Green Bay Packers (10-0) 17, Baltimore Colts (5-5) 13
Sunday November 18th 1962 (at Green Bay)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(GREEN BAY) - Two great goal-line stands. A 103-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Herb Adderley. And a 23-yard fool-'em touchdown run by Tom Moore! Add a field goal by Jerry Kramer and you have the makings of one of the choicest victories in Packer history - a 17 to 13 verdict over the Baltimore Colts in City Stadium Sunday afternoon. This was the Packers' 10th straight triumph and it wasn't safe until the final gun sounded. The hair-raising near-loss left the packed audience of 38,669 limp and provided a thrilling climax to a Homecoming weekend honoring Curly Lambeau, Dave Hanner and nearly 100 Packer alumni. The scene now shifts to Detroit Thanksgiving Day when the Packers battle the second place Lions (8-2) in a championship showdown. The Bays can clinch a tie for the Western title by winning. The Packers won Sunday with a clutch defense and a minimum of offense. The Colts rolled up an impressive 380 yards, but they scored but one touchdown - a 34-yard John Unitas to Jimmy Orr pass, and 42 and 13-yard field goals by Dick Bielski. Green Bay was limited to only 116 yards by the Colts' fierce defense, but the Packers' goal-line heroics virtually removed 21 points from the Colts' total, as follows: FIRST QUARTER - Ray Nitschke recovered fumble by R.C. Owens on the Packer 2-yard line. SECOND QUARTER - The Colts reached the Packer 1 yard line, first down, score 10-3 Green Bay. Defense allowed nothing on three plunged. Bill Forester hurled Unitas for 13-yard loss on fourth down. FOURTH QUARTER - Colts reached Packer 7 with 4 minutes left in game, first down, Adderley batted down pass aimed at Orr in end zone. Thus, the Colts' explosive offense had been blunted in must-scoring territory three times. With 1:40 left, Baltimore had one last shot from the Colt 39 but the Bays never budged and on fourth down Bill Quinlan and Willie Davis slammed Unitas to the ground before he could pass. That was the game. The Bay defense was exceptionally busy. The Colts ran off 79 plays against the Pack's 49 and in the first half the Colts ran up 234 yards against the Pack's 31 and a 13-2 edge in the first downs. Yet, the score was tied 10-up at the intermission. The Colts got off to a 3-0 lead on Bielski's 42-yard field goal at 8:36 of the first period. The Bays went ahead 16 seconds later when Adderley took the next kickoff back for a touchdown. J. Kramer booted a field goal just before the period. With 54 seconds left in the half, Unitas passed to Orr for a touchdown and the score was tied. Bielski kicked his second field goal midway in the third period to put the Colts ahead but on the third play of the fourth quarter Bart Starr faked Jim Taylor into the line and then handed off to Moore, who ran outside the sucked-in Colt defense for 23 yards and the payoff TD. The entire Bay defense got into the key heroics but the big thorns in Unitas' side for the day were Forester and Adderley. Bubba tackled Unitas for losses four times and generally played one of his finest games. Adderley made the game's only interception to set up J. Kramer's field goal, batted down that final Unitas goal line pass, and of course zoomed 103 yards on the kickoff. That, incidentally, was the second longest KO return in Packer history and the longest run of any kind in the league this season. Al Carmichael's 106-yard return in 1956 is the Pack's and the league's longest. Nelson Toburen, who replaced the injured Dan Currie, suffered a painful neck injury in tackling Unitas in the fourth quarter. Torburen hit John U. so hard that the ball was jarred loose and Nitschke recovered. Ken Iman, the No. 3 man at the position, finished out and stood his ground in the final goal line stand. All four goal line plays went toward him. The offense had tough sledding but Starr came up with the big call, which would be Moore's TD. Bart completed eight out of 13 passes for 57 yards. Taylor, as always, was a marked man. He carried 19 times under extremely hazardous conditions and finished with 46 yards - his lowest
total of the season. He emerged the day as the Pack's all-time leading ground gainer, with 4,228 yards. This broke Tony Canadeo's record of 4,197. There were indications that the Colts came to play after the opening kickoff. They ran up four quick first downs and moved from their own 32 to the Packer 9, chiefly on Unitas passes to Owens and Orr for 36 yards and runs of 15 and 11 yards by Moore and Smolinski. This was quite a shock for us hometowners but Willie Wood and Nitschke clobbered Owens just after he caught a Unitas pass and Ray grabbed the inevitable fumble on the 2. The Packers were stopped with 5 yards and Boyd Dowler, with a good roll, got off a 63-yard punt. The Colts added two more first downs and Bielski then booted his longest FG, with the ball barely going over the crossbar and escaping Wood's leap. Adderley took Bielski's kickoff behind the goal posts, ran straight up the middle, got a good block by Ken Iman - on Lenny Lyles close to midfield and then cut to his right and toward the west sidelines for the TD. After an exchange of punts, Adderley intercepted a Unitas pass and returned 21 yards to the Colt 17. Starr had McGee cold in the end zone but the pass went wide. Two plays later J. Kramer booted a 24-yard field