1961 Green Bay Packers Training Camp
LOMBARDI RINGS BELL FOR 19 'FROSH' AS PACKERS KICK OFF 42ND NFL YEAR
JUL 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - His curriculum complete, Packer Headmaster Vince Lombardi rings the bell for 19 hopeful freshmen at St. Norbert College Sunday evening, thereby christening the Packers' 42nd season in the NFL. The rookies will not be along, however. Scheduled to report for dinner at 6, they will be joined by quarterbacks Bart Starr and Joe Francis, and centers Jim Ringo and Ken Iman. Following the meal, the recruits and their veteran colleagues will move into the now traditional routine - physical examinations, under the supervision of team physician Dr. James Nellen, and a briefing session presided over by Lombardi...FIRST PRACTICE MONDAY: That will conclude the Sabbath, certain to be the "shortest" day of the training season. Two-a-day practices become the order of the day Monday, starting at 10 o'clock in the morning (the afternoon sessions will begin at 3). Thirty-two veterans, excused for the first two days, get into the act Tuesday evening. Heroes all of the Packers' surge to their first NFL Western Division championship in 16 years last autumn, they are due in for dinner. A number of them, champing at the bit, are already here. All-Pro defensive tackle Hank Jordan, is in from Newport News, Va., is the latest to arrive. He joins such other 1960 stalwarts as Forrest Gregg, Bill Forester, Hank Gremminger and John Symank - plus year-around Green Bay citizens Tom Bettis, Ray Nitschke, Gary Knafelc, Lew Carpenter, Bob Skoronski, Jim Temp and Starr...THREE PROSPECTS MISSING: Three of the Packers' most prominent yearlings will be missing when the roll is called Sunday night. No. 1 draftee Herb Adderley, the mercurial Michigan State alumnus, third choice Phil Nugent of Tulane and fifth choice Jack Novack from the University of Miami (Fla.) are with the All-Star squad, presently drilling at Evanston, Ill., for its Aug. 4 date with the Philadelphia Eagles. High hopes are held for the mercurial Adderley, a leading flanker candidate, while Nugent is a quarterback but chances are he will be employed at defensive halfback, where Lombardi feels the need is more urgent. Novack, also a highly regarded prospect, is a linebacker...PACKER PATTER: The Packers' practice fields, located adjacent to City Stadium, was marked Friday in preparing for Monday's "invasion."...Veteran Trainer Carl (Bud) Jorgensen, a valued member of the Packer family since 1924, has reported for his 38th season. He and Property Manager Dad Braisher have been putting the training room in order for over a week.
DON'T WEEP FOR TOBIN
JUL 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Before anyone sheds a tear over the plight of poor old Tobin Rote, languishing in the Canadian football wilderness, it might be well to hear a first-hand report from Green Bay sportsman Larry Fitchett, just back from an international Kiwanis convention in Toronto. where ex-Packer, ex-Detroit Lion Rote and his fellow Argonauts currently are perspiring in preparation for the 1961 season. "I had a chat with Lew Hayman (the Argos' business manager) at practice while I was there and he tells me they're paying Rote $26,000 a year," Fitchett imparted. "And that's not all. Under his contract, he also gets a million dollars worth of business for his conduit company (located in Detroit)." Rote's sentiments concerning this pretty parlay should be obvious but, for the record, friend Fitchett confides, "Tobin just loves it up there. He commutes from Detroit for practice, which gives him a chance to spend time with his family at home, and he couldn't be happier. The Argos hold three practices a day, incidentally, because many of them have jobs, but a player make take part in only two."
PACKERS CAN TOSS WEIGHT AROUND, TOO
JUL 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - This could be the year the Packers start throwing their weight around - literally. Such a pleasant possibility manifested itself as 17 rookies - and six veterans - checked in at St. Norbert College Sunday evening in response to Vince Lombardi's first roll call of the 1961 season. A year ago the Packers defensive line ranked as one of the NFL's two most miserly units against rushing, restricting the enemy to an average of 3.2 yards per rush (as did the New York Giants), although the principals were a pair of relative lightweights, 240-pound Henry Joran and Hawg Hanner, a svelte 245. This year, with the pressure certain to mount in the face of a 14-game schedule occasioned by the Minnesota Vikings' addition to the NFL family, the Jordan-Hanner tandem is likely to require assistance - and it could be forthcoming. Among Sunday's arrival were three spectacular specimens, big Jim Brewington, Ron Kostelnik and Clarence Lacina, all of whom are candidates for employment at defensive tackle. Brewington, in particular, cuts an awesome figure. The 22-year-old North Carolina College alumnus drapes 287 pounds over a 6-6 chassis and, significantly, there is little excess avoirdupois. The Kostelnick and Lacina proportions are virtually as heroic. Ron, the Packers' No. 2 draft choice out of the University of Cincinnati, scaled 262 and Lacina, a homegrown product from Superior State College, 255. Both are 6-4. The pretty part of it is that Brewington and Kostelnik are "growing boys." Brewington reports he stretched 3 1/2 inches during his collegiate career while Kostelnik is barely 21 and is expected to "fill out" in the next year. All of the scheduled reportees, of which there were 23 including 17 rookies, appeared last night with one notable exception. All-pro center Jim Ringo was fog-bound at his Easton, Pa., home. Ringo called at 4 o'clock Sunday afternoon to inform that all planes still were grounded. Three others were marked "absent" - but all three had good excuses. They are No.1 draft choice, Herb Adderley of Michigan State, third pick Phil Nugent of Tulane and fifth choice Jack Novack of the University of Miami (Fla.), currently exercising with the College All-Stars at Evanston, Ill. They will report Aug. 5...STARR UNDERWEIGHT: The rookies were joined by quarterbacks Bart Starr, who reported underweight, and Joe Francis and center Ken Iman - plus three other unscheduled veterans, Max McGee, Willie Davis and Lew Carpenter. The veterans, aside from the quarterbacks and centers, are not due in until the dinner hour Tuesday night, although a number of them were expected to check in today, among them Forrest Gregg, Bill Forester, Tom Bettis, Ray Nitschke, Boyd Dowler and Gary Knafelc. Two-a-day drills, which will prevail until further notice, were instituted at 10 o'clock this morning, with afternoon sessions set for 3 o'clock...PACKER PATTER: Following last night's get-acquainted meal, the players underwent physical examination, then was briefed on the training grind at a short meeting. Dr. James Nellen, team physician, presided at the medical check, with the assistance of Drs. Robert J. Rose, Robert Schmidt, George McGuire, J.B. Grace and Patrick J. and Thomas E. Murphy. The visual tests, which occasioned considerable hilarity among the patients, were conducted by Packer Publicitor Tom Miller, while Trainer Carl (Bud) Jorgensen and his new training camp aide, West De Pere basketball coach Dominic Gentile, served as registrars...Although his overall statistics were the most impressive, Brewington had to surrender the honors for sheer suet to tackle Royce Whittington of Southwestern (La.), who scaled a whopping 319. Brewington played,
The Packers logo is reversed on all of the Packer cards in the 1961 Fleer set.
incidentally, at 290 last season "but I'm going to try to get down to 275 here."...Rookie Elijah Pitts and Starr also have weight problems - in reverse. Elijah, 9.6 speedster from Philander Smith, weighed in at 187, seven pound below his normal weight, while Starr registered 195, five under what customarily carries at this stage. "It's been hot down there (Little Rock, Ark.) and I've been working hard," Pitts explained. "My weight always goes down during track season and I haven't been able to get it back up there." Starr also reported "hard work" as the cause of his decline, noting with a rueful grin, "I'll probably have to eat like made to stay where I am."...Randy Sims, yearling halfback from Texas A. and M., has a special incentive to make the grade. His wife presented him with an eight pound son June 27. A placekicking prospect, he booted a 52-yard field goal last season...Lacina is a professional wrestler. He debuted last winter after "studying" under Vern Gagne, the handsome ex-Packer who went on to become world champion after being pared from the roster in 1949. Buck McLeod, impressively built tackle from Baylor, also was a wrestler in college...Max McGee is delighted with his golf game. He reported firing a 71 one-over-par at Fort Worth, Tex., Friday before leaving for Green Bay. Max checked in at 220, some 15 pounds over his 1960 playing weight, but he wears it well. Davis also appeared in fine fettle, as did Joe Francis, who reported the leg he broke early last season "feels good."
WHITTINGTON CUT
JUL 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Royce Whittington, 319-pound rookie tackle from Southwestern (La.) Institute, became the Packer "casualty" at this morning's opening 1961 practice session. After taking three laps around the field, Whittington was advised to leave by Coach Vince Lombardi, who had expected the recruit to report at 265.
SIGN OF THE TIMES: 'HARDEST FIRST DAY I'VE HAD,' TUNNELL
JUL 18 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Perspiration glistened upon the dusky brow of Packer patriarch Emlen Tunnell, resting weary, aching bones on a dressing room chair at City Stadium in wake of Monday afternoon's rain-shortened practice, the second of 1961 but the first for him. "Mr. Lombardi is not kidding this year," he volunteered with a wry grin. "This is the hardest first day of practice I've had since I've been here. In fact, it's the hardest first day I've ever had." This is a statement of impressive magnitude, considering the hardy Rosemont, Pa., perennial is beginning his 14th semester in the NFL. It also is noteworthy because Tunnell, the most prolific pass interceptor in NFL history, is an authority on Lombardi's training camp regime, having served under the erstwhile Fordham Block of Granite for five years in addition to the last two in Packers silks. Significantly, his admission came after a downpour had cut the Pack's afternoon session in half, which would tend to indicate Signor Lombardi meant what he said in vowing he would tolerate no complacency in the ranks of his defending Western Conference champions...'IN GOOD SHAPE'" Though he found the going strenuous, Tunnell is sure his flesh will match the spirit in short order. "I came to camp in good shape," the genial elder statesman confided with pardonable pride. "I'm a little sore right now (he tapped his stomach muscles) but in four or five days, I'll be ready for anything. I think everybody will." As indicated earlier, he and his panting colleagues were rescued by the weatherman. The decision to call a halt came shortly after operations had resumed, following a brief respite which found the players taking shelter in a small equipment building. The cloudburst, which had threatened almost from the time the Packers took the field at 3 o'clock, also drove an estimated 300 grandstand quarterbacks to cover, some of whom spartanly absorbed a good soaking before grudgingly beating a retreat. Tunnell wasn't the only "early bird" veteran (they, aside from quarterbacks and centers, are not due to appear until 6 o'clock this evening) to report. Safetyman John Symank, Larry Hickman and Boyd Dowler also checked in during the afternoon session, joining Hawg Hanner, Gary Knafelc, Lew Carpenter, Max McGee and Willie Davis, all of whom had reported in the morning. A "late" arrival, courtesy of the ubiquitous weatherman, was veteran center Jim Ringo. The 29-year-old middleman, fog-bound in his native Easton, Pa., Sunday, arrived in time to strain a few muscles in the p.m. drill...PACKER PATTER: Lombardi, as expected, had no comment on the first day's work. "It's too early to tell," he observed, adding with a note of chagrin, "We had nothing this afternoon." Sophomores Ken Iman and Jim Brewington, the mountainous rookie from North Carolina College, elicited words of praise from the head man for their vigorous assault on the dummy during the pass-blocking drill..."He'll never quit, he'll never quit," Hickman chortled as he encountered Tunnell in the dressing room. "I need the money," Em shot back with a grin..."I'm a lot better off than when I came up here a year ago," imparted Hawg Hanner, a heat prostration victim at the outset of practice last year, as well as in 1959. "All I have to do is get off seven pounds," he smiled, "and I'll be down to the weight I played at last year, 255." Max McGee, who had reported at 217, a dozen pounds over his 1960 figure, revealed "I gained a pound" after two arduous workouts. "I weigh 218 now."...The Ringos are now five. Jim's wife presented him with his second son and third offspring June 21. The All-Pro's better half and the family will join him in September, he told line coach Bill Austin, "and they're going to stay for the whole season - until after the championship game."
MEN WITH MISSION? NO FAT MAN'S TABLE IN PACK CAMP - VETS IN SHAPE
JUL 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Men with a mission? For the first time within memory, there will be no "fat man's table" (long accepted as an inevitable tradition of the training season, human nature being what it is) in the Packers' 1961 camp. And for a delightfully valid reason - there is no need for one. Vince Lombardi made this heartening discovery Tuesday as the bulk of 1960's veterans, principals in the Packers' surge to the first Western Division championship in 16 years, put in an appearance. Largely slim and trim, they gave every evidence of being primed to defend that prized possession, which returns to the public domain Sept. 17 with the opening of the 1961 NFL season - the day the Packers collide with the Detroit Lions at Milwaukee County Stadium. All of which prompted Lombardi to conceded, with some degree of satisfaction, "most of the veterans look in real good condition." He didn't say so, but it must have been a relief, since he had feared the natural tendency to complacency which so often follows in the wake of a championship season. This happy situation also caught the eye of Capt. Jim Ringo, the Packers' dedicated all-pro center. "Hawg (Hanner) came in only seven pounds over his playing weight and Jim Taylor is right at his, 215. Bill Forester, Forrest Gregg and Bob Skoronski are only 240. So is Jerry Kramer, who played at 252 last season. And Fuzzy Thurston is only 245," he noted following a crisp, spirited afternoon workout. "They all," he added with a meaningful nod of the head," came in with a purpose." That, if anyone need to be enlightened, would be snaring the championship which eluded them in the final frenetic seconds at Philadelphia's chilly Franklin Field last December. Prideful performers, they are not satisfied with half a loaf. Lombardi's joy over the returnees' spectacular condition was tempered somewhat by another discovery. Never one to mince words, he declared in response to a question concerning the rookie crop. "I don't think we've got too many prospects." The problem of evaluation was reduced somewhat by the departure Tuesday of two rookies, halfback Randy Sims of Texas A. & M., and tackle Buck McLean of Baylor, bother of whom departed the scene of their own volition, and the release today of Sterling Parnel, freshman free agent guard from Howard University...SCRIMMAGE THIS WEEK: Reaffirming his contention that "it's too early to evaluate our material."
