall's constitution, nominees will be judged in separate groups, "to evaluate properly and fairly the recorded performances of professional football players throughout the years during which conditions and playing ruled underwent radical changes." Four different eras have been established. With append explanation by McCann, they include: 1962-43: "This period goes back to the inception of the free substitution rule, which definitely has enabled players to reach previously unavailable statistical heights." 1943-33: "This period starts with the year of the most sweeping changes and most historic league reorganization. Separate divisions were created, standard schedules decreed, and a championship game established - but most of all the playing of the game was opened offensively by adoption of rules allowing forward passes anywhere behind the line of scrimmage and placing the ball in play at the hash marks instead of the sideline." 1933-20: "This period begins with the birth of organized professional football when the NFL was founded in Canton.". 1920-1894: "This period saw many great player and some great teams. But generally, it was on a pick-up, semi-pro basis. Records are largely sketchy and sometimes unreliable." There also will be a fifth classification for nominations and selections from among those men who have made great contributions to the game in non-playing capacities - club organizers, executives, game officials, newspapermen, etc. There will be no playing years requirement for selection, the constitution provided, because "greatness cannot be confined to a calendar. The test of time adds to greatness, but mere lack of time should never detract per se from greatness." No active player can be nominated and each nominee must have been in actual retirement three years or more to be considered. Nominations, the rules also state, may be made by "any fan anywhere." They may be submitted to the hall's director or in writing to any sportscaster or sports radio-television announcer who is willing to accept them for consideration. Although no set number of annual enshrinements had been established, "the Board of selection shall be instructed to proceed for the first three years along these numerical lines": 1963: A maximum of 20 selections (with particular emphasis on the 1920-33 era). 1964: A maximum of five selections, with possibility of two or three from the 1920-33 era; and 1965: A maximum of five, along the same lines.
JUDGE RULES FORD CAN SUE PACKERS IN DETROIT
JUL 3 (Detroit) - Circuit Court Judge James Montante ruled Monday that since the Green Bay Packers' football team plays in Detroit once a year it can be sued here. His ruling was in answer to the NFL team's contention a $10,000 damage suit brought against it by Lennie Ford, former University of Michigan star, should have been filed in Wisconsin. Ford's suit accuses the Packers of violating his contract by releasing him in 1958 without paying him for the final game of the season. (Ford was suspended by Scooter McLean, then head coach of the Packers, the day before the Green Bay game in Los Angeles for breaking club rules.)
FIRST NFL TEAM GOES TO CAMP WEEK FROM TODAY
JUL 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Opening of the NFL's 43rd season is just a week away. The Dallas Cowboys will begin setting up training camp at Northern Michigan College in Marquette, Mich., a week from today and by Sunday, July 15, one-third of the teams, including the Packers, will be in training. The first contingent of Cowboys, headed by General Manager Tex Schramm, Coach Tom Landry and staff members, will arrive in Marquette next Thursday. They'll stop on "world championship soil" for about a half-hour (at Austin Straubel Field) en route from Dallas Thursday. Packer Coach Vince Lombardi has the decks cleared for the opening of camp at St. Norbert College July 15 and most of the veterans are already starting to report. Forrest Gregg came in with the missus yesterday and started to look for a furnished house. The Cowboys are one of three NFL clubs who have switched their training sites. Last year, the Cowboys trained at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. The Los Angeles Rams, who open camp July 19, have moved from the University of Redlands in Redlands, Calif., to Chapman College on Orange, Calif., and the Pittsburgh Steelers, who go into training July 23, will be at West Liberty College in West Liberty, West Virginia. A year ago, the Steelers worked out at Slippery Rock State College in Slippery Rock, Pa. The other 11 teams will train at the same camps they used in 1961.
PACKERS, RAMS FLIP OVER ERRANT COIN
JUL 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - We have a story to tell before shoving off for Vacationland. Heard it from Bill Forester, the Pack's fine linebacker who explained the "situation" on the way home from the coast last season. Some of the facts might be garbled with age but here goes: Packer Co-Captains Jim Ringo and Forester were gathered with the officials and Ram Co-Captains Les Richter and Jon Arnett the usual 30 minutes before the opening kickoff for the purpose of flipping the coin in the Coliseum at 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon, Dec. 17, 1961. The official, whose name escapes us, flipped the coin and Forester and Richter both grunted something that sounded like a combination of heads and tails. Both players thought they were the winners. Richter disputed Forester's decision to "receive," feeling that he (Les) had won. To prevent an argument, the official smiled and told the boys, "Let's try it again. Forget that first flip." Up went the coin. The captains grunted again, but this time Richter thought he won and Forester disputed it. Fortunately, the sun was around 75 and the Packers already had won the Western Division title sewed up. And the official was in a good mood. "Okay, boys, let's try it again," the man in the black and white shirt said. Up went the coin, and down it came - on its end. "No fooling," Bubba roared, "that coin stood right up in the grass. That broke us all up good." So for the first time in the history of pro football, the coin was flipped for an unprecedented fourth time to decide the teams' desired directions. On Flip 4, our Bill called out loud and clear, "Heads," and won the toss. How come all the flipping? "I guess they couldn't understand me," Bill laughed. And now you know (1) why they nicknamed him "Bubba" and (2) how the Packers happened to receive the opening kickoff in their final league game in 1961...This is the week the Packers start to gather for the 1962 season. Practice doesn't official start until Sunday but Coach Vince Lombardi is looking for a lot of the boys to report before the week is up. First order of business will be physical examinations. The Bays will headquarter at St. Norbert College again. Nineteen rookies will report - one less than expected. Halfback Earnest Green, the 14th choice from Louisville, has decided not to try out. Three other rookies will be in the College All Star camp - Earl Gros, Ron Gassert and Ed Blaine. One veteran will be missing, Em Tunnell, who has retired, and one new veteran will be present - Allen Green, the kicking specialist obtained from Dallas. It's possible the three Army veterans will also be missing, Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke...SUNDAY SAUCE: Coach Lombardi has a shadow these days - Bill Heinz, who is writing a book on the Packers' highly successful coach and general manager. The book, out sometime in 1963, will be illustrated by Robert Riger...Paul Hornung has accounted for 3,518 yards, in passing (24), rushing (2,578) and pass receiving (686) in his five Packer seasons. He has scored 501 points - an average of 100 per.
FORMER PACKER DIES IN CHICAGO
JUL 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Frank Balazs, a fullback on the 1939 Green Bay Packers championship squad, died in Chicago Saturday afternoon. Balazs, a 215 pound player from the University of Iowa, will be buried at Delaney's Funeral Home in Chicago on Monday. He was never married.
TITLE FEVER? LAW OF AVERAGES AGAINST PACK
JUL 11 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Now that Uncle Sam has freed altitudinous Boyd Dowler and massive Ray Nitschke for NFL combat, title fever understandably has soared in the collective breast of the Packer faithful. If, accordingly, square-shouldered Vince Lombardi occasionally shudders despite the sultry July air, he is hardly to be blamed. Even prior to Tuesday's salutary development, the Packer headmaster, who takes his '62 squad to camp Sunday, was often greeted by the fan-on-the-street with a freighteningly hearty, "Well, Vince, we ought to win it again with another 11-3, eh?" Such words never fail to chill the normally intrepid Italian, a hard-headed realist who is only too painfully aware the imminent 1962 NFL season will be fraught with more peril than any of his three previous semesters in the Packer throttle. Having worked successive "miracles" in 1959, '60 and '61, climaxed by last year's memorable surge to the world's championship, he knows the law of averages along will be mitigating against a fourth. Then, of course, there are the cold, hard facts of life, among them the knowledge that the NFL, which reached a tingling plateau a year ago, can't help but be even more competitive; and, further, that his titled disciples will be the No. 1 target of all 13 rivals - hardly a comforting thought. There is the haunting realization the '62 race could turn upon an injury or injuries. For a case in point, Lombardi needs hark back no further than the harrowing '61 campaign, when the Packers - who appeared virtual "shoo-ins" at midseason, literally limped to the tile following damage to Jerry Kramer, Jim Taylor and Bart Starr, among others. This incredible performance, enhanced no little by the Pack's valorous conduct in the face of also losing multi-talented Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke and Dowler to the service, will not be easily repeated. And, although Vince indicated "there will be no fat cats on our ball club," a statement we are inclined to dispute, the specter of over-confidence, an insidious, creeping paralysis which has enervated many an athletic power down through the years, always hangs over a champion. This, incidentally, is a highly infectious malady which can be communicated to a football team by a well-meaning fandom. Let's hope it doesn't rise to plague Packerland. So much for realism. Tomorrow: "The Brighter Day."...PACKER PATTER: Although Packer veterans aren't due in until next Tuesday night, several eager holdovers are already upon the scene, among them Defensive Capt. Bill Forester, all-pro tackle Forrest Gregg and high-stepping Tom Moore. The rookies will report at the St. Norbert College camp for dinner at 6 Sunday night and the first "frosh" drill will be conducted Monday morning. Two-a-day workouts, which will include the veterans beginning Wednesday, will be held at 10 a.m., and 3 p.m. during the first week...Cooper Rollow, Chicago Tribune football writer, will arrive Thursday to begin daily coverage of the Packers prior to the world champions' date with the College All-Stars in the Tribune-sponsored spectacle at Soldier's Field Aug. 3.
VINCE GOING TO CAMP WITH BEST FRESHMAN CROP?
JUL 12 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Ordinarily, the NFL champion "inherits" a lean draft - a penalty for winning the title. This, of course, is a simple matter of mathematics, being traceable to the fact that the champion always picks last in the draft under the NFL's inverse selection method, a system which has spawned the most competitive football known to man. Little wonder, then, that Vince Lombardi apparently convinced he could have the best crop of freshmen in his four-year Packer tenure, beams ever so slightly as he prepares to welcome his yearlings to the 1962 camp at St. Norbert College Sunday evening. Although high picks Earl Gross (No. 1), Ed Blaine (No. 2) and Ron Gassert (No. 4) are temporarily with the immediate enemy (the College All-Stars), the fiery Italian is intrigued with the professional potential of such other stalwart citizens as: (1) Fleet, fluid Peter Schenck, 6-2, 205-pound Washington State back who is a possibility at both defense back and flanker; (2) Bob Joiner, smooth-throwing quarterback out of Presbyterian, S.C., College, who could persuade Lombardi to carry three QBs for the first time since he came here; (3) Tom Kepner, big (6-3, 245-pound) Villanova tackle who comes with impressive recommendations; (3) John Schopf, a top Big Ten tackle at the University of Michigan in '61; (5) Roger Holdinsky, mercurial West Virginia halfback who could crack the Pack's defensive backfield; and (6-7) Clemson's Gary Barnes and San Jose State's Oscar Donahue, both impressive flanker prospects. There others but these, along with the All-Star trio Lombardi is counting upon to beef up the Packer bench, which looms large in the Bay's upcoming title defense. Obviously, it will take some doing for any freshman - no matter how gifted - to make the world champions' roster. Thirty-three veterans will join the rookies next week, to be followed by Paul Hornung, Herb Adderley and Elijah Pitts, all still in service but expected to report in the near future. Then, too, there are such as Don Ellersack, and Ed Sutton, both members of the cab squad last autumn, and Jack Novak, the Miami U. alumnus who reportedly is fully recovered from knee surgery that kept him on the sidelines during the '61 season. Though the competition be formidable, Lombardi has good hopes that at least a few of his freshmen will crash the "final 36." Chief among these, of course, has to be the talented Gros, a fullback of awesome proportions (6-3 and 232 pounds), who could be one of the Pack's swiftest performers. He well could make it at any one of three positions - fullback, flanker and cornerback. Blaine also boasts impressive credentials. The Missouri ace, who has bloomed from 218 to 245 pounds since he was drafted, is a prime candidate to backstop Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer at guard, a position to which all-pro tackle Forrest Gregg was hastily summoned when Kramer was injured in the Packers' Minnesota Viking encore at Milwaukee last October. He also could provide "insurance" at defensive tackle. The mountainous Gassert (6-3 and 260), gazelle-like Schenck, rated the best athlete in the group, Holdinsky and Joiner loom as other prime prospects for regular employment...The exact date of Hornung's arrival remains uncertain. The NFL's three-time scoring champion is awaiting action on his request for an early release to report for next Wednesday's opening squad drill. The information office at Fort Riley, Kan., where he is stationed, said Wednesday that Hornung's request has been forwarded to Fifth Army headquarters in Chicago. "He made his request rather late," a spokesman said, "and it may be that his normal release will come around before paperwork is finished on his request."
PACK WON'T BE OVERCONFIDENT: RINGO
JUL 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - This, for obvious reasons, might be entitled: "The Case for the Offense." Take it from all-pro Jim Ringo, that is, overconfidence will not undermine the 1962 Packers in their defense of the world football championship. The Pack's veteran center and offensive captain, presently hunting a house in Green Bay and environs for his wife and three children before reporting for active duty Tuesday, is emphatic upon this point. "I doubt there will be any overconfidence in our camp," he declared from a comfortable perch in a nearly deserted Packer dressing room at City Stadium late Thursday afternoon. "Not with the type of coach we have. It's impossible to have overconfidence or complacency under Vince Lombardi. I think you will see, as each and every one of the players report, that all of them will be in shape," the purposeful Pennsylvanian further volunteered. "They all realize what is ahead of them." This, he let it be known, applied to himself as well as his colleagues. "Naturally, I'm in shape," he confided with a chuckle. "I'm getting a bit older, I hate to admit it but it's my tenth season. Wish it was my first." The accomplished Hungarian, a perennial all-pro selection who turned 30 last Nov. 21, revealed he already is down to his normal playing weight, 230 pounds. This salutary solution was achieved under a careful conditioning program, not by a "crash" diet, he added: "I've run a little bit - just enough so I don't get any pulls," Jim explained. "I don't try to get into top condition at this point - that's what training camp is for. If you did, it'd be too much - you'd burn yourself out." What of the '62 Packers compared to 1961's world champions? "Naturally, it's hard to determine at this point. But on paper, we actually should be better than we were last year. We have an extra year of experience under Vince and more know-how. And I feel we all should have as good a year as we had last season. Certainly, we'll have to keep our same skills to hold the championship and we don't want to lose that prestige," Ringo further noted. "We all know what is ahead of us. And we also know there's only one way to get what we had last year - hard work." Waxing philosophical, Ringo lolled back on an old training table and mused, "There are only a few of us left who can fully appreciate what we have - Dave Hanner, Bubba Forester and myself - the ones who went through, what should I call them, the years of desolation and humiliation." Wincing at the memory, he added, "Maybe it was pride that brought us back year after year. Maybe we were trying to prove a point, that someday we would have what we now have." Any special goals? "Yeah, I want to win it again," was the prompt reply. "I've always had the ambition to play on one of the greatest teams in football. Now that my active years are numbers, I'm now looking forward to playing on a historical team. I hope this is it." Tomorrow: "The Case for the Defense."
FORESTER SOLD ON 'TITLE' DEFENSE; PACK ROOKIES DUE
JUL 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Drawling Bill Forester, back for a tenth NFL semester which begins Monday, fervently hopes the 1962 Packers can play their "championship" defense. This matter, oddly enough, rests not so much with the coaching staff but with Bubba's conferees on the attacking unit. The explanation? "Our offense did such a good job last year that we didn't have too much guessing or gambling defense," the world champions' longtime defensive captain pointed out Friday. "We played a solid basic defense. I sure hope we can do it again this year." He and his fellow defenders, the craft linebacker freely admits, are likely to be under even heavier assault than they were en route to the 1961 NFL title. "Everybody will be pointing for us more than last year - if that's possible," Bubba said wryly. Does he anticipate any new tricks from the enemy? "There has been a lot of talk about a couple of teams going to big backs like we have, but that's been mostly about the Browns and we don't play them this year. As a matter of fact, I kind of doubt there will be any more running against us than there was before. Take Baltimore, for example. With R.C. Owens, the Colts will have three of the best receivers in the game (the others being Lennie Moore and Raymond Berry), so it looks like they'll be throwing as much as ever. Or they could use Moore running more, which would be just as bad." "The rest of it," he continued with a dry chuckle, "will be interesting to see - whether there will be any shotgun or triple wing or whether they will play it pretty straight." "There could be some triple wing," Bubba feels. "The Lions used it quite a bit last season and the 49ers and Rams tried it some, too." What about the Pack's chances? "We should be real good shape as far as personnel is concerned, but, of course, everybody's going to be improved and everybody will be pointing for us. It's going to be a wild season, I'm sure of that." "We'll be in there, though, but it's really too soon to speculate on who's going to win it," Bubba said soberly. "All the teams in our division are pretty capable. It looks like the team that makes the fewest errors and has the fewest injuries will take it." "I was really surprised, "he added in retrospect, "that is turned out like it did last year - we had it sewed up with two games to go and that doesn't happen very often. Usually there are a couple of ties and sometimes even a playoff before the Western Division is settled. There aren't any easy one, I can tell you that," Forester imparted with unusual fervor. "Even Minnesota was tough last year - we took our worst physical beatings from them. And they could be right up in there this year, although I guess you'd have to rate Detroit, Baltimore and the 49ers as our toughest opposition. But it's far too early to tell." Veterans are not scheduled to report until Tuesday evening, but Bubba will be on the scene early - by request. Forester, who is carrying 245 pounds (compared to 240 at this time a year ago), wryly confided, "I have an invitation (from Signor Lombardi) to report Monday." He will join 21 freshmen, exclusive of All-Stars Earl Gros, Ed Blaine and Ron Gassert, in the first formal workout of the season at 10 a.m. Two-a-day practices (afternoon sessions will start at 3 o'clock) will be in effect for at least the first week, with the veterans scheduled to take their first exercise Wednesday morning. The rookies are due at the St. Norbert College training camp by 6 o'clock Sunday evening, after which they will undergo physical examinations at 7, to be followed by a briefing session.