goal for a 10-3 lead. After another exchange of punts early in the second quarter, the Colts worked down to the Packer 15 on two Unitas passes and an 11-yard run by Unitas. The Bays dug in and forced a field goal try by Bielski. But wait a minute. Bob Boyd, who was told to hold the ball, got up and ran like a scared rabbit around end. The Bays were fooled but they recovered in time to push him out of bounds on the 1. Here's where the Pack dug in. Matte hit the right side, Smolinski the left, and Hawkins the right for no yards. On fourth down, Unitas backed up to roll out for a pass, but Forester was in on him. Unitas threw the ball in the air in disgust after he was downed. Dowler was forced to punt again, though the Bays got a bad break when no penalty was called as a Colt ripped the face guard off Max's helmet. The Colts scored in two plays from the Bay 48. After Owens caught a pass for 14, Unitas hurled a perfect strike to Orr in the end zone. The tough Colts forced a punt as the second half opened and then quickly took a 13-10 lead. With Moore running for 34 yards and Unitas passing to Owens for 20, the Colts reached the Bay 13 and Bielski kicked an 18-yard field goal. At this point, it appeared that the Pack offense would start to move. Starr hurled passes of 12 yards to Ron Kramer, 7 to McGee, and 11 to Dowler while Taylor and Moore ran for four first downs. The attack bogged down and Dowler dropped a short punt on the 2. The Bay defense stiffened and kept the Colts from a first down - by inches, forcing the punt on the last play of the third quarter. Wood took the boot on the Packer 48 and, with Pitts getting a key block, returned 16 yards to the Colt 32. Three plays later Moore zipped outside right tackle for the TD, with 46 seconds gone in the fourth period. J. Kramer's second point set the final score at 17-13. Now the dog-fight was really on. After an exchange of punts, the Colts got a first down on Smolinski's running at the Colt 33. Unitas then fumbled when hit by Toburen and now it appeared the Pack had the show under control at the 50. Starr had McGee loose around the 15 but his pass was short and Max had to come back. Jim Welch interfered with McGee and the Bays had the ball on the 11. It looked good but two plays later Taylor fumbled and the Colts' Smith recovered. The Bay defense was up to the task and quickly forced a punt with nearly 6 minutes left. Gilburg's boot was fielded by Pitts but Elijah fumbled and the Colts' Bill Kirchiro recovered on the Packers 48. Now it really looked like curtains as Unitas hit Moore twice for 27 yards and then ran 25 yards himself down the west sidelines to the Packer 7, with 4:42 left. Here's where the Pack dug in. Moore got to the 2 on first down. Smolinski got to the 1 on the next play. On third down Smolinski was hurled for a 1-yard loss and on fourth down Adderley made a leap to kayo a pass intended for Orr. With 2:15 left and the ball on the Packer 19 with third and 11, Starr hurled a pass toward Dowler off to the right but it went incomplete and the Colts received one more chance. The Bays stopped four straight pass attempts and the day was saved.
BALTIMORE - 3 7 3 0 - 13
GREEN BAY - 10 0 0 7 - 17
BALTIMORE GREEN BAY
First Downs 19 8
Rushing-Yards-TD 44-189-0 27-87-1
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 28-17-237-1-1 13-8-57-0-0
Sack Yards Lost 44 28
Total Yards 382 116
Fumbles-lost 3-2 4-2
Turnovers 3 2
Yards penalized 5-76 1-5
SCORING
1st - BALT - Dick Bielski, 42-yard field goal BALTIMORE 3-0
1st - GB - Herb Adderley, 103-yard kickoff return (Jerry Kramer kick) GREEN BAY 7-3
1st - GB - J. Kramer, 24-yard field goal GREEN BAY 10-3
2nd - BAL - Jimmy Orr, 34-yard pass from Johnny Unitas (Bielski kick) TIED 10-10
3rd - BALT - Bielski, 18-yard field goal BALTIMORE 13-10
4th - GB - Tom Moore, 23-yard run (J. Kramer kick) GREEN BAY 17-13
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Jim Taylor 19-46, Tom Moore 7-38 1 TD, Bart Starr 1-3
BALTIMORE - Lenny Moore 13-65, Johnny Unitas 8-59, Mark Smolinski 17-41, Bobby Boyd 1-15, Tom Matte 3-8, Alex Hawkins 2-1
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 13-8-157
BALTIMORE - Johnny Unitas 28-17-237 1 TD 1 INT
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Max McGee 2-26, Boyd Dowler 2-17, Ron Kramer 2-15, Tom Moore 2-(1)
BALTIMORE - R.C. Owens 6-84, Jimmy Orr 5-100 1 TD, Lenny Moore 3-11, Dee Mackey 2-24, Mark Smolinski 1-18
Green Bay Packers fullback Jim Taylor heads upfield as guards Jerry Kramer (64) and Fuzzy Thurston (63) block Baltimore Colts cornerback Bobby Boyd (40) and defensive end Gino Marchetti (89) during a game at new City Stadium on Nov. 18, 1962. Colts defensive tackle Jim Colvin (75) is at right. (Credit: Green Bay Press-Gazette archives)
WE WERE FORTUNATE, VINCE; NO DISGRACE, EWBANK