Vince revealed there will be few, if any, squad cuts "before next week, maybe one or two." The first scrimmage, which could determine the fate of some hopefuls, will be held "the latter part of the week," he said...PACKER PATTER: Rookie quarterback Val Keckin, the lanky Mississippi Southern alumnus, anticipated his receivers' moves well during the afternoon passing drill. Lee Folkins, 6-5, 212-pound recruit, also impressed with his receiving. Former Wisconsin quarterback Johnny Coatta, an interested bystander, said, "I haven't seen him drop one all afternoon." Coatta, now an assistant coach at Florida State, had a tryout with the Packers in 1955. Freshmen tackles Ron Kostelnik and Jim Brewington likewise elicited favorable comments, from fans and coaches alike...Incredibly muscular Jim Taylor, resembling nothing so much as a chunk of granite, attributed his "mid-season" condition to "playing a lot of handball and running three or four miles a day."...Don Hutson, a distinguished practice guest, is in town to film a television commercial, to be used during NFL telecasts next fall, for a cigarette company.
'NEW' JOE FRANCIS LEARNS TO THROW, EYES SHOT AT QB
JUL 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The "Hawaiian War Chant," intoned by a lusty chorus of one, resounds over City Stadium and environs these humid summer afternoons. The militant one is the "forgotten man" of 1960's Packer push to the NFL's Western Division throne room, swarthy Joe Francis, felled by a broken ankle early in the training season. "Pineapple Joe," as the Oregon State alumnus is known to his colleagues, stumped about in a cast for weeks, during which time he was appointed keeper of the charts by Coach Vince Lombardi, who kept the multi-talented Hawaiian at his side throughout the season. Deeply chagrined over Joe's misfortune, Lombardi declared, "This really hurts. It not only is a blow to the ball club but it's a serious career setback for Joe - it's just a wasted year." But that was 1960 - make no mistake. A "new" Francis, imbued with confidence, has flashed into perspective since the Packer began flexing their muscles here Monday morning. The crew-cut westerner, one of 50 remaining aspirants for steady employment, has run and pivoted upon the "tender" leg without an apparent twinge, and, what Lombardi finds even more enchanting, the four-year veteran is hitting his receivers with spectacular frequency. "He's throwing better than ever," his fellow veterans concede with something akin to awe. The explanation: "I just learned to throw during the offseason," Joe says with a smile. "I was spot passing before. Now I'm passing with the man. That is, I'm looking at the man, watching his moves and letting my arm do the spot passing." "I actually did it quite a bit in college," he revealed, "but I thought I had to change when I got into the pros. I did and it probably was too much." Francis made his recent conversion with the aid of a fellow Oregon State grad, Dainard Paulson, who this autumn will toil for the New York Titans in the AFL. "We golfed together for three hours every day, then worked out for about two more. I had to keep going to keep up with him." Joe grinned, "because he's a real go-getter." The same program served to strengthen the damaged "wheel," Joe confided. "I had to work on my leg at home - I had to do a lot of running," he said. "That's what got me into shape. If I had waited until I got here, I'd be so far behind I'd never catch up." Whether all this is sufficient to unseat incumbent Bart Starr, obviously, remain to be seen, but Joe said, "I'm looking forward to playing." Gently but firmly, "I want to get in there." "This is my fourth year for me," he added softly. "I should start to do something. Inactivity can hurt you more than anything, especially in this league."...Asserting he would have little to say "for at least two more weeks," Lombardi said only "the veterans are in real fine physical condition, which is very pleasing. They have a lot of hustle." Though cautious about mentioning names, he did note that rookie tackles Jim Brewington (6-6, 287, from North
Carolina State) and Ron Kostelnik (6-4, 262, Cincinnati) "looked very good." He has not decided on the date of the first scrimmage, he said, "but it will be either Friday or Saturday. As a matter of fact, there will be little contact every day from now on."...PACKER PATTER: Both the mountainous Brewington and rangy Lee Folkins, freshman end from Washington, drew praise from Lombardi during a thudding two-on drill, first contact of the season, held Wednesday afternoon...All-pro defensive tackle Henry Jordan was kicking himself for reporting 259 pounds. "I don't know why I never learn," Hank lamented. "It nearly kills me." Jordan plays at 240, he admitted, "and once last season I was down to 235."...Jerry Kramer's left eye, upon which surgery was performed last winter because of a retinal detachment, is "perfect," he reported. "I had it examined in Madison last Saturday and the doctor told me it's perfect." Kramer added, "I've always had poor vision in that eye, about 20-100. Now it's a little better than it ever was, if anything."...Of the 50 players remaining in camp, 36 are veterans. These do not include, of course, All-Stars Herb Adderley, Phil Nugent and Jack Novack.
KNAFELC LOOKING BETTER THAN EVER; SO IS COMPETITION
JUL 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Towering talented Gary Knafelc, the NFL's No. 1 refugee from Hollywood, has never looked better. This happy state of affairs, which must be a source of satisfaction to Vince Lombardi and his aides as they contemplate an arduous 14-game schedule born of expansion, may be largely traceable to a maturing of the former Colorado athlete's varied talents. But it also may have been spawned by competitive pressure, daily being applied with a vengeance in the shadow of City Stadium by four other accomplished candidates for the "tight," or close end position, which has been the handsome highboy's exclusive property for the last two years. To make matters more hectic, three of his challengers are proven, hard-nosed veterans, the other one of the brightest rookies in camp. All impressive to date, they include "mystery man" Ron Kramer, rugged Steve Meilinger, gifted handyman Lew Carpenter and a rangy, raw-boned rookie with a spectacular pair of hands, Washington's Lee Folkins. This is in sharp contrast to a year ago, when Knafelc won the starting nod over Meilinger in a strictly two-man competition. Without question, and the principals undoubtedly will agree, this is the closest race on the squad at the moment. All of the contestants have good size. Knafelc is 6-4 1/2 and 220, Kramer 6-3 1/2 and 235, Meilinger 6-2 and 230, Folkins 6-5 and 222, and Carpenter 6-2 and 215. Knafelc, Meilinger and Kramer also have established they can block with authority, which is the primary function of a tight end. Carpenter and Folkins also may match NFL standards in this category, but they thus far are unknown quantities since Carpenter always has been a back while Folkins has been under scrutiny for only four days. There also are other attributes Lombardi and his aides must weigh before arriving at a decision. Kramer, whose failure to match the brilliance he flashed as a rookie in 1957 since coming out of service in 1959 remains an enigma, is the fastest of the group. Indeed, for a distance of 40 yards, there are only a few on the roster who can stay with him. Youth likewise could come into consideration. Folkins, an intense competitor with big, sure hands, is only 22, a factor which could weigh for or against him in the final evaluation...Thursday afternoon's hard-hitting practice was marred by the first casualty of the young training season. The victim was Ron Kostelnik, the huge rookie tackle from the University of Cincinnati. Kostelnik was felled with a twisted knee during the dummy scrimmage and remained prone upon the turf for nearly 10 minutes with Trainer Bud Jorgensen working over him. Extent of the injury was undetermined pending the outcome of x-rays, although Kostelnik indicated that it was a "chronic" condition. It is the same knee he injured during his junior year in college, he said...PACKER PATTER: Big Jim Brewington, the huge rookie who is fast becoming a favorite with the grandstand quarterbacks, finds the professional approach a spectacular departure from his undergraduate days at North Carolina College. "It's one hundred percent different," Jim declared Thursday. "You can't loaf up here - you get broke up if you loaf. Hard work pays off."...Kostelnik, still wincing in pain long after practice had ended, explained, "I just got caught on a twist."...Jim Taylor, an ardent weight lifter, was the first to hoist the 210-pound barbell which arrived in the City Stadium dressing room. Taylor pressed 175 pounds with east. The barbell was purchased by the Packers "to be used by certain unnamed individuals," Line Coach Bill Auston said...Still in search of help in the team's "overall kicking game," Lombardi Thursday gave a punting tryout to Aldo Santaga, an Italian soccer player who played with the Croatian Eagles in the Wisconsin State Soccer League. A standout with the Eagles, he was told to return today for another look. "It's completely different," Santaga admitted following the great experiment. Aldo came to the U.S form Italy about four years ago...University of Wisconsin Coach Milt Bruhn and two of his aides, Fred Marsh and Fred Jacoby, were interested spectators at Thursday's session, Bruhn taking in the morning drill while his colleagues stayed for the day. One of Bruhn's former pupils, Dale Hackbart, has been an impressive performer at cornerback. He gets "beat" on occasion, as does even the best veteran, but the ex-Badger quarterback is blessed with speed to recover, which he does with surprising facility.
HELP ON DEFENSE? HACKBART, WOOD BLOOM
JUL 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A champion can't stand pat. No one is more keenly aware of this hoary maxim than Packer headmaster Vince Lombardi, a confirmed realist. He long since has conceded, "We need help in our defensive backfield if we hope to be in contention for the title again this year." And it may be forthcoming. With only one week of practice in, it manifestly is too early to tell. But an impression is abuilding that a pair of rapidly developing sophomore, quick, rangy Dale Hackbart and larcenous Willie Wood, could bring Lombardi's search to a delightfully abrupt end. A firm subscriber to this theory is their immediate superior, Norb Hecker. Following Friday afternoon's rain-splattered session on Oneida Street, in which both continued to bloom, the forthright Packer aide declared, "They seem to improve every day - in their moves and in their reactions. They have come a long way in just three day's work. They were green, as expected, as rookie last year but now they're veterans," the erstwhile Baldwin-Wallace athletic great pointed out. "With experience, they could be real stars in the league. They learn well and they take coaching well." Enumerating their assets, he observed, "Dale has good height (6-3 1/2), good hands and good range. Last year, after playing minor league baseball, he reported quite a bit underweight. This year, he reported in much better condition - in one year he has grown up. Willie has tremendous hands, good reactions to the ball and he knows football." There also is the possibility of help from another quarterback. Rookie Phil Nugent, presently exercising with the College All-Stars at Evanston, Ill., is rated as the best defensive back in Tulane history. He already has favorably impressed Hecker, who scouted Nugent in the All-American Bowl at Buffalo in June. "He has good size, good speed and good football sense," Norb declared. "He played the whole game at cornerback and did an outstanding job. That' where he'll play against Tommy McDonald of the Eagles in the All-Star game, I've been informed." Both Wood and Hackbart are playing right safety and Hecker confided, "I anticipate one of them will win it." Veteran John Symank, the muscular little gamecock from Florida U., held forth there last season but he has been moved to the left side as a running mate for Em Tunnell. Hecker shakes his head in wonder at the thought of Tunnell, hardy 36-year-old survivor of 13 bruising NFL campaigns. "There's no sign of age in him," Norb marvels. "It's the darndest thing I've ever seen. Right now he looks the best he has since he came here in
The 1961 Topps set.
1959. He's working a lot harder and he seems quicker. It'll take him a little longer to get into shape than the younger fellows - but he'll be ready."...GOAL: 30 INTERCEPTIONS: The demanding cornerback positions appear to be in good hands. Both Jesse Whittenton and Hank Gremminger should improve, Hecker feels, because of the mere fact they will be playing together for the third straight year. "It takes three or four years to develop a real topnotch defensive backfield unit," he points out. This worthy group, incidentally, has set a goal of 30 interceptions for the 1961 season. A year ago, the target was 24 - and they made it, with the aid of two in the championship game against the Eagles. "There's no reason why we shouldn't get 30," Hecker contends. "The boys get good position and they seem to get their hands on the ball. Their biggest fault is dropping 'em. We're working hard on that right now. Our drills really amount to pass receiving. After all, once that's ball in the air, we have just as much right to it as the offensive man."...PACKER PATTER: Fuzzy Thurston, the Altoona, Wis., product who last year teamed with Jerry Kramer to provide the Packers with the best pair of offensive guards in the NFL, drew lavish praise for his blocking during the afternoon contact session. So did Lee Folkins, the fancy freshman from Washington. At one point, Lombardi took "time out," walked over to the towering rookie and barked, "Good pop, Folkins, real good pop." In the course of his exertions, Thurston exacted "revenge" from Hank Jordan, an indication of the pride that burns in the breasts of the Western Division champions. "Fuzzy ran right over me twice today," Jordan said ruefully. "I beat him on a pass block the other day and he didn't forget it." Tom Bettis and Jim Ringo had some of the same. "Don't know why but we seem to take pleasure in beating each other up," Tom chuckled. "I hit him across the forehead with my forearm and Jim told me, 'I'm numb - I can't feel my feet.'"...Rookie tackle Ron Kostelnik, a casualty of Thursday afternoon's drill, was held out of action Friday to spare his injured knee. He stumped around in a sweat suit in an effort to shake the stiffness...Bill Quinlan, the strapping defensive end who almost scuttled the Philadelphia Eagles single-handed in the first quarter of last December's championship game, still is nursing a groin pull. In dazzling condition, Quinlan scales only 243 pounds, four less than the weight he played at last season...The Packers have a full-blooded Cherokee Indian in their midst. He is rookie Bob Beaver, rookie guard who hails from Okmulgee, Okla. Beaver numbers among his acquaintances one Jack Jacobs, Packer quarterback in 1947-48...Wally Cruice of Milwaukee, veteran Packer game scout, was a visitor to Friday's drills...All of the practices are being filmed for study and analysis by the coaches. Bill Johnson and Nick Golueke, who have been shooting Packer game films for years, are behind the cameras...The practice fields, tended with loving care by Custodian John Proski, are in spectacular shape. They are watered daily to assure softness and prevent aching feet and sore muscles.
