NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE YR PR AG G HOW ACQUIRED
Paul Berezney 47 T 6- 2 220 Fordham 3 3 28 10
Dick Bilda 22 HB 6- 1 200 Marquette 1 1 25
Charley Brock 29 C 6- 1 210 Nebraska 6 6 28 10 1939 Draft - 3rd round
Lou Brock 16 HB 6- 0 195 Purdue 5 5 26 5 1940 Draft - 3rd round
Mike Bucchianeri 19 G 5-10 215 Indiana 2 2 27 8 FA - Green Bay (1941)
Tony Canadeo 3 HB 6- 0 195 Gonzaga 4 4 25 3 1941 Draft - 7th round
Irv Comp 51 HB 6- 3 192 St. Benedict 2 2 25 10 1943 Draft - 3rd round
Larry Craig 54 E 6- 0 208 S. Carolina 6 6 28 10 1939 Draft - 6th round
Tiny Croft 75 T 6- 4 298 Ripon 3 3 23 10
Paul Duhart 42 HB 6- 0 180 Florida 1 1 23 8
Bob Flowers 35 C 6- 1 215 Texas Tech 3 3 27 10
Ted Fritsch 64 FB 5-10 205 Stevens Point 3 3 23 9
Buckets Goldenberg 43 G 5-10 220 Wisconsin 12 12 32 9
Don Hutson 14 E 6- 1 180 Alabama 10 10 31 10
Harry Jacunski 48 E 6- 2 198 Fordham 6 6 28 9
Bob Kahler 8 T 6- 3 200 Nebraska 3 3 27
Bob Kercher 18 E 6- 2 195 Georgetown 1 1 25
William Kuusisto 45 G 6- 0 230 Minnesota 4 4 26 10
Joe Laws 24 HB 5- 9 188 Iowa 11 11 33 10
Joel Mason 7 E 6- 0 200 W. Michigan 3 4 31 10 FA - Chi Cards (1939)
Roy McKay 3 HB 6- 0 195 Texas 1 1 24 3 1943 Draft - 5th round
Forrest McPherson 72 T-C 5-11 248 Nebraska 2 5 32 FA - Phil (1937)
Don Perkins 23 FB 6- 0 195 Platteville 1 1 26 10
Baby Ray 44 T 6- 6 250 Vanderbilt 7 7 28 9
Ade Schwammel 40 T 6- 2 215 Oregon St 5 5 35 9 FA - Green Bay (1936)
Glen Sorenson 33 G 6- 0 225 Utah St 2 2 24 10
Ben Starret 63 B 5-11 215 St. Mary's (CA) 3 4 26 FA - Pittsburgh (1941)
Pete Tinsley 21 G 5- 8 200 Georgia 7 7 31 10 1938 Draft - 9th round
Charles Tollefson 46 G 6- 0 218 Iowa 1 1 28 7
Alex Urban 18 E 6- 2 200 S. Carolina 2 2 27 3 FA - Green Bay (1941)
Ray Wehba 17 E 6- 0 210 USC 1 2 28 10 FA - Brooklyn (1943)
NO - Jersey Number POS - Position HGT - Height WGT - Weight YR - Years with Packers PR - Years of Professional Football AGE - Age at Start of Season G - Games Played
1944 PACKERS DRAFT (April 19, 1944)
RND SEL NAME POS COLLEGE
1 7 Merv Pregulman G Michigan
2 Did Not Draft
3 22 Tom Kuzma B Michigan
4 Did Not Draft
5 38 Bill McPartland T St. Mary's (Calif.)
6 49 Mickey McCardle B Southern California
7 60 Jack Tracy E Washington
8 71 Alex Agase G Illinois
9 82 Don Whitmire T Alabama
10 93 Bob Koch B Oregon
11 104 Virgil Johnson E Arkansas
12 115 Roy Giusti B St. Mary's (Calif.)