NOV 18 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Thanksgiving may have come early for Vince Lombardi. Obviously imbued with a deep sense of gratitude, born of a tingling tenth straight victory for his embattled Packers at the expense of Baltimore's frustrated Colts, the Packer head man confessed as much late Sunday afternoon, declaring, "We were pretty fortunate today." "We made too many mistakes," he further volunteered. Then, reconsidering, Vince smiled at the press corps clustered about him in his City Stadium office and amended this to read, "No, I guess we didn't make too many mistakes." (We won, didn't we?) Had it been the Pack's toughest game? he was asked. "Yes, I would say so. Baltimore played a great ball game - and both clubs played a great defensive game." How did he compare Baltimore's performance in the just-consumated 17-13 victory to their artistry in a 17-6 decision over the Hosses in the east Oct. 28? "It was about the same as the game they played against us in Baltimore," Lombardi said. In view of the Packers' difficulties on offense, had the Colt defense sprung any surprises? "No, it was just aggressive defense," Vince asserted. "They did nothing different than they did in Baltimore." Could he ever remember a game with a pair of goal line stands like the ones his Packers had staged? "Oh yes," Lombardi replied with a grin. "There have been a lot of them." Speaking of defense, what of fourth quarter casualty Nelson Toburen? "I don't know," Vince said. "he's in the hospital right now. Our doctor's first diagnosis was a pinched nerve in the neck, but that hasn't been confirmed as yet." "I don't know how Nelson got hurt," the Packer major-domo added in answer to another question. A quick query of defense coach Phil Bengston disclosed that Toburen had been injured in applying a crunching tackle to the Colts' guiding genius, John Unitas. Did this mean that Ken Iman, Toburen's replacement, would be playing against the Lions in Detroit Thursday? "I don't know. If it's a pinched nerve, Toburen should be ready to play." What of Dan Currie's status? "I doubt if he'll play," Lombardi said without hesitation. Currie incurred a sprained knee in the 49-0 decimation of Philadelphia's Eagles a week earlier. Lombardi had good news, however, about another Packer casualty. Paul Hornung, who has seen only brief action since suffering a knee injury against the Minnesota Vikings Oct. 14, "should be ready Thursday," he revealed. The NFL's three-time leading scorer, it developed, could have played Sunday. "I held him out," Vince said, "because I just figured the other boy (Tom Moore) was doing all right." Moore's decisive 23-yard scoring sortie in the final period had begun as a crossbuck, Vince explained. "Starr (quarterback Bart) faked to Jim Taylor, and then gave the ball to Moore. Most of them
(Baltimore's defenders) went for Taylor." Who had saved the day by knocking down Unitas' desperation fourth down pass in the end zone late in the final period? "Herb Adderley knocked it down, but I think it was deflected first by a lineman, probably Forester. That, by the way, is as fine a football game as I've ever seen Bubba Forester play," Lombardi said. "Bubba played a fine game - he made some real big plays today." Did he feel Unitas had been up to par? a Baltimore scribe interjected. "Yes, sir," Vince shot back with a smile. "I've never seen him look better." Another writer noted that sophomore Iman had delivered a "beautiful block" to spring Adderley on his 103-yard kickoff return. "Iman is a good football player," Vince declared. What about Detroit? "We have to go there," Lombardi replied, "we have to go there." Vince, who has made no secret of his desire to terminate or at least temporarily suspend the Packers' participation in the Thanksgiving Day classic, added, "We may have to play it one more year because of the television contract. After that, they can give somebody else a chance." Returning to the events of the day, he summed up, "We made two picture plays (Adderley's marathon dash and Moore's scoring burst). That was it."..."I only went to church once today - I should have gone three times, judging from the way the ball was bouncing out there today," the Colts' peppery Weeb Ewbank quipped dryly. "One time the ball bounced an extra 20 yards on a Dowler punt when it looked like it was going out of bounds and another time one of his punts rolled dead on our two-yard line instead of going into the end zone." Dispensing with the levity, he said, "The Packers have a good football team. It was no disgrace to lose to them." There was a distinct impression, however, that he was at a loss to explain how it could have happened on this particular Sabbath. He had intimated just that earlier by asserting, "Sometimes it looked like we were trying to organize to lose it." Ewbank said he considered the Colts' City Stadium effort "equal to our performance against the Packers in Baltimore - in some respects better. In fact, I'd have to say it was better. Moore (Lenny) has been back with us longer." (Moore missed the Colts' first six games with a knee injury). "There is no doubt about it, we would have been contenders if Moore had been with us from the beginning of the season," Weeb declared with alacrity in response to another question. "Remember, too, when we got Moore back we lost Pyle (Palmer Pyle, Colt blocking star). We've never had our team together." Unitas, he conceded, had had "a good day" but he couldn't agree with Lombardi's contention that he had never seen General John look better. "I couldn't say that," Ewbank said, "but John had a good day. I was pleased."...STARDUST: Memories of the faithful, who can hark back to seven world championships, were pleasantly revived between halves when President John Martinkovic of the Packer Alumni Assn. introduced more than 50 of the "old grads" to the 38,669 sitting in on Packer homecoming, which this year was combined with "Hawg Hanner Day" and a salute to E.L. (Curly) Lambeau, Packer founder.