LONG ODDS? QB KECKIN BATTLING FOR PACK JOB
JUL 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A rookie trying to make a championship team, in this case the Packers, realizes full well the odds are long. This is particularly true if he be a quarterback, with the likes of Bart Starr, a battle-tested survivor of that title surge, and four-year veteran Joe Francis, to outshine. This is the situation in which lanky, articulate Val Keckin find himself and, to his everlasting credit, the appealing freshman from Mississippi Southern doesn't appear to find it disconcerting. Quite to the contrary. The 21-year old string bean discusses the matter with quiet confidence. "I don't have any trouble pushing myself. It's easy because I want to do it so bad. I'll like it even better," he adds matter-of-factly, "when I get my moves down better." Though from a relatively small school, he has taken to the highly complex pro system with great facility. "I love it," he said, his ruddy face aglow. "This is the way football was meant to be played." He is particularly happy about not having to play defense, where he held forth when he was not quarterbacking Mississippi Southern. He also has found one other major difference. "Down there, you might have a slow back, for example, so you have to adjust your offense to your personnel. Here you don't worry about that - everybody can do the job." Keckin, a long ball expert who can rifle the football 80 yards, is talented in other directions. He has been awarded two fellowships, one for speech (his college major) and the other for coaching, at his alma mater. But he's in no hurry to avail himself of these. "I've got a lot of time to do those things," Val confides, with a meaningful grin. "But it's something to think about," he added with great practicality, "if things pan out here." Be that as it may, he has impressed at least one member of the Packer coaching staff. "He's one of the best young quarterback prospects I've seen come up in a long time," says Norb Hecker. "He does things well, particularly considering he's not a big name and didn't come from a big school."
ROOKIE MASON STAR IN PACK SCRIMMAGE
JUL 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Grandstand quarterbacks, heretofore titillated in the main by performances of such prominent Packer freshmen as Big Jim Brewington, Lee Folkins and Val Keckin, today were buzzing about another unheralded rookie. A standout in Saturday afternoon's controlled scrimmage, an activity Vince Lombardi found so satisfying he excused his athletes from a scheduled Saturday drill, the yearling in question is dusky Clarence Bryant Mason, an end hopeful from Bowling Green University. Mason, a supple 6-2, 195-pound specimen who can streak 100 yards in 9.8 seconds in track attire, elicited spontaneous bursts of applause (the only ones of the day, it might be added) from an estimated 1,200 of the faithful for a pair of spectacular catches. Operating at split end, a position where he now understudies the accomplished Max McGee, the mercurial Cleveland native engineered the first of his gems while being simultaneously assaulted by old pros Jesse Whittenton and Em Tunnell. Despite the impact, Mason clung to the ball and reeled on his way. The second, a picture "play," came just before the end of practice. Joe Francis, replacing Bart Starr at quarterback, drifted back and fired. Mason, wheeling down the left sidelines, got a step on Whittenton (which is no mean feat) and ran under the ball with the nonchalance of a veteran. Though the competition is stiff indeed, Mason's performance unquestionably has added to the coaching staff's evaluation woes. Lombardi, understandably reluctant to assess any of the rookies at the moment, admits Mason "has great speed and good hands." Despite that speed, Clarence apologetically admits, "I only won the '100' twice in college. There was some guys who were running it in 9.6," he grinned, "so 9.8 wasn't so fast." Mason, the Mid-American Conference's No. 2 receiver last year, holds a Bowling Green record. He caught three touchdown passes in one game against Western Michigan as junior in 1959, the year Bowling Green was voted the nation's small school football champion. An art major in college, where he sold four paintings in a student "show," the sure-handed rookie would like to "teach and be a professional artist" when his football career is over. He is married and the father of a six-month old son, Clarence Bryant Mason, Jr. How does he feel about his chances? "I feel they are
as good as any other rookie here," he said with quiet confidence. "I still have a lot to learn - I suppose we all do. But I'm sure trying."...Sunday's Picture Day was on-again-off-again. The dark clouds and rain in the morning brought forth a halt in the day and postponement until Monday morning. About 11 a.m., the clouds broke up and Publicitor Tom Miller was back in business. Close to 1,000 fans gathered around the picture-taking ceremonies and the strong sky provided excellent background for the pictures, which will be used for publicity during the season...It was back to two-a-day drills today, with 49 players in camp, including 13 rookies. Not included are the three players in the College All Star camp - Herb Adderley, Jack Novak and Phil Nugent.
ALL-STAR NOVAK HERE; OUT WITH KNEE HURT
JUL 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jack Novak, the sone of the North Chicago police chief, watched the Packer offensive guards do some live blocking in Monday afternoon's practice. It was especially interesting because Jack is an offensive guard but had been used as a linebacker in the College All Star camp. He left the Stars because of a knee injury and reported here Monday. Novak is an offensive players by trade but, under the college system, went both ways at Miami (Fla.) University. "They got all three of us (Packers) going on defense," Jack said, referring to Herb Adderley, Phil Nugent and himself. Adderley was an offensive whiz at Michigan State and Nugent quarterbacked Tulane. Adderley is playing safety and Nugent is a cornerbacker for the All Stars. "They're both doing good and they should play a lot. They had me at outside linebacker," Novak said. Adderley is ticketed for offense with Pack - at least he's due to start with the ball-advancement unit. Nugent will join up with six veteran secondarymen - Jess Whittenton. Hank Gremminger, John Symank, Em Tunnell, Willie Wood and Dale Hackbart. Novak, here for treatment on his knee, viewed some fierce blocking by guards Jerry Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston, Andy Cvercko and Bib Beaver on the defensive tackles and linebackers, with a ball carrier as bait. They blocked on right tackles John Miller, Jim Brewington and Hank Jordan and left tackles Clarence Lacina and Dave Hanner - plus linebackers Tom Bettis and Ray Nitschke. Monday afternoon's drills, the first full-equipment session since Saturday's scrimmage featured individual contact action in the groups. Everybody was dressed for rugged action except Ron Kostelnik, first-year tackle who has a leg injury. After Monday morning's drill, Coach Lombardi conducted relay springs, with all able-bodied athletes (those without pulls) competing. There were four 11-player groups and the loser had to take a lap. A faulty "handoff" between Bettis and Hackbart ruined it for Hackbart's team. The Packers are going for speed and a number of the veterans displayed plenty of it. Fastest of the "big men" was Jim Temp, the ex-Badger who missed a good deal of last year with a shoulder injury. Temp, onetime offensive end at Wisconsin, is fighting for action at defensive end. Temp has taken part in the controlled scrimmage with no shoulder problem. In wind sprints Monday, Ron Kramer and Boyd Dowler appeared to be among the swiftest. Work yesterday was cooled by intermittent showers...BRIEFS: Manitowoc Branch River Pro Lou Warobick visited the Packer camp Monday...Assistant coach Norb Hecker was really whoozy with the flu during Monday's drills and hit the pad as soon as he returned to the St. Norbert College headquarters...A light scrimmage was on tap for this afternoon and time trials were scheduled for this morning...In case you haven't noticed, big Hawg Hanner hasn't been to the hospital yet. The heat and the tough
start put him there in each of the last two years. Thus far, the weather's been cooler, and, better yet, Dave's in wonderful condition.
NOT ONE SEASON TICKET LEFT, VINCE
JUL 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers "have absolutely not one season ticket for sale. The only tickets we have left at City Stadium are for visiting teams." Vince Lombardi made this historic revelation, of the first season sellout in Packer annals, to more than 100 fellow golfers at the Wisconsin Amateur Golf Assn.'s annual banquet for state amateur contestants at Oneida Monday night. "We have sold 37,700 season tickets," Vince reported, noting with pride. "That's far above what our capacity was last year. Our capacity was 32,400 a year ago. Since that time, of course, we have added 6,300 seats." With the record sale, the Packers will rank third or fourth in the league in this respect, Lombardi pointed out. "So it's easy to realize why they call Green Bay, and I include the surrounding area when I speak of Green Bay, as the sports wonder of the world." In this connection, he observed, "It's a pleasure to coach at Green Bay. The Packers are a sentimental favorite wherever we go. It's the old David vs. Goliath theme. They all want us to beat the big towns. Everybody who looks at us on television says this is my town, this is my team - and it helps." Presently readying the Packers for a defense of their Western Division championship, Vince adhered to his standard policy and made no predictions. He did say, however, that "if the same spirit prevails that prevails as of today, the same exuberance that we have right now, we'll have a good football team. This much I'll guarantee, gentlemen. We will be dedicated. Our team has the dedication and, I can assure you, the coaches and management will, too." Turning to another subject, which as an ardent golfer, is close to his heart, Vince declared, "Those who like games ger more out of golf than any other. Eight million people play a minimum of 10 rounds of golf per year, which is some indication of the popularity it enjoys." "It is more than a game," said Lombardi, who recently carved out a 79 on Oneida's exacting acres. "I liked it to football because it makes many of the same demands football does. For example, it takes courage - it takes a lot of guts to play golf. And it takes a lot of stamina. It also takes coordinated efficiency - and you must be dedicated to win." The game of Scots also yields important by-products, Lombardi declared. "It teaches the strong to know their weakness and, most important, it teaches you to master yourself before you can master others. Even more important, it teaches you a sense of humor - to be serious but not to a point where you take yourself seriously. This is a great game, gentlemen, a great game. If you have sons and f you want them to grow up to be men, have them play the game of golf."
HORNUNG INJURES KNEE IN FIRST PACK SCRIMMAGE; 2,000 WATCH
JUL 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The violence of pro football. An injury to a key player. They both were in evidence during a rugged Packer scrimmage before some 2,000 sun-soaked spectators at the Oneida St. practice field Tuesday afternoon. A league game with blue chips at stake couldn't be any rougher than some of the sockem displayed. This was the first "game" action the Packers had experienced since the championship battle in Philadelphia last December. And, ironically, the same player was injured in both scrimmages - the valuable and versatile Paul Hornung. Paul hurt his shoulder vs. the Eagles in the third quarter and missed the rest of the game, except for kicking. He had carried the ball for a short gain. In Tuesday's activity, Hornung was looking around for somebody to block when quarterback Bart Starr tried to throw. The play backfired, the defense rushed in and collapsed Bart's protection, Hornung getting buried in the process under Bill Quinlan. Hornung let out a yelp and the memory of many in the audience harkened back to a year ago this time when Joe Francis went down and came up with a broken leg. Dr. Jim Nellen, team physician, later diagnosed the injury as a knee bruise and indicated that it would keep The Horn out of action only a day or two. Hornung's appearance on the sidelines between trainer Bud Jorgensen and training-aide Dominic Gentile silenced the players watching the action but Paul was his old self, laughing: "I'll be ready for sprints after scrimmage." In the tradition of football and war, the wounded warrior was removed and the action continued. Coach Vince Lombardi took one look at Jorgie working on Hornung's knee and shifted the scrimmage in a southerly direction. The offense had been moving north. Lombardi said later that the scrimmage was "terrible" but conceded that "all three quarterbacks looked good." Starr started and then was followed by Francis and rookie Val Keckin. Vince and coaching aides Phil Bengtson, Bill Austin, Norb Hecker, Red Cochran and Dick Voris looked at films of the action last night and picked out "evidence" for player meetings. Lombardi said he didn't expect that the films could change his opinion of the scrimmage. One rookie received a starting role - Elijah Pitts, the speedy halfback from Philander Smith, who opened across from Larry Hickman at the running back positions. Hickman did most of the fullbacking since Jim Taylor was held out. Jim has a minor back problem. The rest of the starting offense saw Starr at QB; Max McGee, Boyd Dowler and Ron Kramer at the ends; Forrest Gregg and Bob Skoronski at tackles; Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer at guards; and Jim Ringo at center. One sophomore started on defense - safetyman Dale Hackbart, who worked with John Symank, Hank Gremminger and Jess Whittenton. The rest of the defense had Willie Davis and Quinlan at ends; Dave Hanner and Hank Jordan at tackles; and linebackers Tom Bettis, Dan Currie and Bill Forester. The first play of the day was a sideline pass from Starr to McGee, thus loosening up the defense. Pitts got a good dose on the first running play, getting flipped into the air by the linebackers. It didn't bother him. Several plays later, he scooted 20-some yards off the right side, getting away on a good block by J. Kramer. R. Kramer played the first 15 minutes or two, surviving two changes in personnel and getting in a number of good blocks. All three quarterbacks were hitting their targets and that included the newcomer, Keckin, who completed the last pass of the day, hitting low-flying Dowler smack in the tummy. Keckin earlier completed a sideline shot to Lew Carpenter or about 18 yards. The newcomers all got a shot, including a few of the rookie wounded. Ron Kostelnik, hardly able to limp a few days ago, was given a good test in the defensive line. Limping Bill Poland, the new fullback, hit the line a few times. The defense seemed to have the edge, if there is such a thing as an edge among players on the same team. Hank Jordan was a real terror, continually breaking through. Ken Iman, the sophomore center, was used at offensive guard for a few plays. Hackbart and Willie Wood, both safetymen a year ago, lined up at cornerbackers for a series. The scrimmage was preceded by live a blocking and tackling session - an offensive lineman against a defensive lineman, with a ball carrier taking a handoff from the quarterback. Lombardi complimented a number of players at different times - Dowler, Ray Nitschke, Jim Brewington, Lee Folkins and Kostelnik. Besides the large crowd, Tuesday's action was witnessed by Marvin Bass, football coach at the University of South Carolina, and members of his staff, and George Kelly, former Marquette coach now at the University of Nebraska. Asked if he planned to do some fishing up here, Bass said, "The only thing we hope to catch is some information on football as played by the Packers and coached by Vince Lombardi and his staff." With Bass is big Clyde Biggers, onetime pro.