13 126 Bill Baughman C Alabama
14 137 Don Griffin B Illinois
15 148 Bert Gissler E Nebraska
16 159 Lou Shelton B Oregon State
17 170 Charles Cusick G Oregon
18 181 Hugh Cox B North Carolina
19 192 Kermit Davis E Mississippi State
20 203 Bob Johnson C Purdue
21 214 Jim Cox T Stanford
22 225 Cliff Anderson E Minnesota
23 236 John Perry B Duke
24 247 Pete DeMaria G Purdue
25 258 Len Liss T Marquette
26 269 Ray Jordan B North Carolina
27 280 Al Grubaugh T Nebraska
28 291 A.B. Howard E Mississippi State
29 302 Paul Paladino G Arkansas
30 313 Bob Butchofsky B Texas A&M
31 319 Russ Deal G Indiana
32 325 Abel Gonzales B Southern Methodist
BOLD - Played for the Packers
Rams at Packers Program - 22 October
Packers at Bears Program - 5 November
NFL Title Program - 17 December
1944 IN REVIEW
Far from the greatest team in Packer history, the 1944 edition was good enough to win the Western Division title. The Packers ran off six straight victories at the start of the season and coasted home the rest of the way, leaving the Bears and Lions to fight over the second-place honors. Although Don Huston, as usual, burned defensive backs for long gains, most of the faces in the Green Bay backfield were new. Rangy Irv Comp was Huston's new passing partner, and popular Ted Fritsch picked up enough yardage on the ground as Clarke Hinkle once did. Baby Ray, Buckets Goldenberg and Charlie Brock gave the strong forward line a veteran flavor. Like most wartime clubs, the Packers mixed veterans and youngsters together with a salad-bowl effect that was sometimes interesting and sometimes boringly inept. But with Don Huston on hand, Green Bay remained the best team in the NFL.
THE AAFC
SOURCE: Profootballresearchers. com - Two days prior to D-Day, 1944 a group described by the A.P. as "men of millionaire incomes" met in St. Louis to organize a new professional football league. They had been called together by Arch Ward, the innovative sports editor of the Chicago Tribune and organizer of the college and baseball All-Star games. Ward reasoned that the end of World War II would provide the professional gridirons with a brand new crop of players. In addition to experienced pros, there would be high school and college players who had competed with the pros while in the service, plus the players who had remained in college during the war. The initial meeting, attended by representatives of Buffalo, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Cleveland (for whom Ward carried a proxy) led to a second organizational meeting on September 3, 1944 in Chicago. John Keeshin, a trucking executive, represented Chicago; oilmen James Breuil and Ray Ryan were from Buffalo and New York respectively; boxer Gene Tunney sought a team for Baltimore; actor Don Ameche wanted one for L.A.; Tony Morabito, a lumber executive, was from San Francisco,; and Arthur McBride, a Cleveland taxi man, came from that city. Also present was Mrs. Eleanor Gehrig, widow of the baseball Hall of Famer, who later became a league executive. It was reported that Detroit, Philadelphia and Boston were also interested in the new league. The name All-America Football Conference (AAFC) was chosen, and the football war was on.
1944 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (1-1)
SEPTEMBER (1-1)
4 Washington Redskins at Baltimore L 7-20 1-0-0 40,000
10 Boston Yanks at Buffalo W 28- 0 1-1-0 17,372
1944 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS (8-2)
SEPTEMBER (2-0)
17 M-BROOKLYN TIGERS (0-0-0) W 14- 7 1-0-0 12,994
24 G-CHICAGO BEARS (0-0-0) W 42-28 2-0-0 24,362
OCTOBER (4-1)
1 M-DETROIT LIONS (0-0-0) W 27- 6 3-0-0 18,556
8 G-CARD-PITT (0-1-0) W 34- 7 4-0-0 16,535
14 Philadelphia Eagles at Nashville L 13-38 20,000
(BALTIMORE) - The Washington Redskins Monday night defeated the Green Bay Packers in an exhibition football game before 25,000 fans, 20-7. The two teams do not meet in a National league game this season. Green Bay scored its touchdown in the first quarter by driving 54 yards, Ted Fritsch going over from the 3. The Redskins came right back with Steve Bagarus catching the first of two touchdown passes hurled by Sam Baugh. It was a 13-yard aerial. The tie was broken in the fourth quarter on a 19-yard pass from Baugh to Bagarus. Then the Redskins scored on power plays, Frank Akins gaining 50 and 25 yards on off tackle smashes.