WANTED IT FOR DAVE, SAYS BUBBA
NOV 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There was method in Bubba Forester's Sunday madness. The Packers' soft-spoken defensive captain, who has had more than a few good days in his distinguished 10-year career but probably none to equal yesterday's study in virtuosity, said simply, "It was the game we wanted to win for Dave (Hanner). We wanted to give him the game ball." The far-ranging Forester, it will have to be admitted, did his bit. Among other contributions, he four times stormed through the Colts' protective cordon to hurl John Unitas for losses totaling 35 yards, which may be a new record for this specialty. The explanation? "Things kind of came our way," Forester said with a shy smile. "We were in a red dog type of defense where we were shooting the linebackers quite a bit. I got Unitas scot free a couple of times and a couple of times I went through the fullback." (This last, it might be added, is an entirely accurate description of what transpired.) Jordon, who triggered the breakup of Unitas' fourth down pass on the Colts' final threat late in the fourth quarter, reported, "I hit him and I hit his arm. He fell and threw at the same time. I turned and looked to see who was going to catch the ball, but there was nobody between me and Herb Adderley, who knocked it down. In fact," Henry drawled, "I think Herb might have intercepted it if I hadn't hit Unitas' arm." As Adderley say it, in another corner of the dressing room, "somebody deflected it and I knocked it down." An exhausted citizen, Herb confided, "I saw daylight (on his 103-yard kickoff runback) after I passed the wedge. On my last cut, I saw a green jersey. I just cut off that green jersey and I saw daylight." "I've never had a run like that before," he revealed. "Without a doubt, it was my longest." The lithe Michigan State alumnus saw another "all the way" opportunity on his second quarter interception, with which he streaked 12 yards to the Colt 17. "After I made a couple of fakes and went to the outside, I thought I might go," Herb confided. "But I got tripped up by the last man." Turning his attention to the Colts, he volunteered, "Lennie Moore makes a great difference in their offense. They'd probably be a contender if they had him all the time." This was, incidentally, a fair example of "turning the other cheek." Adderley, sporting a badly cut and swollen locker lip, explained, "Moore kicked me in the mouth. It was the back of his shoe, though, it wasn't intentional." Big Willie Davis, who with Quinlan had throttled Unitas on fourth down in the final bid to quash the Colts' last bid, imparted soulfully, "I just closed my eyes on that one and took off - I knew they had 15 yards to go. I was just going to get in there any way I could. I didn't think about a run or anything." Jim Taylor, who had broken Tony Canadeo's all-time Packer ground gaining record but was limited to a modest (for him) 46 yards in the process, declared, "I haven't seen anything like it in the league. The Colt defense is as tough as I've ever run against. Breaks, those fumble recoveries and the two goal line stands gave it to us," he said. Was he disappointed? "How can you be disappointed," he replied with irrefutable logic, "when you win?" What had produced his fourth quarter fumble on the Colt four-yard line? "I slipped when I went through the line," Taylor said, "and I lost the ball. I don't know how it happened." Marveling over the enormous hole opened for him on his touchdown run, Tom Moore grinned and said, "It's a wonder I didn't fall down, it opened up so big." "I don't think anybody laid a hand on me," he added. "It was a terrific hole and the other guys (the Baltimore defense) were playing a little bit wide so there was a lane to the goal line." A subdued Elijah Pitts, describing the fumbled punt that produced some anxious moments in the closing stages, explained, "One man had hold of me and I was trying to struggle out of his grasp. When I tried to pull away, somebody came up from behind and hit me right in the arm I had the ball in. I saw our boys up the sidelines, " Elijah said, "so it would have been a good return but I probably should have fair caught the ball. That was the toughest few minutes," the pride of Philander T. Smith soberly confided, "that I've ever been through."
PLAYERS' PLAQUE SETS TONE OF 'HANNER DAY'
NOV 18 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - As the Herculean Packer defense staved off the frustrated Colts just yards short of victory in the waning minutes of that epic struggle in City Stadium Sunday afternoon, the pregame words of Jim Ringo blared back to mind. As he handed a huge plaque to Dave (Hawg) Hanner on behalf of the Packer players, Offensive Capt. Ringo read the inscription that said, "...in appreciation of your efforts, especially when the going is tough. You are the toughest." Automobile, tractor and fancy words aside, that statement by Ringo set the tone of "Hawg Hanner Day." Hanner, the likeable and popular defensive tackle who has toiled in Packer silks through lean and fat for 11 years, was honored in ceremonies held just before the kickoff by Packerland fans who purchased and wore "Hawg Hanner" buttons by the thousands. On behalf of "the football fans of Green Bay and the entire state," Green Bay Mayor Roman Dennisen presented Hanner with the keys to a shiny new, white station wagon purchased with the proceeds of the button sale. Accepting the gifts and the toasts of the fans, the somewhat embarrassed appearing but calm and beaming Hanner declared, "I can't put into words, truthfully, how much this means to my family and myself. I want to thank you for the welcome you have given us over a period of years. This is the greatest football town in the world. May God be with you always."...EX-COACH ON HAND: In addition to the automobile and the plaque, Hanner was presented with a large, framed crayon portrait done by John Gordon, team assistant property manager and St. Norbert College art student; a financial gift from the Packer Corp. and a tractor with snow blower from International Harvester. On hand for the program was Hanner's high school coach from his native Arkansas, Clarence Bell, now a state senator. Sen. Bell extended greetings to Green Bay from "the governor of Arkansas and the many friends of Dave Hanner, Lew Carpenter and Elijah Pitts (all native Razorbacks)." He added, "This is the greatest football
team on earth." The program was emceed by Bill King, chairman of the committee that organized the "Day."