PACKERS TO PLAY SQUAD GAME AT EAST STADIUM AUG. 5
JUL 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers will return to the olde sod. Just for a couple of hours, that is. They'll conduct a full-dress intra-squad scrimmage at East High School Field Saturday afternoon, Aug. 5. Kickoff is set for 2 o'clock. In case you're new hereabouts, East High Field is old City Stadium, where the Packers toiled from somewhere in the 1920's through the 1956 season. The team moved into the present City Stadium in 1957. Old City Stadium has
The 1961 Lake to Lake set
been reduced to large high school size with the removal of most of the 24,000-seat wooden structure. Seating capacity now is about 7,000. The game was shifted to East because newly-seeded grass at City Stadium is still in the "toughening" process. That grass will get its first test at the Bishop's Charities Game featuring the Packers and Giants Labor Day evening, Sept. 4. The scrimmage will feature the Packers' offense, highest scoring in Packer history, against the clubs' rugged defense. The action will last one and a half hours and fans will get a chance for themselves to evaluate the club's possibilities for repeating as champion in the tough Western Division. On the current practice front, the Packers eased off some Wednesday after Tuesday afternoon's rugged scrimmage, in which Paul Hornung suffered a knee injury. With Hornung out for a few days, a new face popped up at his position in Wednesday practice. That would be quarterback Joe Francis, who suffered a broken leg trying out in the same spot a year ago. Francis worked at QB in the afternoon signal drills and then ran some at left half, opposite fullback Larry Hickman. Others running at left half were Tom Moore, Elijah Pitts, and John Rollins. Moore has been slowed down by muscle pulls but he's running as hard as he can. Taylor, bothered with a stomach ailment, also was running hard Wednesday. Hornung's absence from action also creates a void in the placekicking department. Four replacements were tested yesterday - Ron Kramer, Jerry Kramer, Taylor and Poland. Jerry backed up Hornung last year, but Paul didn't need help. Punting came in for inspection after yesterday's drill and Francis joined regular punters Boyd Dowler and Max McGee. On the returning end were Dale Hackbart, Willie Wood, Lew Carpenter, Rollins and Pitts. They were given a reaction test by Coach Norb Hecker. The returners stood with their backs to the punter and then Hecker would call out the name of the returner he wanted to catch the ball. McGee came up with a string of long and high boots and Coach Vince Lombardi yelled: "Whatever you're doing, keep on doing it."
PACK SCORES 'TOUCHDOWN' - ON ORDER
JUL 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers scored a "touchdown" during scrimmage Thursday. It didn't go up on a scoreboard, but it was significant because it was ordered. "Put the ball on the 45 and let's see if we can score," Coach Vince Lombardi yelled, surveying the long 55 yards to the goal line on the west field of the Oneida Street Packer Practice Park. The Packer offense used nine plays to get the ball across the goal line. The offense was all veterans. The defense had a few newcomers like Nelson Torburen, Jim Brewington and Ron Kostelnik, but they were egged on by some hard-nosed vets. It made for a good scrap. The offense was the same that finished the championship game with one exception. Ron Kramer was at right end in place of Gary Knafelc. Tom Moore was at running halfback in place of Paul Hornung, just as he was after Hornung was hurt in Philly. Bart Starr hurled a screen pass to Jim Taylor for a 20-yard gain to start the touchdown move. Moore hit the right side for six and Taylor went off the left for five. That was two first downs. Starr tried a pass off to the right on a first down situation but there was no receiver present. Bart put the aerial gun away and called five straight running plays, with Taylor and Moore carrying, to eat up the remaining 24 yards. Lombardi told the various groups as they marched off the field, "good workout," and later he noted that "there was overall improvement over the head-knocking of Tuesday afternoon." Moore and Taylor were hitting hard. Tom is gradually recovering from painful leg bruises and pulls by just plain hard running. Incidentally, Taylor is thundering about the premises at a slick 210 pounds - about eight less than last year. "I want to play at about 210 this year, so I can pull away faster when I'm being hit," Jim explained. Earlier in the scrimmage, Starr had a hot time, completing the first three passes he threw to Max McGee, Boyd Dowler and Taylor for good gains. Joe Francis and Val Keckin followed at quarterback and both threw well. The work of the two offensive guards, Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer, brought some praise from Lombardi, who also noted the fine work of linebacker Tom Bettis, in addition to Forrest Gregg, Bob Skoronski and Jim Ringo. The scrimmage produced no injuries but linebacker Ray Nitschke was shaken up in a collision with Moore on the touchdown drive and had to leave the game. Sprints after the morning and afternoon drills Thursday were ruled out by Lombardi, with the exception of the defensive linemen who sprinted after the morning drill. Defensive linemen normally don't get as much chance to run during the long signal drills, other than to run on and off the field when replacements are made. Thus, the extra sprinting. Some of the veterans noted that "my legs are coming back." Dan Currie said he felt his legs were "no good now but they'll be all right next week." Bettis explained that "mine always come back in the third week." The camp roster was sliced to 48 and the rookie roster to 12, with the dispatching of fullback Jim Poland of Rhode Island University via waivers. These totals do not include the two remaining Packers in the College All Star camp - Herb Adderley and Phil Nugent. The club has 50 players on the roster, including 36 veterans of the 1960 championship season. With the player limit reduced from 39 to 36 this year, some interesting position battles are shaping up.
PACKERS LOOK BETTER EVERY DAY - SCOUT
JUL 29 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers are looking better every day. Wally Cruice, Packer game scout, saw the Big Bays Friday for the first time in a week. "Man, what a difference from last week. They look like they're ready to go right now. Everybody's in shape - it seems," said Wally. Cruice was accompanied by Louis Anderson, the Packers' talent scout from the Washington, D.C., area, who said "the Packers must be ahead of the other teams the way they look." Anderson, who also helps Cruice with game scouting out east, came out to see the Pack. There were a couple of other pop-eyes and drooling visitors - Coach Marty Mortorelli and Assistant Carl Virgmanini of the Superior State
College football squad. Mortorelli allowed as how he'd like to have a couple of "those boys" on his team. The Packers have two of Mortorelli's boys trying out - center Dave Muntein and tackle Clarence Lacina, a 250-pounder who also specializes in wrestling. The Superior coaches were down to soak up some of Vince Lombardi's coaching techniques...Paul Hornung is showing improvement every day. The handy back, who injured his leg in scrimmage Tuesday, is jogging right well and just for exercise Friday ran up and down the stadium steps. He tried out the new section. While Hornung is in sweat clothes, the boys in the backroom are having some fun kicking field goals. Four tried their hand (er. foot) before Friday's drill - Ron Kramer. Jerry Kramer, Jim Taylor and Willie Wood. Ron did right well Thursday but he was off Friday, which is enough to swoon Coach Vince Lombardi and his field goal coach, Norb Hecker. Ron did a lot of field goaling and extra point stuff at Michigan, winning a couple of games with his three-pointers. Jerry was Hornung's helper a year ago, but he never got a chance under fire. Taylor, with all the power he has in his pins, has trouble with the long boots. "It's not the power, it's the leverage," Vince explained. Jim is accurate from close in. Wood also does fairly well with his "sailers."...The Packers' two-a-day workouts will end sometime next week, Lombardi said. Whether it's Monday or Thursday will depend on the progress. Speaking about next week, don't forget the Packers' big full-dress scrimmage at East High Stadium next Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock. It's Offense vs. Defense. A scrimmage was on tap for this afternoon at the Oneida Street Packer Practice Park...Lew Carpenter, with Hornung out, has been working some at the running back positions. Lew had been playing end - a position he took up a year ago. Carpenter has been drawing praise every day in camp for his hard work. He goes 100 percent on every play.
CARMICHAEL SIGNS
JUL 29 (Denver) - The Denver Broncos came to 1961 terms Friday with halfback Al Carmichael, former kickoff return specialist for the Green Bay Packers.
TOBIN ROTE BREAKS HAND
JUL 29 (Winnipeg) - Tobin Rote, former Green Bay Packer quarterback, may not see action with the Toronto Argonauts for some time. Rote suffered a possible broken hand when he was hit by a tackler as he threw a pass in Thursday's game with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
TAYLOR READY: "GAINS' 100 YARDS IN PACK SCRIMMAGE
JUL 31 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - One of the linebackers cheered: "We stopped him, we stopped him." The him was Jim Taylor, who stopped very little in Saturday afternoon's scrimmage - so little, in fact, that the defense hollered its approval when Jim was halted before Coach Vince Lombardi sounded the whistle. All of this is by way of pointing up that the Packers' thunderous Mr. Taylor is ready right now to take up where he left off in 1960 - with more speed, to boot. Taylor rolled up 1,100 yards last year while carrying about 215 pounds. That was good enough to rank second in the league to the Browns' Jim Brown, but not good enough for Taylor. He decided that he was too heavy a year ago and couldn't break away from piles of tacklers. Jim now is carrying about 10 pounds less to increase his speed. On the third play Saturday, Taylor busted off the right side, bounced off three eager tackles, slid to his right and zoomed forward, juking a couple of defensive backs and finally winding up in the clear. Another time, Taylor cracked wide to his left, bounced out of a good tackle by Dave Hanner and then skidded away from Bill Forester and Tom Bettis before Bill caught him by the arm. Another time, Taylor upended 230-pound Ray Nitschke, which is no mean feat. Taylor must have rolled up 100 yards. The big fullback got a couple of fumbles out of his system, losing the ball to Ron Kostelnik once and a pile of defenders another time. Tom Moore ran the hardest thus far this year, twice for short touchdown blasts and twice for 15-yard gains. Tom's gradually getting back his speed. Another hard-hitter was Larry Hickman, who has slimmed down some from last year. Hickman one time picked up nearly eight yards on a straight dive play. He seemed to sail about a foot off the ground for the last five yards. The passing wasn't really flashy, but there were a few moments. Joe Francis fired a 20-yard shot under the goal line, and Lew Carpenter made a spectacular grab for a touchdown. Lew reached out, flipped it once and then pulled it in. The 1,000 spectators applauded. Carpenter had been shifted to left half to help fill the gap left by the absence of the injured Paul Horning. After that TD, Bart Starr managed the offense for a touchdown. The big plays were his 20-yard pass to Ron Kramer and an 18-yard run behind a good block by R. Kramer. Moore ran the last few yards for a TD. The defense intercepted two passes. Currie grabbed off a Francis throw and John Symank nailed one of Starr's passes. Generally, the defense had the situation pretty well in hand but the offense had some fine moments. Lombardi termed it a "fair" scrimmage but noted the hard running of the offensive backs and the play of the defensive line...BRIEFS: One player was placed on waivers today - rookie center Dave Muntean of Superior State College. The roster now stands at 49 players, including Herb Adderley and Phil Nugent who are in the College All Star camp...Sunday was an off-day for the players but the coaches got in some work, viewing pictures of Saturday afternoon's scrimmage. It was back to two workouts today. The team will go on a one-a-day schedule sometime this week. The next big project is the Intra-Squad scrimmage at East High Stadium at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon. Tickets can be purchased at the Packer ticket office. The stadium seats 7,000...Paul Hornung is due to return to action today. He was jogging around pretty good Saturday. Also on the injury front, rookie guard Jack Novak, who was hurt in the All Star camp, underwent surgery today to correct a knee problem.
8 ENDS SEEK PACKER BERTHS; ALL GET TEST IN SQUAD TILT
AUG 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - And to think the Packers might switch from the three-end to the two-end system. Every sixth player in camp right now is an offensive end. If Coach Vince Lombardi mentions the word "end" at a meeting of the offense, 16 ears perk up and 16 eyes extend front and center. If there is safety in numbers, the end housing is like a bomb shelter. But that old saw doesn't work in pro football because some of those eight ends must go. Roster limitations (36), you know. Six of the eight are veterans - Max McGee, Boyd Dowler, Gary Knafelc, Ron Kramer, Steve Meilinger and, last but not least, Lewie Carpenter. The other two are rookies and good ones - Lee Folkins and Clarence Mason. The eight were present since the word go and thus are aware of the competition. As a result, they all seem to have progressed right well. The only basis for comparison is what they did a year ago. In that respect, the most improvement at the moment is that shown by Kramer, no relation to Jerry. Kramer was beaten out of game-to-game action the last two years by Gary Knafelc but the beefy Michigander apparently aims to reverse that situation in 1961. He had been coming up with some noteworthy achievements in practice almost every day. Just yesterday, Kramer made one of those sky-hook catches while running in the midst of three defensive backs. In scrimmage, Kramer is blocking fiercely. Knafelc, of course, isn't letting any grass grow under his feet. Gary is rounding into excellent physical condition and he aims to "repeat." The real unusual among the ends is Carpenter, who works like an ambitious rookie. Carpenter played very little a year ago but he still rates as the most valuable player. He can play tight, close or spread end, flanker back, halfback and fullback. Besides that, he's an excellent punt and kickoff returner. Carpenter draws raves every day in camp and he made the catch of "spring training" in scrimmage Saturday - a diving grab of a pass for a touchdown. Meilinger is smack in the middle of the tight end fight. Steve didn't play much a year ago, then making a comeback after missing the '59 season with a broken arm but he has hopes for '61. McGee and Dowler, who caught 68 passes between 'em a year ago, figure to better that mark this season. And they should do it - the way they're squeezing the ball right now. Mason has a speed edge on Folkins, but Folkins has amazing hands and fine quickness. Both must rate as excellent prospects, with Folkins holding a slight edge on Mason who has been troubled with a leg injury. The Packers carried six ends last year, including Carpenter who went at end and back. The others were McGee, Dowler, Knafelc, Kramer and Meilinger. With the player limit down by two from a year ago, the number of ends to be carried this year is Lombardi's secret. And there's always the possibility of a switch to a three-running back system, which calls for only two ends. Lombardi takes the two-ender but he tailors his offense to fit the material. Two or three ends, the eight-end business will be thrown open to John Q. Public when the Packers battle in a full-scale squad battle at East High Stadium at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon. It will be the Offense against the Defense and all eight ends will get a shot...BRIEFS: Two Packers stayed out of rough action in Monday afternoon's drills - Paul Hornung, knee injury, and Bill Quinlan, ingrown toenail. Defensive back Jess Whittenton suffered a hand injury in yesterday's practice...One drill is scheduled for today but a "doubleheader" is on tap for Wednesday...Packer first draft choice Herb Adderley is souped up over the College All Star team. Said Herb: "I've never seen a finer bunch of guys in my life. I think we could win the NFL championship if we could play together for two years." Herb will be playing defense against the Eagles Friday night.