GREEN BAY - 7 0 0 0 - 7
WASHINGTON - 0 7 0 13 - 20
1st - GB - Fritsch, 3-yard run (Fritsch kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - WASH - Steve Bagarus, 13-yard pass from Sammy Baugh (Joe Aguirre kick) TIED 7-7
4th - WASH - Bagarus, 19-yard pass from Baugh (Aguirre kick) WASHINGTON 14-7
4th - WASH - Frank Akins, 26-yard run (Kick failed) WASHINGTON 20-7
September 4: Washington 20, Green Bay (0-1) 7
22 G-CLEVELAND RAMS (3-1-0) W 30-21 5-0-0 18,780
29 at Detroit Lions (1-2-1) W 14- 0 6-0-0 30,844
NOVEMBER (2-2)
5 at Chicago Bears (2-2-1) L 0-21 6-1-0 45,553
12 at Cleveland Rams (3-3-0) W 42- 7 7-1-0 17,166
19 at New York Giants (4-1-1) L 0-24 7-2-0 56,481
26 at Card-Pitt (at Chicago) (0-8-0) W 35-20 8-2-0 7,158
1944 POST-SEASON RESULTS (1-0)
DECEMBER (1-0) - NFL CHAMPIONSHIP
17 at New York Giants (8-1-1) W 14- 7 46,016
G - GREEN BAY M - MILWAUKEE
September 10: Green Bay (1-1) 28, Boston 0
(BUFFALO) - The Packers meted out a 28-0 shellacking to the Boston Yanks. The Packers scored two TDs in the opening period, the first on a 50 yard pass from Lou Brock to Harry Jucunski in the end zone, following a blocked punt. The second came as the result of another blocked punt, Buford Ray picking up the ball on the one yard line. Ad Schwammel recovered a Yank fumble on the Boston 13 which led to a TD a few plays later , when John Duhart went through tackle. The Packers' final points came in the third period. Irv Comp took the opening kickoff on his own 3 and returned 80 yards to the Boston 8. After a penalty, Brock passed to Comp for a score.
GREEN BAY - 14 7 7 0 - 28
BOSTON - 0 0 0 0 - 0
1st - GB - Jacunski, 50-yard pass from Brock (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Ray, 1-yard return of blocked punt (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Duhart run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
4rd - GB - Comp pass from Brock (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 28-0
September 17: Green Bay (1-0) 14, Brooklyn (0-1) 7
(MILWAUKEE) - In opening a season in Milwaukee for the first time ever, Green Bay whipped the Brooklyn Tigers, 14-7, in a game more noted for its roughness than anything else. One Packer touchdown and several spectacular runs were called back for violations of the rules as the Tigers set a new league record for the number of penalties received. The Brooklyn squad lost 165 yards on 21 penalties and the Packers yielded 84 yards for nine infractions. In addition, four players were ejected for roughness. The Packers scored their first touchdown in the first quarter when Don Hutson trotted across after taking a pass from Irv Comp on Brooklyn's 24-yard line. After a scoreless second period, the Tigers opened the last half with a touchdown set up by Don Don Perkin's wobbly punt which gave Brooklyn the ball on Green Bay's 28-yard marker. Co-captain Pug Manders plowed, across from the one-foot line after a sustained running attack. Green Bay made its final score a few plays later when Joel Mason blocked Ken Fryers' punt, which was scooped up and carried to the Tiger 17-yard line by Charlie Brock. Lou Brock carried the ball over on the next play with an end run.
