Preseason: Green Bay Packers (4-0) 20, New York Giants (2-1-1) 17
Monday September 4th 1961 (at Green Bay)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(GREEN BAY) - The Packers were very touchy about being on the short end of the score. Or even tied. They found themselves in that unhealthy position three times against the Giants in City Stadium Monday night and on each occasion roared into the lead. After two comebacks, the knot and a second field goal, the Packers put down a final Giant threat with a crucial interception by Willie Wood and then ran out the clock to preserve a thrilling 20 to 17 preseason victory. The Packers performed their heroics before a record crowd of 33,452 - the largest gathering ever to see the Packers play in Green Bay. This was the first annual Bishop's Charities game and the Bays' debut here as Western Division champion. It was the Pack's 22nd victory in their last 27 games, starting with four straight wins at the end of the '59 season. They now have won 12 straight preseason games. The Packers close out non-league action against the Redskins in Columbus, Ga., Saturday night and then get ready for the NFL opener against the Lions in Milwaukee Sunday afternoon, Sept. 17. Green Bay faced its toughest defense thus far this year and it's especially noteworthy that they cracked it for points when it was necessary. The Bays rolled up 382 yards along the way, two touchdowns and two Paul Hornung field goals, the second of which won the game. The Packers were behind 7-0 and 14-10 and then caught themselves in a 17-17 tie. First, it was Giants 7-0. Then the Packers marched 71 yards in 10 plays and tied the score on Bart Starr's 10-yard touchdown strike to Max McGee. Moments later, Hornung boomed a 43-yard field goal to put Green Bay ahead 10-7. Next, it was Giants 14-10 on a dashing 77-yard touchdown run by Bob Gaiters on the first play of the second half. Then the Packers ripped 67 yards in 12 plays to go in front, 17-14, Hornung jogging over from a yard out. Third, it was tied at 17-up on Pat Summerall's 25-yard field goal. Then, with about 10 minutes left in the game, the Packers drove 74 yards in 13 plays to set up the winning field goal by Hornung, a 13-yard shot with 4:08 to go. Finally, the Giants threatened to win with three straight first downs, but Wood came to the rescue intercepting Chuck Conerly's pass away from Joe Morrison on the Packer 34-yard line. As a sort of final thrill, Hornung sped off right tackle for 45 yards on the last play of the game. It helped removed some of the corner the Giants had on long plays. Don Chandler got off an 87-yard boot in the first quarter. The ball moved just about 100 yards. He was standing near one goal line (with the line of scrimmage on the 13) and the ball bounced into the opposite end zone. It went about 60 yards on the fly. The other longie was Gaiters' 77-yard trip for a touchdown. That run helped swell the Giants' yardage total to 278, including only 71 by passing. Conerly, who went the distance, completed 10 out of 30 and had three intercepted - two by Wood and one by Nelson Toburen. The Giants settled for 27 yards passing and 51 yards rushing in the first half. The Packer defense permitted but one sustained drive and that was for only 45 yards - a nine-play move that produced the Giants' first TD on a seven-yard pass from Conerly to Morrison. The only other TD came on Gaiters' run. The Packers rolled up 184 yards rushing and 198 passing on 19 completions in 26 attempts. Starr was pinpointing his throws and hit 18 out of 25, including eight out of 10 in the last half. The other completion was a 27-yard throw from Tom Moore to Boyd Dowler to set up the Pack's first TD from the Giants' three-yard line. Moore, held out of the Bear game last week, was used frequently, spelling both Jim Taylor and Hornung. The hard-hitting sophomore ran eight times for 38 yards, caught four passes for 35 yards and threw one completion. Hornung carried the most times, 18 for 86 yards, while Taylor had 61 yards in 11 trips. Gaiters was the ground star of the game, running 12 yards for 131 yards. Chandler wound up with a fantastic 67.5-yard punting average, while Dowler, caught twice in dangerous situations, averaged 38. Dowler led both clubs in receiving with five catches for 71 yards. The Packers looked like they were off to the races in a hurry at the start when they gained 28 yards in their first four plays - 12 by Taylor and Hornung on