PACKER YEARBOOK RATES AS 'TOP JOB' (by Jack Rudolph)
JUL 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Comes up time to review the 1962 edition of the Packer Yearbook, third annual production of sports editor Art Daley and promotions manager Jack Yuenger, and I got problems. Daley says I overdid it last year (a charge on which we didn't see eye to eye) and has requested that this year's coverage be less of a puff. Since Art is a very sensitive fellow (if you don't thinks so you ought to see his life's blood ooze pitifully away in the press box when the Packers are getting clobbered), that's the way it has to be. Let's see. First, it's printed on paper - nice, slick shiny paper. In English. If you don't care for printed English, there are lots of pictures. These present something of a problem, though, since the captions are printed (in English) above, below and sometimes on the sides of the photos. You can't always tell which end is up. Not that it really makes any difference. When many of them were taken last year (Dec. 30, 1961), nobody in town knew which end was up, especially the New York Giants. They're darned good pictures, though, whichever way you look at them, none better than the colorful cover. Now there is one of the neatest counterfeit jobs since they heisted the $10 bill plates from the U.S. Mint...A STRIKING INTRODUCTION: To begin with, it isn't a color photo at all - just a hastily snapped black and white by one of the Press-Gazette's cameramen. A Milwaukee retoucher, working with several blown up color photos, some taken from practically the same angle, carefully matched all the colors to come up with a picture like they used to make before the
days of color photography. It was done so meticulously that if you were in the background mob wearing a purple muffler and green headgear, you're wearing the same in the cover portrait. A real sharp job, right down to the hole Vince Lombardi gnawed in one of his mittens. It's a striking introduction to the book itself, which is packed with information on the team, players and coaches, including detail of the championship season, individual all-time Packer records, and a comprehensive section on the championship playoff. A careful student might even detect a faint touch of sinful pride if he looks hard enough. The individual records section, incidentally, is unique, offering information never before available. The editors spent five months compiling them, to provide the first comprehensive set of individual statistics the Packers have ever had. Other details of the contents were outlined in a recent sports page story, so we won't repeat them. Suffice to say that although most of the colorful copy was turned out by the P-G sports staff of Daley, Lee Remmel and Len Wagner, there is an impressive array of outside talent, too. Among the contributors are Cooper Rollow of the Chicago Tribune, Red Smith of Morrow Street and the New York Herald-Tribune, Chuck Johnson of the Milwaukee Journal and Bud Lea of the Sentinel, and Sports Illustrated's Tex Maule. There's even a piece by Yuenger, who isn't as sensitive about these things as Daley. In addition, the book contains preseason sketches of every team in the league. Such optimism. Vince got an early complimentary copy of the book and hasn't stopped running since he finished reading it. Very, very readable stuff, all of it, with allowances for that English factor. Red Smith is probably disappointed it wasn't printed in Menominee, although the Menominees will settle for English. Come to think of it, Daley is on vacation. He won't know the difference if I double-cross him. Confidentially, but don't tell Art I said so, it's a top notch job. Best of the three so far, and that's a real compliment.
1962 Green Bay Packers Training Camp
PACK OPENS CAMP; "TEAM TO BEAT' VINCE ADMITS
JUL 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Just 19 days removed from an Aug. 3 bout with the College All- Stars, Vince Lombardi throws open the Packers' 1962 camp to 21 rookie hopefuls at St. Norbert College today. Said yearlings, who shortly will be contending with 36 veterans for regular employment with the NFL's defending champions, will be treated to a mild indoctrination tonight before facing up to what lies ahead. They are scheduled to report for dinner at 6, after which all will undergo physical examinations in the basement of Van Dyke gymnasium, which in turn will be followed by a briefing session, to be presided over by Lombardi. As indicated, this will be the proverbial lull before the storm, which formally begins at 10 o'clock Monday morning with the first full scale workout of the season. The rookies will have three more "private" sessions (afternoon drills will be staged at 3 o'clock) before being joined by the veterans Wednesday morning. By Lombardi's own frank admission "the team to beat" in the upcoming NFL race, the Packers are not without problems, Vince is quick to note. Help and depth, he feels, are needed in both the defensive line and secondary, as well as offensive guard. Launching into a clinical analysis of the 1962 prospects, he said, "I saw an article recently which said we need defensive help. I think we've got it on our squad. Although they both should almost be considered first year men as far as we're concerned, both Herb Adderley and Don Ellersick have played defense in this league (Ellersick, a member of the Packer taxi squad last season, with the Minnesota Vikings before coming to Green Bay)." Listing incumbents Hank Gremminger, John Symank, Willie Wood and Jesse Whittenton, he cited two other defensive backfield prospects, Washington State's Peter Schenck and mercurial Roger Holdinsky, out of West Virginia. "Schenck is a real fine athlete with good hands and speed," Vince explained, "and Holdinsky has great speed - he may be the fastest man we've got." Turning to the defensive line, he pointed out, "here we have Willie Davis, Bill Quinlan, Hank Jordan, Dave Hanner, Ron Kostelnik and Ben Davidson back. Ron Gassert (260-pound Virginia tackle currently with the College All-Stars) has a fine reputation and there is a boy from Villanova, Tom Kepner, who everybody thinks is going to make it. Ed Blaine (No. 2 choice from Missouri) also could be a defensive lineman. We could stand some real help here," he added. "If Kostelnik improves or Kepner or Gassert makes it, it would be a tremendous help. And if any of the others (Ellersick, Holdinsky, Schenck, et al) make it, it would also be a big help." Lombardi passed over his linebacking corps, perhaps the best in the NFL (Dan Currie, Bill Forester, Ray Nitschke, Tom Bettis and Nelson Toburen) with a capsule comment - "pretty solid." Moving to the offense, he accorded the same tacit honor to all-pro center Jim Ringo and his talented sophomore understudy, Ken Iman, before touching upon a "weakness." "We're weak at offensive guard as far as depth is concerned," Lombardi noted. "We are looking for some help there and we should get some from Jack Novak (back for another try after recovering from knee surgery that sidelined him during his rookie season), John Schopf (Michigan) and Blaine. Offensive tackle is pretty solid with Forrest Gregg, Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters," Vince conceded. "Davidson could go there and Kepner is a possibility." This prompted him to append, "That's the kind of team you want - one with versatility," a comment stemming from the fact that he earlier had been able to place both Davidson and Kepner as defensive tackle prospects. "We have Ron Kramer, Gary Knafelc and Lee Folkins at tight end," he continued. "Lew Carpenter can also play there and Lew also can be used as a split end." At the moment, the Packer headmaster pointed out, "Boyd Dowler (just out of service) and Max McGee are the only two flankers we have - the same as last year. Gary Barnes (Clemson) and Oscar Donahue (San Jose State) may have a chance here."...'DEPENDS ON POTENTIAL': Studying the quarterback situation, where incumbent Bart Starr and John Roach are again set to hold forth, Lombardi indicated the fate of Bob Joiner, rookie field general from South Carolina's Presbyterian College, "depends on how good a potential he has. If makes it, it means we'll have to cut some other place," Vince observed, "unless he should beat somebody out." In his three previous years at the Packer controls, Lombardi has carried only two quarterbacks. "As far as the running backs are concerned, of course, we have Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung (expecting an early
1962 Post Cereal set
service discharge) and Tom Moore back. Among the rookies, Earl Gros (No. 1 draft choice from LSU, who like Gassert and Blaine is in the All-Star camp) has good size and speed and catches the ball and Ernie Green (from Louisville) who also has good size and speed." Speedster Elijah Pitts, soon to be released from the Army, will join this group...ALL-STAR GAME 'COMPLICATIONS': Aside from the personnel problems he outlined earlier, the one-time Block of Granite sees one other major - and immediate - complication. That would be the impending All-Star match, an assignment which Lombardi frankly admits "is not like an ordinary preseason game - there is so much loss of prestige in losing an All-Star game, so you have to be ready for it." This immediately poses the problem of "getting high" too early, Vince pointed out. "You have to be ready a little sooner and it can hurt you, as it has some other teams in the past. They've gotten high for the All-Stars, then sagged in the middle of the league season." His evaluation completed, Lombardi leaned back in his chair and soberly conceded, "I have to be truthful and say that we've got a pretty solid football team. I also have to say that we're the team to beat. Not, however, that we can't be beaten," he added with pardonable haste. "For example, so many things happened last year that could have cost us the championship." "Take the injury to Jerry Kramer. It could have crippled us," he declared. "Fortunately, Forrest Gregg was able to move in there. That's the importance of depth." Introducing another factor, he mused with a slight smile, "It is going to be very interesting to see what attitude the squad will have this year." Any fears of overconfidence? "I don't have any," he shot back. "I know I'm not overconfident and the rest of the coaches certainly are not overconfident. We'll have to wait and see how fat the squad is going to be." "We're champions so everybody is going to play a little harder against us," he concluded, "which means that we'll have to do a little better in everything we do."
20 PACKER ROOKIES BEGIN TRAINING CAMP CHALLENGE
JUL 16 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - How does it feel to be a rookie on a world championship team? Twenty thoughtful Packer freshmen - 21 were scheduled - checked in at St. Norbert College as the sun dipped over the West De Pere campus Sunday evening, and one of them had a ready answer. Sturdy Bob Joiner, freshman quarterback from South Carolina's little Presbyterian College, frankly admitted: It's really going to be a challenge - they have two fine quarterbacks here already (Bart Starr and John Roach)." The hard-throwing Macon, Ga., native is not faint-hearted, however. "It makes the goal higher," he said with a smile. "You feel if you can make a championship team, you're really doing something. You know when you come that they could probably take the same boys who won the championship last year and do it again, so they don't need you too much." Joiner and his 18 fellow yearling, plus seven early-reporting veterans (Dave Hanner, Forrest Gregg, Ben Davidson, John Roach, Ken Iman, Lee Folkins and Starr) were presented with 1962's "battle plan" by Head Coach Vince Lombardi at an 8 o'clock meeting after undergoing physical examinations. They were scheduled to take their first exercise at 10 o'clock this morning. Another workout was set for 3 o'clock in Lombardi's traditional two-a-day drill baptism, a regiment that is expected to prevail for the balance of the week. Although he hadn't officially checked in at training headquarters, Offensive Capt. Jim Ringo joined the rookie drill this morning. All veterans have been ordered to report by 6 o'clock Tuesday evening, preparatory to the first full scale session at 10 Wednesday morning...The forthright Joiner, who called his selection by the Packers "a really big honor," is aware that adapting to pro football's imposing demands "will be a terrific challenge from college. The calling precision, for one thing, is much different and you spend a lot more time studying the defense." "But," he shortly added, "Vince Lombardi is a man you can learn it from - he's a master of the game. I don't of any coach I would rather learn from." In this connection, Bob admitted his alma mater, Presbyterian, "is very small, an all-boys' school of 550 students," but explained with a note of pride, "it has very good football, though. We had a pro-type passing offense, the straight dropback kind." Joiner, 6-2 and 215 (five pounds over his playing weight), completed "about 51 percent" of his passes at Presbyterian last season for 930 yards. Along the way, he attracted the attention of Packer talent scout Dick Voris, who obviously liked what he saw. Married ("and we're expecting a child in August"), the likeable Georgian is realistic about his chances. "No, I didn't bring my wife with me," he said with a grin. "I've got to make the team first and I'm not going to be that optimistic on a championship team."...Preston Wright, 6-4,
230-pound center from the University of Houston, was the only rookie who didn't report - and he had a good reason - he's in service. He expects to be discharged before the month is out. Lombardi also announced that two veterans, defensive back Ed Sutton and kicking specialist Allen Green, will not report. Sutton intends to concentrate on his medical studies, while Green decided he couldn't give up a job opportunity...PACKER PATTER: Without Emlen Tunnell, Hanner becomes the Packers' undisputed "dean." The onetime Arkansas Razorback is beginning his 11th season in Packer silks. Tunnell, who toiled 11 years for the New York Giants before joining the Pack, called it a career last winter after 14 semesters. Hawg, incidentally, reported at 270 pounds, two more than he carried at this time a year ago. Speaking of weigh, high-stepping Tom Moore came in a surprising 21 pounds lighter than a year ago. A svelte 205 this time, he scaled 226 at this point last season. Another "thin man" candidate is towering Gary Knafelc, who checked in at 220 Sunday night - his '61 playing weight. Rookie Peter Schenck, lithe Washington State alumnus, has a calorie problem in reverse. Schenck, a trim 190, moaned to Hanner, "I don't know how you can put it on - I can't gain an ounce."...Genial Carl (Bud) Jorrgensen, who taped his first ankle back in 1924, officially began his 39th year as Packer trainer, assisted by Domenic Gentile, West De Pere basketball coach who is back for a second season. Dad Braisher, recently of the surprising Los Angeles Angels, returns as equipment manager...Dr. James W. Nellen, Packer team physician, presided over the physical examination. His assistants included Dr. W.W. Ford, Dr. Joseph Grace, Dr. E.S. Brusky, and the Drs. Murphy, Patrick J. and Thomas E.
VINCE SHOWS NO MERCY FIRST DAY: KEPNER ATTESTS
JUL 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Never one to dally, taskmaster Vince Lombardi showed his world champion Packers no mercy opening day - as usual. He had a cast of 39, including 19 early bird veterans, in full pads and knocking heads with considerable vigor of the Pack's Oneida Street practice field under Monday afternoon's leaden skies. Much of the swift-paced session was devoted to a lengthy one-on-one drill, a rigorous exercise that showcased at least one rookie, curly-haired Tom Kepner, mountainous Villanova tackle. The massive Kepner, a Catholic All-America selection last autumn, held firm against charge after charge during the man-to-man combat and once hurled back a 235-pound colleague with impressive ease. It was, however, a long day for the king sized freshman, who dismayed Lombardi and his aides by reporting at a billowy 277 pounds - 17 over his playing bulk at the end of the Villanova's 1961 season. His broad countenance a virtual lake of perspiration, the 6-3 Camden, N.J., resident, who said: "Hitting head today was okay but those drills are tough," confessed this had resulted from a misunderstanding. "I saw Big Daddy Lipscomb (6-8, 290) with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a few others, and I thought all pro ball players are about 275 or 280 pounds," Tom confided, somewhat sheepishly, "I finished the season last year at 260. I thought I should be a little heavier going to a pro team so that if I lost a few pounds I'd still be big enough," he explained, "but that wasn't right, I guess. The coaches want me to lose weight." At about this point in the conversation, Defense Coach Phil Bengtson approached from the direction of the shower and queried, with more than casual interest, "How much did you lose, Tom?" "I don't know, I didn't have a chance to check yet," Kepner replied, then appended with a shy grin and a mop of the brow, "it must have been at least six pounds." Accepting this "report" with some satisfaction (a later check disclosed the blue-eyed giant had been right on target - he weighed in at 271), Bengtson admonished him, not unkindly, "Lay off the water, water can really put it on you in a hurry, and lay off that food - get that weight down." Kepner, an all-state and All-American at Camden's St. Joseph High School, helped Villanova to an imposing 8-2 record and a holiday triumph over the University of Wichita in last year's Sun Bowl game...Though the veterans aren't officially due until 6 o'clock tonight, 15 veterans (including Jack Novak, out last season because of knee surgery, and free agent Don Ellersick, a Los Angeles Ram and Minnesota Viking prior to 1961) reported at the morning practice and four more at the afternoon session. These included Ray Nitschke, the erstwhile Illinois strongboy, who appeared only for a brief running demonstration at Lombardi's request, and fiery John Symank, who Friday returned from a two-week stint with the United States Army Reserve at Camp McCoy, near Sparta, Wis. Other afternoon reportees included all-pro tackle Forrest Gregg, veteran defensive halfback Hank Gremminger and that prominent Green Bay humorist, Gary Knafelc, back for a ninth season. They joined 11-year veteran Dave Hanner, the Pack's oldest performer in point of service, Bart Starr, Max McGee, Ron Kostelnik, Lee Folkins, Tom Moore, Big Ben Davidson, Lew Carpenter, John Roach, Bill Forester, Jim Ringo, Nelson Toburen, Ken Iman, Ellersick and Novak, all of whom reported for the morning shift...PACKER PATTER: Tom Moore, the talented third-year halfback from Vanderbilt, went through both Monday sessions with a cast on his left wrist - but he won't be wearing it long. "It's not helping any and I can't do anything with it on," Tom said. "I couldn't even catch a pitchout today." Moore, who broke a small bone in the wrist last season, explained, "apparently it has never healed properly. The doctors advised me to try the cast, but they said it probably wouldn't bother me if I just let it go. Without the cast, it only bothers me when I lift something heavy or put pressure on it."...Tom Kepner is pulling for one of his schoolmates, world 100-yard dash champion Frank Budd (:09.2) to make the pro football grade with the Philadelphia Eagles. "I hope Frankie makes it," he said with a fond smile. "He's a good boy."...Opening day's most quotable quote came from the Pack's elder statesman, Dave Hanner. Twice bedded by heat prostration in recent training seasons, the burly veteran was moved by Monday's moderate temperature to comment with fervor, "Uncle Sam takes care of the poor and the old and God sure took care of the ignorant today."...Symank reported with a chuckle, "They made me athletic and recreation officer and public information officer" during his two-week stint at Camp McCoy...Kibitzers at yesterday's baptismal sessions included two college coaches, famed Dallas Ward of the University of Colorado and Dick Peters of Ottawa, Kan., University, who coached the Pack's Forrest Gregg and John Roach while a member of the SMU staff.
COUNCIL APPROVES $150,000 PACKER ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AT STADIUM
JUL 18 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The City Council Tuesday night authorized the obtaining of construction bids for a Packer office building and locker room at City Stadium, which the Packers will pay for over the next nine years. The project is estimated at $150,000. Under financing terms approved by the Council last February, the Packers will pay 40 percent of total costs when contracts are signed, 35 percent next January, and four percent each year from 1964 through 1971. This will total 103 percent of the project. The new Packer team building will be located at the north end of the stadium, about 20 percent from the rear row of seats to allow for any future seating expansion. Present locker rooms behind the south stands will be turned into public toilets. The Council action authorizes the Stadium Commission to advertise for bids to be opened Aug. 16. Construction
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 17th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 18th 1962)
time is estimated at from seven to nine months. The brick building will have about 145,000 square feet in a one-story ticket office in the front of the structure and a two story portion next to the end zone stands. The two-story portion will have locker rooms for the Packers and visiting teams on the first floor and administrative offices and meeting rooms on the second floor. The Packers hired an architect for the project and will pay utility costs when the building goes into use.