BROOKLYN - 0 0 7 0 - 7
GREEN BAY - 7 0 7 0 - 14
1st - GB - Hutson, 24-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
3rd - BR - Pug Manders, 1-yard run (Bruiser Kinard kick) TIED 7-7
4th - GB - L. Brock, 17-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
According to his biography in the Northland College Hall of Fame of Ashland, Wisconsin, Edward "Mac" McGroarty was both a football and basketball star for the college. He graduated in 1939 and went on to play with Green Bay and Cincinnati before a career-ending knee injury. However, in looking at the 1944 and 1945 Green Bay rosters his name does not appear, nor can I find a single Cincinnati pro football or pro basketball team from the 1940s and 1950s. It's a minor mystery, but a mystery nonetheless. (SOURCE: Astuteo.com)
September 24: Green Bay (2-0) 42, Chicago Bears (0-1) 28
(GREEN BAY) - The 52nd tangle between the Bears and Packers came within nine points of the league scoring record for a single game set in 1942 when Green Bay crushed the Chicago Cardinals, 55-24. The Packers started as though they were really going to massacre their ancient rivals, steam-rolling to a 28-0 advantage in the first 19 minutes. But Sid Luckman, who rejoined the Bears last weekend pending sea duty call by the maritime service, soon found his range with his famed passing arm to rally the champs to four touchdowns and a 28-28 deadlock late in the final period. The Packers struck back with a 42-yard touchdown gallop by Lou Brock and a 50-yard payoff sprint on a pass interception by Ted Fritch to win going away. Don Hutson, grabbed a touchdown pass and place-kicked six consecutive extra points. Hutson has booted 60 straight conversions and has scored in 37 consecutive games.
CHI BEARS - 0 7 7 14 - 28
GREEN BAY - 14 14 0 14 - 42
1st - GB - Brock, 52-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
1st - GB - Comp, 9-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Fritsch, 1-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
2nd - GB - Hutson, 26-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 28-0
2nd - CHI - Ray McLean, 50-yard lateral fr George Wilson after a pass fr Sid Luckman (Pete Gudauskas kick) GREEN BAY 28-7
3rd - CHI - Wilson, 7-yard pass from Luckman (Gudauskas kick) GREEN BAY 28-14
4th - CHI - Wilson, 3-yard pass from Luckman (Gudauskas kick) GREEN BAY 28-21
4th - CHI - Bob Magarita, 5-yard run (Gudauskas kick) TIED 28-28
4th - GB - Brock, 42-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 35-28
4th - GB - Fritsch, 50-yard interception return (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 42-28
(MILWAUKEE) - The Packers won their third straight game Sunday when, after spotting Detroit a touchdown, they got their bearings midway through the second quarter and passed their way to a 27-6 victory. It was an aerial attack all the way that brought them the victory, with Irv Comp and Lou Brock doing the tossing and Don Hutson, Paul Duhart and Comp the receiving in the end zone. Hutson ran his string of consecutive extra points to 62 when he place-kicked after the first two touchdowns, but missed his third try, and then scored again on the fourth attempt.
DETROIT - 6 0 0 0 - 6
GREEN BAY - 0 7 13 7 - 27
1st - DET - Bob Westfall, 5-yard pass from Frankie Sinkwich (Kick failed) DET 6-0
2nd - GB - Duhart, 16-yard pass from Brock (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 7-6
3rd - GB - Fritsch, 11-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-6
3rd - GB - Hutson, 3-yard pass from Comp (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 20-6
4th - GB - Comp, 11-yard pass from Brock (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 27-6
October 1: Green Bay (3-0) 27, Detroit (0-1) 6
October 8: Green Bay (4-0) 34, Card-Pitt (0-2) 6
(GREEN BAY) - Green Bay took what virtually amounted to a strangle hold on the Western Division race as they swamped the Chicago Cardinals-Pittsburgh Steelers combine, 34-7, with the passing combination of Irv Comp and Don Hutson clicking to perfection. The Packers scored one touchdown in the first period, two in the second and two more in the fourth. Comp completed 13 out of 20 aerials for 220 yards, nine in succession, with 11 of them going to Hutson for 207 yards and two touchdowns. John Grigas passed to John Butler for the only Chi-Pitt score, with the game already decided.