TOBUREN LOST FOR YEAR; IMAN TO START AT LB'ER AGAINST LIONS
NOV 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Nelson Toburen is out for the season. Ken Iman will start at left linebacker at Detroit Thanksgiving Day. And who says lightning never strikes twice in the same place? Toburen, the hard-hitting sophomore linebacker, suffered a dislocated vertebrae tackling Johnny Unitas "with full force" Sunday and will wear a cast for some three months. Nellie underwent surgery by Dr. Jim Nellen, the Pack's team physician, at St. Vincent Hospital Monday night and half the team was there to wish him well. Toburen was feeling fine this morning and recalled the play: "I knew I could make him fumble because he was running high, so I hit him with full force. But when I hit him I had my head in the wrong position. That's when I got hurt." And Nellie added with a laugh: "He fumbled all right, but right now I'm wondering whether it was worth it." Toburen was making his first league start and was doing the job until the collision with Unitas. He had replaced Dan Currie, the regular left linebacker, who suffered a knee injury the previous Sunday at Philadelphia. Coach Vince Lombardi announced today that Currie is definitely out of the Detroit game and that Iman will start in the left linebacker spot. Lightning doesn't figure to hit left linebacker a third time, but a substitute is being groomed for Iman. That would be Earl Gros, the No. 2 fullback, who has played left linebacker at LSU. The outside defensive position is entirely new to the willing and hard-working Iman, who backed up Capt. Jim Ringo during his entire three-year career - until Sunday. Iman, who made the Packers as a free agent out of Southeastern Missouri in 1960, said he never played "outside linebacker in college. I was always at middle linebacker. There was little pass responsibility in the middle but now it's mostly pass responsibility." Ken said he was looking forward to Thursday and "I hope I can do the job. I imagine they'll be working some on me but that's football. We'd do the same thing." Unitas didn't wait long to "pick on" Iman Sunday and all four of the plays in the Pack's goal line stand in the fourth quarter were aimed at the right side which was the Pack's left. On the crucial fourth down pass, Iman got "two fingers on the ball but I'm sure Herb would have knocked it down anyway." Herb Adderley kayoed the pass before it reached the intended receiver, Johnny Orr. And speaking of Adderley, it was just a year ago this time Herb was switched from offense to defense. He got a chance in Detroit when Hank Gremminger was hurt and made a key interception. With Iman on defense, Bob Skoronski, a left tackle by trade, becomes Ringo's relief. Lombardi said that Paul Hornung is "okay and we can use him (against the Lions) if we wish." Hornung was in for 10 plays on a touchdown drive against the Eagles and ran once for 4 yards and completed two passes. He didn't play against the Colts "because the other boy (Tom Moore) was doing all right." Paul, who was hurt in Minnesota Oct. 14, says he can't run "100 percent." He said after the Eagle game he had hoped to get "hit on it" but on his one carry he was tackled high...SPUTTERING AROUND: Lombardi, after viewing the pictures Monday, noted that "we just weren't getting off the ball. We were sputtering around too much." He felt that "we were strong on defense." This is a short week for the Pack and the Bays were in the clubhouse bright and early Monday morning. The team worked briefly in the stadium to remove the kinks and then hear a report from Scout Wally Cruice who viewed the Lion-Viking game. Asked about the Lions, Cruice smiled, "They run and pass and kick." To which backfield coach Red Cochran piped up: "You forgot the one thing they do best - tackle."
REMEMBER LION GAME? PACK PULLED SAME PASS
NOV 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Remember the Packer-Lion game Oct. 7? The Lions were leading 7-6 with 1:30 left and the ball on the 50. It was third down and seven yards to go for the game-clinching first down. Milt Plum passed to the right flat, Herb Adderley intercepted and with 33 seconds left Paul Hornung kicked a 21-yard field goal that gave Green Bay a thrilling 9-7 victory. Some armchair strategists, plus a few in the pro football trade, second-guessed Plum for putting the ball in the air. They felt that a run and the ensuing punt would force the Pack to travel 70 or 80 yards for their "winning" field goal. The cleats were on the other shoe in the Colt game Sunday. The score was 17-13, Green Bay, and the ball was on the Packers' 19, third down and 11 yards to go for a first down with 2 minutes and 9 seconds left. Similar to Plum's problem. "No, I didn't think of the Detroit game," Packer quarterback Bart Starr smiled after the hard-earned victory, adding: "The pass was the play to call and I had Boyd (Dowler, flanker) open but didn't hit him." Coach Vince Lombardi backed up Bart's pass. "It was a drop pass (Starr faked off to his backs before going back to throw) and the play to call." On the Detroit pass, Plum went directly back, thus tipping off his intention immediately. Starr, by faking off, made the defense set and think for a moment. Too dangerous to pass in that spot? "You can't play this game that way," Vince said, indicating that he's willing to gamble a bit to preserve a victory. The Packers, unlike Detroit, punted on the final down and then stomped the Colts' last ditch aerial series. But let's look over some circled notations in the play book: LYLES OUT - On Herb Adderley's 103-yard runback of a kickoff, Colt Lenny Lyles was flattened by a good block by Tom Moore and never returned to action. Lyles, who had guarded Max McGee, was replaced rookie Wendell Harris at right corner...WATCH OUT JESS - Jess Whittenton, the Pack's right corner, looked at the Colts' two left ends, R.C. Owens and Raymond Berry, on successive plays in the second quarter. He kayoed a long pass to R.C. Berry then replaced Owens and Whittenton chased Berry close enough to ruin a Unitas pass...HARRIS TESTED - The aforementioned rookie halfback took Lyles' place for the first time midway in the second quarter. Bart Starr called McGee's number and the Taxi cruised into the open for a 19-yard gain. Moments later, Starr's pass to McGee in the end zone was wide...FIGHTING FOR NO GAIN - Jim Taylor went off left end for a reverse play but a bunch of Colts were on him five yards behind the line of scrimmage. The powerful Taylor struggled five yards to keep from taking a loss...PADDED PLATFORM - Jackie Burkett could have been seriously injured when he ran into a portable TV camera platform. Willie Wood, who was returning a punt, narrowly dodged the camera, which was about five yards from the sidelines. Platforms and other TV equipment should be padded, just as the goalposts are...FOURTH AND ONE - The Colts seemed to be running more but Unitas had a fourth and one situation on the Packer 39 with 5 minutes left and he hurled a five-yard pass to Lenny Moore in the flat right for the first down...FIRST PENALTY - The Packers received their first penalty with 2:30 left in the game and it was a costly one. On a second and 14 play, Moore rambled 12 yards, but the Bays were offside. That moved the ball back to the 11 from where Moore ran 8.