SEE ANOTHER PACK SELLOUT - FOR YEARBOOK
AUG 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Another sellout is looking in expanding Packerland. First, it was a City Stadium ticket sellout and now the 1961 edition of the Packer Yearbook is going over so well that the initial printing may be exhausted before the Sept. 17 Packer-Detroit tussle at Milwaukee. Co-publishers Jack Yuenger and Art Daley reported on the Yearbook progress at a Mike and Pen Sports Club meeting at the Elks Club Monday noon. They said that only 3,142 yearbooks remain in stock. Newsstand sales throughout the state and Upper Michigan began two weeks ago. Requests for yearbooks came from 32 states last year and Yuenger said he believes that total will be reached again this season. "We're starting to get out-of-state requests already. The Packers are of interest throughout the sports world," Yuenger said...TELLS PACKER STORY: Many businessmen furnish their salesmen with yearbooks and find that they are accepted very well, Yuenger said. "When people find out you're from Green Bay, they generally ask about the Packers. We sincerely believe the book answers many questions about the Packers and tells the Packer story," he added. Daley said the league section, with many thumbnail sketches, has drawn favorable response. The section has been expanded over last year's first edition. The co-publishers said the yearbook is the only one of its kind in pro football. They said the 49ers and Rams have yearbooks that are mainly statistics. Various service clubs and other organizations are also conducting sales and receiving a
share of receipts. Profits are used by the groups to finance service projects, such as the Optimist sales that benefit the Optimist Boys' activities and the Packer Alumni Assn., to finance programs.
QUACK, QUACK: IT'S PACKER DEFENDERS GIVING QB 'BIRD'
AUG 2 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer defensive backs yell "quack, quack" on occasion during practice. Quick, class, who knows why. To spare postage, we'll unfold this secret here and now. When a defensive player makes like a duck, he's telling the opposing quarterback, in is own subtle way, that the passes he's throwing are wobbling around the duck. The Pack's exponent of the "quacker" is Val Keckin, the rookie thrower, and the league's Mr. Duck is none other than Bobby Layne of the Steelers. It so happens that Keckin throws something like Layne - right down to the last quack. Keckin has been exceptionally accurate with his occasional wobbler and nobody can complain about Layne's accuracy. Incidentally, Val reminded a few sideliners of Tobin Rote the other day - when he moves back from center and pumps the ball just before throwing. The resemblance ends there because Keckin throws straight overarm, giving the impression he's putting a "hook" on the ball. So, if you hear any quacking during the Packers' full-dress scrimmage at East Stadium Saturday afternoon, don't drool for a shotgun. Incidentally, Keckin is the tallest man in the Packer backfield at 6-4. The Mississippi Southern product had been prepping for a pro job ever since meeting the late Red Sanders, former UCLA coach. "He said I might never play in college but he worked with me to teach me play calling and passing so I'd have a chance with the pros," Val said...Phil Nugent, the Pack's defensive halfback now in the College All Star camp, will wear No. 10 when he reports after Friday night's game. Nugent, a quarterback at Tulane, wore that number in college. Herb Adderley, also in the Star camp, will wear No. 26 as a Packer...Bart Starr is gradually getting back the accuracy that put him among the top three percentage-of-completion leaders in the league last year. His 58 percent set a new Packer accuracy record. He's hitting receivers consistently in the daily passing drills...The injurees are three - Paul Hornung, Bill Quinlan and Jess Whittenton. Hornung has a knee problem while Quinlan has a painful ingrown toenail. Whittenton has a broken bone in his hand. Hornung is running better every day, including the sprints after practice...The Packers went back to two workouts today. Coach Vince Lombardi called only one Tuesday in alternating the drill procedure. One is set for Thursday, two Friday and, of course, the big scrimmage Saturday...Two universities were represented at Tuesday's drill - Lincoln University of Jefferson City, Mich., and Michigan State. Football coach Dwight Reed and his assistant, Don Hudson, are here to soak up some pro football knowledge and Hank Bullough, the former Packer guard now on the MSU staff, is representing the Spartans.
WELLS, ONCE PACK DRAFTEE, GIANT STANDOUT
AUG 2 (Fairfield, CT) - Football Giant followers are advised to remember the name Joel Wells. They will be hearing it a lot this year. That's the consensus of opinion here at Fairfield University where the good-looking 6-1, 200-pounder is just about the hottest halfback in camp. In the short space of two weeks, Wells has impressed everyone with his speed, poise and pass catching. Particularly impressed is head coach Al Sherman, who sees the ex-Clemson halfback as a coming star in the NFL. "In fact," says Sherman, "Joel looks every inch a pro right now. He is big and fast, and he knows how to run the ball. He cuts back beautifully, a lot like Alex Webster." Sherman's sentiments are shared by almost everyone who has seen the slim blond Wells carrying the football against the tough Giant defensive veterans at Fairfield. He does everything, and does it well. Although this is Wells' first crack at the NFL, he is not exactly in the class of other rookies here in camp. Joel played three years with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian League. This, according to Sherman, has given the 26-year-old Southerner added poise and experience. Wells was the second draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 1957, after he had finished eighth in the nation in rushing yardage for Clemson. But Joel passed up the NFL to sign with Montreal, which was then coached by Peahead Walker, a close personal friend of Clemson coach Frank Howard...'A GREAT PLAYER': Walker, now a scout for the Giants, recalls the incident: "Frank Howard and I are great friends, and I usually could get him to send his top boys to Montreal. I told him I wanted Wells, and sure enough, Joel showed up in Montreal. He was a great player for me up there." Wells might have been content to finish his career with the Alouettes, but he left in 1959 when the Montreal management fired coach Walker. Joel did not play in Canada last year, choosing instead to sit out his option with Montreal so he could be free to sign with a National League club. The Giants were tipped off by Walker that Wells was available, and immediately opened negotiations with Green Bay, which still held the NFL rights to the former Clemson star. In exchange for a high 1962 draft choice, the Packers turned over Joel to the Maramen. (PS: The Packers won't have to wait long to test Wells. They battle the Giants in the Bishop's Charities game at City Stadium Labor Day night Sept. 4.)
READY TO GO? PACKER QBS HURL 32 PASSES, BAT .500
AUG 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers attempted 32 passes in a lively scrimmage Wednesday afternoon and completed half of them. In all, 39 plays were called in the rough action designed to sharpen the Pack's passing and the protection of the quarterbacks. Of the seven non-pass plays, the QB was rushed and/or dumped on four and couldn't get the ball off. On another, the signalist fumbled and recovered for a loss. The other two were running plays, both resulting in losses - two for Tom Moore on a draw and five for John Rollins on a reverse. The four defensive linemen wore blocking aprons, which slowed them down some. This was an advantage, of course, for the offense, but this was offset by the fact that the defense knew every play would be a pass. Bart Starr threw 18 passes and completed nine for an even 50 percent. His understudy, Joe Francis, hurled nine and completed six for the best percentage of the day, .66. Rookie Val Keckin was in on six plays and completed one pass, fumbled once and recovered quickly, and incompleted four. The show at the Packer Practice Park on Oneida Street got off to a rousing start. Starr completed his first two throws, hitting tight ends Ron Kramer and Gary Knafelc, who alternated on successive plays. Coach Vince Lombardi barked an excited "hot dog!" and the action continued. Jim Taylor, on Starr's third pass, dropped a short flip. Now it was Francis' turn. Pineapple Joe completed the first three he threw - to Lee Folkins, Boyd Dowler and Clarence Mason. Starr then returned to the scene and apparently the word was to throw the long "home run" type pass. The defense was in before he could get off his first two throws, rookie Clarence Lacina downing him once. Moore tried a run on the third play, but Dave Hanner and Hank Jordan put a halt to that. Keckin got his first chance at this point. His first went to Steve Meilinger by Em Tunnell broke it up. Val then got off a high wobbling archer aimed at Dowler but the brisk west wind carried it out of reach. Kecking then unleashed a bullet up the middle to Knafelc but it was a bit too high. Starr then returned, and so it went - pass after pass and the sock of offensive linemen and back blockers against defensive linemen and linebackers who tried a few red dogs. The closest thing to an interception was by the defense coach himself, Phil Bengtson. One of Starr's shots landed right in Phil's arms. Kramer caught four; Dowler three; Knafelc, Mason and Lew Carpenter two each; and Folkins, Rollins and Max McGee one each. All injured players, except Paul Hornung, got into the act. Hornung donned pads for the first time since last week and tried some field goal kicking. He ran up and down the stadium steps after practice to loosen up his injured knee. The pass action helped sharpen the Packers' aerial game for the big game scrimmage at East Stadium Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is set for 2 o'clock and it will be a full-dress four-quarter session...The Packers went back to one-a-day drills today for the duration of the '61 season - in the morning at 10 o'clock...Hank Bullough, former Packer guard who is here for a few days on behalf of Michigan State where he is line coach, addressed members of the Optimist Club at their weekly luncheon meeting at the Arena Wednesday noon. He said that the speed of Herb Adderley, the Packers' first draft choice who is now in the All Star camp, is a "complete mystery. Nobody knows how fast he is because he only runs as fast as he has to. If he ran a race with me today, he'd barely beat me. If he raced with the Packers' fastest, he'll probably do the same things." Bullough announced that Allan Reichwald, West High's all-state back, has decided to enroll at Michigan State.
FOOTBALL FARM SYSTEM? UNITED LEAGUE BEGINS OPERATIONS
AUG 4 (Columbus, OH) - Does professional football need a farm system? This question may seem a bit out of place since the pros admittedly have a fine feeding system in the nation's hundreds of colleges competing
on an intercollegiate basis. But to George Gareff, the question has a definite place in his thinking. And he is already well on his way to converting the question into solid reality. The United Football League, with Gareff as commissioner, will open play this fall as a minor league. Sparked during what amounted to a semi-pro pickup game on a high school field near Toledo, Ohio, just last year, the league now has teams in Cleveland, Louisville, Indianapolis, Columbus, Grand Rapids and Akron. All the clubs are locally and independently owned. They're capitalized between $30,000 and $75,000 each and if a team doesn't show up for a scheduled game it costs $5,000 in a forfeit bond. The league makes no pretensions. It's a minor league and that is that. A player can make about $50.000 a game and hold down a regular job. But the coaching is pretty close to big league. Chet Mutryn, star halfback with Buffalo in the old All-America Conference, heads the Cleveland team. Gene Gedman, late of the Detroit Lions, coaches Indianapolis. Former Cleveland Browns star Don Colo and Tony Adamle are on the Akron staff. Ex-Packer assistant coach Jack Morton recently signed to handle the Grand Rapids entry. In Gareff, the league has a good pitch man to sell the opportunities of a minor grid league. Although he never played football in his life and never attended high school, the commissioner is a lawyer ex-carnival worker. Before entering college as a special student at the age of 26, Gareff bummed around the country as a caddy and traveled the "carny" circuit working the wheels. But you won't see any of this in his carefully draped clothes and short Ivy League haircut. He's 42, a convival Macedonian who worked his way through Southern California and a law degree from Ohio State. He has a practice in Columbus and a $12,000 budget as league commissioner. Already he's secured informal agreement from every team in the AFL to feed young talent to the new circuit, which starts a 10-game schedule on Sept. 16. The Baltimore Colts and Minnesota Vikings also are interested in stockpiling the UFL. But there'll be no raiding the farm, like they do in baseball. "No quarterback," says Gareff, "will be leading out league in passing in mid-season and all of sudden he's gone. It killed baseball and it ain't gonna kill my league." There have been other stabs at minor league football. In the late 1930s, an American Association operated in the East with teams owned outright by the New York Giants and the Chicago Bears. When end Willie Walls was hurt in 1938, the Giants met the emergency by calling once W.C. (Hap) Bernard from Jersey City. He paid off by catching a touchdown pass in the championship playoff which meant a 23-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers. World War II ended that league and Gareff, who maintains he wants "at least 10 guys yanked up from my league next year," is keeping close tabs on the Berlin situation.