CARD-PITT - 0 0 0 7 - 7
GREEN BAY - 7 14 0 13 - 34
1st - GB - Hutson, 55-yard pass from Comp (Sorenson kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Starrett, 2-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Hutson, 7-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
4th - GB - Brock, 30-yard run (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 27-0
4th - C-P - John Butler, 33-yd pass fr John Grigas (Marshall Robnett kick) GB 27-7
4th - GB - Perkins, 83-yard interception return (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 34-7
EXHIBITION - October 15: Philadelphia 38, Green Bay 13
(NASHVILLE) - The Philadelphia Eagles, attacking relentlessly on the ground and in the air, mauled the Green Bay Packers 38 to 13 Saturday in the first big-time professional football game ever played in the south. The exhibition game, bringing together two National League elevens, undefeated in league play, was staged for the benefit of the 20th Ferrying Group's athletic fund. The Eagles had the Packer running attack stopped and both Green Bay touchdowns resulted from a succession of aerials. Philadelphia scored two touchdowns and annexed two conversions in the first quarter. From the opening kickoff, the Eagles marched to the Packers' 32 where Hinkle passed to Ferrante who was shoved out of bounds on the 10. Two plays later Hinkle carried the ball around right end for a touchdown. An intercepted pass gave the Eagles the ball on the Packer 12-yard line and Hinkle again took it over. The Eagles scored a third touchdown on a pass from Zimmerman to Gauer, added another on Bleeker's 17-yard dash and a fifth on a line plunge by Macoszozyk. Zimmerman, who added the extra points after all the Eagle touchdowns, booted a field goal from the 11-yard line in the second period. The Packers broke into the scoring column in the second period when Don Perkins crashed over from the one-foot line. Lou Brock scored in the third period on a pass.
October 22: Green Bay (5-0) 30, Cleveland (3-1) 21
(GREEN BAY) - After taking a week off to play an exhibition game in Nashville, the Packers held their position atop of the Western Division by conquering the surprising Cleveland Rams, 30-21. Tony Canadeo returned for a three-game stint, and the Army Corporal came to play. He ran for 107 yards, punted twice, and threw four passes in the win.
CLEVELAND - 7 7 0 7 - 21
GREEN BAY - 7 14 7 2 - 30
1st - CLE - Tom Colella, 75-yard run (Lou Zontini kick) CLEVELAND 7-0
1st - GB - Starret, 1-yard run (Hutson kick) TIED 7-7
2nd - GB - Laws, 9-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
2nd - CLE - Colella, 25-yard run (Zontini kick) TIED 14-14
2nd - GB - Brock, 8-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 21-14
3rd - GB - Fritsch, 2-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 28-14
4th - CLE - Jim Benton, 23-yard pass from Colella (Zontini kick) GREEN BAY 28-21
4th - GB - Safety, Albie Reisz stepped out of the end zone GREEN BAY 30-21
October 29: Green Bay (6-0) 14, Detroit (1-3-1) 0
(DETROIT) - Playing their first game away from Wisconsin, the Packers shaded the Lions by in a game where they were only had a slight margin statistically over their opponent. Green Bay scored both of its touchdowns in the first half on a short smash by Ted Fritsch, capping a 46-yard march, and a 29-yard pass from Irv Comp to Joe Laws. Don Hutson put the finishing touches to Green Bay's second win of the season over the Lions by booting his 19th and 20th extra points.