FOSS PREDICTS GRID 'SERIES'
JUL 18 (Seattle) - It won't be long, peppery Joe Foss insisted Tuesday, before football has its own World Series featuring the champions of the American and National Football Leagues. The versatile Foss, AFL commissioner and former governor of South Dakota, was here in still another capacity. An expert on hunting and fishing, he took part in a panel discussion at the convention of the Western Association of Game and Fish Commissioners. Admitting the NFL is unethusiastic, Foss said a World Series is inevitable. "That championship game," he said, "will fill any stadium in the country and be the biggest television package ever. That's what both leagues are in business for - we love football but we want to make a buck."
BETTIS TRADE PUTS PRESSURE ON TOBUREN - AND HE'S GLAD
JUL 18 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The departure of old pro Tom Bettis has put a "little more pressure" on Packer sophomore Nelson Toburen - but he couldn't be happier. This unexpected vote on confidence "makes me feel real good," the highly combative ex-Kansan admitted with an unabashed grin in the wake of Tuesday's surprise swap, which sent Bettis to the Steelers in exchange for an undisclosed draft choice. "First of all, though, I hope it works out well for Tom," Tobruren hastened to append. "I hate to see him go - he was one of the boys I was closest to on the team." Then, taking the positive approach, he admitted, "It puts a little more pressure on me but I kind of enjoy it. You only get an opportunity once, you know. As a matter of fact, I can't wait to get at it again," the squad-cut University of Wichita alumnus enthused with a shy smile. "It sure is different than last year - what a change, what an enjoyable change." The trade, completed shortly before the Packers swept through a rain-drenched afternoon workout at their Oneida Street practice field, is a genuine tribute to the hard-nosed Toburen since it makes him a card-carrying "unit" of the Pack's "Fearsome Foursome," of which Bettis was a charter member - along with Defensive Capt. Bill Forester, Dan Currie and Ray Nitschke. A meteoric ascent for one who had never toiled at linebacker before arriving upon the Packer scene as a raw-boned rookie last July. It was not a major adjustment, however, insists Toburen, an end in both ways in college, where he started his career under Packer aide Bill Austin, then offensive line coach at the U. of Wichita. "When you switch from a 5-4 in college to a 4-3 in pro football, there isn't too much difference," Nellie declared. "It's comparable, anyway." There is another explanation, he further volunteered - one Packer fans may already have divined. "Defense is what I've always enjoyed," Toburen declared with obvious sincerity, "no matter where I play." A native of Colby, Kan., (where "I played tailback in the single wing," Nellie somewhat sheepishly admitted), Toburen is now a full-time Green Bay resident and the father of two children, a son, 2 1/2-year old Chris, and a six-month old daughter, Penny, "born while the team was on the coast last season." Bettis, accepting the change with equanimity, said, "There is nothing definite yet," about his pro football future. "I haven't made up my mind yet - I'm going to talk with Buddy Parker (Steeler coach) in Pittsburgh next Wednesday. There's no great hurry about making a decision," the seven-year veteran, the Packers' first draft choice in 1955, added matter-of-factly, "They don't start until later this month - the veterans don't report until July 28. I want to give some thought to whether I should play or devote full time to my job." Had he been surprised? "No, I wasn't," was the prompt and forthright rejoinder. "I more or less expected it." The trade, he emphasized, will not affect his status as a year-around Green Bay resident. "I hate to leave," he said, "but I'm not going to leave permanently. We're still going to live here." As for the Steelers, Bettis observed with infectious optimism, "I think they are a title contender - as much as anyone over in the Eastern Division - and if I go to Pittsburgh I'm going to help them in every way I can. Buddy's a good guy and a great guy to play for, they tell me." Tom added, "And what more can I ask? I talked to him on the phone late this afternoon and he said, 'We need you badly.'" "He was pretty happy about the whole thing," Bettis concluded. "And before we got through talking, I was more or less happy myself. I just turned 29 so, though I may not be the youngest, I'm not the oldest. I think I have a few more years left in me - if I want to play."...Yesterday's mid-afternoon downpour failed to deter the Packers, who churned through it without missing a step. Although there were more than a few rough spots, including the usual missed signals and timing errors common at this point in the training season, Head Coach Vince Lombardi found some encouraging items: "Barnes (Gary) and Donahue (Oscar) have some good moves, which could make them flanker possibilities, but it's too early to tell." Labeling massive (270 lbs.) Tom Kepner "a defensive tackle rather than a defensive end" (he had been listed at both positions in the 1962 Packer prospectus), Vince added, "He's overweight, but if he takes off some pounds, he could do something." With all veterans (except Cpl. Paul Hornung) checked in as of 6 o'clock Tuesday night, Lombardi drove his now sizeable cast (37 veterans, 19 rookies) through its first full scale drill of the season this morning. Another was scheduled at 3 o'clock this afternoon, continuing the two-a-day regimen that is expected to prevail indefinitely - the All-Star game is little more than two weeks away...PACKER PATTER: A trim Henry Jordan (he reported at 243) drew a boisterous cheer from his defensive colleagues when he swooped in to intercept a swing pass intended for Lew Carpenter, late in the afternoon session...Peter Schenck, rookie receiver from Washington State, and Paul Dudley, freshman halfback from Arkansas, elicited praise from Lombardi, Schenck for "a good move," and Dudley for twice "turning the corner" with admirable facility after a couple of misfires...A delightful Jerry Kramer, apparently recovered from last October's leg injury, chortled, "I didn't have a twinge all afternoon." Of course, he added more soberly, "Maybe tomorrow or the next day it'll be a little sore, but it would be anyway, I believe." Another 1961 casualty, Jim Taylor, reported his damaged back "all healed up - it feels fine." The multi-muscled Taylor, who barged to an all-time Packer season rushing record a year ago, proudly checked in at a svelte 215 pounds. "Look at this," he said, flapping the wristband of his trousers, "I can't even keep these 34 pants up."
SALAMON RELEASED
JUL 18 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers this morning placed Jack Salamon, rookie end from American International College, on waivers, thus paring their camp roster to 52 players. Three others are with the College All-Stars and four are still in service.
HORNUNG STILL WAITING; MAY GET OUT FRIDAY; JORDAN UNDERWEIGHT
JUL 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Pvt. Paul Hornung, fretting on the brink of discharge, is still playing the weight game. Hornung, reached at Fort Riley, Kan., by long distance telephone late this morning, regretfully confided that reports he would be released today were premature. "I expect to be out sometime today or tomorrow, but I just don't know - I haven't got the good word yet," the three-time NFL scoring champion said, "I've got a call in to Washington (the Department of the Army) but I haven't heard anything yet." "I just have to sit tight and wait," the Army's most publicized private added, admitting "that I may not get out until next week." Hornung, who said he weighs about 220 (just over his 1961 playing weight), reported he feels "real good," but wasn't sure he was "ready." "That remains to be seen," he volunteered but added with unmistakeable sincerity, "I'm ready to get out of here, I can tell you that."...Meanwhile, on the home front, affable (except to the Packers' NFL enemies) all-pro Henry Jordan was proving himself a rare bird. While most of his colleagues have been struggling to shed avoirdupois under a broiling July sun, the incredibly mobile defensive tackle has been ordered to PUT ON weight. Head Coach Vince Lombardi, concerned "that we probably have the lightest defensive line in the league," was dismayed when the balding charger reported at a surprising 243 pounds. The transplanted Virginian (he now is a year-around Green Bay resident) dipped below 240 following Wednesday afternoon's rigorous session on Oneida Street, a development which contributed even less to Lombardi's peace of mind. A dismal '61 experience was responsible for his trim physique, Jordan confided. "Last year, I came in too heavy - I weighed 266 pounds - and it was pretty hard on me," he drawled. "I figured I could put it on easier than I can take it off, so I came in light this year." "I already have orders from the coach to put it on," he noted with satisfaction, "and that's what I like to hear - I like to eat." "I'm going up to 250," he added matter-of-factly. "That's where he wants me to be." If this comes to pass, the center of the Packers' defensive line may rank among the NFL's lightest, since 11-year veteran Dave Hanner is expected to play at 255, or thereabouts...Speaking of weight, bruising Ray Nitschke, until last week one of Uncle Sam's nephews, reports he already has descended to his normal playing figure, 255, "but the muscle isn't there yet. I played a little of everything," at Fort Lewis, Wash., "but it wasn't enough."
Appleton Post-Crescent (July 20th 1962)
...The traditional process of separating the men from the boys was inaugurated Wednesday afternoon with a bruising one-on-one blocking drill, complete with a "live" ball carrier. With two movie cameras recording the action for study by the coaching staff later in the day, the session matched freshmen and sophomores. Although the competition was brisk, several of the yearlings drew favorable reactions from Lombardi and his aides, particularly Washington State's greyhound Pete Schenck, and dusky Oscar Donahue, late of San Jose State. "Pretty good, Schenck," Lombardi once barked. "Pretty good - for an 185-pounder, that's real good." Later, he rapped, "Good contact, Oscar, real good contact." This shortly was followed by an accolade from End Coach Tom Fears, who sang our, "Good pop, Oscar. One more follow-through and you'll have it." Donahue subsequently lost no stature when he blocked the formidable Nelson Torburen out of the "play" with an incisive thrust, one of the most effective of the afternoon...PACKER PATTER: Big Ben Davidson brought down the house during Wednesday afternoon's one-on-one drill. The mastodonic Washington State alumnus (6-8 and 270 pounds of uncluttered man) leaped over the blocking dummy before him - and the defending lineman - landing just in time to watch the "ball carrier" careen by. "Oh well," the genial giant quipped, "it was a noble experiment." As the laughter was subsiding, Lombardi rapped dryly, "That's just what it was, a noble experiment."...Still mountainous Tom Kepner (the rookie from Villanova is down 10 pounds to 267) sparkled "defensively" in this session, throttling every thrust on the "line of scrimmage."...John Schopf, another standout here, is nursing a pulled muscle in his left leg. "The leg got tight running the first few days and, when I went to push off on it when I was pulling out, it pulled," the U. of Michigan recruit explained...The arrival of the veterans had a salutary effect on the practice "attendance." More than 500 witnessed each Wednesday session.
DROP TIMMERMAN
JUL 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers' camp squad was reduced to 51 today when Coach Vince Lombardi placed Bob Timmerman, rookie end from West Virginia, on waivers.
MEMO TO NFL: EX-GI DOWLER FAST AS EVER
JUL 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Memo to NFL defensive backs: You will be happy to know that lanky Boyd Dowler, a recent G.I., lost none of his speed in Uncle Sam's Army. Dowler, one of the NFL's more accomplished flankers the last three autumns, demonstrated this to the satisfaction of all concerned in Thursday afternoon's gloom at the Packers' Oneida Street practice field. Late in a rapid-fire passing drill, the graceful greyhound wheeled past a straining rookie defender and under a 50-yard bomb from quarterback John Roach. With a one-stride lead (a considerable chunk of real estate in Boyd's case), Dowler would have been "gone" under game conditions. Needless to say, this deft collaboration drew smiles from Vince Lombardi and his aides, who are expecting the 6-5 Wyoming native to repeat this performance against the real enemy on more than a few occasions in the upcoming 1962 season. Discharged from Fort Lewis, Wash., only last week, the erstwhile U. of Colorado ace was down to 218 pounds, two under his 1961 playing weight, in the wake of yesterday's demanding double drills - after checking in at 226 just 48 hours earlier. Yesterday's show of "swift" was not just a happy coincidence. Dowler, a college quarterback who has blossomed into one of the NFL's most feared receivers, has never stopped running. After helping his artillery team win the post basketball championship last winter, the lanky speedster transferred to track, where he whiled away his spring leisure skimming the high and low hurdles and running the 100-yard dash. These endeavors also served to prove that Dowler has lost none of his awesome speed. "I ran the high hurdles in "14.6 and the hundred in 10 flat or a shade under," Boyd was happy to report. Dowler, who along with fellow soldier Ray Nitschke, checked in from Fort Lewis with the veterans Tuesday night, won both the high and low hurdles in the post track meet June 27-28, being clocked in :24.3 in the latter. "I didn't finish too strong in the lows," the four-year veteran admitted, "but it wasn't too bad a time. I ran them in :23.5 in college. Of course," he added, "I didn't go out there and break my back. I was just trying to get my legs in shape. I only ran the highs a half dozen times this year, for example, and didn't run 'em before that since '59." Dowler, once clocked at :9.19 in the '100' while a collegian, is convinced he had no time to accumulate the service rust that has plagued many an athlete upon his return to the sports scene. "I have no reason to think it hurt me any," he said with impressive emphasis. "I played in every game last season, remember, and I also had that week of practice before the championship game." Like his colleagues, Boyd's primary goal is "to win the championship again." What about a personal objective? "I just want to improve each year," Dowler said. "As far as winning the pass receiving championship, I don't even think about it. A lot of intangibles go into having a good year as a receiver. And, remember, we're primarily a running team."...PACKER PATTER: One of Dowler's teammates
on Fort Lewis' post basketball tournament champions, he reported, was Green Bay's wee Gary Herold, who paired with Superior State's Bob Marko at guard. The team also included Ted Sermonet of Milwaukee, who played at Regis College, Bob Anderstrum of the University of Minnesota and Northwestern's Phil Warner. Theirs was no mean accomplishment, incidentally, since Dowler and his artillery mates triumphed in a 32-team field... Bart Starr has abandoned his heavy practice shoes. Operating on the same theory that prompts a baseball player to swing a heavy bat in the on deck circle before switching to a lighter bludgeon when he steps to the plate, the scholarly quarterback experimented with a pair of high top brogans the first two days in a bid to increase his speed. "I had to give it up," Bart confessed Thursday, "my legs were feeling dead." Starr, who said "I'm slower than a mule, anyway," has gone to a pair of cutdown (not low cuts) shoes and awaits results...Add lightweights: Swashbuckling Bill Quinlan is "the lightest I've been since 1954." Quinlan, who came to camp at 255 a year ago and played at 247, weighed a mere 241 after yesterday's afternoon session. "I wanted to be a little quicker," said the burly defensive end, one of Vince Lombardi's most productive acquisitions via the trade route. The strapping Michigan State alumnus, who came to the Packers from the Cleveland Browns in 1959, noted, "I find myself a lot more mobile at 240 or 241. I was down as low as 236 at one time during the winter - I was working out at the YMCA three times a week."...Ben Agajanian, the Pack's 43-year old kicking specialist, appeared in a new role - as a center in a passing drill. His first "receiver" was a quarterback half his age, 22-year old rookie Bob Joiner...Ron Kramer, the "runaway moose" of last December's championship romp, is plagued by a painful left elbow. Kramer, who said "it's going to be all right," gingerly flexed the arm and reported, "I can't bend it any farther than that. I'm not quite sure what it is, but the doctor took the fluid out yesterday." Aside from the discomfort, the University of Michigan immortal pronounced himself in prime condition. "I feel quick, a lot quicker than last year," said Kramer, a trim 245. "Of course, the ankles (which bothered him a good part of the '61 season) are better."...The length of the Packers' two-a-day practice regimen is uncertain, Lombardi says, noting, "It depends on how we come along." He also announced that "two or maybe three scrimmages will be held next week."