ROOKIES SPOTLIGHT IN PACK SQUAD SCRIMMAGE SATURDAY
AUG 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Thirteen rookies will be in the spotlight when the Packers engage in an intra-squad scrimmage at East Stadium at 2 p.m. Saturday. Two of the 13 won't play but they'll be in uniform. They are halfback Herb Adderley and Phil Nugent, who are playing in the College All Star game in Chicago tonight. The other 11 are due for a rugged test in the Offense vs. Defense action and for some of them this will be their last chance since squad cuts are expected. The Packers have 49 players on the roster, including 36 veterans. Twenty-nine players are on the offensive platoon, 20 on defense. Seven of the 11 rookies are with the offensive club - center-guard Bob Beaver, tackle Leland Bondhus, ends lee Folkins and Clarence Mason, quarterback Val Keckin and halfbacks Elijah Pitts and John Rollins. The four on defense are linemen Jim Brewington, Clarence Lacina and Ron Kotelnik and linebacker Nelson Torburen. Adderly is ticketed for offense, Nugent defense. Saturday's scrimmage shapes up as a "first and last." It will be the only time fans can see the Packers' offense battle the defense. The Bay defense, ranked No. 1 against rushing in the league last year, can try its sting on one of the top rushing offenses in the league, although the offensive team may not have Paul Hornung, who is recovering from a knee injury. Hornung could see limited action. Replacing Paul will be Tom Moore, who will operate aside a lighter, swifter and bouncier Jim Taylor. They'll be backed by Larry Hickman, Pitts and Rollins The Packers' aerial game, souped by eight offensive ends, will receive a major test Bart Starr will share the QBing with Joe Francis and Keckin. With eight ends on hands, those positions likely will get frequent substitutions. The wings are Boyd Dowler, Max McGee, Gary Knafelc, Ron Kramer, Steve Meilinger, Lew Carpenter, Mason and Folkins. A large crowd is expected. The stadium seats about 7,000. Coach Vince Lombardi will watch the action from the pressbox. Assistants Phil Bengtson and Norb Hecker will look after the defense; Red Cochran, Bill Austin and Dick Voris the offense...The Packers are now down to one-a-day drills...Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer and Willie Wood booted field goals after practice Thursday. Taylor, improving each day, was hitting from the 40-yard line...The Bays held a pass drill Thursday, with the most spectacular catch by Max McGee. McGee eluded the pass which was headed over his head. He jumped up, batted it down with his left hand and caught it with his right.
PACKERS' LAST WORLD TITLE GETS 'RE-RUN' ON TV TONIGHT
AUG 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Annually, the All-Star football game in Chicago starts off the football fever around the country. In Green Bay, the fever has been only in a sort of suspended state since last winter when the Green Bay Packers met and lost to the Philadelphia Eagles for the world football title. Now, with the football bud beginning to bloom again, Northeastern Wisconsin football faithful turn attentive eyes daily to the Packers and the hectic season ahead. In keeping with this interest and with an eye toward history as well to the current events, WFRV-TV tonight airs a program which should fill the area mood neatly. The Public Affairs Department of Channel 5 will present a timely football feature tonight at 9 o'clock called "World Champs." It will offer film highlights of the 1944 World Championship game between the Packers and the New York Giants, film clips of the ill-fated 1960 title try in Philadelphia, and on the spot interviews with personalities of the title era. Among the latter will be former Packer greats Ted Fritsch and Joe Laws, the twosome which personally had a big hand in defeating New York in 1944, 14-7. Fritsch, the offensive hero of the game, scored both touchdowns, and Laws, who led the defense with five sparking interceptions, will be in the studios. Also included in the program will be Dave Yuenger, then a sport reporter for the Press-Gazette and now the newspaper's managing editor.
ADDERLEY DISAPPOINTED OVER NOT SEEING MUCH ACTION, PRAISES EAGLES
AUG 5 (Chicago-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Eagles are pretty good mudders - as everybody in Green Bay knows. They did right well on that butter and ice turf of Franklin Field in Philadelphia last December, beating our Packers for the world title. That victory put them in the All Star game in Soldier's Field Friday night and, bejabbers, the soggy turf did the All Stars dirt. The Eagles made off with an easy 28-14 win after an early evening cloudburst...PULLED MUSCLE: Methinks, the Eagles would have won on sawdust or rocks but, like Star Coach Otto Graham explained in a not-so-unhappy star dressing room: "The condition of the field hurt us even before the game started. Joe Bellino slipped and pulled a hamstring muscle in pregame warmup, and he couldn't play a bit. Joe was our Tommy McDonald. We had to have him to open them up. We can catch the ball, I know it, and we did, but he was our speed. And they got three cheap ones (touchdowns). Our defensive backs slipped and never got close on three of them."...ALL ON PASSES: The Eagles scored all their touchdowns on passes, Tommy McDonald snaring three of them and Pete Retzlaff nabbing the other. This gave the Eagles a 28-0 lead and the All Stars scored two touchdowns in the last two minutes - the second on the last play of the game. This sudden splurge souped up the Stars' dressing room. Herb Adderley, the Pack's top draft choice, even moaned about the loss of Bellino. "You can't win without your best man. Joe was our big hope. We would have beaten them with him. I don't think the Eagles will win the championship again but they were tough. They got things done all right." Adderley was disappointed over not playing much. He was in for most of the second quarter and once flipped Ted Dean over his shoulder with a sharp block-tackle...ON DEFENSE: The Packers' other representative, Phil Nugent, saw action only in the last few years. Both Packers played in the defensive secondary. This had been boomed as one of the better All-Star teams and it was - until Bellino was hurt. The Navy hero, who is even more pint-sized than McDonald, explained later: "I went down for one last pass in the pregame warmup and I pulled that muscle then." It was a tough blow because this was to have been his last football game. The chesty little officer, preparing to depart for the field in early evening, said he'd like to try pro football but "I've got four years of (Navy) duty ahead of me and after that it'll be too late."...BELLINO MISSED: Bellino was missed early. Fans started to howl for him early in the first quarter. As Coach Nick Skorich promised before the game, the Eagles ran the ball considerably - a departure from Norm Van Brocklin's continuous throwing. The Eagles rarely threw on first downs and held the pass chiefly off for long yardage situation or when a touchdown beckoned.
HORNUNG FACSIMILES? TAYLOR KICKS, SCORE; MOORE PASSES
AUG 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There's only one Paul Hornung - but the Packers discovered a couple of facsimiles thereof during their intra-squad scrimmage before 5,000 at East Stadium Saturday afternoon. Hornung, the NFL's scoring champion and the Packers' pass-run option expert, didn't play due to his injured legs - though he was in uniform. The new specialists in Hornung's two pet trades turned need no introduction in the run and crunch department, and Tom Moore, the socking sophomore. Taylor scored all of the day's 10 points - one touchdown, one field goal and one extra point - and Moore threw a 40-yard pass to Boyd Dowler off the run-or-pass option to set up the lone teedee. Slimmed down to about 210 pounds, Taylor accounted for 121 yards in catching four passes for 73 yards and rushing 10 times for 48. He ripped three yards for the touchdown in the second quarter and booted a 13-yard field goal in the third. He missed a 27-yard field goal try in the first period but the boot had plenty of distance and was only slightly off the mark. Moore plays behind both Hornung and Taylor. Discovery that Tom can throw the long ball under fire was one of the highlights of the show. While the pointage seemed meager, quarterback Bart Starr managed to advance his "first" team against the first defense for three healthy drives - the TD, the successful field goal try and the FG miss. Bart pitched 22 times and completed 17 of them for 204 yards. He hit on 11 of his first 13 attempts. Quarterbacks Joe Francis and Val Keckin handled different units against a changed defense but couldn't get any drives going. Francis, however, had a campaign started when he suffered a leg injury that forced him out of action early in the second quarter. John Rollins raced 26 yards and Joe fired an eight-yard pass to Rollins at midfield when Francis skirted right end after his receivers closed up. Joe leaped trying to avoid being tackled but Ray Nitschke dropped him and Francis injured his leg. Francis never went back. He was due for x-rays today to determine the extent of his injury. The injured leg, which pained him Sunday, isn't the one he broke in a preseason scrimmage a year ago. All of the rookies got a shot and Rollins set the pace for the offensive backs, rushing 37 yards in five tries and catching two passes for 11 yards. Elijah Pitts added 20 yards in six runs and two caught for 12 yards. Nelson Toburen, rookie linebacker, headed the newcomers among the defensive players. Playing the right side, Toburen was making sure tackles all over the field. Twice he got up after being blocked to stop the ball carrier. The Bay offense rolled up 21 first downs, including 13 by passing. There were no fumble losses, but there was one interception, Hank Gremminger grabbing off a toss aimed at Ron Kramer. The first touchdown drive took place on the series after Francis was hurt. It covered 80 yards in eight plays. The first play was Moore's job to his right and the completed pass to Dowler on the "enemy" 40-yard line. Taylor then gained 16 yards in three cracks to the 24. After Moore gained zero, Starr completed a 10-yarder to the 14 and an 11-yarder to the three. From this point, Taylor raced wide around left end and scored behind good blocking. The field goal drive covered 75 yards in 11 plays. Taylor started it with a 13-yard rush on which he fumbled and recovered. Three Starr passes ate up most of the distance - a 19-yarder to Moore, 13 yards to Kramer and 17 to Taylor to the 13-yard line. At this point the defense gave up eight yards in three plays and Taylor booted his 13-yard field goal, the ball landing on a concession stand test. The Packers were short of linebackers due to
injured Tom Bettis and Dan Currie, who sat out the entire game. The only linebackers were Bill Forester, Nitschke and Toburen, who were spelled by swift Hank Jordan and Willie Davis, refugees from the defensive line...Coach Vince Lombardi watched the action from the press box and experienced mixed feelings. He beamed his approval at times, especially when Moore completed his pass, and groaned on other occasions. Later, Vince said the action left "much to be desired" and noted that "I'm glad we're done playing against ourselves; now we can get at somebody else." The Packers open non-league play at Dallas Friday night. Lombardi said he liked the way Toburen tackled. Sunday was an off day for the players but Lombardi and aides Phil Bengtson, Bill Austin, Red Cochran, Norb Hecker and Dick Voris viewed movies of the contest...Hickman gained the punting column unexpectedly in the fourth quarter. Ken Iman's pass-back on a Max McGee punt try sailed away over Max's head. McGee evaded a couple of tacklers back on the 10 and finally lateraled to Hickman, who punted 35 yards on the run. Otherwise, Dowler and McGee alternated punting...Gremminger, who made the only interception, almost caught a rabbit. A cottontail entered the scene on the second last play of the third quarter and headed for the action. Hank got a hand on it but the little critter got away and was last seen heading toward the East River...The Packer Lumberjack Band, under the direction of Wilner Burke, provided music, adding a mid-season touch to the program.
FIVE PLAYERS ON WAIVERS
AUG 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers placed five players, including one veteran, on waivers today. They are John Miller, the four-year defensive tackle obtained from the Washington Redskins last year, and rookies John Rollins, halfback, of the University of Rhode Island; Leland Bondhus, tackle from South Dakota; Bob Beaver, guard from Northeast Louisiana; and Clarence Lacina, tackle from Superior State. Bondhus was the 19th draft choice; the others were free agents. This was Coach Vince Lombardi's first major cut since the first week of practice. The squad is now down to 44 players - just eight over the league limit. The roster shows 35 veterans and nine rookies. The first-year players still on hand are Herb Adderley, Jim Brewington, Lee Folkins, Val Keckin, Ron Kostelnik, Clarence Mason, Phil Nugent, Elijah Pitts and Nelson Torburen.
LOMBARDI GIVEN NEW 5-YEAR PACT
AUG 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi has been given a new five-year contract as head coach and general manager of the Packers, it was announced today by Packer President Dominic Olejniczak. Lombardi hurried in from practice and signed the pact at a press, radio and TV conference this noon at St. Norbert College, where the Bays were headquartering. The contract, at an increase in salary, is effective Feb. 1, 1961 and runs until Feb. 1, 1966. Olejniczak made the following statement: "The executive committee voluntarily presented Mr. Vince Lombardi with a new five-year contract effective Feb, 1, 1961, which properly recognizes the great contribution he has made in building the Green Bay Packers once again into its former position as one of the top teams in the NFL. This supersedes the previous contract with Mr. Lombardi, which still had three years to run." The entire executive committee was present for the announcement and signing. Members beside Olejniczak are Fred Trowbridge, John Torinus, Tony Canadeo, Jerry Atkinson, Les Kelly and Dick Bourguignon. Lombardi expressed his thanks and added that he was "pleased and happy here. I appreciate the confidence the board has shown in me. I am grateful for the cooperation I received from the executive committee and board of directors and the
fans." Vince came to Green Bay in 1959 after the Packers experienced their worst season in history. He herded the team to a 7-5 record in 1959 and then won the Western Division in 1960.
PACKERS GET JOHN ROACH, BROWNS' QB
AUG 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers today (1) obtained quarterback John Roach, (2) traded off Steve Meilinger and (3) sent Tom Bettis to the hospital for surgery. In a whirlwind of activity, Coach Vince Lombardi, who was the center of the news himself yesterday when he signed a new five-yard contract, traded an undisclosed draft choice to the Cleveland Browns for Roach; sent Meilinger to Dallas in exchange for another undisclosed draft selection; and okayed an operation on Bettis' injured knee. Roach was the St. Louis Cardinals' No. 1 quarterback in 1960, but was traded to the Browns for freshman Taz Anderson and sophomore Prentice Gautt, the ex-Oklahoma star. The 200-pound signalist, who broke in with the Cards in '56 as a defensive back, gives the Packers added insurance on their top quarterback, Bart Starr. Some sort of a policy became virtually a must when quarterback Joe Francis injured his knee in the intra-squad scrimmage last Saturday. Joe suffered a badly wrenched knee. With Francis hobbled, Starr's only assistant was the promising rookie, Val Keckin - until Roach was obtained. Roach, a lanky one at 6-4, played defense with the Cards in 1956 but then spent the next two years at Bolling Field Air Base in the employ of Uncle Same. He returned in 1959 and played behind King Hill. Roach threw 57 passes and completed 22, including two for touchdowns. The native of Dallas and onetime SMU star led the Cards to a 6-5-1 record last year, completing 87 out of 188 attempts for 1,423 yards and 17 touchdowns. His TD figure was fourth highest in the league. Meilinger, now in his sixth pro year, came to the Packers in 1958. He broke his arm in 1959 and missed the entire season. He strengthened the bench last fall, backing up Gary Knafelc and Ron Kramer. Steve, the former Kentucky one-man gang, should make it with the Cowboys. His departure reduces the Pack's corps of ends to seven, including rookies Clarence Mason and Lee Folkins. The veterans on hand are Max McGee, Boyd Dowler, Lew Carpenter, Kramer and Knafelc. Dr. Jim Nellen, Packer team physician, performed surgery on Bettis's knee for removal of a spur and cartilage. Bettis will miss most of the non-league season but "I'll be ready when the bell rings. You can count on that." Tom is intent on playing this year. He missed the last four games in 1960, including the playoff. Both Bettis and Dan Currie stayed out of the squad scrimmage Saturday. Bill Forester, Ray Nitschke and rookie Nelson Toburen handled the linebacking with some help from defensive linemen Hank Jordan and Willie Davis. On the "health" front, Paul Hornung is starting to run like his old self again - almost at full speed. He still has difficulty running...Herb Adderley and Phil Nugent, the Bays' draftees who were in the College All Star camp, took their first drill here Monday. Adderley's fine speed were noticeable. Both newcomers will undergo many separate conferences with the coaches on the field. Yesterday, Adderley was taken aside by Coach Dick Voris and clued in on the Packers' stand-pat maneuvers on pass plays. Nugent stood with Coach Norb Hecker and received a play-by-play description of the defense in action...Scout Wally Cruice reported to camp Monday with the word on the Cowboys. He scouted the Cowboy-Minnesota game in Sioux Falls, S.D., and discovered that "the Cowboys have a good team and they'll be much, much better than last year." The Packers face the Cowboys in Dallas Friday night...Five players were placed on waivers yesterday - veteran John Miller and rookies John Rollins,
Leland Bondhus, Clarence Lacina and Bob Beaver. With today's player transactions, the Packers have 45 players on the roster, including nine rookies.