rushes and 16 on Starr's passes to Hornung to the Giants' 41. But the attack stalled at that point and Hornung's first of four field goal tries, from the 38, was low and short. The two clubs then exchanged four punts but only two of them counted. Chandler's first was nullified when he was roughed by the Pack. His next was an 87-yarder. Dowler's first punt was converted into a first down when the Giants were found guilty of holding. His next, four plays later, went 42 yards. The Giants, starting with good position on the Packer 45, went in for a touchdown. Webster led off with a 15-yard run. On third down Conerly connected with Rote for a 14-yard gain. The Packers then caught the Giants in a third and eight situation on the 12, but were hooked for holding on a Conerly pass and it was an automatic first down on the 7. On Down 2, Conerly hit Morrison on a square out to the left for the touchdown. Summerall converted for a 7-0 edge. The Packers went right back to work, scoring the tying TD in quick order as Starr took to the air. Starting from the 29, Taylor ran for four and then Starr hit Dowler and McGee on two passes fore 21 yards. Taylor banged 16 yards in two trips and Moore, on a swing to his right, connected with Dowler for a 27-yard gain to the three. The Giants got nasty at this point. Taylor was thrown for a two-yard loss and Starr was dumped back five but on third down Starr rifled a shot to closely-guarded McGee in the end zone. The Packers, with some good tackles by Bill Forester, Dan Currie and Dave Hanner, dumped the Giants back 20 yards in three plays but Chandler's punt, which was returned 15 yards by Lew Carpenter, was nullified when the Packers were accused of holding. One first down and four plays later, Wood made a great interception of a pass while going up with the intended receiver, Del Shofner, and returned 40 yards to the Giants' 35. This set up Hornung's first field goal - the 43-yard shot from 8:03 gone in the second period. Gaiters made his debut and gained 15 yards in two trips but on his third straight try Toburen nailed him for a one-yard loss. Just before the half, the Packers put on a good drive. Two good runs by Hornung and Moore ate up 42 yards. Hornung ripped off right tackle behind Fuzz Thurston and faked beautifully for 23 yards. Moore's run of 19 yards started off left tackle and saw him fake out four Giants. On the next play, Moore took a safety pass from Starr for 19 yards to the 20. The Giants stiffened up at this point and Hornung's try for a field goal from the 32 with 58 seconds left was wide. It didn't seem possible but just before the half Toburen intercepted a Conerly pass, which was deflected by Webster, and Hornung tried another field goal, from the 33, but Sam Huff blocked it. After Gaiters opened the second half with his run, the Bays hammered out another TD. Seven runs by Hornung and Taylor ate up 39 yards and Starr hurled to McGee for 13 and Hornung for five. From the 12, interference was ruled on Starr's incompleted pass to Ron Kramer on the Giants' 10. Taylor slammed to the one and Hornung then walked over. Hornung's kick made it 17-14. After Nitschke and Simms recovered fumbled by Morrison and Dowler, the Giants moved into field goal range but Hank Gremminger blocked Summerall's three-point try from the 26. The Giants got the field goal a few moments later, early in the fourth
period, when Summerall hit from the 25. That was the signal for the Pack to go out and win it. The big play at the start was a 16-yard Starr pass to Gary Knafelc up the middle. Then, Moore zipped up the middle for 16 yards on a draw to the Giants' 48. After three running plays brought 12 yards, Starr hurled a 36-yard "touchdown" pass to Lew Carpenter. However, the official ruled that Lew had been stopped by Jim Patton at the 13. Carpenter never fell to the ground and was able to keep his feet in breaking away. Starr hurled to McGee for eight but the next two plays lost one yards and Hornung kicked the game-winning field goal from the 13 with 4:04 left in the game. The Packers quickly forced the Giants to punt but, you guessed it, there was a penalty. The Bays were nicked for having 12 men on the field and the penalty gave the Giants a four and one yard situation. They went for it and Gaiters made five yards. Conerly worked up two first downs but on the third play of the series, Wood stole Conerly's pass. Hornung lost five and made 45 - a good exchange - on the last two plays.