PLUM TO START; PIETROSANTE RATED DOUBTFUL
NOV 20 (Detroit) - It's back to the bullpen for Earl Morrall, pro football's top rescue artist. The quarterback who bailed the Lions out Sunday at Minnesota with his relief pitching will be on the bench for the start of their Thanksgiving encounter with the Green Bay Packers. Coach George Wilson Monday squashed all thoughts Morrall would start the big game instead of Milt Plum. "No," Wilson signaled with a sideways shake of his head when asked if he was toying with the idea of starting Morrall. Plum, the hero of the Lions' early season spurt, has been erratic the last six weeks. Twice in the last three games Morrall came off the bench in the second half to pass the Lions to victories. The Lions will have all their injured players except Nick Pietrosante ready for the traditional game with unbeaten Green Bay. Pietrosante hurt his knee 10 days ago at San Francisco. He didn't even suit up against Minnesota. "Pietrosante is very doubtful for Thursday," said Wilson. "I don't see how he can play." Terry Barr pranced through his pass patterns with his normal speed Monday. Barr, Detroit's top pass receiver, has missed five games since his Oct. 14 knee injury. Danny Lewis, who sat out the Minnesota game, also will be back against Green Bay.
BEDNARIK SAYS: GIANTS ONLY PACK TITLE FOE
NOV 20 (New York) - Chuck Bednarik of the Philadelphia Eagles had been bombed by Green Bay 49-0 and beaten by New York 19-14 on the last two Sundays. That makes him an expert - the hard way. "The Giants are a great ball club," said the 37-year-old linebacker after announcing his annual retirement Monday. "I feel New York is the only proper team in the Eastern Conference to meet Green Bay. This is the best of the bunch. Before the season, I thought Cleveland was loaded. But I was wrong. I take my hat off to Y.A. Tittle and Del Shofner. They are the backbone of the Giants. But what keeps the Giants going is the old folks - that line of 30-year-olds - Andy Robustelli (35), Dick Modzelewski (31), Rosey Grier (30) and Jim Katcavage (27). They have good defense, great receivers and a fine quarterback." And how about Green Bay? "When we played them, the defense worked double time," said Bednarik. "We got only three first downs. They had the ball 46 minutes and we had it 14. When we were on offense, it would be one, two, three and kick. Then we'd (the defense) go back in. They really pulverized us. I know because a middle linebacker is in a most dangerous spot. They wanted to make up for us beating them in the title game in 1960, but they forgot that 17 of the 1960 team are gone. Usually after a game, I recuperate and feel as good as new by Friday, at least. I still was sore the following Sunday." Bednarik, guest at the weekly luncheon of the Pro Quarterback Club, was asked what would happen if the Packers and Giants meet, as now appears probable in the title game Dec. 30 at the park of the Eastern Conference winner...WOULD BE 'TOSS-UP': "I think it would be a toss-up," he said. "The Giants are a real fine team. They should be helped psychologically by playing at home. The secret of pro football is to win on the road. Even with the pros, that cheering does something to you. Last year, the Giants didn't hear any cheers out in Green Bay (Packers won 37-0)." Toss-up or no, Bednarik said he was on the side of the Giants. "After what the Packers did to us, I'm rooting for the Giants. Last year, I admit, I had a little animosity for New York and I was pulling for Green Bay. But this time if you need help Dec. 30, I'll put on a girl's skirt and get out there and lead cheers." Bednarik said he really meant it when he said he would retire at the end of the season. "I am counting the games," he said. "Only four to go. My family wanted me to quite last year, but the club didn't have a middle linebacker and asked me to come back. I always said I didn't want to quit because of an injury or because I was on a bad club but..." Bednarik backed up Coach Nick Skorich and said Skorich was being made the scapegoat for other failures. He said injuries to Ted Dean and Pete Retzlaff hurt the club. "Our quarterback is enjoying his worst year ever," he said of Sonny Jurgensen. "I think his arm is 90 percent healed, but he is having his problems." Jorgensen suffered a shoulder separation last January in the Playoff Bowl game at Miami.