NOPE, LOMBARDI'S NOT GOING; 'NOW A BADGER,' VINCE SAYS
AUG 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi hurried off the Packer practice field Monday and headed for the clubhouse. He was on his way to a quick shower and a fast trip to St. Norbert College where Packer President Dominic Olejniczak had called a press, radio and TV conference. This was a guarded secret - the reason for said conference, so we tried Vince with a nonchalant "what's going on?" The forthright Packer coach gave us that cat-who-stole-the-milk look and remarked: "Looks like the end of the Packers." There was nothing to do but chuckle a bit and flee to St. Norbert and join the waiters. Shortly, Vince arrived and joined members of the executive committeemen Tony Canadeo, Dick Bourguignon, Jerry Atkinson, John Torinus, Fred Trowbridge and Les Kelly, and the group waited a few moments while the TV boys cranked up their picture machines. The announcement, it seemed, had to do with Vince, since Olejniczak had called the meeting and was preparing to make with the words. All we could think of was New York in those few moments - had he changed his mind about going back there? Slowly, Olejniczak, in that shaky Irish of his, made with the pleasing news that Lombardi had been given a new five-year contract, replacing the old five-year pact. It had been made retroactive to Feb. 1, 1961. Vince then spoke briefly, expressing his appreciation for the confidence shown in him. The meeting then was opened to questions. Questions? What questions? Shucks, this was a time for rejoicing and congratulations. Here's a man who had earned a new contract and the increase in salary that goes with it by terrific success in the toughest, coach-crunching sport in our land. So let's shake, Vince. Congratulations! The new contract was significant for many reasons. Here are two: First, it was an excellent way of rewarding Lombardi for the fantastic job he did in such a short time, bringing a one-win team to a 705 in 1959 and to the Western Division title in '60. Second, the new pact means that the Lombardis of Sunset Circle are going to stay in our town. Even though Vince stated after the playoff last year that he intended to carry on here, a lot of folks wondered - and worried. Which is why we heard many times from friends along the pike Monday something like this: "Say, that means that he's not going anywhere. Watch the Packers go now. He had it coming, and he earned it." Lombardi is rapidly becoming an "institution" around Wisconsin and the news was greeted from the outer precincts with great glee. Vince not only has made the Pack win, he has restored great respect in the club around the state. So it's back to work today - with renewed enthusiasm. And do you know what Vince agreed to yesterday? "Yeah, I'm a Badger now," he laughed.
CLEANUP OPERATIONS BEGIN AT FIRE SITE
AUG 8 (Fish Creek-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Cleanup operations were scheduled to continue today at the sprawling summer home of Curly Lambeau, founder and former coach of the Green Bay Packers. Fire Monday destroyed the six-bedroom, five-bath layout on Cottage Row along Green Bay. The eight and one-half acre estate valued at $50,000. There was no estimate of damage, but some of the items lost can't be replaced by money. Curly lost almost all of the mementos garnered in his many years in football. The fire was reported at about 10 a.m. Monday. Lambeau had left for Green Bay earlier and the house was deserted at the time of the blaze of undetermined origin. Huge cedar trees surrounding the home were still burning later in the morning and a stiff breeze threatened to spread flames to surrounding homes and cottages. The Lambeau's home was built in 1920. Curly bought it about seven years ago and lived here during the summer months. He winters in California. Firemen had the house fire itself under control at about 11 a.m. Monday. There was nothing left of the home when Curly returned to Fish Creek around noon.
PACKERS LOOK FOR 'HIGH' COWBOYS IN COTTON BOWL
AUG 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Game time is approaching and all good Packer Backers - from Vince Lombardi down to the boy in the end row in the Children's Section in City Stadium - are wondering what will happen. The Packers make their first start since the championship game against the Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas Friday night. Three weeks of rugged practices are lumbering to a close this week and it appears that the boys are itching for action. Coach Lombardi hopes so. The coach feels that the club is in good physical condition but he's concerned some about the "life" of the team. He noted a lack of fire in the intra-squad game last Saturday and constantly calls for more enthusiasm in practices. Now it's up to the team. If the Western Division champions lag in Dallas, look for excitement next week. Lombardi and aides Phil Bengtson, Red Cochran, Norb Hecker, Bill Austin and Dick Voris are looking for a "high" Cowboy team. The coach noted that the Cowboys will be making their first appearance at home and it will be their second game. They played Minnesota last week...John Roach, the quarterback obtained from the Browns in exchange for an undisclosed draft choice, arrived at St. Norbert College Tuesday afternoon and a welcoming committee was on hand to shake and carry his luggage. "I know a lot of fells on this team personally and I know of a lot of others," the slim signal caller from the Browns, Cards and SMU said. Among the greeters were Bill Forester and Forrest Gregg, onetime SMU stars; Hank Gremminger, who's from "my hometown"; Larry Hickman, who's from "down that way"; and Bob Skoronski and Ron Kramer, who were "with me at Bolling Field." Roach said he was "real happy to be here. I've heard a lot about playing in Green Bay and everybody tells me I can't help but like it." Roach, 28, is married and has two children, Doug, 3 1/2 years, and Kathy, 1. The newcomer, who will understudy Bart Starr, said he expected no particular problem absorbing the Packer system. "It is similar to the Browns' system but different terms are used," he explained. Asked about the Cards' unorthodox offense, Roach said "there's nothing quite like that." Roach came to the Browns in the offseason from the Cardinals. He broke in with the Cards as a defense back in '56. He was in the Air Force the next two years and then played two years at QB. Cochran said he'll have Roach ready for the game test in about 10 days. That would be about the time the Packers play the Cardinals in St. Louis Aug. 18...The Packers leave for Dallas via United Air Lines charter at 8 o'clock Thursday morning. They'll return Saturday afternoon...The parade of college coaches soaking up the Lombardi method continues. Visiting Tuesday's drill was Wally Butts, the Georgia coach. Also taking a peek yesterday was Capt. Don Smith, the Packers' pilot on their air trips. Smith hails from Green Bay...Nelson Toburen, the Packer rookie who looked so good as a linebacker in the squad scrimmage, never played linebacker at Wichita College. "They switched me from end and I like it," Toburen explained. He had played tackle and defensive end at school. He has fine speed at a big man, 6-4 and 230...Tom Bettis, the veteran linebacker, came out of surgery on his knee in good condition Tuesday. Tom says he'll be ready for the opener.
Packers training camp memory: The unveiling of the 'G' - Aug. 5, 1961: Packers’ annual intra-squad game
(By Cliff Christl - August 20th 2020 - Packers.com) - Without any hoopla or even advance notice, the Green Bay Packers wore their now universally recognized "G" on their helmets for the first time on Aug. 5, 1961. The site was old City Stadium, located adjacent to Green Bay East High School and home of the Packers from 1925-56. The event was the Packers' annual intra-squad game played under an offense vs. defense format adopted by Vince Lombardi two years earlier. Full-squad workouts began that summer on the South Oneida Street practice field, as it was called back then, on July 18. Two days earlier, rookies and early reporting veterans had gotten a jump on the others in what was technically the first practice. Over the 20 days from when the first players hit the field until the day of the intra-squad game, not a word could be found about the Packers adopting a new logo in the daily coverage of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Furthermore, Jeff Ash, editor of "Titletown's Team: A Photographic History of the Green Bay Packers" examined the paper's daily photo collection during that stretch and found no "Gs" on the helmets prior to Aug. 5, including those taken on "Picture Day," held July 23. A search of the Press-Gazette editions over the first six-and-a-half months of 1961 also failed to turn up any mention of the Packers selecting or designing a logo. No mention of it could be found in the Packers' board of directors and executive committee meeting minutes in 1961, either. But at some point, probably close to the start of training camp, Lombardi had decided his defending Western Conference champion Packers were going to wear a "G" on their helmets during the 1961 season. Lombardi asked Dad Braisher, his equipment manager, to take charge of the project and Braisher asked one of his student aides, John Gordon, who happened to be an art student at St. Norbert College, to design it. Gordon was in his second summer of helping Braisher in the equipment room. "(Lombardi) told Dad Braisher to come up with a design for the helmet," Gordon said in a 2010 interview. "I don't know how specific they got in their talks. But when I came in in the morning, Dad said Lombardi wants me to come up with a design for a Packer logo and I want you to draw it: a 'G' in a football shape." At first, Gordon said he balked at the idea. "The concept was Dad's," said Gordon. "I resisted the football shape of the 'G.' That was Dad Braisher. He insisted on that." Gordon said, as far as he knew, Romo Display, a local Green Bay advertising company, did all the production work. "Romo received my drawing and did an artist's rendering of it," said Gordon. "That would have been the common practice and that was presented to Lombardi. Lombardi OK'd my sketch, my drawing. That would have been sent to the company and the company would have done the artwork to make it look like the final product." Vince Lombardi Jr. was one of Braisher's other helpers in the equipment room, but he, too, was in the dark about his father's plans. "Don't have direct knowledge…," Vince Jr. wrote in a 2012 email. "I know John Gordon. Doubt he'd fib about it." A native of Green Bay, Gordon was a 1964 graduate of St. Norbert, the Packers' training camp home from 1958 until this summer's interruption. Gordon later became an adjunct assistant professor of art at the school. Gordon's father worked for the Burroughs Corporation in Green Bay and developed what was, in essence, an early computer system that the Packers were using. That was how John Gordon got his job under Braisher. "I roomed right there in the same dorm as the players (during camp)," said Gordon. "I think from '61 through '67, I worked with Dad Braisher as an assistant. One year, I worked the whole season. I think that was 1962. I also helped out (trainer) Bud Jorgensen. I taped ankles and that sort of thing." The Packers played their intra-squad game in 1961 at what had been renamed East Stadium because the recently seeded grass at new City Stadium (now Lambeau Field) wasn't ready for game action and there was still another month left before the Packers were scheduled to play their only preseason game in Green Bay. Back then, the intra-squad game was four quarters of full tackling and starters played extensively. Actually, Lombardi already had held five full-contact scrimmages in the 20 days before the squad game. When old City Stadium was home to the Packers, its maximum capacity was roughly 25,000. But by 1961, most of the old wooden bleachers had been torn down and capacity was about 7,000. Roughly 5,000 fans – tickets went on sale only days before the game – were there on Aug. 5 to witness the unveiling of the "G," and get an early look at the team that would win its first NFL title under Lombardi that fall. The offense beat the defense, 10-0, with Jim Taylor scoring on a 3-yard run and kicking a 13-yard field goal in place of an injured Paul Hornung. Taylor was the leading rusher with 48 yards on 10 carries and also the leading receiver with four catches for 73 yards. The key play of the day was a 40-yard option pass from halfback Tom Moore to end Boyd Dowler to set up Taylor's touchdown. Bart Starr completed 17 of 22 passes for 205 yards. Lombardi watched the game from the old press box, now partially boarded up, and was described as "disgusted" by what he saw by the Milwaukee Sentinel's Bud Lea. "The offense had the ball 68 times and got 10 points," Lombardi groused. On the other hand, old City Stadium, long regarded for having the best playing surface in the NFL, met with Lombardi's approval. He told Lea the turf was in excellent condition. Interestingly, it doesn't appear that either the Press-Gazette or the Sentinel mentioned the new logo in their coverage of the game. Prior to the 1970 season, the Packers switched from their football-shaped "G" to one that is more of an oval.