NEW YORK - 7 0 7 3 - 17
GREEN BAY - 0 10 7 3 - 20
NEW YORK GREEN BAY
First Downs 18 23
Rushing-Yards-TD 26-207-1 37-184-1
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 30-10-71-1-3 26-19-198-1-0
Sack Yards Lost 26 30
Total Yards 278 382
Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-1
Turnovers 4 1
Yards penalized 4-39 7-54
SCORING
1st - NY - Joe Morrison, 7-yd pass from Charlie Conerly (Pat Summerall kick) NEW YORK 7-0
2nd - GB - Paul Hornung, 40-yard field goal NEW YORK 7-3
2nd - GB - Max McGee, 10-yard pass from Bart Starr (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 10-7
3rd - NY - Bob Gaiters, 77-yard run (Summerall kick) NEW YORK 14-10
3rd - GB - Hornung, 1-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 17-14
4th - NY - Summerall, 25-yard field goal TIED 17-17
4th - GB - Hornung, 13-yard field goal GREEN BAY 20-17
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Paul Hornung 18-86 1 TD, Jim Taylor 11-61, Tom Moore 8-38
NEW YORK - Bob Gaiters 12-131 1 TD, Alex Webster 6-33, Joe Morrison 2-22, Phil King 4-9, Charley Conerly 1-8, Joel Wells 1-4
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 25-18-171 1 TD, Tom Moore 1-1-27
NEW YORK - Charley Conerly 30-10-71 1 TD 3 INT
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Boyd Dowler 5-71, Max McGee 4-40 1 TD, Tom Moore 4-25, Paul Hornung 3-20, Lew Carpenter 1-23, Gary Knafelc 1-16, Jim Taylor 1-3
NEW YORK - Joe Morrison 3-36 1 TD, Joel Wells 2-11, Kyle Rote 2-10, Alex Webster 2-2, Bob Gaiters 1-12
GIANT SHERMAN BREAKS RULE, FEELS 'FAIRLY GOOD' IN DEFEAT
SEPT 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Don't be surprised if the coaches' union pulls Allie Sherman's card. The personable freshmen mastermind of the miserly New York Giants blithely violated one of his far-flung fraternity's cardinal precepts in the wake of Monday night's defeat at Packer hands: He said he was satisfied. Admittedly, the former Philadelphia Eagle quarterback paid lip service to the unwritten law by noting, "There is no such thing as a moral victory, don't get me wrong. But I do feel fairly good coming out of this one the way we did (as almost every P-G reader knows, the Giants fell, 20-17). Certainly, we're not discouraged. I felt particularly good about the way we came back in the second half, because we've never had this kind of pressure before." The quality of the opposition was responsible for his cheerful outlook, Sherman confessed. "Green Bay is a fine ball club. They have great running backs and a good offensive line - they really can move you out of there. Without a doubt, they're the best team we've played thus far." Sherman said he was encouraged, too, because "we haven't played much in unit work up to tonight, although that's no alibi. But it is the first time we've played most of our first stringers most of the way," the 39-year old ex-field general pointed out. "We have a lot of young boys and we've been using them. As a matter of fact, we must have played five or six of them a good share of the time tonight. For example, we used a rookie tackle, Greg Larsen, for three quarter and, of course, Bob Gaiters played quite a bit." Needless to say, Sherman was elated, in his own quiet way, over Gaiters' performance. "He has speed (Gaiters has run the '100' in 9.8 in a track suit), surprising speed for his size," Sherman said. "He gives us something we haven't had in a long time."...HURT FIRST TWO WEEKS: It was only the second outing in New York silks for the 5-11, 210-pound yearling from New Mexico State, who embarrassed the Packers with a 77-yard touchdown sortie on the first play of the second half. "He injured an ankle in the All-Star camp," Allie revealed. "He didn't even get to play against the Eagles and he was hurt the first two weeks with us." Sherman, who had Packer publicitor Tom Miller as his first pro football roommate when both were with the Eagles in 1943, had a ready explanation for going all the way with the venerable