VINCE FIND CONDITION, ATTITUDE 'EXCELLENT' DURING ROOKIE WEEK
JUL 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - If the 1962 Packers thought "rookie week" was sufficiently spartan, Headmaster Vince Lombardi had chilling news for them today. Following Friday afternoon's session, spiced by some spirited contact, Lombardi set his jaw and declared, "Starting Monday, we'll be full speed - all the way." Quite obviously, he didn't consider what has transpired to date had been at "full speed" - and he didn't. "This first week has been primarily one of conditioning," the Packer chieftain pointed out. "The veterans have been here only three days - that's all. As far as the conditioning is concerned, I'm well satisfied," Lombardi said of his defending world champion. And the man who insisted there would be "no fat cats on our club" was pleased to add, "Many of the veterans came in in excellent condition. The fact that there have been few leg pulls is a pretty good sign they've been doing some running in the off season." In this connection, the broad-shouldered Fordham alumnus admitted he is "very much satisfied with the veterans' attitude. Their attitude is excellent." He was not entirely pleased with another phase, however. "We had our first contact today, with aprons," Vince noted, "and it wasn't too impressive." Things will improve shortly, he expects. "We have six boys missing," Vince observed, "and they certainly will make us a better looking team." Chief among the absentees, of course, is the multi-talented Paul Hornung, who Friday was still sweating out word of his discharge from the Department of the Army at Fort Riley, Kan. There have been recurring rumors that Hornung had not only been released but was on the Green Bay scene yesterday. Neither of these has any foundation in fact, Lombardi unhappily admitted. "Hornung is still in the Army, I can tell you that," he said grimly. "I have no idea at this point when he will be out." Also awaiting discharge from the service are veterans Herb Adderley and Elijah Pitts and rookie Preston Wright. The latter is expected later this month, but no definite word has been received. The other three freshmen absentees, freshman Earl Gros, Ed Blaine and Ron Gassert, are with the College All-Stars, the Packers' first 1962 opponents. They exchange amenities in Chicago's cavernous
Soldier Field Friday night, Aug. 3. Speaking of the All-Star classic, had preparing for it affected the camp regiment to any degree? "No, it hasn't," was the forthright reply. "This camp is very little different from any we've had in the past - we're proceeding at the same pace. We are making only one exception in our regular routine," he explained. "We're not having as much sprinting as in the past. We're sprinting in the morning and striding in the afternoon. We're too close to the All-Star game - I want to avoid muscle pulls." Turning to the freshmen class, Lombardi found cause for encouragement. "I think we have some fine looking athletes among the rookies - boys like Gary Barnes, Pete Schenck, Oscar Donahue, Howie Williams and Paul Dudley. Whether any of these boys can make it yet, of course, I don't know." Barnes (Clemson), Schenck (Washington State) and Donahue (San Jose State) are flankers while Williams is a defensive back and Dudley is a running back. Another yearling has caught his eye, Vince further volunteered. "Tom Kepner has shown tremendous improvement," Vince said. "He came in at 277 Sunday and he was down to 266 today. He's very strong but he needs to improve in his lateral movements - that's the big thing now."...Both of Friday's drills were shortened by the weather - the morning workout by a downpour and the afternoon session by "wet grounds." The cloudburst cut the early practice 15 minutes short while the afternoon drill was abbreviated by ten. "We had planned some other things," Lombardi said, "but we had to call them off because of the wet turf." There will be no practice Sunday, but it will be "picture day," which will find the Packers in full battle dress to pose for newspaper and television photographers...PACKER PATTER: Operating on soggy soil was no joy, Hank Gremminger good-naturedly groused, "It really burns you up," the veteran defensive back said disgustedly. "You'd go to cut, and phtt. The receiver comes out and cuts - he knows where he's going. You get planted to stay with him - and phtt, he's gone."...The weather postponed a bruising one-on-one drill, a "game" for men only, but hardnosed Nelson Toburen was mildly disappointed. "I'd rather hit than fiddle," Nelson declared. "It's more fun and that's what the game's about."...A "whipped" Jerry Kramer, hard hit by the high humidity, plopped on a chair in front of his locker and exclaimed, "Whew, it was a little like a steam bath out there this afternoon - I must have lost six pounds."...Ray Nitschke, making a pitch for a bigger jersey, got little comfort from Equipment Manager Dad Braisher. "Do I have to wear that thing again tomorrow?" Ray growled. "Go back in the Army," was Dad's jocular retort. "You never had it so good."...Defensive back John Symank's four-year-old daughter, Cindy, was the day's only "casualty." Taking a bite from a "fresh" ice cream bar, which has bee refrigerated with dry ice, Cindy pulled the skin off both lips and required first aid...Pete Schenck, the lithe rookie from Washington State, was a political science major in college. Although he has been running at flanker here, the fleet Los Angeles native played "a lot of defense my senior year." Pete has, he added, no preference. "I just want to make the team - that's the main thing - and that's quite a job on this team."...Another impressive yearling, Mercurial Howie Williams, was both leading scorer and ground gainer all four years at Howard University. Although he has been compared to "Night Train" Lane in technique, Williams says he has not attempted to emulate the Detroit Lions' unorthodox defensive ace. "I'm just trying to get my reactions as fast as I can," says Williams, who played two years of service football at Yakota Air Force base in Japan before attending Howard where he compiled a brilliant academic record. An engineering student, he maintained a lofty 2.8 average...Rookie sing for their supper at the Packers' St. Norbert College camp and Pat Fears, 10-year-old son of End Coach Tom Fears, is no exception. He was the hit of the show Friday night with his swinging rendition of "Old McDonald Had a Farm."
SCHOPF LEAVES
JUL 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jon Schopf, rookie guard from Michigan, has decided to give up his tryout and has left camp, the Packers announced this morning.
4,000 FANS SEE PACKER STAGE 'SPOTTY' SCRIMMAGE
JUL 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi's annual weeding project began in earnest at his Oneida Street garden Saturday. His Green Bay Packers, 51 strong, slugged their way through a crackling scrimmage punctuated by the sharpest pad-banging heard thus far in the training drills. When it was over, Lombardi managed a smile and acknowledged that he was "generally satisfied" although the team was as far along as could be expected at this stage of the preparatory campaign but it was difficult to judge from the first scrimmage since "so many guys were in there."...IMAN BIG SURPISE: Although the headmaster was his usual mum self on individuals, sideline observers noted that at least a couple of rookies appeared particularly determined to scratch out places on the roster of the world champs, who are readying themselves for the College All-Star game in Chicago Aug. 3. Gary Barnes, the lanky, 210 pound Clemson end, came up with some good moves in snatching several aerials and Paul Dudley, the Arkansas halfback, proved a hardnosed runner. But the big surprise of the clash was the play of Ken Iman as a linebacker. The third year reserve, who backs up Jim Ringo at center and is available as a guard in addition to being a standout on the punt and kickoff teams, proved his versatility in coming up with a series of smacking tackles and knocking down several passes, almost intercepting one. The half hour scrimmage, which
was staged in the presence of about 4,000 fans, according to estimates by police officers, and partially in a soaking downpour, also showed that bomber Jim Taylor has lost none of his sock. Ripping off huge gains several times, Taylor left such defensive luminaries as Jesse Whittenton and Ray Nitschke in his path. Whittenton laid a solid shoulder into the Bayou Blockbuster, but barely nudged him an inch out of his way and moments later the hulking Nitschke wound up with nothing but an armful of air as Taylor cross-stepped away. These noble but fruitless efforts caused Old Pro Ben Agajanian to shake his head and mutter, "Just how do you bring a guy like that down?"...COMBINATIONS CLICK: Two veteran passing combinations also clicked with startling quickness as Bart Starr hit Boyd Dowler and Max McGee on consecutive pitches with what would have been TD passes against a primarily rookie secondary. Prior to the scrimmage, which was filmed for further study by the coaching staff, Lombardi sent his charges through a wicked one-on-one drill with All-Pro center Jim Ringo and end Gary Knafelc, one of last year's forgotten men, popping particularly good blocks...No practice is scheduled for today, but the players will turn out this afternoon in full battle dress for picture taking by newspaper and television photographers. Saturday's downpour further dampened an already soaked field but it failed to damped the enthusiasm of the amazingly large crowd of spectators, most of whom suffered through it while the rest gathered under the canopy in front of the Brown County Arena to view the rest of the proceedings...Coach Lombardi re-emphasized today in a national Associated Press story that the NFL is not becoming bored with the idea of meeting the College All Stars each year despite the pros' lopsided 18-8-2 advantage. "We're not going to Chicago to lose," he is quoted. "While the game may not be as important to us as those on the championship schedule, the prestige of the league is at stake and it is important for us to win for that reason."
3 PACKER ROOKIES ON WAIVERS; SQUAD GAME SATURDAY
JUL 23 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There were only 14 rookies in the Packer camp today, following the departure of three more via waivers. Latest leavees are fullback Andy Griffin of American International, tackle Rudy Simko of Cincinnati and halfback George Versprille of Howard College. Placing of the trio on waivers was announced today by Coach Vince Lombardi. Actually, the Bays have 17 rookies on the roster, the other three being the College All Star contingent - guard Ed Blaine, fullback Earl Gros and tackle Ron Gassert. But one of those three probably will never make the All Star camp. That would be Gassert, who is in service and may not get out until next week - too late to get ready for the Aug. 3 classic. Gassert is one of four Packers in service. The other three are veterans Paul Hornung, Herb Adderley and Elijah Pitts. Hornung is expected out shortly but Adderley and Pitts may not be out until early next month. The largest rookie cut came on the heels of the Pack's first major scrimmage, which was held Saturday. There was no action Sunday, which was devoted to Picture Day. Lombardi and Aides Phil Bengtson, Red Cochran, Bill Austin, Norb Hecker and Tom Fears had their pictures taken in the morning and then viewed movies of the scrimmage in the afternoon. Half of the rookies on the local scene are backs. There are two ends (highly-prized Oscar Donahue and Gary Barnes), three tackles, a center and a guard. Faced with making a championship team, the rookies appear relaxed but serious. Barnes, the slim end from Clemson, noted that the rookies were made to feel at ease and at home at a meeting with the Pack's co-captains, Jim Ringo and Bill Forester. "The captains welcomed us to the squad and told us that they actually hoped we could make the squad because I would then make the Packers a stronger team," Barnes said, adding: "We realize it's a tough job making a team like this one but the veterans have been cooperative and they have all helped us."...The Pack's annual intra-squad game - Offense vs. Defense - will be played at City Stadium next Saturday afternoon. Coach Vince Lombardi will watch the action from the press box. This will be the final action dress rehearsal before the All Star battle...BRIEFS: Boyd Dowler is sporting a crew cut...Jerry Kramer says, "I forget all about my ankle once the action starts." Kramer missed the last seven-plus games last year with that ankle injury...John Schopf, the rookie guard from Michigan, left camp Saturday, apparently deciding against a pro grid career...Sunday was Tom Miller's Day at the Packer practice field. It was picture day and publicity shots, which will be used throughout the season, were taken of all players and coaches by photogs from Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay - plus the official Packer shots by Jim Laughead of Dallas.
'RUNNING TEAM?' PACKERS FLASH AIR POWER IN DRILL
JUL 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers are known as a "running team." They averaged a flat five yards on each of their 474 rushes in 1961. And they led the league in rushing. This was fresh in mind while observing the Packers' practice their aerial maneuvers before close to 1,000 fans and under a healthy sun Monday afternoon. The whole crew of ends and flanker backs is back from last year - plus two good looking pass-receiving rookies in Oscar Donahue and Gary Barnes. The aerial picture looked pretty good to this viewer. We reminded Trainer Bud Jorgensen of same and he promptly issued this brightener: "Times have changed." He was referring to the day when one ace end in camp was about the limit. The ends and/or flankers nailed 128 of the Pack's 177 receptions last year, with Max McGee getting 51, Boyd Dowler 31, Ron Kramer 35 and Gary Knafelc and Lew Carpenter three each. Those five have returned along with sophomore Lee Folkins, who gained a year's experience without catching a pass in '61. These six, along with Donahue and Barnes, make up the Packers' End Corps, although versatile Carpenter is spending most of his time now working as a running back. Coach Vince Lombardi called for a full effort in the non-tackling play drill involving the entire offensive and defensive teams, and the action commenced with three straight passes - just like the Pack's a passing team. QB Bart Starr completed two in a row to Dowler off to the right and then sailed one off Folkins' fingertips to the left. Starr then called two runs - Tom Moore and Jim Taylor. John Roach entered the drill at quarterback and hurled two passes - one to Folkins and the other to Barnes. The throw to Barnes presented an opportunity for the offense to moan and the defense to cheer at the same time. Lombardi reflected both briefly. Barnes ran out to the left and curled around toward the sidelines. The pass came in tummy high and Barnes reached out to catch it. At the same time, rookie defensive back Howard Williams gave Barnes a shove out of bounds. The ball went flying. Lombardi quickly praised Williams for being on the receiver and cautioned Barnes against dropping the ball. Actually, Barnes' dropping the ball in this particular instance was a surprise to Tom Fears, the Pack's offense end coach. "That's the kind he'll usually hang onto,"
1962 Topps set
Fears noted later. Fears, the onetime Ram pass-catching all-timer, said he likes Donahue and Barnes. "They're even. They can both catch the ball. Barnes can catch the ball close in better and Donahue can do it better far out," Tom said. It's a bit early yet but the drill showed at least one picture passing play. Dowler and McGee were both flanked wide - almost sideline to sideline. At the snap, they took off down the sidelines, Max going all the way down the left and Dowler cutting toward the center of the field after about 15 yards. Starr's pass was waiting for Boyd when he arrived at midfield - a couple of steps ahead of the defender. One end prospect, Peter Schenck, has been shifted to the defensive backfield and worked at left cornerbacker yesterday in a rookie unit that included Jerry Scattini at left safety, Roger Holdinsky at right safety and Williams at right corner. The regular secondary of 1961 - corners Hank Gremminger and Jess Whittenton and safeties John Symank and Willie Wood - shared the defense-against-pass duties.
HORNUNG HAPPY TO GET OUT OF ARMY
JUL 24 (Fort Riley, KS) - Paul Hornung shed his private first class stripe today and, in a word, said he liked getting out of the Army "fine." Hornung completed his processing at Ft. Riley, and was to be flown to Green Bay in a private plane by a pilot friend (Pat Morton of Green Bay). Green Bay's 6-foot-3, 210 pound Heisman winner from Notre Dame, looked every inch the wonder boy who kicked, passed and ran the Packers to a 37-0 playoff rout of the New York Giants for the NFL championship last winter. He scored 19 of those points himself, a record for a title game. As a result, Hornung was named the NFL's most valuable player of the year. He has led the league in scoring since 1959. Paul said he doesn't believe his eight months in the Army has hurt him. "My weight is good," he said, "and it will just be a matter of getting my legs in shape. That's always the hardest part." Hornung already was in the service when he led the Packers to their championship on that cold December day at Green Bay, and he missed only three games after being activated as a reservist in November...PINCHED NERVE: As for that pincher nerve in his neck which has given him trouble since the 1960 season, He said, "It's about the same as it was last year. I don't expect it to give me any more trouble than it has. I have been treating this condition at the post hospital here, but it isn't something that I'm going to get over in a short time." Other than whirlpool baths for his neck and an emergency operation for appendicitis in May, he had no preferential treatment, Paul said. "I was treated like any other soldier, and that was the way I wanted it." The surgery, he said, has healed completely. Hornung served as a combination jeep driver and radio operator with the 896th Engineer Company, a National Guard outfit from Bismarck, N.D. It is being deactivated Aug. 1...APPRECIATE OPPORTUNITIES: "I would just like it to be said," he added, "that I was called up with the rest of them, and I'm happy to be getting out. I got to meet a great bunch of guys, and I appreciate the opportunities the Army gave me to play ball while on active duty." Whenever he played, it was on a weekend pass. The Army said at the time it was giving him no more preference than other active reservists under similar professional circumstances. When he was called up by the Army, his Green Bay roommate for fun put a star in the window. "You can tell those clowns for me," Paul laughed, "they can take it down. Their boy is coming home."
HORNUNG BACK: PACKERS OF BROWN ROUT INTACT
JUL 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Paul Hornung is a civilian. Along with Ray Nitschke and Boyd Dowler. And the Packers, as they performed last Oct. 15 when they smashed the Browns in Cleveland, are now intact. Two days after that game, Hornung was given his service call. Nitschke and Dowler followed shortly thereafter. And two weeks later Jerry Kramer suffered an ankle injury that put him out for the year. Thus, four of the 22 starting players who operated with amazing efficiency against the Browns have rejoined the Packer family. The three servicemen played off and on during the remainder of the 1961 season and helped Coach Vince Lombardi's "new team" to the world championship. Hornung, who was the NFL's most valuable player in 1961 despite missing half a season of practice (more or less), took his first drill this morning and allowed that "I hope to be ready for the All Star game with two practices a day." Pat Martin, the friend of the Packers who can fly a plane at a moment's notice, flew Hornung up from Fort Riley, Kan., Tuesday night following his discharge. Hornung is packing about 220 pounds. He hopes to get down to around 210. The Packers received some other good news from the Army today. Herb Adderley, in service along with Elijah Pitts under the six-month program, was scheduled to report later today. He left Fort Leonard Wood (Mo.) earlier in the week, flew to his home in Philadelphia and then picked up his car for the drive to Green Bay. It is not known yet how soon Pitts will be out. Dowler and Nitschke are rapidly rounding into condition - especially Dowler who always seems to be running about 9.9. Big Boyd was open most of the time in a sharp but rain-shortened scrimmage Tuesday afternoon at the Oneida Street practice field. He caught one pass from Bart Starr for about 50 yards against the regular defense. Nitschke was getting his licks in at linebacker and there was one smash that shook the earth. Ron Kramer, about 235, caught Ray, about 235, with one of his chilling blocks and 470 pounds of beef quivered. The scrimmage was off to a surprising start. Rookie Paul Dudley, playing in Hornung's spot, ripped through the veteran defense on a 40-yard TD gallop on the first play. With the exception of Dudley and J. Kramer, the starting
lineups were the same that started against the Giants in the championship game. Kramer was back at right guard, with Forrest Gregg moving to right tackle. Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters shared right tackle. Later different combinations were worked in. The regular defensive line of Hank Jordan, Bill Quinlan, Dave Hanner and Willie Davis was replaced by Ben Davidson, Dick Davis, Ron Kostelnik and Tom Kepner. The contact, which was recorded on film, had to be called off with 15 minutes left because of a heavy downpour. Part of the drill was held in the rain then the clouds really opened up.
WORLD'S BEST CLASH IN PACKER SQUAD GAME
JUL 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The world's best against the world's best! That's the format for the World Champion Packers' intra-squad game at City Stadium Saturday afternoon. The last time these two bests operated as one team they did the following: The Offense scored 37 points and the Defense pitched a shutout in the process of beating the New York Giants for the world title here last Dec. 31. Now, the Packer Offense hopes to find out the fiber of the Packer Defense and the Packer Defense plans to do likewise with the Packer Offense. It will be the Offense against the Defense all the way and the only thing missing will be the kickoff. The ball will be put in play on the 20-yard line and there will be fourth down punts if the field goal distance is too great. Coach Vince Lombardi will be away from the sidelines for the only time this year. He'll wear the telephones in the pressbox and talk to both teams. The Offense will be coached by Bill Austin, line coach, Red Cochran, backfield, and Tom Fears, ends. The Defense will be coached by Phil Bengtson, line and linebackers, and Norb Hecker, secondary. This is the first World Championship Intra-Squad game in the history of Green Bay and the prices are right. The battle will serve as the proving ground for 14 rookies who have shown some promise thus far. Due for a good test will be Paul Dudley and Ernie Green, the freshman running backs who operate at left half (Paul Hornung and Tom Moore) and fullback (Jim Taylor and Moore), respectively. Also to be tested will be the new quarterback, Bob Joiner, who will back up Bart Starr and John Roach. At least five linemen will be seeking a shot at a champ - tackles Dick Davis, John Sutro and Tom Kepner, guard Jack Novak, center George Haney, and ends Gary Barnes and Oscar Donahue. Hecker has an all-rookie secondary ready to go - Peter Schenck at left wing, Jerry Scattini and Roger Holdinsky at safeties, and Howard Williams at right win...A scrimmage preliminary to Saturday's big crash was scheduled for this afternoon. And, bejabbers, we had it on good authority this morning that there will be no rain. That's quite a treat because it's rained during part or all of eight of the Pack's last 10 practices. Thus, the Packers are becoming excellent mudders. And if it rains in Chicago a week from Friday night, they will be right at home. Lombardi lost 15 minutes or so of Tuesday's tough scrimmage by a downpour and everybody got really soaked on the block-long hop to the clubhouse. The black clouds were rumbling Wednesday afternoon at the start of drills so the buses were brought fieldside. Sure enough, the rains really came and everybody had a dry run back to the dressing room. This kind of weather offered Paul Hornung little chance his first day. The Golden Kid, who is fresh out of the Army, took his opening workout Wednesday morning and ran well. He looks strong and serious. The whole camp gets a lift when the likeable ex-GI performs. Hornung took his first shot at kicking field goals and he was "converting" at from 29 to 40 yards. Herb Adderley was expected in today. He was driving in from his home in Philadelphia. He has just completed six months of Army training.