JUNGLE JAMEY PREDICTS WORLD TITLE FOR PACKERS
AUG 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Gherman Titov may be the space hero of the day, but it is doubtful if even he could reach one "Jungle Jamey," who, in modern slanguage, is really way out. Jamey has been orbiting around the sports world in general and the NFL in particular for 16 years now and he finally landed in Green Bay this week. No, he didn't arrive in a spacecraft; it was a semi-trailer truck that he hitched a ride with out of Milwaukee. Jamey, you see, is an admitted 33-year-old freeloader and the top gate crasher in the business today. He is a friend of hundreds of athletes and coaches, particularly in the football sphere. And that includes that touch football player residing in Washington, D.C. This likeable curly-haired and sunburned "traveler" arrived in Green Bay Tuesday decked out in a cowboy hat (with 300 autographs), football jersey, short pants and tennis shoes and promptly declared that the Packers would win the world championship over the Cleveland Browns in City Stadium come December. And don't sell that prediction short. A 13-pound scrapbook which is his constant companion reveals that he predicted the Eagles would win the title a year ago. And thus they did despite Jamey's efforts to bring the Packers a measure of good luck by joining them in their preparations for the title game."The Packers would have won that game if they
started at 2:30 instead of noon so that icy field could have thawed," he said in his behalf. Jamey quickly recalls how he brought the Pack luck on the West Coast trip in 1959. "I beat eight restaurants out of steak dinners by betting the Packers would win both games out there that year and then stayed with them to make sure they would." Although picking the Packers for the title this year, Jamey said that after observing them in practice there are three "ifs" which he will reveal to the Press-Gazette to hold until the season is over. But he is sure his friend "Vinnie" Lombardi will bring the team through. He points out that the 1956 New York Giants won the world crown after adopting him as official valet for the team. He claims he even played Santa Claus for the Lombardi clan that year. And he helped in a more tangible way when at 3:00 a.m. on the day of the championship game with the Bears he went out and bought tennis shoes for all the Giant players. George Halas attempted to buy them from him for $20.00 but he wouldn't sell. Although not a man of means, Jamey says he gets around anyway he can and is well taken care of by his athlete friends. "Em Tunnell is a fine fella," he said. "He gave me a couple of bucks when I ran into financial difficulties in 1953. Gary Knafelc also helped me out." In this same vein, he says he ran into a Texas millionaire in Chicago last week who put him up at a fancy hotel until he crashed the All-Star game by announcing to the gate attendant that he was a scout from Canada and flashing one of the many official looking cards in his wallet. Incidentally, he picked the Eagles to win by 14 points. Those cards, which include press cards from such organizations as the Associated Press, United Press International and the New York Times, have gotten him into athletic events, Broadway plays, banquets and Hollywood studios. "Nobody ever refuses to let a writer in," he says in all seriousness. His most sensational crash was in Edmonton, Canada, when he helped 75 yards over a fence (a la old City Stadium) into a football game. But his toughest crash was the Rocky Marciano-Archie Moore heavyweight title fight. For that one he arrived in a truck bringing programs and hid under the ring for two hours until the crowd started arriving. Another crash of a non-athletic nature came in 1957 when someone foolishly dared him to crash an Indian jungle safari. He did. "I liked riding the elephants," he remarks offhandedly. "They run faster than halfbacks." A lover of kids, he collects autographs for them wherever he goes. "I have to get 17 'Hornungs' while I'm here. He's going real well right now," he commented. That scrapbook, besides personal clippings, programs, autographs and readily available tips for improving athletic abilities, contains such valued possessions as Kim Novak's personal phone number and Marilyn Monroe's autograph. Jamey modestly admits to being acquainted with such figures as President Kennedy and Charles de Gaulle. He hasn't met Winston Churchill as yet but the British Royal Family has had the honor. It says so in his scrapbook!
DROP DICK TETEAK
AUG 9 (San Diego) - Dick Teteak, a former lineman at the University of Wisconsin who had a tryout with the NFL Green Bay Packers, was released Tuesday by the San Diego Chargers of the AFL. Teteak's older brother, Darel, a former Packer linebacker, is an assistant coach at Wisconsin.
PACKERS' TEXANS ARRIVE AT 'HOME'
AUG 10 (Dallas-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Eight Texans from Wisconsin arrived "home" today and, needless to say, they'll key the Packers against the Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl Friday night. The Texas contingent is headed by the defensive captain and standout, Bill Forester, and he'll be ably assisted by such Lone Staters as Hank Gremminger, Larry Hickman, Jess Whittenton, Forrest Gregg, Max McGee, John Symank and the newly-arrived John Roach. Forrester, Gregg and Roach played at Southern Methodist University, which is located right here in Dallas; Hickman and Gremminger battled at Baylor, in Waco, and Whittenton put in his college action at Texas Western in El Paso. McGee played at Tulane, but his home is in Fort Worth, which adjoins Dallas. Symank played in Florida but his native city and home is Arlington. Forester, Gremminger and Roach live in Dallas; Hickman in Gladewater; Gregg in Sulphur Springs; and Whittenton in El Paso. Forester is a famous and solid name in this community. Bill and his bother Herschel (former Cleveland Brown) are widely known in Texas for their football and their dad, Herschel Sr., who died several years ago, was a noted high school football coach. A football field here was named in his honor. Roach probably won't play, barring a token appearance, since he just reported to the Packers Tuesday after being obtained from the Browns for a draft choice. All of the Badger-Texans will be making their first appearance in the Cotton Bowl as Packers. Green Bay played one other game in the famed bowl located in the center of the Texas State Fairgounds. The Bays battled and beat the old Dallas Texans there back in 1952. Only one member of that team is still around. That would be 10-year veteran Dave Hanner, the daddy of homegrown Packers who was a rookie that year. The Cowboys have a member of the 1952 Packer team - Billy Howton, who was the Pack's second draft choice that year. Howton, traded to the Browns in 1959 and then to Dallas in '60, will start at left end. Brad Ecklund, center for the 1952 Dallas team, is now a Cowboy assistant coach. The Packers will be making their first public showing since the championship playoff last December and Coach Vince Lombardi is hopeful that the club will make a successful presentation. The Cowboys, fresh from a lopsided victory over the Minnesota Twins, will be making their '61 debut. They are anxious to beat somebody good and thus take a fan-patronage advantage over the rival Dallas Texans of the rival American League...LAST OF ROOKIES: The last of the Packer rookies - nine of them - will be getting their first chance against a live enemy. Late-reportees Herb Adderley and Phil Nugent probably won't see much action but the other seven will be tested. Val Keckin will back up starting quarterback Bart Starr, what with Roach's inexperience with the Packer system and Joe Francis' injured leg. Joe didn't make the trip. The other rookies are Jim Brewington, Lee Folkins, Ron Kostelnik, Clarence Mason, Elijah Pitts and Nelson Toburen. Toburen, successful in a linebacking chore in the squad scrimmage last Saturday, likely will be given additional testing vs. Dallas. He'll share the job with Forrester, Dan Currie and Ray Nitschke. Linebacker Tom Bettis who underwent surgery on his knee Tuesday didn't make the trip...Between 35,000 and 40,000 will see his 14th annual game sponsored by the Dallas Salesmanship Club for its boys' camp charities...The Bays left via United Airlines Charter from Austin Straubel Field at 8 o'clock this morning and were due to arrive here three hours later. The Packers practice at the Cotton Bowl this afternoon. The club is headquartering at the Ramada Inn, a motel. The Cowboys are staying at the same place...The Cowboys will start Don Meredith at quarterback in place of the offensive co-captain, Eddie LeBaron. Meredith earned the start on the basis of his relief showing against Minnesota. Incidentally, Meredith and LeBaron are roommates and personal friends, and LeBaron is coaching the promising young QB...Nate Borden, the likeable ex-Packer now with the Cowboys, suffered a jaw injury in the opener and may not play much Friday. It was at first feared Nate had a broken jaw. Don McIlhenny, another ex-Packer with the Cowboys, is the No. 3 fullback behind Gene Babb and the promising rookie, Amos Marsh...Jim Taylor will do the extra point and field goal kicking in place of the injured Paul Hornung, although Hornung may see some action...The Boston Patriots of the AFL signed John Miller, offensive tackle Wednesday. He was captain of the Boston College eleven in 1955 and later played with the Washington Redskins and the Packers.
PACKER SPIRIT IMPRESSES EX-PRO; 'IT'S BEST EVER'
AUG 11 (Dallas-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Herschel Forester, brother of the Packers' Bill and a former Cleveland Brown, walked out of the Cotton Bowl after the Packers' practice Thursday afternoon and hollered: "They've got more spirit than any other pro team I've seen come in here for this game. I make it a ritual to take the afternoon off before our Salesmanship Game and watch the teams practice and this is the best spirit I've seen." Forester, onetime All-Pro with the Browns who retired already at the tender age of 28, explained that Dallas has been "a Packer town since Doak Walker left the Lions. This was a Detroit town when Doak was there, but now most of us are Packer fans."...This Texas metropolis is pretty well divided between the Cowboys of the NFL and the Texans of the AFL. Val Joe Walker, former Packer now traveling worldwide for an oil firm here, shook his head when asked about the two clubs. "I'm afraid they lean a little toward the Texans. They think Lamar Hunt got a raw deal from the National League. But you hear the other side of the story, too. As far as competition is concerned, there's no comparison between the two clubs. The Cowboys would have no trouble beating the Texans, everybody knows that."...The aforementioned Mr. Hunt, son of one of the world's richest men, watched the Packers' drill along with his club's general manager, Jack Steadman. Hunt was well acquainted with the Packer personnel and explained that "we keep close tabs on all the teams."...This is the Packers' first trip since competing in the playoff as Western Division Champion. The feeling here is general that "you should have beaten the Eagles" - just like back home. The Pack is now getting built up nicely, of course, by the opposition. At the Salesmanship Club's annual luncheon for the game's two contestants Thursday noon, the Packers were presented as the team that's going to win the world championship. In fact, the MC explained that the club annually has the world champions play in the Salesmanship Game but "this year we overlooked the Eagles in favor of the team that will be 'the new world champions.'" The Pack's opponents will spread that noise continuously from now on. It's the nice penalty one must play for winning a title. It must be defended, you know...Don Rondou, former West High and Northwestern great, watched the Bays practice. He's stationed down here for Minnesota Mining and expects to be shifted to Louisiana. Stopping in for dinner was Buddy Brown, former Packer guard. Due in from Tennessee Friday is Bobby Dillon, who will watch the game with Walker...There's something about a champ. You could tell the difference when the Packers and Cowboys were introduced by Coaches Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry at the luncheon. Our guys looked sharper, taller and bigger, but we're prejudiced...The three new Packers have been assigned numbers - John Roach, 10, Herb Adderley, 26, and Phil Nugent, 41.
TOUGH BATTLE, SHOWERS EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT'S PACK-COWBOY TILT
AUG 11 (Dallas-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers are anxious - real anxious - to play a game. The Cowboys must win. So, you have the ingredients of what football men call a "good game" on tap in the Cotton Bowl tonight. It will be the Salesmanship Club's 14th annual charity game and a crowd of close to 40,000 is expected, barring predicted showers. Kickoff is set for 9 o'clock, Packerland time, and you can hear it on WJPG. The Cowboys are in a deadly fight with the rival Texans of the AFL and they've got to make a hot showing, preferably win, tonight to help the sale of season tickets for the upcoming league season...PACK SHARP THURSDAY: The Packers have been over-anxious all week in practice, looking bad in the process and making life unhappy for Coach Vince Lombardi and aides Phil Bengtson, Red Cochran, Bill Austin, Norb Hecker and Dick Voris. Practice here Thursday afternoon was the direct opposite. The Packers looked good - remindful of a year ago. The Packers won't start the same lineup that opened against the Eagles in the championship game. There will be one and possibly two changes in the offensive starters. Paul Hornung won't open because of his injury and the starting runner opposite Jim Taylor will be either rookie Elijah Pitts or sophomore Tom Moore. The other tossup is at the tight end where Ron Kramer may start in place of Gary Knafelc, who beat Ron out of the job the last two years. Kramer is due for a rigid test along the grapefruit trail. The rest of the starting offense will see Bart Starr at quarterback, Boyd Dowler at right half, Max McGee at left end, Bob Skoronski and Forrest Gregg at tackles, Jerry Kramer and Fred Thurston at guards and Jim Ringo at center...SYMANK MAY START: Defensively, the change from a year ago could be in the deep secondary to start with. John Symank is expected to open at left safety for Em Tunnell and Willie Wood would then start at Symank's old position at right safety. Opening at the corners will be Hank Gremminger and Jess Whittenton. With Tom Bettis back home with his "newly-cut" knee, the linebacking at the start will have Dallas' own Bill Forester, Ray Nitschke and Dan Currie. The past four in the defense line will be back to start - Bill Quinlan, Dave Hanner, Hank Jordan and Willie Davis. All nine of the Packers' rookies are due for a good shot of action, with the exception of Phil Nugent and Herb Adderley who likely will be used sparingly because they've only been in camp a few days. Adderley is ticketed for kickoff and punt duties. He'll share the runbacking with Moore on kickoffs and Lew Carpenter on punts. Key rookies getting the once over will be Lee Folkins, the fast-handed pass catcher; Nelson Toburen, the linebacker who did exceptionally well in the squad scrimmage a week ago, and Pitts. a real speed merchant. Also on the look list will be Jim Brewington, Ron Kostelnik and Clarence Mason. It's possible Val Keckin will get a series or two and John Roach may make a token appearance, this being his hometown...TAYLOR EYES KICKING: Hornung will do no placekicking and these chores will be handled by the strong-legged Taylor. It will be Jim's debut as a Packer kicker and he's as hepped up over that as he is about his running. The Cowboys will open with Don Meredith at quarterback and the opening offensive lineup will have Billy Howton at left end and Mike Falls at right guard. L.G. Dupre is having his best year and he'll likely carry the rushing load along with Amos Marsh, a highly-touted rookie fullback. The Cowboys, like the Packers, are "new" here. They had been in training at Northfield, Minn., for four weeks and just came down this week. The two clubs are wonderful about playing in excessive hear. Although the heat is dry and there is some wind, the temperatures could stay around 85 or 90 for the game. Expected rain would cook that down some but the humidity then would go up. It was 92 during drills Thursday, and it felt like somebody left the furnace door open. The Packers will leave via United Airlines charter around noon Saturday and arrive back at Austin Straubel Field about 5:30.