Packer publicitor Tom Miller as his first pro football roommate when both were with the Eagles in 1943, had a ready explanation for going all the way with the venerable Charlie Conerly at quarterback. "I've been going along with him at a slow pace," Al said. "And both he and I felt he needed the work. Our opener is only two weeks away, remember."...In contrast to Sherman's lighthearted approach, winner Vince Lombardi was somewhat grim, although he did permit himself one wry quip. "We didn't use everybody tonight - they were a little tough," he volunteered with a trace of a smile. The Giants' bruising defense had hardly been a surprise to the former New York offense coach, Vince admitted. "It's been the toughest around for 10 years. That Rosie Grier," he added with a shake of the head, "weighs 290 pounds and he moves like a cat." "Our defense was very good, too," Lombardi felt, "but we fell asleep a couple of times. They caught us on a couple of quick counts. Aside from that, it was good." Gaiters' long stunner was an example of the Giants' "quick count" surprises, he pointed out. "We weren't ready for it," Vince said. "And then we grabbed at him instead of tackling." He agreed, as might be expected, that Willie Wood's second interception, which blunted a final Giant surge, couldn't have come at a better time. "Willie played a good ball game," Lombardi declared, "a very good ball game." It had been, he concluded, "a hell of a game. And we have to play another one Saturday."...Defensive hero Wood, accepting hearty "good game" congratulations from such as Jerry Kramer, Henry Jordan and Lew Carpenter, had no trouble recalling those two big "thefts." "Jess Whittenton and Shofner (the Giants' Del) were falling on that first one and I fell across their legs," Willie explained. "I caught the ball just as I fell, bounced up and took off." That one set up a 44-yard Paul Hornung field goal which staked the Packers to a temporary 10-7 lead. "As far as that one at the end is concerned, I remembered that they ran that hook play on me for a first down before, so," he understated, "I was kind of aware of it." Carpenter, the sure-handed warhorse, who pulled down the pass that set up the Packers' winning field goal, imparted through a cut lip, "I didn't think my knee touched. It might look like it in the films," he conceded, "but I don't think it did." The official ruling that he had cost him and the Packers a touchdown. A weary Hornung, who just capped a large evening with a 45-yard dash that ended with the bark of the final gun, shrugged off an unpleasant souvenir of this latest conflict - a pulled muscle. "You've got to expect a muscle pull in a game like that," he said philosophically. "They hit! And I'm beat." Another casualty was soft-spoken Willie Davis. "I had a tender ankle from the Bear game," he explained, "and I got kicked right on the bone tonight. It's a little stiff." All-pro tackle Forrest Gregg, just donning his coat, summed up what had just transpired with, "They have the best defensive line we've faced. They've played together so long everybody knows what the other one's going to do. Another thing that makes it hard is they know our offense because it's basically the same one Coach Lombardi used in New York. I think a game like this is good for us, not that all games aren't tough," the big Texan confided. "We squeaked it out - but we almost beat ourselves."...NO DAMAGE: City Stadium's new grass passed its first test with flying colors, Custodian John Proski reported. "No damage was done," he said. "I'm well satisfied with the way it held up under that pounding."...HIGH NOTE: The Packer Lumberjack Band, which has become as much a part of the game as the players and officials, officially opened its 23rd season last night. Director Wilner Burke coincidentally began his 23rd year with the baton...BREAKDOWN: The scheduled introduction of the Packer and Giant players during pregame ceremonies ended abruptly when the public address system conked out while Emcee Bill Howard was presenting the Packers. Most of them, and all of the Giants, eventually had to appear unannounced and P.A. Announcer Clair Stone was "at liberty" until nearly five minutes of the first quarter had elapses, at which point service was restored...MOST VALUABLE: Halfback Tom Moore and linebacker Bill Forester was chosen as the game's most valuable Packer players, on offense and defense, by vote of the Mike and Pen Sports Club of Green Bay.