GREEN BAY - 7 7 0 0 - 14
DETROIT - 0 0 0 0 - 0
1st - GB - Fritsch, 1-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Laws, 29-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
November 5: Chicago Bears (3-2-1) 21, Green Bay (6-1) 0
(CHICAGO) - The Packers were heavy favorites but that didn't make any difference to Sid Luckman, the Bears' master passer and strategist. On shore leave from his ship in the maritime service, Luckman himself was the measure of difference. He scored the first touchdown in the first period on a center sneak after setting up the score with a pair of passes good for 36 yards. Within three minutes in the third period, he tossed touchdown passes of 31 yards to Ray McLean and 24 yards to George Wilson. Chicago's shutout was the first time in 66 games that Green Bay had failed to score. Don Hutson was held scoreless for the first time in 41 games. Green Bay ended the day with only 146 yards on offense, as Irv Comp was picked off four times.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
CHI BEARS - 7 0 14 0 - 21
1st - CHI - Luckman, 1-yard run (Pete Gudauskas kick) CHICAGO BEARS 7-0
3rd - CHI - Ray McLean, 31-yard pass from Luckman (Gudauskas kick) BEARS 14-0
3rd - CHI - George Wilson, 24-yd pass from Luckman (Gudauskas kick) BEARS 21-0
November 12: Green Bay (7-1) 42, Cleveland (3-4) 7
(CLEVELAND) - Ted Fritsch intercepted three passes, part of a seven-interception day for the Packer defense, as Green Bay rebounded from the previous week's embarassment. Don Hutson, after going three contests without snagging a touchdown pass, laid his hands on two scoring tosses from Irv Comp and converted six points after touchdowns with place kicks. The Rams didn't look anything like the team that scared the daylights out of the Packers in their own backyard a few weeks ago. Their errors, which included several costly fumbles and penalties, made the game a nightmare for their largest crowd of the season. The Packers were held to one touchdown in the first quarter but picked up momentum as the game went on, adding two touchdowns in the second period, one in the third and two in the last quarter. Hutson put the Packers ahead in the opening minutes by gathering in a 33-yard toss from Comp. He added another late in the game when a Ram tipped Comp's pass into his hands in the end zone.
GREEN BAY - 7 14 7 14 - 42
CLEVELAND - 0 0 7 0 - 7
1st - GB - Hutson, 33-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Comp, 14-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Laws, 2-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
3rd - CLE - Albie Reisz, 46-yard run (Lou Zontini kick) GREEN BAY 21-7
3rd - GB - Laws, 4-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 28-7
4th - GB - Hutson, 15-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 35-7
4th - GB - Duhart, 26-yard pass from McKay (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 42-7
November 19: New York (5-1-1) 24, Green Bay (7-2) 0
(NEW YORK) - The Giants put on their greatest defensive display of the season as they blanked the Packers 24-0 at the Polo Grounds before the largest crowd of the season. New York ran for 221 yards, while former Packer quarterback Arnie Herber only had to complete one pass on the day. In keeping alive their hopes of winning the league's Eastern title and handing the Packers their second setback of the season, the Giants turned in the best showing they ever have made against Green Bay. Led by Len Younce, veteran guard, the Giant line completely bottled up the Packers' attack while rookie Howie Livingston paced the New Yorkers' offense that led to a touchdown in each of the first, second and fourth periods and a field goal by Ken Strong in the third. The Packers outpaced the Giants in first downs, 18-9, but their aerial attack often backfired with New York intercepting five passes and running them back for 100 yards. The first of those interceptions got the Giants on the board in the opening quarter. Livingston grabbed one of Irv Comp's passes out of the air on Green Bay's 34-yard line and went all the way down the sidelines for a touchdown.