SMILE! PACKERS SOCK IN SCRIMMAGE
JUL 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Thursday's Packer scrimmage left 1,000 spectators and Coach Vince Lombardi with a collective smile. The Bays were really socking and Lombardi said later that he was impressed with that phase. Nine points were scored - all by Jim Taylor - in two surges downfield, six on a one-yard touchdown leap and three on a 30-yard field goal. No extra point was tried. The afternoon action was conducted with no rain interference, which was quite a switch, although some rain was reported downtown about kickoff time. The 20-minute game was a sort of warmup for two other big games coming up - the annual Offense-Defense Intra-Squad Game at City Stadium Saturday afternoon (2 o'clock kickoff) and the 29th annual College All Star game in Chicago a week from tonight. On a few maneuvers, the Pack looked tough enough to take on the Collegians right tonight. The ball was put in play around one 10-yard line and the objective was to score a touchdown. Coach Red Cochran officiated and called out the "yards to go." The Bays' regular offense started against the regular defense, with the exception of the secondary which was composed of Roger Holdinsky, Don Ellersick, Howard Williams and Peter Schenck. With Bart Starr at QB all the way, the Bays used up 18 plays in scoring the lone touchdown. The first two plays lost two yards so Starr pitched to Ron Kramer for 17 yards, first down. With Fuzzy Thurston getting a good block on Williams, Tom Moore made 12 yards but then Starr lost six. With third and four, Starr sent Taylor around left end and the big fullback swiveled and pounded 15 yards. The regular secondary (Jess Whittenton, John Symank, Hank Gremminger and Willie Wood) came forth and Starr stayed pretty much on the ground, with Taylor and Moore straining viciously for every inch. Starr tried three passes along the way. He was forced to run when a play-pass went awry, a throw to Max McGee was incomplete and one to Kramer gained about seven yards. Taylor told the folks that he came to play with a crucial fourth-down smash on the "enemy" eight. Given a wee hole, Taylor rammed away from Hank Jordan and Ray Nitschke at the line and then Wood and Symank finally dragged him down on the three. The defense yelled "lucky" in the next play when Moore fumbled and recovered for a two-yard
gain. The tough defenders yipped about the officiating when Taylor hit off his left side and was flipped up and back by Bill Quinlan, Dave Hanner and Wood. Cochran, however, quickly ruled that Taylor's nose was over the goal line before he was thrown back. QBs Bob Joiner, who started, and John Roach handled the second drive downfield, with Ernie Green, Paul Dudley and Moore handling most of the running. Green got off a couple of good runs but fumbled once, Holdinsky recovering. Roach had a touchdown pass in Oscar Donahue's arms on the goal line but the new end couldn't squeeze it. He was under pressure from Williams. The attack stalled around the 20 and Taylor booted a fourth-down field goal from 30 yards out. Everybody played except Paul Hornung, who had just reported the previous day. Hornung kept himself active in the double practices and then topped the day off by running up 60 rows in the stadium - five times. He ran up at
full speed, sat and rested a few moments, and then jogged down. Hornung aims to catch up for the seven days of veterans' practice he missed. Making up for a lot of 1st work due to the rainy weather, the Packers were also out in pads Thursday morning. The Bays usually drill in the morning in shorts or sweat clothes. The stage was cleared today for the Intra-Squad show. It will be Offense against Defense all the way. There will be no kickoffs but there will be punting when necessary.
PACKERS YOUNG, IN PRIME - EXPERIENCE YEARS SHOW
JUL 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Time marches on, so let's count years. The Packers have 36 veterans on paper - 35 in camp. The one missee is Elijah Pitts, who will complete his six-months of Army duty early in August and then report. The Packers are young and in their prime in the matter of experience. We've been saying that for three years now but it seems as if everything just got started when Vince Lombardi came upon the scene in '59. Thus, a 11-year veteran like Dave Hanner and 10-yeard bodies like Bill Forester and Jim Ringo just began to live in '59. They, in effect, are only four and three-year vets, respectively. The Pack had been losing for 11 years before "L," in case you've had memory slippage. Lest you become confused, the purpose of today's relaxer is to chronical the Packers' experience setup without giving away ages. You know how some of us old folks are! Fifteen of our veterans are in that classic fifth and sixth pro years - that is they are starting their fifth and sixth years. And another 11 have four years or less experience. Thus, 26 of the 36 are just getting warmed up. The 1961 world championship season, coming on the heels of the Western Division title campaign, saw the Pack take on the largest number of rookies since 1958. Seven new men were added (actually six since Ellersick was on the cab squad) but three found places resulting from the sale of three players to Minnesota. The bulk of the Packers came out of the 1957 and 1958 drafts, although some of the athletes of those years - like Davis, Thurston, Roach and Quinlan - came to Green Bay later via trades. The '57 draft was topped by bonus choice Hornung and first pick Ron Kramer. In '58, Currie, Jerry Kramer, Nitschke and Taylor were grabbed. So there, the spriest of the lot is Hanner. We reminded him yesterday that he came in before television. But he knew better and so did a nearby observer, Tony Canadeo, the Pack's all-time ground gainer who in '52 (Hanner's rookie year) quickly noted: "We had a few games on the tube that
year." And speaking about the past, one of the camp visitors the other day was Bob Heiss, who did the Packer radio broadcasts in the late 1940s. "Things were tough those last couple of years," Bob laughed. PS - The Pack's intra-squad game at City Stadium started at 2 o'clock this afternoon.
WHITTENTON RUNS 99 YARDS IN PACKERS' 7-7 SQUAD CONTEST
JUL 29 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers played themselves to a standstill before nearly 9,000 fans in City Stadium Saturday afternoon, in overtime, at that. Final score: Defense 7, Offense 7. The Defense, which blanked the Giants 37 to 0 in its last outing, has the ball in its mitts but twice all afternoon and came out with one spectacular touchdown - a 99-yard return of an interception by Jess Whittenton in the third quarter. The Offense didn't set the house on fire but the unit, which still must master its timing, moving 50 yards in seven plays for the tying touchdown with 3:33 left in the regulation game. Jim Taylor smacked off left tackle and, with a block by Ron Kramer, ran 14 yards for the score. Ben Agajanian kicked both extra points. Packer head coach Vince Lombardi, who along with his aides were dressed in their coaching clothes, watched the show from the press box until the last five minutes. At that point, he moved to the sidelines and the Bays started on their TD drive...MORE ACTION: The offense couldn't get a "winning" advance going in two more tries in the final minutes and time finally ran out. The usual flock of kids flooded the north end of the end zone but Lombardi motioned for more action and the officials waved the youngsters away. The first-team offense, with Bart Starr at QB and Tom Moore and Taylor at the running backs, tried to get something moving but the defense wouldn't
budge. On the fifth and final play, Starr's pass attempt was mussed up by Willie Davis from the rear and Hank Jordan in front. Lombardi said later he was "satisfied with the scrimmage. It wasn't the show but it was a good scrimmage." He added: "This was only the third scrimmage for the veterans since they reported (a week from last Wednesday)." The defense, usually ahead of the offense at this stage, was really whacking and every inch the offense made was well earned. Lombardi said the Bays will have an off day Sunday and one-a-day practices will be started Monday. The Packers meet the College All Stars in Chicago Friday night in their next assignment. The Offense's lone TD drive came against an all-veteran defense with two exceptions: Peter Schenck and Jerry Scattini started at cornerbacker (on the drive) and later Willie Wood came in for Scattini. Starr tested the left side of the line twice to start and gained 16 yards on seven by Taylor and nine by Moore. The QB then threw to Boyd Dowler for 11 yards. It was first down on the 23. Starr tried another pass but it went incomplete. Taylor sneaked up the middle on a draw for eight yards but the big fullback then tried the right side but was held to one. So it's fourth and one on the 14 - with a lot of ribbing from the Defense at stake. Taylor was handed the ball (and the defense must have know it). He hit off the bunch congregating around left tackle, slid off to the left and kept sliding and moving forward until a block from Ron Kramer opened the highway to the end zone. The Offense made one other serious touchdown move but that exploded into the Defense's TD late in the third period. This started on the O's 35 and Starr drove his team down to the eight in eight plays. Starr completed passes of nine and 18 yards to Max McGee and Lew Carpenter, playing left half on occasion, and Taylor had runs of 7 and 12 yards, respectively. This put the ball on the D's 18. On second down, Dowler made a fine catch of Starr's pass for 11 yards. Whittenton and Wood upset Taylor for a yard loss and then Starr's pass to Dowler was high. Starr aimed a quick shot toward Carpenter or McGee around the goal line but Whittenton nabbed it and set sail. Taylor got a shot around the O's 35 but flew off Jess' back. Wood got a block on Starr, who came up from the rear for a possible tackle, but Jess was home free. Starr, Taylor and McGee were the statistical guns. Bart completed 13 of 20 passes for 125 yards, Taylor raced 14 times for 68 yards and McGee caught five passes for 56 yards. The Offense piled up 178 yards rushing and 186 stripes passing for the day. Generally, the No. 1 offense played against the No. 1 defense and the No. 2 offense, under John Roach and once under Bob Joiner, against the No. 2 defense. Frequent changes were made and everybody played but Herb Adderley who just reported Friday. Paul Hornung, who came in Thursday, carried twice but didn't kick. Roach completed 4 of 10 passes for 49 yards and Joiner pitched 1.000, hitting two out of two shots for 12 yards. The defense intercepted one other pass, Ray Nitschke stealing one of Starr's throws, aimed at Dudley, in the second quarter. This brought on Joiner and the rookie QB squeezed out a first down. Needing a yard on fourth down at midfield, he sent a fellow rookie, Green, into left tackle for the necessary yardage. Joiner than threw to Folkins for 10 yards and two plays later Oscar Donahue was called for offensive interference trying to catch a long pass with Schenck in his way.
PACK DIGS IN FOR 'STAR' TILT; 6 DEPART
JUL 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers dug in today for the College All Star game with six less players in camp. Five were placed on waivers and one, tackle John Sutro, was traded to the Cowboys in exchange for a draft choice. This was announced today by Coach Vince Lombardi. Departing via waivers are halfbacks Don Ellersick, who was the Pack's "cab" squad last year, Jerry Scattini, and Roger Hodinsky; center George Haney; and tackle Tom Kepner. Ellersick had earlier shots with the Rams and Vikings. The Packers now have 47 players on the roster, 12 rookies and 35 veterans. Four were still unreported - rookie All Stars Earl Gros, Ed Blaine and Ron Gassert and veteran Elijah Pitts, who is expected out of service shortly. Besides the Star trio, the remaining simon-pures are ends Gary Barnes and Oscar Donahue; backs Bob Joiner, Ernie Green, Paul Dudley, Peter Schenck and Howard Williams; guard Jack Novak; and tackle Richard Davis. The Packers are coming down rosterwise in a hurry this year. The starting season limit is 60 and the first league-rule cut - to 43 players - isn't due until the day after Labor Day. The Packers are only four above the figure right now. With a championship team in operation, the "distance" between the veterans and rookies widens. The remaining nine rookies (in camp), however, have shown some possibility. Their next chance to show, providing the veterans can do a job, will be in the All Star game in Chicago Friday night. The Packers will play against two of their number, Gros and Blaine. Gassert, still in service, will miss the game. Gros stands a chance of starting. John Sauer, All Star assistant who was here scouting the Squad game Saturday along with Don Doll, says its a tossup between Gros and Bob Ferguson of Ohio State who will start. Gros has been a standout in Star practices. Blaine has been used as a linebacker by the Stars. The Packers came out of the rugged Intra-Squad battle in good physical condition, which is the way they went in...THIRD SCRIMMAGE: Lombardi noted after the game that he was pleased with the physical conditioning progress of the squad thus far. Most of the veterans came into camp (a week ago last Wednesday) in good condition. Saturday's game was only their third scrimmage and the second was shortened by rain. The Bays had Sunday off but Lombardi and aides Phil Bengtson, Bill Austin, Norb Hecker, Red Cochran and Tom Fears spent part of the day viewing movies of the Squad game...BRIEFS: The Packers will wear their white uniforms for the All Star game...Wisconsin Coach Milt Bruhn was visiting the Packer camp Friday - the day Badger President Conrad Elvehjem died. Bruhn was shocked and saddened by the death of the popular president...Cowboy Coach Tom Dahms, former Ram and Packer tackle who scouted the Squad game on behalf of the Cowboys, was getting a little itchy along the way, explaining: "I wish they'd play the guys we might a chance to get." Dahms got a good look at all of the rookies and apparently liked what he saw. John Sutro was traded to the Cowboys today...Three members of the Georgia Tech staff visited camp the other day - John Bell, offensive line coach; Charley Tate, defense backs; and Lewis Woodruff, offense backs. Bell wanted it known that "Coach Lombardi and his staff treated us royally during our brief stay here. We have an offense similar to Green Bay's and maybe our visit helped us." Another visitor was Coach George Doherty of Louisiana Tech who played a season with the old Brooklyn Dodgers...The Pack's success story won't be kept quiet. Writers for newspapers and the slicks are coming and going. Bill Heinz has been here for a few weeks following Lombardi around. Heinz will write a book on Vince in collaboration with artist-photographer Roger Riger who also stopped in last week - "but I shall return." Two of the viewers Saturday were Dick Schapp of Newsweek who has just completed a book on Paul Hornung and Jack Newcombe of Life who is doing a story on Jim Taylor for Sport. Cooper Rollow of the Chicago Tribune, which sponsors the All Star game, has been here since the start of practice with his family, covering the Pack with a daily story. Others include Bill Gleason of Chicago's American and the two Milwaukee scribes, Chuck Johnson (Journal) and Bud Lea (Sentinel), plus Charley Burton, widely-read Dallas columnist who flew down from the Cowboys' camp at Marquette, Mich. State newspapers and radio and TV stations, including Madison, are in attendance off and on.
'STAR TILT FINAL TITLE PAYOFF FOR PACK; ALL-STARS TO RUN?
JUL 31 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers will collect their final payoff for winning the 1961 world championship when they battle the College All Stars in Soldier's Field Friday night. The veterans get a full game's salary and the rookies still on the roster get a half game's pay. Green Bay's first payoff, a title game share, was assured when they clinched the Western Division championship by whipping the Giants in Milwaukee last Dec. 3. The Packers made sure they received the biggest share of the playoff pot by the simple (37-0) method of beating the Giants in the championship game. Each Bay received $5,195.44. Thus, the labor of last Dec. 31 turns out to be worth $6,000 or more - depending on the pay bracket...The Packers' "championship" lineup likely will be intact for the game, though Paul Hornung, despite his hard work, is about six days behind the rest of the veterans in training. Hornung has been working some overtime, which included dashes up the 60 rows of seats in City Stadium. The two teams (offense and defense) will mark the return of Jerry Kramer, the giant guard who missed the last eight games with an ankle injury last fall. Kramer will be at right guard, thus moving his "fill-in," Mr. Forrest Gregg, who goes back to his favorite spot, right tackle. That leaves the lone question mark - the starter at left tackle where Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters each have staked claims. Masters was given the starting nod in the Intra-Squad game, lining up with an offensive line composed of guards Fuzzy Thurston and J. Kramer, tackle Gregg, center Jim Ringo and ends Max McGee and Ron Kramer. Skoronski played on the next line but later worked with the first group...The Packer defense looked at some expected All Star offenses, with Bob Joiner and Lew Carpenter quarterbacking two "all star" squads, during Monday's practice. Playing a team once a year poses a problem for Coach Vince Lombardi and his staff. Nothing is really certain about the All Star attack, devised by Otto Graham. The last time the Stars beat the pros was in 1958 (35-19 over Detroit) when Bobby Mitchell was set out as a flanker and allowed to run wild. The Stars likely will try some similar attack this time. At least it's expected that they'll try to spread the Packer defense. Few All Star teams have had success running against pro lines and linebackers. There is this exception, though, the current All Star club has mostly "elephant" type backs, including Packer draftee Earl Gros. Maybe they'll try to run against the Bay defense. Who knows?...Detroit doesn't have a player in the All Star game. Makes you wonder how good a draft the Lions had. The Packers had last choice in the player picking last December and three were tabbed for Friday night - Ed Blaine, Ron Gassert and Gros...A board of experts (harrumph) has selected the Browns and Packers as the 1962 finalists for Sport Magazine, out today. The board also named Paul Hornung to repeat at most valuable player in the league; Jim Brown, rushing leader; Milt Plum, passing leader; Tommy McDonald, pass catching leader; Jerry Kramer, top offensive lineman; Hank Jordan and Alex Karras, tied, top defense lineman; Erich Barnes, top defense back.
PITTS REPORTS FOR PRACTICE
JUL 31 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There were two "newcomers" on the Packer practice field today. Sophomore halfback Elijah Pitts reported in after finishing six months of Army service, rounding out the Packers' squad of 35 veterans. Don Hutson, the Pack's immortal pass receiving end, drove up from Racine and watched the "All Star Game" drill from the sideline. Hutson played in four previous All Star game - once as a Collegian and three times as a Packer.