33,452 GATE MARK HERE, WON'T STAND
SEPT 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay football fans added another new chapter to their city's already lustrous gridiron annals Monday night when 33,452 of them turned out to watch the Packers nip the New York Giants in the first Bishop's Charities game. the attendance figure set a new high for football crowds in Green Bay, surpassing the previous mark of 32,417 that has overcrowded City Stadium, which seated 32,150 since its opening in 1957, on several occasions. This record, however, is due for a short life since the first league game set for City Stadium this year, Sept. 24 against the 49ers, has been virtually sold out (along with the rest of the schedule) and will draw well over 38,000. The larger throngs, including Monday night's, are possible, of course, because of the swelled capacity of the stadium. With two new sections added above the rim of the bowl on the southeast and southwest corners, the official seating has increased by 6,200 to 38,350. The Charities game mark will live for at least another year, however, as a record for preseason games in Green Bay. Bishop Stanislaus V. Bona, head of the Green Bay Catholic Diocese, said he was "very happy" with the attendance and ventured to say "we may come out all right after expenses." And if this is the case, he expects to see another similar production next year. Ed Gagnon, general chairman for the game, and the Rev. William Spalding, chairman of the Bishop's committee, agreed they were "satisfied" with the turnout. "We expected 30,000 or more," Gagnon declared, "but we were hoping for a sellout." Father Spalding added: "Actually, this is terrific for the first year, and it gives us something to shoot for next year." Gagnon also volunteered that he believes one out of five fans were seeing their first Packer game in the "new" stadium. "I would say at least one of five," he said, "judging by the reactions we have heard in our ticket office the past few days. Many of these fans have come from distant parts of the diocese (which covers most of Northeastern Wisconsin)." Gagnon revealed that more than 6,000 tickets were sold at the stadium itself Monday and about 5,000 were sold at the Charities ticket office in the several days preceding Monday. The 5,000 empty seats were well scattered almost unnoticeably throughout the stadium except for a patch of bare seats in the upper reaches of the northeast corner. The new sections were filled. Proceeds from the game will be used for the Diocese Apostolate, St. Joseph's Home for Children and the Community Chest.
PACK OFFENSIVE LINE PARED; CVERKCO TRADED TO COWBOYS
SEPT 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers' offensive line, the pride and joy of Bill Austin, is now down to league-season strength. Andy Cvercko, the third guard, has been traded to Dallas for a draft choice, reducing the backfield's "protective corps" to seven men - one less than a year ago. The tackle-to-tackle setup has Forrest Gregg, Bob Skoronski and Norm Masters at the tackles, Jerry Kramer and Fred Thurston at the guards, Capt. Jim Ringo at center and Ken Iman relieving at guard or center. A year ago, Cvercko was the eighth man in the unit. The quick and hard-hitting line is rated among the best in the league and was a large factor in leading the Pack to the Western title last year. The trade of Cverkco is the first step in cutting the Packers' roster to the second last league limit of 38. Coach Vince Lombardi said he expected to complete reduction of the roster sometime today. The final cut, to 36, must be made Tuesday (Sept. 12) before the league opener....And speaking of the offensive line, the Giant game offered some excellent "practice" for that league opener - the Lions in Milwaukee Sept. 17. The Lions and Giants have something in common - large and active defensive linemen. They each have a real giant - New York's Rosey Grier, a 290-pound, 6-6 specimen, and Detroit's Roger Brown, a 6-5, 300-pounder. New York's defensive line was the first to dump Bart Starr in four non-league games this season, nailing him four times for losses of 7, 9, 5 and 8 yards - a total of 29. The Pack's offensive line hopes to cut down to "zero" against the Lions...The Packers have one more preseason game left - the Redskins in Columbus, Ga., Saturday night. The game will serve as a final tuneup for the official start of the Packers' title defense. Needless to say, the Pack will be looking past Washington, with an eye toward the many problems the Lions will present. Lombardi has taken a dim view of the excitement attached to winning preseason games. He said Tuesday, via the AP, "I see red every time I'm reminded that we've got a preseason victory string going. What people forget is that we got beat four times last season and lost again in the big one at Philadelphia." Vince added, referring to the Giant game: "We scored only two touchdowns and that's not enough. We made enough mistakes to lose. We looked good at times and then bad. But I'll tell you this, we're getting 100 percent from every individual. But we haven't prepared for any of these preseason games, at least not the way we'll prepare for the opener."...This is roster-cutting day around the league and a number of veterans are on their way out. Among them are former Packer Alex Hawkins of the Colts and guard Buzz Guy, former Giants, of the Vikings. In a trade especially noteworthy to Green Bay, the Redskins traded fullback Johnny Olszewski to Detroit for end Steve Junker. Olszewski will give the Lions bench strength behind Nick Pietrosante - plus a running mate for Danny Lewis.