GREEN BAY - 0 0 0 0 - 0
NEW YORK - 7 7 3 7 - 24
1st - NY - Howie Livingston, 34-yard interception return (Ken Strong kick) NY 7-0
2nd - NY - Frank Liebel, 36-yard pass from Arnie Herber (Strong kick) NY 14-0
3rd - NY - Strong, 8-yard field goal NEW YORK 17-0
4th - NY - Bill Paschal, 1-yard run (Strong kick) NEW YORK 24-0
November 26: Green Bay (8-2) 35, Card-Pitt (0-9) 20
(CHICAGO) - Sparked by Don Hutson, who scored 17 points in a final bid for his fifth straight league scoring title, the Green Bay Packers trounced the hapless Chicago-Pittsburgh combine, 35-20, to complete the regular season schedule. The Packers, who had the Western Division crown sewed up before the game, still did not know who would they meet in the NFL championship game on December 17. A sparse crowd of 7,158 sat through misty weather to watch the clash. The Packers trailed briefly in the first period when halfback Bob Thurbon, who scored two of the Card-Pitt touchdowns, bucked across from the one-yard line to give the home team a 7-0 lead. Halfback Paul Duhart, another two-touchdown performer, got the Packers on the board a few minute later when he plunged over from a yard out. The Packers surged ahead at the start of the second period when Duhart skipped around end into pay-dirt from the Card-Pitt 11 and the Western champs kept in front the rest of the way.
GREEN BAY - 7 7 7 14 - 35
CARD-PITT - 7 6 0 7 - 20
1st - C-P - Bob Thurbon, 1-yard run (Conway Baker kick) CARD-PITT 7-0
1st - GB - Duhart, 1-yard run (Hutson kick) TIED 7-7
2nd - GB - Duhart, 11-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
2nd - C-P - Thurbon, 37-yd pass from John Grigas (Kick failed) GREEN BAY 14-13
3rd - GB - Hutson, 36-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 21-13
4th - GB - Hutson, 6-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 28-13
4th - GB - Perkins, 40-yard interception return (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 35-13
4th - C-P - Don Currivan, 72-yard pass from Grigas (Baker kick) GREEN BAY 35-20
THE LEAST-REMEMBERED CHAMPIONSHIP - By PFRA Research
Mostly it was the war. Patton was doing his end-run through Europe, the Marines were plunging across the Pacific, and long bombs were what the Air Force dropped on Berlin and Tokyo. Football — even a championship game — didn't seem all that important to most Americans. A diversion. No more. Moreover, many of the stars who might have lifted the 1944 NFL Championship Game out of the commonplace were wearing khaki. That made it hard to gauge the Packers and Giants. How would they have fared against some of the pre-war powerhouses? Not too well, most people agreed. Even the pairing was pedestrian. Baseball had been lucky. 1944 was the year the St. Louis Browns won a pennant, lending an aura of the unusual — even the bizarre — to the World Series. But the Packers and Giants? That was old news. The championship game ALWAYS had the Bears or Redskins or Packers or Giants. Was it an NFL rule? Four decades later, it takes a good trivia expert to recall which teams played in 1944. If he can remember who won, he gets an orange wedge. It's a shame really. The teams were actually pretty good, despite the loss of so many players to the military.
The Packers had Hutson, of course. Irv Comp, the passer, was no Cecil Isbell but he could get the job done. Ted Fritsch made a first-rate fullback and Lou Brock could scamper. The line had big Baby Ray, Buckets Goldenberg, Charley Brock, and Larry Craig. They ran off six straight wins to start the season and then coasted home at 8-2-0. The Giants caught them relaxing four weeks before the end of the regular season and zapped them 24-0, then knocked off Washington twice in the final two games to nose out the Eagles and Redskins. A typical Steve Owen concoction, the New Yorkers played tough defense. During the season, they shutout half their opponents enroute to an 8-1-1 mark. Frank Cope, Al Blozis, Len Younce, and Mel Hein did the tough work in the line, and blond Bill Paschal was the league's best runner. In a "human interest" story, long-time Packer thrower Arnie Herber came out of retirement, paunchy and graying, to give New York its best passing in years.
A large and loyal New York crowd of 46,016 showed up at the Polo Grounds on December 17. They hoped Paschal could still go despite an ankle injured in the final regular season game against the Redskins. They prayed Hutson could be held to some ordinary mortal stats by tough Giant double and triple-teaming.