HUTSON DROPS 'STAR' TIPS IN PACKER CAMP
AUG 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Don Huston dropped some College All Star lore in the Packer camp Tuesday. He's experienced in the Soldier's Field Classic. He played in four of them - once as a Collegian (1935) and three times as the Packers' left end (1937-40-45). Looking trim and carrying the same weight (175) as he did as a player, Hutson was warned while viewing Packer drills Tuesday that Coach Vince Lombardi might suit him up. "Wouldn't that be something," Hutson laughed, adding with a distant drawl. "Maybe I'll offer my services and see what happens." Hutson spent the day with the Packers, breaking bread at noon and in the evening on the training table at St. Norbert College. Old Antelope, now a noted businessman in Racine, dropped down from Fish Creek where he's been vacationing. Hutson, who ranks as the greatest individual player in Packer history and one of the great stars of the game - college and pro, played under his Alabama coach, Frank Thomas, in the 1935 All-Star game vs. the Bears. "We never scored a point." Don said. In his next appearance two years later, the Packers were blanked 6-0 by an All Star team coached by Gus Dorais. Don made up for those two blanks in the 1940 game won by the Pack 45-28. He caught three touchdown passes - of 81 and 35 yards from Cecil Isbell and 29 from Arnie Herber. He booted the extra point after the last TD. Hutson was in the 11th and final year of his fabulous career in the 1945 game, but he was the star of the Pack's 19-7 victory. He kicked a 20-yard field goal and two extra points and clinched the victory by intercepting a Perry Moss pass and returning it 86 yards for a TD...PLAYED BOTH WAYS: The sleek pass receiver played both ways (left end on offense and safety on defense) throughout his career. Hutson is 49 now and he still walks carefully - like his path was strewn with eggs. Don's dogs did a little barking in his playing days and as a result he developed a cautious walk. Glue Fingers, who once said he learned some of his moves from watching snake life as a Boy Scout in his native Arkansas, tabbed the present Packer team as "better than we were," explaining: "We only had 12 or 13 real good football players but this team (the present champs) have 36. The best team I ever played on was the Packers around 1939, '40 and '41. They said the Bears of 1941 were the greatest in pro football history, but we had the same record as they did. They beat us once and we beat them."..."VERY ACCURATE": Noting Bart Starr complete a couple of passes, Hutson said "Bart's a lot like Isbell. They're both primarily short passers and they're both very accurate." Hutson will be present in Soldier's Field Friday night. And this is the first time in Packer history that they've played an All Star game without him...The Packers had a good workout Tuesday, working their own offense for nearly an hour and then switching to defense against All Star plays operated by QBs Bob Joiner, John Roach and Lew Carpenter. Paul Hornung apparently has regained some of his kicking touch, booting several 40 yards after practice. Ben Agajanian was also getting off some long field goals. The Pack's third FG kicker is Jim Taylor, who practices on it every day. He booted a 30-yarder in a recent scrimmage. Willie Wood, getting instructions from Agajanian, has been spending considerable time practicing kickoffs. Hornung has been kicking off more - as his legs toughen up. Elijah Pitts took his first 1962 workout with the Pack yesterday after reporting from Army service. The Packers finish All Star drills at home today. They'll leave Austin Straubel Field at 12:30 Thursday afternoon and then work out lightly in Soldier's Field that night. The team will headquarter at the Drake Hotel.
PACKERS GOING INTO ALL-STAR STRUGGLE 'COLD,' VINCE SAYS
AUG 2 (Chicago-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There is a great deal of difference between preparing for the College All Stars than a NFL opponent. "We can't prepare for the All Stars because we don't know what to prepare for," Packer Coach Vince Lombardi said after the Pack's final Green Bay drill Wednesday. The squad flew to the Windy City shortly after noon today and then settled down at the Drake Hotel. The Bays will drill in Soldier's Field briefly tonight in a final tuneup for the 29th annual All Star game Friday night. Lombardi referred to the fact that the Packers know very little about the All Stars - practically nothing compared to their knowledge of the workings of an NFL enemy. What the All Stars might do on offense or their defenses always remain a secret until game time. This year there seems to have been more secrecy than normal. This, of course, is a recognized necessity for the Stars who figure the "surprise" as part of their attack. The Bays' coach
explained the team's preparation for the All Stars in two words - "physical conditioning." Lombardi feels that if the Packers can go into the Mid-Summer Classic in good physical condition they stand a good chance of making a respectable showing and possibly win. And the Packers figure to be in excellent muscle and win condition Friday night. Vince said he was pleased with the progress of the club's physical training after Saturday's intra-squad game. The Bays had good practices Tuesday and Wednesday. All of the Packers are in top-flight condition except the late arrivals, including Paul Hornung, who has just seven days of drills under his belt. The other lates among the veterans are Herb Adderley who reported last Friday and Elijah Pitts who came in Tuesday. Hornung has been working extra hard and expects to play - probably start. The league's most valuable player has been bothered by a muscle pull ever since the first Minnesota game last Oct. 22. This handicapped him some while playing on an off-and-on basis as a soldier last year. If Hornung doesn't start, Tom Moore will get the nod at left halfback. Hornung is just about a week behind his veteran teammates in the process of conditioning. But he's been working overtime and don't be surprised if the dashing back doesn't rise to the occasion - just as he did under the handicap of no practice last season. The Packers, incidentally, have been making considerable use of the new system of exercising - isometric contraction, in addition to the regular calisthenics and the Lombardi Sprints on the field. The isometrics have been helpful in developing strength. Fullback Jim Taylor started the program last winter and came into camp in terrific condition. The Packers have a sterling non-player example of the isometric plan - Vincent Lombardi, Jr. Vincent followed the plan and developed his biceps so large that he can't touch his shoulders with even the tips of his fingers. "Maybe I should stop working on my arms," the coach's son smiled. He's a fullback on the St. Thomas College team...Soldier Elijah Pitts will suit up, despite just a day of practice, but will return to Fort Leonard Wood after the game to get his discharge. He'll rejoin the team in Dallas. Pitts hopes to see a little action, probably on the platoons...Ron Gassert, the Pack's highly-touted fourth draft choice, will wear a Packer uniform (No. 73) Friday night. He had been named an All Star, but couldn't report because he was in service. He just finished his short Army stint and reported to the Pack this week instead of the All Stars. He's a healthy looking 250-pound tackle. The Pack's top All Star, fullback Earl Gros, will wear No. 40. He expects to see considerable action behind or ahead of Bob Ferguson. Green Bay's other Star player, guard Ed Blaine, will wear No. 66.
PACK WON'T PUSH 'STARS' AROUND: OTTO
AUG 2 (Chicago) - Taut and eager, the College All-Stars are ready for their football game against the Green Bay Packers Frida y night before 75,000 at Soldier Field. Says Coach Otto Graham of the collegians: "Physically the Packers won't push us around. I just hope we won't make any mental errors." The Packers, NFL champions, are a formidable club - "one of the best of all time," in Graham's view. But the 1962 edition of the All-Stars, even with Ernie Davis of Syracuse sidelined, have much to recommend them. They have John Hadl, a talented quarterback; Ron Bull of Baylor, who is expected to step into the spot vacated by Davis; Roman Gabriel of North Carolina, a pinpoint passer; Jimmy Saxton of Texas, an explosive runner, and Bob Ferguson of Ohio State, a powerful line smasher. "And they're the hardest working squad I've seen in my five years of coach in this game," says Graham. The loss of Davis was a severe blow. He is in bed with a blood disorder. The game is the 29th in the series sponsored by the Chicago Tribune Charities, Inc., and will be televised and broadcast (Channel 11, 9 p.m.). The Packers are clear cut favorites, but in his first job of coaching here Graham pulled a big upset when his collegians beat the Detroit Lions 35-19. Graham figures his present team has the potential, and that it learned a lot last week in losing a practice game to the Chicago Bears, 24-7. "We got the stuffing kicked out of us by the Bears, and we realized then and there that we had to go to work," said Graham. The focus will not be entirely on the collegians and the stars they are sending up to professional ranks both in the NFL and AFL. There will be close attention paid to Paul Hornung, the great Packer back recently released from Army duty.
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 17th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (July 19th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (July 20th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 20th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 24th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 25th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 28th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 28th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (July 29th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (July 29th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 29th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 29th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 30th 1962)
Appleton Post-Crescent (August 1st 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (August 1st 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (August 2nd 1962)
Chicago Tribune (August 3rd 1962)
Chicago Tribune (August 3rd 1962)
FIVE PACKER ROOKIES MADE ALL STAR MVP
AUG 3 (Chicago-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Five Packer rookies were named "most valuable" for their performances with the College All Stars. The most valuable collegian is selected annually by sportswriters covering the game. Cecil Isbell won the honor in 1938 for leading the Stars to a 28-16 victory over Washington. Bruce Smith was named MVP in 1942; Jay Rhodemyre in 1948; Babe Parilli in 1952, and Gib Dawson in 1953. Carlton Massey, who was obtained in a trade with the Browns in 1957, was a MVP winner in 1954. Massey quit football after two years in Green Bay. Parilli is still playing - with the Boston Patriots...Remember the Pack's other visits to the All Star games? Here is the capsule on the Packers' three other Star tests: 1937: All Stars 6, Packers 0. Attendance, 84,560. All Star coaches - Head Coach, Gus Dorais, Detroit; assistants, Lynn Waldorf, Northwestern; Elmer Layden, Notre Dame; Jimmy Phelan, Washington; Bennie Moore, Louisiana State. All Star Scoring - Sammy Baugh of Texas Christian passed 22
Dawson in 1953. Carlton Massey, who was obtained in a trade with the Browns in 1957, was a MVP winner in 1954. Massey quit football after two years in Green Bay. Parilli is still playing - with the Boston Patriots...Remember the Pack's other visits to the All Star games? Here is the capsule on the Packers' three other Star tests: 1937: All Stars 6, Packers 0. Attendance, 84,560. All Star coaches - Head Coach, Gus Dorais, Detroit; assistants, Lynn Waldorf, Northwestern; Elmer Layden, Notre Dame; Jimmy Phelan, Washington; Bennie Moore, Louisiana State. All Star Scoring - Sammy Baugh of Texas Christian passed 22 yards to Gaynell Tinsley of Louisiana State, who ran 25 yards for a touchdown...1940: Packers 45, All Stars 28. Attendance, 84,567. All Star Coaches - Head Coach, Dr. Edward Anderson, Iowa; Assistants, Buck Shaw, Santa Clara; Don Faurot, Missouri; Lowell Dawson, Tulane; Ted Wieman, Princeton. All Star Scoring - Ambrose Schindler of Southern California plunged six yards for a touchdown. Nile Kinnick of Iowa drop kicked the extra point. Kenny Washington of UCLA plunged six inches for a touchdown. Bobby Kellogg of Tulane placekicked the extra point. Kinnick passed 28 yards to Banks McFadden of Clemson, who ran 28 yards to a touchdown. Kinnick drop kicked the extra point. Green Bay Scoring - Cecil Isbell passed 51 yards to Don Hutson, who ran 30 yards to a touchdown. Ernie Smith place kicked the extra point. Isbell passed 26 yards into end zone to Carl Mulleneaux for a touchdown. Ernie Smith kicked the point. Arnie Herber passed 18 yards to Andy Uram, who ran 42 yards to a touchdown. Tiny Engebretsen placekicked the extra point. Isbell passed 35 yards into end zone to Hutson for a touchdown. Ernie Smith kicked the extra point. Herber passed 29 yards to Hutson on goal line for touchdown. Ernie Smith placekicked the extra point. Ernie Smith placekicked a 25 yard field goal. Isbell ran four yards for a touchdown. Huston placekicked the extra point...1945: Packers 19, All Stars 7. Attendance 92,753. All Star Coaches - Head Coach, Bernie Bierman, Minnesota; Assistants, Howie O'Dell, Yale; Jim Lookabaugh, Oklahoma A and M; Ray Eliot, Illinois; Jeff Cravath, Southern California; Lynn Waldorf, Northwestern. All Star Scoring - Bob Kennedy of Washington State passed to Nick Scollard of St. Joseph's College (Indiana) for 63 yards and a touchdown. Tom Harmon of Michigan placekicked the point. Green Bay Scoring - Don Hutson placekicked a 20 yard field goal. Kennedy intercepted Irv Comp's pass in the All Star end zone, ran out two yards, and stepped back into the end zone for an automatic safety for Green Bay. Herman Rohrig passed 20 yards to Roy McKay for a touchdown and Huston added the extra point. Hutson intercepted Perry Moss and returned 85 yards for a touchdown. He also added the extra point...The Packers are the scoringest team in All Star history. Their 45-point total in 1940, the six touchdowns of that game, and the five TD passes of the same game still stand as records. Another record set in that game was the seven punts returned by the Packers...The Packers had three draft choices on the starting team of the 1952 All Stars. Parilli was at quarterback, Billy Howton at right end and Chuck Boerio at fullback.
PACKERS DUEL ALL-STARS TONIGHT; FAVORED BY 20
AUG 3 (Chicago-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers observe the silver anniversary of their first
appearance in the College All Star game in giant Soldier Field on the lakefront here tonight. And they're confident they'll be on the big end of the score - unlike 25 years ago when the Collegians dropped Green Bay in 98 percent humidity 6-0. The Packers, making their first start since their 37 to 0 walloping of the New York Giants in the championship game last Dec. 31, are favored by some 20 points tonight. A crowd of close to 75,000 is expected (Channel 11, 8:45). Since the 1937 loss to the All Stars, the Packers scored two victories in the midsummer classic, 45 to 28 in 1940 and 19-7 in 1945. Green Bay should win this glamor game - perhaps big, but there's always a "but." The All Stars, under Coach Otto Graham, are due to win one. They haven't won since 1958 when they whaled the Detroit Lions, including Bobby Layne by a surprising 35-19. The Lions were heavy favorites that night, too. This year's All Star team is patterned after the Packers in that their ground attack will be carried by heavy backs - Earl Gros (225), Bob Ferguson (220), Ronnie Bull (210), and Curtis McClinton (217). What's more Star linemen have all been selected for size in addition to ability, including Chuck Hinton, Bill Hudson, Ray Jacobs and the pride of Northwestern, Fate Echols, a 265-pounder. Though he's not listed as a starter, Packer draftee Gros figures to see plenty of action at fullback. The big blaster is anxious to test his future teammates and vice versa. John Hadl, the Kansas triple-threat, is scheduled to start at quarterback but Roman Gabriel will probably do most of the passing. Their chief targets likely will be All American Bill Maher, Greg Mather, Charlie Bryant and Gary Collins. Vince Lombardi, starting his fourth season at the Packer helm, will go with his best - the same lineup that demolished the Browns in Cleveland last year. One position is "open." That would be offensive left tackle where Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters hold forth. The starter is a tossup. The rest of the offense is raring to go, including Paul Hornung, with only a week's practice under his belt. No. 5 will be at the running back spots with Jimmy Taylor. Other starters are Bart Starr, Boyd Dowler, Max McGee, Ron Kramer, Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston. The defense hasn't changed a bit, either - Bill Quinlan, Dave Hanner. Hank Jordan and Willie Davis in the line, Dan Currie, Bill Forester and Ray Nitschke at linebackers, and Johnny Symank, Willie Wood, Hank Gremminger and Jess Whittenton in the secondary. The Packers will go pretty much with the veterans unless they can manage a lead along the way. Among the rookies due for a shot are Howie Williams and Peter Schenck in the secondary, Gary Barnes and Oscar Donahue at the ends, and Paul Dudley at offensive halfback. The Bays drilled in Soldier's Field Thursday night, where they found the field fast and hard, and Lombardi said, "We're ready." The warmup was preceded by a light shower but no rain is scheduled for tonight. The All-Stars' Graham declared, "Physically, the Packers will find us pretty much of a match. If we can just avoid making too many mistakes, I'm sure the Packers, great as they are, will never get out of sight of these kids."...SIDELIGHTS: Paul Christman, QB in the Cards' dream backfield of a dozen years ago and the Packer signalist in 1950, said, "The Packer are the greatest pro team I've ever seen." Christman, who will do the color on the telecast, marveled as the Packers warned up. "Some championship teams had greater individual stars than Green Bay, but nobody ever had a championship team like this one," Pitchin' Paul pointed out, adding, "Your offensive line is just great."...This All Star week is getting bigger every week. It is now a gathering place for college and pro football people - plus other sports such as tennis, baseball, horse racing and boxing. The sponsoring Chicago Tribune holds an annual party on Thursday night and the attendance of over 700 includes a cross section of American sports. The guests were topped by the rival pro grid commissioners, Pete Rozelle and Joe Foss. Players from both league are in the Star lineup.
'WE'RE READY,' DECLARED PACKERS' COACH
AUG 3 (Chicago Tribune) - The Green Bay Packers are champions of the NFL. They are in excellent physical condition. Whether they are mentally and emotionally keyed for tonight's meeting with the College All-Stars will not be known until shortly after the kickoff in Soldier's Field. During their recent 2 1/2-week training session at West De Pere, Wis., the Packers toiled diligently under the whip hand of Coach Vince Lombardi, football's reigning taskmaster. Lombardi has sworn that his club will not go into the All Star game fat headed...DRILL UNDER LIGHTS: The Packers give every indication of dedication to tonight's task. But there is no known method of accurately forecasting a team's mental readiness, and even Lombardi, a superb psychologist, can only guess. The Packers arrived in Chicago yesterday afternoon by chartered airliner. They worked out briefly under the lights last night in the lakefront arena. "We're ready," Lombardi said after the limbering-up drill. The Green Bay coach will throw his big guns at the All-Stars right from the start. These include the world champions' fabled ground marauders, Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung; Bart Starr, a steadily improving quarterback, and Starr's pet receivers, Max McGee, Boyd Dowler and Ron Kramer...SPOTLIGHT TAYLOR'S RUNNING: Hornung, former Notre Dame standout, will start at left halfback and remain in the lineup as long as his wind and legs hold up. The golden galloper, released from the Army only last week, has had difficulty getting into shape. His replacement is Tom Moore. Packer scrimmages for the All-Star game spotlighted the running of Taylor, the one-time Louisiana bulldozer. Lombardi still finds it occasionally necessary to reprimand Taylor for ignoring the holes laboriously opened up for him by the Packer line and setting off on his own in search of physical combat. Taylor, Hornung and compatriots will run behind an offensive line generally regarded as the finest in the land. The forward unit, coached by Bill Austin, is bulwarked by Jerry Kramer, a rangy, fast-stepping guard who missed the last half of the Packers' 1961 championship drive because of a fractured ankle. Starr, who hurled 16 touchdown passes last year, will be backed by John Roach, former Chicago and St. Louis Cardinal quarterback, and by Bob Joiner, an impressive rookie from Presbyterian who is built like a fullback. Joiner is one of several Packer freshmen who may receive their professional baptism if Green Bay is able to contain the All-Star attack. Other highly regarded Packer newcomers included ends Gary Barnes of Clemson and Oscar Donahue of San Jose State, and defense back Howard Williams of Howard University. With the exception of the retired Emlen Tunnell, the Packer squad which humbled the New York Giants, 37 to 0, in last December's NFL title game is intact. And long before the playoff, Tunnell had already relinquished his right safety position to the present tenant, Willie Wood. Wood, three-year veteran from Southern California, is expected to kick off for the Packers. Field goal assignments will be handled by Hornung, and Dowler is the punter. Overseeing the placement kickers and ready to step in if necessary will be 43-year old Ben Agajanian, who five years ago was fired by the Giants because he was "too old."