FRANCIS NOW RECONCILED TO NEW GRID LIFE WITH MONTREAL
SEPT 6 (Montreal) - Joe Francis, former Oregon State tailback, said today he was "bitter" when the Green Bay Packers of the NFL let him go to the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. But good pay - "better than I was getting at Green Bay" - has reconciled him to the change now. Francis said he was upset at the legal legerdemain the Packers and Alouettes used to get him waived out of the NFL and shipped north of the border. "Sure, I was kind of bitter about it," he said. "I wanted to stay in the NFL and I knew at least two teams that would have picked me up on waivers. But don't get me wrong," he continued, "I've signed with Montreal and they don't have to worry about how I feel. I've always given 100 percent wherever I've played and I'll do the same here." Francis, a 25-year old, 6-1, 195-pounder, is considered a valuable piece of football property. He's no Johnny Unitas or Norm Van Brocklin, and he may never be, but he's considered a highly intelligent quarterback who, if given the opportunity of regular employment, could develop into a first-rate signal caller. In three years with the Packers, he started only one game. He sat out all last year with a broken left leg and this season injured his right knee during an intra-squad game. The Packers circulated the word that Francis was out indefinitely. Subsequently they placed him on the injury waiver list, which scared any NFL teams' interest in him. "No one will touch you if you're on the injury waiver list," he said. "Vince (Lombardi) knew this. He wouldn't let me go to any other team in the NFL's Western Division because I was so familiar with the Packers' system. He told me they wanted me go to Montreal for the season. Vince tried to tell me that I wasn't good enough to make the Packers this season and not good enough to play with any other NFL teams. This got me made and I told him that I knew two other teams - one in the West and one in the East. He changed his attitude a little after some more discussion. We parted friends and I agreed to come up to Montreal and look things over." Joe admits that the Canadian dollar has something to do with softening the blow. "The money's real good - better than I was getting at Green Bay," he said. A team of Montreal doctors spent six hours probing Francis' knee and the consensus was that all it needed was rest. Joe began throwing the ball last week but not until this week did he start out working with the Alouette offensive team. Coach Perry Moss, desperate for a quarterback since nine-year veteran Sam Etcheverry was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but jumped to the St. Louis Cardinals, figures that after several weeks of offensive futility, Francis is the man who will finally get the punchless Alouettes rolling. In the two games that Francis has seen the Als play, he says he's seen several things he likes about the Canadians but admitted "I'm finding it difficult to think in terms of three downs instead of four." He also said he has observed a few things that he thinks might help the Alouettes move the ball better, but Joe said that for the time being "I'm going to concentrate on making the team."
'NOT WAIVED INJURED'
SEPT 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer Coach Vince Lombardi said today that Francis was "waived - not waived injured." Other than that, Vince said he would have no comment.
PACK CUTS HICKMAN, 2 ROOKIE BACKS STAY
SEPT 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers have two rookie speed merchants among their running backs today, with the waivering of veteran fullback Larry Hickman. They are Herb Adderley, the swiftee from the big school - Michigan State, and Elijah Pitts, the long-legged stepper from the little school - Philander Smith College. Hickman, whose release was announced today by Coach Vince Lombardi, is the second member of the 1960 Western Division champions to be dispatched this week, bringing the roster down to 38. Guard Andy Cvercko was traded to the Cowboys Wednesday. This figure must be reduced to the final 36 next Tuesday. Hickman, a 215-pound fullback, played behind Jim Taylor. He was obtained on waivers from the Cardinals a year ago. Larry actually is the fourth member of the title team to go. Earlier, tackle John Miller, who replaced Jim Temp late in the season, was released and Steve Meilinger was traded to Dallas. Two rookies breaking into a championship club's backfield is nothing shot of phenomenal but both have dazzling speed. This gives the Pack a new "blend" with their three big power runners - Paul Hornung, Tom Moore and Taylor. Adderley, the Bays' first draft choice, suffered a shoulder injury in the Bear game but he's recuperating fast. As Taylor puts it, "you've got to great recuperative powers to stay in this league." Pitts, a hard-nosed hitter, was the Pack's 13th choice. Incidentally, Herb said he hurt his shoulder on a "simple hit with a Bear defensive linemen. We just hit shoulders solid but he weighed 280 pounds." With four veterans gone from 1960 and two less players on the final roster than last year, chances of simon-pures staying with the club seem good. Every member of the championship team returned. Besides Adderley and Pitts, the Bays have rookies Phil Nugent, defensive back; Nelson Toburen, linebacker; Ron Kostelnik, tackle; Lee Folkins, offensive end; and Val Keckin, quarterback. The Bays now have a five-day wait until the final cut - sometimes a critical period, since it's the last chance to make trades. The Packers closed out practice here this week for the Washington Redskin game in Columbus, Ga., Saturday night. The Bays will leave Friday morning and drill in the afternoon at Fort Benning, Ga. The squad is in good shape physically other than minor hurts, although there was a real stranger in Bud Jorgensen's training room yesterday. That would be Dave Hanner, who was soaking a foot in ice water. Hanner hated to waste time getting treatments. The Redskins game can be a danger game - not so much from losing, but from injury, since it's the final preseason battle. With the big league opener (vs. Detroit in Milwaukee Sept. 17) coming up a week from Sunday, the Packers could hurt if
they relax, although the Bays aren't the type of team that relaxes...The Packers leave for Columbus, Ga., at 8 o'clock Friday morning, flying out of Austin Straubel Field in their chartered United Airlines plane. They'll land at Lawson Airfield at Fort Benning and headquarter at the Army installation. After practice at 2 o'clock, they'll take part in a football clinic. The Bays will return to Green Bay about 2:20 Sunday afternoon, via United.