They wanted a win. In the push-and-shove first quarter neither team gained an advantage. New York defenders covered Hutson like a coat of whitewash. That was the good news for Giant fans. The bad news was that Paschal's ankle made him nearly immobile. About all he could do in the backfield was act as a decoy. Early in the second quarter, Green Bay gained decent field position with a punt return to the New York 48. On first down, eleven-year veteran Joe Laws slashed through the line for 20 yards. Before the Giants got their bearings, 210-pound Ted Fritsch rumbled for 27 more to put the ball at the one. New York's tough defense stiffened and held off the Packers for three downs, but on the fourth Fritsch smashed over behind Goldenberg's block for a touchdown. Hutson kicked the PAT and Green Bay led 7-0. New York still couldn't get any offense going. Late in the second period the Packers started another drive at their own 38. On third and three, Hutson worked clear of the Giant defenders and Comp hit him for a 24-yard gain to the New York 30. Three downs gained only two yards and only a little over a minute remained in the half. Everyone in the Polo Grounds knew it was "Hutson time."
At the snap Hutson moved to the right and virtually every Giant on the field (and probably some on the bench) moved with him like a herd of lemmings. Meanwhile, Ted Fritsch strolled through the line, looking for all the world like a guy out on his Sunday constitutional. None of the New Yorkers paid him a mind. He would have had to have insulted their mothers to get a glance. Everyone was after Hutson. But once he was past the line of scrimmage, Ted put on speed and for a big guy he could motor pretty well. When Comp finally launched his pass, it wasn't to Hutson loping through a Giant team meeting to the right. Instead it went straight down the middle to Fritsch, the lonely guy at the five. Once Ted clutched the ball he could have sung two choruses of the Packer fight song and still walked over the goal line before any Giant could have caught up with him. Hutson kicked the extra point to put the score at 14-0, but he deserved credit for the touchdown too.
Down by two TDs as the second half began, the Giants had to pass and Green Bay knew it. Old friend Arnie Herber was playing against a stacked deck and a couple of his tosses were picked off — Joe Laws had three interceptions on the day — but he kept pitching. With Paschal unable to run, there wasn't much else in the New York arsenal. Late in the third stanza, Arnie hoisted a long one to Frank Liebel for 41 yards to take ball to the Packer one. Another ex-Wisconsinite, Marquette's Ward Cuff, smacked over for the score on the first play of the final quarter. Ward had spent eight years as a New York wingback, but he took this one in from tailback-one of those little adjustments necessitated by Paschal's injury. Ken Strong,
who'd been kicking since Walter Camp was around, knocked the football through the uprights to make the score 14-7. Giant fans screamed for just one more big pass from Herber's ancient arm. Arnie did his best to accommodate them. A final desperation drive late in the period was going pretty well. But suddenly Green Bay's Paul Duhart was in the right spot at the right time — the Packer 20 just as a Herber heave descended on that spot. It was Green Bay's fourth interception and New York's last gasp.
All things considered, it wasn't a bad game. It broke all play-off game records financially with a gross gate of $146,205.15 and a net gate after taxes of $121,703. Each Packer got $1,449.71; each Giant $814.36. There was lots of great defense and a couple of big plays. It almost had a great comeback, and it did have some human interest in Arnie Herber versus his old team. It was Al Blozis' last game. It even had one of those screwy twists people like to remember — the biggest offensive threats for both teams, Hutson and Paschal, were used almost exclusively as decoys. But you never hear fans fondly reminiscing about the "Decoy Game." Instead it's "Who played?" "Who won?" "Who cares?" Fans forget a lot of games, of course, even championships, but — if such a thing could be measured — this one would win the cup as least remembered. And they'd probably forget to inscribe it. Mostly it was the war.
GREEN BAY - 0 14 0 0 - 14
NEW YORK - 0 0 0 7 - 7
2nd - GB - Fritsch, 1-yard run (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Fritsch, 28-yard pass from Comp (Hutson kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
4th - NY - Ward Cuff, 1-yard run (Ken Strong kick) GREEN BAY 14-7
LEFT - Coach Curly Lambeau and Charley Brock discuss strategy
RIGHT - The 1944 Packer Season Ticket Form