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 16th 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 22nd 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 23rd 1962)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 28th 1962)
Chicago Tribune (August 2nd 1962)
The 1962 YEAR IN FOOTBALL
New York Giants (12-2)
Head Coach: Allie Sherman
Passing Leader: Y.A. Tittle (3224)
Rushing Leader: Alex Webster (743)
Receiving Leader: Del Shofner (53-1133)
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5)
Head Coach: Buddy Parker
Passing Leader: Bobby Layne (1686)
Rushing Leader: John Henry Johnson (1141)
Receiving Leader: Buddy Dial (50-981)
Cleveland Browns (7-6-1)
Head Coach: Paul Brown
Passing Leader: Frank Ryan (1541)
Rushing Leader: Jim Brown (996)
Receiving Leader: Jim Brown (47-517)
Washington Redskins (5-7-2)
Head Coach: Bill McPeak
Passing Leader: Norm Snead (2926)
Rushing Leader: Billy Barnes (492)
Receiving Leader: Bobby Mitchell (72-1384)
Dallas Cowboys (5-8-1)
Head Coach: Tom Landry
Passing Leader: Don Meredith (1679)
Rushing Leader: Don Perkins (945)
Receiving Leader: Billy Howton (49-706)
St. Louis Cardinals (4-9-1)
Head Coach: Wally Lemm
Passing Leader: Charley Johnson (2440)
Rushing Leader: John Crow (751)
Receiving Leader: Sonny Randle (63-1158)
Philadelphia Eagles (3-10-1)
Head Coach: Nick Skorich
Passing Leader: Sonny Jurgensen (3261)
Rushing Leader: Timmy Brown (545)
Receiving Leader: Tommy McDonald (58-1146)
Green Bay Packers (13-1)
Head Coach: Vince Lombardi
Passing Leader: Bart Starr (2438)
Rushing Leader: Jim Taylor (1474)
Receiving Leader: Max McGee (49-820)
Detroit Lions (11-3)
Head Coach: George Wilson
Passing Leader: Milt Plum (2378)
Rushing Leader: Dan Lewis (488)
Receiving Leader: Gail Cogdill (53-991)
Chicago Bears (9-5)
Head Coach: George Halas
Passing Leader: Billy Wade (3172)
Rushing Leader: Joe Marconi (406)
Receiving Leader: Mike Ditka (58-904)
Baltimore Colts (7-7)
Head Coach: Weeb Ewbank
Passing Leader: Johnny Unitas (2967)
Rushing Leader: Lenny Moore (470)
Receiving Leader: Jimmy Orr (55-974)
San Francisco 49ers (6-8)
Head Coach: Red Hickey
Passing Leader: John Brodie (2272)
Rushing Leader: J.D. Smith (907)
Receiving Leader: Bernie Casey (53-819)
Minnesota Vikings (2-11-1)
Head Coach: Norm Van Brocklin
Passing Leader: Fran Tarkenton (2595)
Rushing Leader: Tommy Mason (740)
Receiving Leader: Jerry Reichow (39-561)
Los Angeles Rams (1-12-1)
Head Coach: Bob Waterfield (1-7) and Harland Svare (0-5-1)
Passing Leader: Zeke Bratkowski (1541)
Rushing Leader: Dick Bass (1033)
Receiving Leader: Jim Phillips (60-875)
Houston Oilers (11-3)
Head Coach: Frank Ivy
Passing Leader: George Blanda (2810)
Rushing Leader: Charley Tolar (1012)
Receiving Leader: Charley Hennigan (54-867)
Boston Patriots (9-4-1)
Head Coach: Mike Holovak
Passing Leader: Babe Parilli (1988)
Rushing Leader: Ron Burton (548)
Receiving Leader: Jim Colcough (40-868)/Ron Burton (40-461)
Buffalo Bills (7-6-1)
Head Coach: Lou Saban
Passing Leader: Warren Rabb (1196)
Rushing Leader: Cookie Gilchrist (1096)
Receiving Leader: Ernie Warlick (35-482)
New York Titans (5-9)
Head Coach: Bulldog Turner
Passing Leader: Johnny Green (1741)
Rushing Leader: Dick Christy (535)
Receiving Leader: Art Powell (64-1130)
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 7
A-DENVER 31, San Diego 20
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 8
A-DALLAS TEXANS 42, Boston 28
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 9
A-Houston 28, BUFFALO 23 A-NY Titans 28, OAKLAND 17
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 1 0 0 1.000 28 23 Dallas Texans 1 0 0 1.000 42 28
NY Titans 1 0 0 1.000 28 17 Denver 1 0 0 1.000 30 21
Boston 0 1 0 .000 28 42 San Diego 0 1 0 .000 21 30
Buffalo 0 1 0 .000 23 28 Oakland 0 1 0 .000 17 28
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15
A-Denver 23, BUFFALO 20
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 16
CLEVELAND 17, NY Giants 7 BALTIMORE 30, Los Angeles 27
DETROIT 45, Pittsburgh 7 GREEN BAY 34, Minnesota 7
St. Louis 27, PHILADELPHIA 21 WASHINGTON 35, Dallas 35 (T)
Chicago 30, SAN FRANCISCO 14 A-SAN DIEGO 40, NY Titans 14
A-BOSTON 34, Houston 21
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Cleveland 1 0 0 1.000 17 7 GREEN BAY 1 0 0 1.000 34 7
St. Louis 1 0 0 1.000 27 21 Detroit 1 0 0 1.000 45 7
Dallas 0 0 1 .000 35 35 Baltimore 1 0 0 1.000 30 27
Washington 0 0 1 .000 35 35 Chicago 1 0 0 1.000 30 14
NY Giants 0 1 0 .000 7 17 San Francisco 0 1 0 .000 14 30
Pittsburgh 0 1 0 .000 7 45 Minnesota 0 1 0 .000 7 34
Philadelphia 0 1 0 .000 21 27 Los Angeles 0 1 0 .000 27 30
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 1 1 0 .500 49 57 Denver 2 0 0 1.000 53 41
Boston 1 1 0 .500 62 63 Dallas 1 0 0 1.000 42 28
NY Titans 1 1 0 .500 42 57 San Diego 1 1 0 .500 61 44
Buffalo 0 2 0 .000 43 51 Oakland 0 1 0 .000 17 28
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 21
A-BOSTON 41, Denver 16
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 22
A-NY Titans 17, BUFFALO 6
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 23
Green Bay 17, St. Louis 0 @ Mil Washington 17, CLEVELAND 16
Baltimore 34, MINNESOTA 7 NY Giants 29, PHILADELPHIA 13
Pittsburgh 30, DALLAS 28 Chicago 27, LOS ANGELES 23
DETROIT 45, San Francisco 24 A-Houston 42, SAN DIEGO 17
A-Dallas 27, OAKLAND 17
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Washington 1 0 1 1.000 52 51 GREEN BAY 2 0 0 1.000 51 7
St. Louis 1 1 0 .500 27 38 Detroit 2 0 0 1.000 90 31
Cleveland 1 1 0 .500 33 24 Baltimore 2 0 0 1.000 64 34
NY Giants 1 1 0 .500 36 30 Chicago 2 0 0 1.000 57 37
Pittsburgh 1 1 0 .500 37 73 San Francisco 0 2 0 .000 38 75
Dallas 0 1 1 .000 63 65 Minnesota 0 2 0 .000 14 68
Philadelphia 0 2 0 .000 34 56 Los Angeles 0 2 0 .000 50 57
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 2 1 0 .667 91 74 Dallas 2 0 0 1.000 69 45
Boston 2 1 0 .667 103 79 Denver 2 1 0 .667 69 82
NY Titans 2 1 0 .667 59 63 San Diego 1 2 0 .333 78 86
Buffalo 0 3 0 .000 49 68 Oakland 0 2 0 .000 34 55
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30
A-San Diego 19, BUFFALO 11
SUNDAY OCTOBER 1
GREEN BAY 24, Chicago 0 BALTIMORE 34, Minnesota 33
CLEVELAND 25, Dallas 7 NY Giants 24, WASHINGTON 21
St. Louis 30, PHILADELPHIA 27 San Francisco 49, DETROIT 0
LOS ANGELES 24, Pittsburgh 14 A-OAKLAND 33, Denver 19
A-NY TITANS 37, Boston 30 A-DALLAS 26, Houston 21
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Philadelphia 2 1 0 .667 68 57 GREEN BAY 2 1 0 .667 67 27
Dallas 2 1 0 .667 55 56 Baltimore 2 1 0 .667 76 73
St. Louis 2 1 0 .667 68 57 San Francisco 2 1 0 .667 94 33
NY Giants 2 1 0 .667 51 56 Detroit 2 1 0 .667 33 77
Cleveland 2 1 0 .667 65 51 Minnesota 1 2 0 .333 77 68
Pittsburgh 0 3 0 .000 52 68 Chicago 1 2 0 .333 34 78
Washington 0 3 0 .000 31 73 Los Angeles 1 2 0 .333 65 62
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
NY Titans 3 1 0 .750 124 119 San Diego 4 0 0 1.000 123 45
Boston 2 2 0 .500 118 96 Dallas 2 1 0 .667 78 82
Houston 1 2 0 .333 82 82 Denver 1 3 0 .250 86 123
Buffalo 1 3 0 .250 83 95 Oakland 1 3 0 .250 68 160
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 30
Detroit 29, BALTIMORE 20 NY GIANTS 31, Pittsburgh 27
PHILADELPHIA 35, Cleveland 7 WASHINGTON 24, St. Louis 14
Dallas 27, LOS ANGELES 17 GREEN BAY 49, Chicago 0
SAN FRANCISCO 21, Minnesota 7 A-San Diego 42, OAKLAND 33
A-DALLAS 41, Buffalo 21 A-Denver 32, NY TITANS 10
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Washington 2 0 1 1.000 76 65 GREEN BAY 3 0 0 1.000 100 7
NY Giants 2 1 0 .667 67 57 Detroit 3 0 0 1.000 119 51
Dallas 1 1 1 .500 90 82 Baltimore 2 1 0 .667 84 63
St. Louis 1 2 0 .333 41 62 Chicago 2 1 0 .667 57 86
Pittsburgh 1 2 0 .333 64 104 San Francisco 1 2 0 .333 59 82
Cleveland 1 2 0 .333 40 59 Minnesota 0 3 0 .000 21 89
Philadelphia 1 2 0 .333 69 63 Los Angeles 0 3 0 .000 67 84
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 2 1 0 .667 91 74 Dallas 3 0 0 1.000 110 66
Boston 2 1 0 .667 103 79 Denver 3 1 0 .750 101 92
NY Titans 2 2 0 .500 69 95 San Diego 2 2 0 .500 120 119
Buffalo 0 4 0 .000 70 109 Oakland 0 3 0 .000 67 97
FRIDAY OCTOBER 5
A-DENVER 44, Oakland 7
SATURDAY OCTOBER 6
PITTSBURGH 13, Philadelphia 7 A-Boston 43, NY TITANS 14
SUNDAY OCTOBER 7
Chicago 13, MINNESOTA 0 CLEVELAND 19, Dallas 10
GREEN BAY 9, Detroit 7 WASHINGTON 20, Los Angeles 14
NY Giants 31, ST. LOUIS 14 San Francisco 21, BALTIMORE 13
A-SAN DIEGO 32, Dallas 28 A-HOUSTON 17, Buffalo 14
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Washington 3 0 1 1.000 96 79 GREEN BAY 4 0 0 1.000 109 14
NY Giants 3 1 0 .750 98 71 Detroit 3 1 0 .750 126 60
Cleveland 2 2 0 .500 59 69 Chicago 3 1 0 .750 70 86
Pittsburgh 2 2 0 .500 77 111 Baltimore 2 2 0 .500 97 84
Dallas 1 2 1 .333 100 101 San Francisco 2 2 0 .500 80 95
St. Louis 1 3 0 .250 55 93 Minnesota 0 4 0 .000 21 102
Philadelphia 1 3 0 .250 76 76 Los Angeles 0 4 0 .000 81 104
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 3 1 0 .750 108 88 Denver 4 1 0 .800 145 99
Boston 3 1 0 .750 146 93 Dallas 3 1 0 .750 138 98
NY Titans 2 3 0 .400 83 138 San Diego 3 2 0 .600 152 147
Buffalo 0 5 0 .000 84 126 Oakland 0 4 0 .000 74 141
FRIDAY OCTOBER 12
A-Dallas Texans 27, BOSTON 7
SATURDAY OCTOBER 13
A-BUFFALO 35, San Diego 10
SUNDAY OCTOBER 14
Baltimore 36, CLEVELAND 14 Pittsburgh 20, NY GIANTS 17
ST. LOUIS 17, Washington 17 (T) DETROIT 13, Los Angeles 10
DALLAS 41, Philadelphia 19 Green Bay 48, MINNESOTA 21
San Francisco 34, CHICAGO 27 A-HOUSTON 56, NY Titans 17
A-Denver 23, OAKLAND 6
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Washington 3 0 2 1.000 113 96 GREEN BAY 5 0 0 1.000 157 35
NY Giants 3 2 0 .600 115 91 Detroit 4 1 0 .800 139 70
Pittsburgh 3 2 0 .600 97 128 Chicago 3 2 0 .600 97 120
Dallas 2 2 1 .500 141 120 Baltimore 3 2 0 .600 133 98
Cleveland 2 3 0 .400 73 105 San Francisco 3 2 0 .600 114 122
St. Louis 1 3 1 .250 72 110 Minnesota 0 5 0 .000 42 150
Philadelphia 1 4 0 .200 95 117 Los Angeles 0 5 0 .000 91 117
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 4 1 0 .800 164 105 Denver 5 1 0 .833 168 105
Boston 3 2 0 .600 153 120 Dallas 4 1 0 .800 165 105
NY Titans 2 4 0 .333 100 194 San Diego 3 3 0 .500 162 182
Buffalo 1 5 0 .167 119 136 Oakland 0 5 0 .000 80 164
FRIDAY OCTOBER 19
A-BOSTON 24, San Diego 20
SATURDAY OCTOBER 20
A-BUFFALO 14, Oakland 6
SUNDAY OCTOBER 21
Green Bay 31, San Fran 13 at Mil CHICAGO 35, Baltimore 15
Dallas 42, PITTSBURGH 27 NY GIANTS 17, Detroit 14
Minnesota 38, LOS ANGELES 14 Cleveland 34, ST. LOUIS 7
Washington 27, PHILADELPHIA 21 A-Denver 20, HOUSTON 10
A-DALLAS 20, NY Titans 17
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Washington 4 0 2 1.000 140 117 GREEN BAY 6 0 0 1.000 188 48
NY Giants 4 2 0 .667 132 105 Detroit 4 2 0 .667 153 87
Dallas 3 2 1 .600 183 147 Chicago 4 2 0 .667 132 135
Pittsburgh 3 3 0 .500 124 170 Baltimore 3 3 0 .500 148 133
Cleveland 3 3 0 .500 107 112 San Francisco 3 3 0 .500 127 153
St. Louis 1 4 1 .200 79 144 Minnesota 1 5 0 .167 80 164
Philadelphia 1 5 0 .167 116 144 Los Angeles 0 6 0 .000 105 155
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 4 2 0 .667 174 125 Denver 6 1 0 .857 188 115
Boston 4 2 0 .667 177 140 Dallas 5 1 0 .833 185 122
NY Titans 2 5 0 .286 117 214 San Diego 3 4 0 .429 182 206
Buffalo 2 5 0 .286 133 142 Oakland 0 6 0 .000 86 178
FRIDAY OCTOBER 26
A-BOSTON 26, Oakland 16
SUNDAY OCTOBER 28
NY Giants 49, WASHINGTON 34 St. Louis 28, DALLAS 24
Green Bay 17, BALTIMORE 6 Los Angeles 28, SAN FRANCISCO 14
MINNESOTA 31, Philadelphia 21 DETROIT 11, Chicago 3
Cleveland 41, PITTSBURGH 14 A-Buffalo 45, DENVER 38
A-Dallas 31, HOUSTON 7 A-NY TITANS 23, San Diego 3
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
Washington 4 1 2 .800 174 166 GREEN BAY 7 0 0 1.000 205 54
NY Giants 5 2 0 .714 181 139 Detroit 5 2 0 .714 164 90
Cleveland 4 3 0 .571 148 126 Chicago 4 3 0 .571 135 146
Dallas 3 3 1 .500 207 175 Baltimore 3 4 0 .429 154 150
Pittsburgh 3 4 0 .429 138 211 San Francisco 3 4 0 .429 141 181
St. Louis 2 4 1 .333 107 168 Minnesota 2 5 0 .286 111 185
Philadelphia 1 6 0 .143 137 175 Los Angeles 1 6 0 .143 133 169
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Boston 5 2 0 .714 203 156 Dallas 6 1 0 .857 216 129
Houston 4 3 0 .571 181 156 Denver 6 2 0 .750 226 160
NY Titans 3 5 0 .375 140 217 San Diego 3 5 0 .375 185 229
Buffalo 3 5 0 .375 178 180 Oakland 0 7 0 .000 102 204
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 3
A-BUFFALO 28, Boston 28 (T)