PIETROSANTE SLOW START LION WORRY
SEPT 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - One of the minor worries of Coach George Wilson as his Detroit Lions wind up their exhibition season has been Nick Pietrosante. The fullback from Notre Dame has had trouble reaching the peak he hit last season when he led National League rushers. With four exhibitions out of the way and the final one coming up Saturday at Cleveland, Pietrosante has gained only 123 yards. "I'm not overly concerned about Nick," Wilson said. "I know what he can do and we're counting on another good year from him." Pietrosante reported to camp a shade over his 225-pound playing weight. This was blamed for slowing him. Pietrosante's substitute, Johnny Olszewski, worked out with the Lions for the first time Wednesday after reporting from the Washington Redskins. The Lions open the season against the Packers Sept. 17 at Milwaukee County Stadium...The Colts may have to look for another quarterback as understudy to ace Johnny Unitas. Lamar McHan, obtained from the Packers, was expected to fill the job, but he faces military duty as a member of the 219th Medical Co., of the Arkansas National Guard. It has been ordered to active duty Oct. 1 - date of the third NFL game. McHan said he has requested permission to delay reporting until after Jan. 1 when the NFL season is over.
FINAL EXAM: TOBUREN FACES 'SKINS
SEPT 8 (Columbus, GA-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Nelson Toburen played college football to get an education. He really didn't care much about playing football. Toburen got his education at Wichita University via a football scholarship, and, as he put it: "Can you imagine? Somebody drafted me. I never won any football honors in particular other than all-conference. And the AFL didn't even draft me." But the Packers of the NFL did draft him, 14th, and at the moment the lean 6-3, 220-pounder stands a good chance of making the Western Division champs. He'll know for sure next Tuesday when the Bays reduce to 36 players for the title grind. Toburen will probably see plenty of action against the Redskins in Memorial Stadium Saturday
night - the Bays' final preseason game before the league opener against the Lions in Milwaukee Sept. 17. With Tom Bettis on the inactive list from which he can be restored to active duty at any time, Toburen presently moves in behind linebacker Bill Forester, Dan Currie and Ray Nitschke. The newcomer played right linebacker for a few series against the Giants, made a couple of tackles and intercepted a deflected pass. How can a nobody, who's not particularly interested in football, make a major league football team? Toburen has the answer himself: "Football was a chore for me in college. I was more interested in an education and football sometimes interfered with my school work, although I was able to get my degree in political science. When I came to Green Bay and started playing professional football, I discovered that football was a lot of fun - unlike in college. I do enjoy pro football and now I feel I have a reasonably good chance of making the team. This certainly is the greatest football there is." Nelson hopes to get into law someday. Toburen was no stranger when he joined the Packers. Bill Austin, the Packers' offensive line coach, coaches Nelson at Wichita in 1958 - the year before Bill joined Vince Lombardi here. Austin recommended Toburen highly. Toburen, 22, never played linebacker at Wichita. He went both ways at end, usually playing the blocking end. At Colby, Kan., High, Toburen played tailback. He stood 6-2 and packed 200 pounds then...The Packers are staying at the permanent Army post, Fort Benning, Ga., outside Columbus. They practiced at Benning this afternoon and then conducted a football clinic for Army personnel...There's a new face in the Packer picture - tackle Ben Davidson, who at 6-8, 285 is one of the largest Packers in history. The giant came from the Giants in exchange for a draft choice, Coach Lombardi announced. Davidson will likely work as a defensive linemen. A fourth round pick by the Giants, he was first tried at offensive tackle by New York and then moved to defense. The new player played at the University of Washington and, of course, was a teammate of the Pack's Lee Folkins.