BEST DEFENSES COLLIDE IN PACKER-LION BATTLE
NOV 21 (Detroit-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The first time the Packers played the Lions' annual Thanksgiving Day game, the two clubs rolled up 87 points. The Lions won that tennis-neck match, in 1951, by a score of 52 to 35. Quite the opposite is expected in Tiger Stadium (it was called Briggs Stadium in '51) Thursday. The Packers and Lions have the best defenses in pro football. Barring a defensive collapse by one or both teams, Detroit and Green Bay figure to tangle in an old-fashioned low-scoring battle. That's the kind of fame they played in Green Bay Oct. 7. It was a 9-7 scorcher, with the Packers winning without one TD and on Paul Hornung's three field goals. The defenses, however, were helped along that day by a muddy field and rain. The two defenses are virtually even in yards allowed - just eight yards apart in 10 games. Green Bay gave up 2,218, Detroit 2,136. They each allowed 129 first downs. Each defense has a specialty. The Lions allowed only 776 yards and 45 first downs by rushing against the Packers' 985 and 60. The Packers have the edge in aerial defense. They gave up 1,143 yards and 61 first downs passing against the Lions' 1,360 and 74. Detroit has been nicked for an average of 3.1 yards per enemy rush; the Packers 3.5. The Packers had 49.6 percent of the enemy's completed; the Lions 51.8. So what does all this mean? Maybe a scoreless tie? That would be stretching a point, but it is interesting to note that the pointage in the last
Packer-Lion games dwindled from 30 (17-13) in the opener in '61 to 25 (17-9) in the nightcap to 16 (9-7) in the '62 starter. The three games produced only a total of 72 points, which is 15 less than the total scored in the 1951 game. Both teams have been looking forward to tomorrow's match since the earlier test in Green Bay. The defenses should be sticky. Any chance of one of the team exploding? The Packers moved up and down the field in the first game but couldn't score. If Bart Starr can get the same mileage and add the goal line distance, the Packers could break loose. The Lions didn't score a TD on the Pack in the 1961 Turkey Day clash and the one they counted in Green Bay was set up by Starr's lost fumble on the Pack 34...TARGET TO SHOOT AT: But the Lions think they might have a "target" to shoot at. That would be the inexperienced-on-defense Ken Iman, who will play left linebacker. The Bays' one and two left LB'ers are both out - Dan Currie, with a knee injury, and Nelson Toburen, with a back injury. Iman, who was Jim Ringo's relief on offense before the double injury, figures to be effective on ground plays but top-flight pass responsibility can't be expected with only a few days' practice. Working closely with Iman on the left side of the defense will be Herb Adderley and Hank Gremminger. Coach Vince Lombardi felt that Iman did a good job in his brief whirl (19 plays) against the Colts Sunday. The Packers arrived here this afternoon in their chartered United Airlines plane. They are staying at the Sheraton-Cadillac.
PACKERS, DETROIT CLASH TODAY FOR HIGH STAKES
NOV 22 (Detroit-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers can clinch a tie for their third straight Western Division championship by whipping the Lions in Tiger Stadium today. If they win their 11th straight NFL clash, the Packers can capture the West by beating the Rams in Milwaukee Dec. 2. Thus, the stakes are high for Green Bay today. And that goes for Detroit, too. The Lions, two games behind the unbeaten Pack with an 8-2 record, must win if they expect to get back into the thick of the title chase. After today, the Packers meet the Rams, 49ers and Rams; the Lions meet the Colts, Vikings and Bears. Kickoff is set for a few minutes after 11 this morning before a sellout crowd of nearly 56,000 persons - plus millions via coast to coast TV. This could be one of the great ones. The team have been "waiting" for each other. The Lions have been mad about losing that 9-7 decision in Green Bay last Oct. 7. They admitted looking past the Vikings last Sunday in anticipation of the Pack. Detroit wants revenge and a chance at the title. The Packers were accused of being "lucky" to win the Lion game in Green Bay. This has riled up the proud champs and they hope to take it out on the Lions today. Some of the Packers felt their performance against the Colts last Sunday resulted from looking ahead to Detroit. The Lions felt they should have won in Green Bay. Yet, it was the Packers who moved the ball that day - but couldn't score. Detroit couldn't budge, except for a stretch of 34 yards leading to the lone TD after recovering a fumble by Bart Starr. Pressure might be a factor today. The Packers have been exposed to fierce pressure every Sunday because of their foes' intense desire to knock off the champions. This pressure may have caught up with them vs. Baltimore. Coach Vince Lombardi noted that the Baltimore game (the Packer showing) might have been the result of week-in, week-out pressure. "You've got to remember that we've had a lot of pressure. We haven't had any other flat games and I hope we haven't reached a downward point now," he said. Lion Coach George Wilson admitted that "my boys have been pointed for this game ever since the last one. I still think somebody is going to beat the Packers for us before the season ends." Injuries could figure in today's game, but that's nothing new at this stage of the season. The Lions will be without fullback Nick Pietrosante but returning for the first time in four weeks will be Terry Barr, their fleet flanker. Ken
Webb will work in Pietrosante's place. Both of the Packers' left linebackers are out with injuries - Dan Currie and his replacement, Nelson Toburen, who is out for the season. Ken Iman was grabbed from the offensive team (Jim Ringo's sub) and installed as the starting left LB'er. The Lions certainly will try to exploit Iman's inexperience. The Packers' big job will be to score. Starr and his offensive gang
After injury, Toburen turned to the law