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 4
NY GIANTS 31, St. Louis 28 PITTSBURGH 39, Minnesota 31
Dallas 38, WASHINGTON 10 Baltimore 22, SAN FRANCISCO 3
Green Bay 38, CHICAGO 7 Detroit 12, LOS ANGELES 3
CLEVELAND 14, Philadelphia 14 (T) A-Denver 23, SAN DIEGO 20
A-NY TITANS 31, Oakland 21 A-Houston 14, DALLAS 6
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
NY Giants 6 2 0 .750 212 167 GREEN BAY 8 0 0 1.000 243 61
Washington 4 2 2 .667 184 204 Detroit 6 2 0 .750 176 93
Cleveland 4 3 1 .571 162 140 Chicago 4 4 0 .500 142 184
Dallas 4 3 1 .571 245 185 Baltimore 4 4 0 .500 176 153
Pittsburgh 4 4 0 .500 177 242 San Francisco 3 5 0 .375 144 203
St. Louis 2 5 1 .286 135 199 Minnesota 2 6 0 .250 142 224
Philadelphia 1 6 1 .143 151 189 Los Angeles 1 7 0 .125 136 181
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Boston 5 2 1 .714 231 184 Denver 7 2 0 .778 249 180
Houston 5 3 0 .625 195 162 Dallas 6 2 0 .750 222 143
NY Titans 4 5 0 .444 171 238 San Diego 3 6 0 .333 205 252
Buffalo 3 5 1 .375 206 208 Oakland 0 8 0 .000 123 235
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 11
Baltimore 14, LOS ANGELES 2 CHICAGO 31, Minnesota 30
NY Giants 41, DALLAS 10 Pittsburgh 26, ST.LOUIS 17
WASHINGTON 17, Cleveland 9 Green Bay 49, PHILADELPHIA 0
DETROIT 38, San Francisco 24 A-Buffalo 40, SAN DIEGO 20
A-Boston 33, DENVER 29 A-Houston 28, OAKLAND 20
A-Dallas 52, NY TITANS 31
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
NY Giants 7 2 0 .778 253 177 GREEN BAY 9 0 0 1.000 292 61
Washington 5 2 2 .714 201 213 Detroit 7 2 0 .778 214 117
Pittsburgh 5 4 0 .556 203 259 Chicago 5 4 0 .556 173 214
Dallas 4 4 1 .500 255 226 Baltimore 5 4 0 .556 190 155
Cleveland 4 4 1 .500 171 157 San Francisco 3 6 0 .333 168 241
St. Louis 2 6 1 .250 152 225 Minnesota 2 7 0 .222 172 255
Philadelphia 1 7 1 .125 151 238 Los Angeles 1 8 0 .111 138 195
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Boston 6 2 1 .750 264 213 Dallas 7 2 0 .778 274 174
Houston 6 3 0 .667 223 182 Denver 7 3 0 .700 278 213
Buffalo 4 5 1 .444 246 228 San Diego 3 7 0 .300 225 292
NY Titans 4 6 0 .400 202 290 Oakland 0 9 0 .000 143 263
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 18
Chicago 34, DALLAS 33 NY GIANTS 19, Philadelphia 14
CLEVELAND 38, St. Louis 14 Detroit 17, MINNESOTA 6
GREEN BAY 17, Baltimore 13 San Francisco 24, LOS ANGELES 17
PITTSBURGH 23, Washington 21 A-Buffalo 10, OAKLAND 6
A-Dallas 24, DENVER 3 A-HOUSTON 21, Boston 17
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
NY Giants 8 2 0 .800 272 191 GREEN BAY 10 0 0 1.000 309 74
Washington 5 3 2 .625 222 236 Detroit 8 2 0 .800 231 123
Pittsburgh 6 4 0 .600 226 280 Chicago 6 4 0 .600 207 247
Cleveland 5 4 1 .556 209 171 Baltimore 5 5 0 .500 203 172
Dallas 4 5 1 .444 288 260 San Francisco 4 6 0 .400 192 258
St. Louis 2 7 1 .222 166 263 Minnesota 2 8 0 .200 178 272
Philadelphia 1 8 1 .111 165 257 Los Angeles 1 9 0 .100 155 219
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 7 3 0 .700 244 199 Dallas 8 2 0 .800 298 177
Boston 6 3 1 .667 281 234 Denver 7 4 0 .636 281 237
Buffalo 5 5 1 .500 256 234 San Diego 3 7 0 .300 225 292
NY Titans 4 6 0 .400 202 290 Oakland 0 10 0 .000 149 273
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 22
DETROIT 26, Green Bay 14 A-NY Titans 46, DENVER 45
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 23
A-BOSTON 21, Buffalo 10
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 25
Chicago 57, BALTIMORE 0 CLEVELAND 35, Pittsburgh 14
NY Giants 42, WASHINGTON 24 San Francisco 24, ST.LOUIS 17
MINNESOTA 24, Los Angeles 24 (T) PHILADELPHIA 28, Dallas 14
A-HOUSTON 33, San Diego 27 A-DALLAS 35, Oakland 7
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
NY Giants 9 2 0 .818 314 215 GREEN BAY 10 1 0 .909 323 100
Cleveland 6 4 1 .600 244 185 Detroit 9 2 0 .818 257 137
Washington 5 4 2 .556 246 278 Chicago 7 4 0 .636 264 247
Pittsburgh 6 5 0 .545 240 315 Baltimore 5 6 0 .455 203 229
Dallas 4 6 1 .400 302 288 San Francisco 5 6 0 .455 226 275
St. Louis 2 8 1 .200 183 287 Minnesota 2 8 1 .200 202 296
Philadelphia 2 8 1 .200 193 271 Los Angeles 1 9 1 .100 179 243
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 8 3 0 .727 277 226 Y-Dallas 9 2 0 .818 333 184
Boston 7 3 1 .700 302 244 Denver 7 5 0 .583 326 283
Buffalo 5 6 1 .455 266 255 San Diego 3 8 0 .283 252 325
NY Titans 5 6 0 .455 248 335 Oakland 0 11 0 .000 156 308
Y-Clinched Tie for Division Title
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30
A-BOSTON 24, NY Titans 17
SUNDAY DECEMBER 2
GREEN BAY 41, Los Angeles 10 San Francisco 35, MINNESOTA 12
DETROIT 21, Baltimore 14 DALLAS 45, Cleveland 21
NY Giants 26, CHICAGO 24 PITTSBURGH 19, St. Louis 7
Philadelphia 37, WASHINGTON 14 A-HOUSTON 34, Denver 17
A-SAN DIEGO 31, Oakland 21 A-BUFFALO 23, Dallas 14
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
X-NY Giants 10 2 0 .833 340 239 GREEN BAY 11 1 0 .917 364 110
Pittsburgh 7 5 0 .583 259 322 Detroit 10 2 0 .833 278 151
Cleveland 6 5 1 .545 265 230 Chicago 7 5 0 .583 288 273
Washington 5 5 2 .500 260 315 San Francisco 6 6 0 .500 261 287
Dallas 5 6 1 .455 347 309 Baltimore 5 7 0 .417 217 250
Philadelphia 3 8 1 .273 230 285 Minnesota 2 9 1 .182 214 331
St. Louis 2 9 1 .182 190 306 Los Angeles 1 10 1 .091 189 284
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 9 3 0 .750 311 243 X-Dallas 9 3 0 .750 347 207
Boston 8 3 1 .727 326 261 Denver 7 6 0 .538 343 317
Buffalo 6 6 1 .500 289 269 San Diego 4 8 0 .333 283 346
NY Titans 5 7 0 .417 265 359 Oakland 0 12 0 .000 177 339
X-Clinched Conference/Division Title
SATURDAY DECEMBER 8
BALTIMORE 34, Washington 21 A-Buffalo 20, NY TITANS 3
SUNDAY DECEMBER 9
NY GIANTS 17, Cleveland 13 Green Bay 31, SAN FRANCISCO 21
ST. LOUIS 52, Dallas 20 CHICAGO 30, Los Angeles 14
DETROIT 37, Minnesota 23 Pittsburgh 26, PHILADELPHIA 17
A-HOUSTON 32, Oakland 17 A-DALLAS 17, Denver 10
A-Boston 20, SAN DIEGO 14
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
X-NY Giants 11 2 0 .846 357 252 Y-GREEN BAY 12 1 0 .923 395 131
Pittsburgh 8 5 0 .615 285 339 Detroit 11 2 0 .846 315 174
Cleveland 6 6 1 .500 278 247 Chicago 8 5 0 .615 318 287
Washington 5 6 2 .455 281 349 San Francisco 6 7 0 .462 282 318
Dallas 5 7 1 .417 367 361 Baltimore 6 7 0 .462 251 271
Philadelphia 3 9 1 .250 247 311 Minnesota 2 10 1 .167 237 368
St. Louis 3 9 1 .250 242 326 Los Angeles 1 11 1 .083 203 314
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
Houston 10 3 0 .769 343 260 X-Dallas 10 3 0 .769 364 217
Boston 9 3 1 .750 346 275 Denver 7 7 0 .500 353 334
Buffalo 7 6 1 .538 309 272 San Diego 4 9 0 .308 297 366
NY Titans 5 8 0 .385 268 379 Oakland 0 13 0 .000 194 371
X-Clinched Conference/Division Title Y-Clinched Tie for Conf/Div Title
SATURDAY DECEMBER 15
Cleveland 13, SAN FRANCISCO 10 A-Houston 44, NY TITANS 10
Dallas Texans (11-3)
Head Coach: Hank Stram
Passing Leader: Len Dawson (2759)
Rushing Leader: Abner Haynes (1049)
Receiving Leader: Chris Burford (45-645)
Denver Broncos (7-7)
Head Coach: Jack Faulkner
Passing Leader: Frank Tripucka (2917)
Rushing Leader: Donnie Stone (360)
Receiving Leader: Lionel Taylor (77-908)
San Diego Chargers (4-10)
Head Coach: Sid Gillman
Passing Leader: John Hadl (1632)
Rushing Leader: Keith Lincoln (574)
Receiving Leader: Don Norton (48-771)
Oakland Raiders (1-13)
Head Coach: Marty Feldman
Passing Leader: Cotton Davidson (1977)
Rushing Leader: Clem Daniels (766)
Receiving Leader: Max Boydston (30-374)
SUNDAY DECEMBER 16
ST. LOUIS 45, Philadelphia 35 Pittsburgh 27, WASHINGTON 24
Green Bay 20, LOS ANGELES 17 BALTIMORE 42, Minnesota 17
CHICAGO 3, Detroit 0 NY GIANTS 41, Dallas 31
A-OAKLAND 20, Boston 0 A-DALLAS 26, San Diego 17
NFL EASTERN CONFERENCE NFL WESTERN CONFERENCE
X-NY Giants 12 2 0 .857 398 283 X-GREEN BAY 13 1 0 .929 415 148
Pittsburgh 9 5 0 .643 312 363 Detroit 11 3 0 .786 315 177
Cleveland 7 6 1 .538 291 257 Chicago 9 5 0 .643 321 287
Washington 5 7 2 .417 305 376 Baltimore 7 7 0 .500 293 288
Dallas 5 8 1 .385 398 402 San Francisco 6 8 0 .429 282 331
St. Louis 4 9 1 .308 287 361 Minnesota 2 11 1 .154 254 410
Philadelphia 3 10 1 .231 282 356 Los Angeles 1 12 1 .077 220 334
AFL EASTERN DIVISION AFL WESTERN DIVISION
X-Houston 11 3 0 .786 387 270 X-Dallas 11 3 0 .786 389 233
Boston 9 4 1 .692 346 295 Denver 7 7 0 .500 353 334
Buffalo 7 6 1 .538 309 272 San Diego 4 10 0 .286 314 392
NY Titans 5 9 0 .357 278 423 Oakland 1 13 0 .071 213 370
X-Clinched Conference/Division Title
1962 AFL TITLE (December 23 at Houston)
DALLAS TEXANS (11-3) 20, HOUSTON OILERS (11-3) 10 (2 OT)
1962 NFL TITLE (December 30 at New York)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (13-1) 16, NEW YORK GIANTS (12-2) 7
PLAYOFF BOWL (January 6, 1963 at Miami)
DETROIT LIONS (11-3) 17, PITTSBURGH STEELERS (9-5) 10
1962: The Year in Canadian Football
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (11-5)
Head Coach: Bud Grant
Leading Rusher: Leo Lewis (865)
Leading Passer: Kenny Ploen (2097)
Leading Receiver: Ernie Pitts (62-865)
Average Attendance: 15,837 (7th)
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (9-4-1)
Head Coach: Jim Trimble
Leading Rusher: Bobby Kuntz (813)
Leading Passer: Frank Cosentino (1182)
Leading Receiver: Hal Patterson (881)
Average Attendance: 23,464 (3rd)
Ottawa Rough Riders (6-7-1)
Head Coach: Frank Clair
Leading Rusher: Ernie White (804)
Leading Passer: Russ Jackson (1427)
Leading Receiver: Ernie White (31-758)
Average Attendance: 17,757 (5th)
Calgary Stampeders (9-6-1)
Head Coach: Bobby Dobbs
Leading Rusher: Earl Lunsford (1016)
Leading Passer: Eagle Day (2494)
Leasing Receiver: Pete Manning (52-756
Average Attendance: 16,285 (6th)
Toronto Argonauts (4-10)
Head Coach: Lou Agase (0-3)/Norbert Wirkowski (4-7)
Leading Rusher: Gerry McDougall (811)
Leading Passer: Tobin Rote (2352)
Leading Receiver: Dick Shatto (47-808)
Saskatchewan Roughriders (8-7-1)
Head Coach: Steve Owen
Leading Rusher: Ray Purdin (809)
Leading Passer: Bob Ptacek (2317)
Leasing Receiver: Jack Gotta (39-779)
Average Attendance: 12,485 (9th)
Montreal Alouettes (4-7-3)
Head Coach: Perry Moss
Leading Rusher: George Dixon (1520)
Leading Passer: Sandy Stephens (1542)
Leading Receiver: Marv Luster (36-725)
Average Attendance: 21,315 (4th)
British Columbia Lions (7-9)
Head Coach: Dave Skrien
Leading Rusher: Nub Beamer (1161)
Leading Passer: Joe Kapp (3279)
Leasing Receiver: Mack Burton (52-818)
Average Attendance: 26,051 (1st)
Canadian Football Hall of Fame was established and Hamilton was named the site. Grey Cup game stopped by fog on December 1 and the final 9 minutes and 29 seconds were played the next day. Winnipeg edged Hamilton 28-27. This was the most recent CFL season with average attendance of under 20,000 spectators per game (19,084 in 64 games).
RUSHING LEADERS YDS TD LONG RECEIVING LEADERS REC YDS TD LONG
George Dixon (MON) 1520 11 75 Tommy Coffey (EDM) 65 951 11 59
Nub Beamer (BC) 1161 7 40 Ernie Pitts (WIN) 62 865 8 56
Earl Lunsford (CAL) 1016 8 64 Mack Burton (BC) 52 818 6 73
Willie Fleming (BC) 993 7 97 Pete Manning (CAL) 52 756 3 52
Leo Lewis (WIN) 865 4 83 Dick Shatto (TOR) 47 808 5 63
Roger Hagberg (WIN) 856 4 64 Jim Letcavits (EDM) 42 640 3 65
Ed Buchanan (CAL) 824 7 86 Jack Gotta (SASK) 39 779 3 73
Bobby Kuntz (HAM) 813 6 43 Dave Mann (TOR) 39 410 2 40
Gerry McDougall (TOR) 811 7 59 Hal Patterson (HAM) 39 881 6 95
Ray Purdin (SASK) 809 8 93 Jim Dillard (CAL) 38 733 6 64
PASSING LEADERS ATT CMP YDS TD INT
Joe Kapp (BC) 359 197 3279 28 18
Tobin Rote (TOR) 348 187 2532 12 17
Eagle Day (CAL) 262 156 2494 15 8
Bob Ptacek (SASK) 206 125 2317 15 10
Kenny Ploen (WIN) 208 137 2097 17 4
Sandy Stephens (MON) 228 109 1542 11 22
Jackie Parker (EDM) 201 110 1532 15 9
Don Getty (EDM) 163 92 1463 8 9
Russ Jackson (OTT) 157 78 1427 10 13
Frank Cosentino (HAM) 145 68 1182 6 8
Edmonton Eskimos (6-9-1)
Head Coach: Eagle Keys
Leading Rusher: Mike Lashuk (802)
Leading Passer: Jackie Parker (1532)
Leading Receiver: Tommy Coffey (65-951)
Average Attendance: 15,203 (8th)
MON AUG 6
SASKATCHEWAN 17, Calgary 6 () -
CALGARY -
SASKATCHEWAN -
1st -
THU AUG 9
Hamilton 28, OTTAWA 16 () -
HAMILTON -
OTTAWA -
1st -
Edmonton 20, WINNIPEG 16 () -
EDMONTON -
WINNIPEG -
1st -
BRIT COL 33, Saskatchewan 7 () -
SASKATCHEWAN -
BRITISH COL -
1st -
STANDINGS - IRFU WIFU
Hamilton 1 0 0 2 28 16 British Columbia 1 0 0 2 33 7
Toronto 0 0 0 0 0 0 Edmonton 1 0 0 2 20 16
Montreal 0 0 0 0 0 0 Saskatchewan 1 1 0 2 24 39
Ottawa 0 1 0 0 16 28 Calgary 0 1 0 0 6 17
Winnipeg 0 1 0 0 16 20