PACKERS TO CUT LOOSE IN 'FINALE' VS. SKINS
SEPT 9 (Columbus, GA-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers play under new conditions tonight. They'll be away from the large friendly crowds of their home sod and they're lopsided favorites to walk away from the rebuilding Washington Redskins in Memorial Stadium. While the Packers just never "take it easy" in any game, they can't help but have one eye on the devastating Detroit Lions - the league opening foe in Milwaukee a week from Sunday. The Packers will blast away tonight - just as they did in whipping the Bears and Giants back home in Wisconsin, to cut down the chances of getting hurt, and, of course, to score the most points. Coach Vince Lombardi wants his athletes to really cut loose. His theory is simply that the relaxing athlete is the one who is susceptible to injury. A crowd of close to 20,000 will witness tonight's battle which is sponsored by the combined Boys Clubs of Columbus and nearby Phoenix City, Ala., This will be the first pro game ever played here and will be the first of three between the Rebel Redskins and Yankee Packers. Give or take a last minute cut, the Packers will test all of their rookies, including Ben Davidson, the 6-8, 280-pound defensive lineman who just reported to the club here Friday. He was obtained in a trade with the New York Giants for a draft choice. Lee Folkins likely will see early action at offensive end, behind Boyd Dowler or Max McGee. Elijah Pitts, Ron Kostelnik and Nelson Toburen figure to play plenty. Toburen could go the distance - as he did in the first two games. This is something of a curious game in that the Redskins will be trying to break an umpteen-game losing streak and the Packers will be trying to continue a 13-game preseason skein. The Redskins, coming along carefully and slowly under new Coach Bill McPeak, will open with a rookie quarterback who has looked exceptionally good. He received his big chance when Ralph Guglielmi injured his back in a collision with a fence and the Eagles back in Bristol, Tenn., last Saturday night - one Mr. Norman Snead. Guglielmi is definitely out. M.C. (Chief) Reynolds, a three-year veteran, will back up Snead. The rookie QB's biggest asset is his coolness under fire. McPeak claims that the Pack's new and swifter secondary will give Snead his greatest test. The Redskins claim Snead is a good bet to be the first rookie QB to make the league as a starter since Babe Parilli in 1952. The Redskins will open with Snead; Tom Osborne, ex-49er, at flanker; and Sam Horner and Don Bosseler at the running backs. The ends are Fred Dugan, another ex-49er, and Bill Anderson. Washington has only 10 members left from the 1959 team and they'll go with 10 rookies this year.
Which is unusual in view of the fact that the Packers, a championship team, may have as many as six rookies when the league bell rings. The Redskins think they have a good defense, but their offense has been disappointing. The Packers will judge both units tonight...BRIEFS: The Packers are staying at nearby Fort Benning, home of the infantry school. The giant Army post has a population of around 60,000 at the moment...Making the trip is retired Army Col., Ockie Krueger, the Packers' "man" in Milwaukee, who spent six years at Fort Benning, ending in 1956. When the Bays stepped off the plane Friday afternoon, the colonel winked: "You are now under military law." The Bays are living in bachelor officers' quarters...Rain is predicted tonight but, like everywhere else, the weather is changeable...Defense backfield coach Norb Hecker has his eye on interceptions. "If we can get our hands on the ball five times in each game, we should average two interceptions a game or even more. Three would get great!" The Bays stole off three off the Giants' Chuck Conerly last Monday, including two by Willie Wood. Incidentally, Wood is the key to a stronger Packer secondary. Hecker has told Willie: "I'll be disappointed if you didn't get 10 interceptions this season."...The Packers will leave here Sunday morning, arriving back at Austin Straubel Field via United Airlines charter at 2:20 Sunday afternoon...Folkins and Davidson are rare birds. They weren't even first stringers at Washington last year - yet they're the only Huskies to make it in the NFL. Folkins was a second string end and Davidson was on the third team.