By Martin Hendricks, Special to Packer Plus (November 2nd 2011) - Nelson Toburen remembers the hit like it was yesterday. Toburen, a second-year linebacker with the world champion Green Bay Packers, was making his first start in the National Football League. The date was November 18, 1962. The site was City Stadium. The opponent was the Western Conference rival Baltimore Colts led by star quarterback Johnny Unitas. Toburen's wife, Helen, was seated with the other players' wives in the stands. His father, a wheat farmer in western Kansas, had taken his first airline flight from Colby, Kan., to see his son start at left outside linebacker in place of the injured Dan Currie. Head coach Vince Lombardi had even issued a sideline pass to the elder Toburen, so he could be closer to the action. It was a brisk Sunday afternoon with temperatures in the mid-30s in front of a packed stadium of 38,669 spectators. The undefeated Packers were vying for their 10th straight victory before heading to Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day clash with the Lions. Green Bay was clinging to a 17-13 lead in the fourth quarter, but Unitas had the Colts on the move in Packers territory. "Unitas went back to pass and then started to run," Toburen said. "(Ray) Nitschke was coming at him straight on and I was coming from the side. "I hit him squarely in the hip, but the mechanics of the tackle got blown up. My head was down and it should have been up." Toburen's hit jarred the ball loose from Unitas and Nitschke recovered the fumble. But Toburen lie still on the City Stadium turf. "With my first start, my emotions were high, and I was playing reckless that day," Toburen said. "It was the greatest thing with my first start in front of my wife
and dad. One moment I was on top of the world and then I wasn't." Before Toburen even hit the ground, James Nellen, the team physician, was off the Packer bench and running onto the field to assist. "Doc Nellen realized right away what had happened - Nelson had broken his neck," said former Green Bay guard Jerry Kramer. "According to Kramer, Nellen put pressure on Toburen's neck as they put him on a cart, moved him off the field, loaded him in the ambulance, wheeled him into the hospital and took him up to his room where they put him into traction. Nellen's quick actions to stabilize Toburen's head and neck were instrumental to a successful outcome. "Nellen was wringing wet and shaking after that, but he made the difference," Kramer said. "He preserved Nelson's functions and maybe his life." The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Toburen said it was a tackle that he had made more than 1,000 times in his football career, but he immediately knew something was wrong, very wrong. "I was aware of things and just knew that it felt like my arms were on fire," Toburen said. "Doc Nellen saved my bacon. He realized what was wrong and he didn't let me get up." Toburen, whose sixth vertebrae broke in half and fifth was displaced, was fortunate that his spinal cord was stretched, not severed. At St. Vincent's Hospital, he was put in a body cast for the next six weeks. "I tell people I broke my damn neck, but I had to be dramatic and do it against a (Pro Football) Hall of Fame quarterback like Johnny Unitas," Toburen said with a laugh. "But I accomplished everything I set out to do on the play - make the tackle and cause a fumble. "Most important, we won the game. The next week we lost our only game at Detroit, and I always told my teammates it was because I wasn't there." But for Toburen, his first start in a Green Bay uniform also was his last. "Doc Nellen drew me a picture of my spinal cord and explained it all to me," he said. "I broke down and cried like a baby. One play and my career was over. And I was just 23 years old." Toburen also was married with two young children to support. His father stayed with his family to assist his wife with the children while he remained in the body cast. "I was a mess, in a body cast that went around my chin clear down to my hips," Toburen said. "I could get up and walk but could not look down, so I had to be led around the house." Toburen, an unheralded 14th-round draft choice from the University of Wichita, had signed his rookie contract for $7,500 plus a $500 signing bonus. Before his second season, he negotiated a new deal with Lombardi for $9,000 plus a $1,000 bonus if he played 50% of the downs. "It was tough for a young kid to negotiate with Lombardi: the coach, the general manager, the boss, the everything," Toburen said. "You really didn't have much negotiating power. I just kept telling him I wanted five-figures, but I don't think I could have reached that bonus even if I wasn't injured." As with the majority of the Packers in that era, the players had off-season jobs to supplement their football income. Toburen sold industrial mill and mining supplies to firms in a territory that ranged from the Fox River Valley to Rhinelander. "Almost every player had another job, except for maybe (Paul) Hornung," he said. "Remember, making $50,000 a year was big money back then." A political science major in college, Toburen knew since high school that he would one day become a lawyer when his football career ended. With a family to provide for, he moved them to Topeka, Kan., and enrolled at the Washburn University School of Law in May 1964 for the summer session. There was a rumor that Lombardi paid for his law school, but Toburen said that is not true. Lombardi and the Packers did, however, pay him his salary for the 1963 season even thought he never played a down. "That was something Lombardi or the team didn't have to do," he said. "And it really helped us out that year when I was recovering. I asked about resuming my football career, but it was just not possible." Toburen then dedicated himself to getting his law degree. "I borrowed some money and saved some from our championship game checks," Toburen said. During the day, Toburen attended school and worked at the statehouse during the day and at a liquor store at night. Toburen graduated in two-and-a-half years and moved to Pittsburg, Kan., in August 1967. Toburen worked for Keller, Wilbert and Palmer for the next 20 years. He was a trial lawyer for civil cases and was a partner in the firm. Toburen then served as a district court judge for the next 15 years before retiring in 2004. "Trying jury cases is a little bit like playing football," he said. "You can win or you can lose. And it's emotional." It was also emotional and difficult for Toburen to watch film of his hit on Unitas. He only did it once. "I went downtown to the Packers office and watched it," he said softly. "It was the one and only time I saw it." Since Toburen retired, he and his wife are spending time with his family and grandchildren. He has another home in New Mexico and enjoys traveling. "I walk three miles every day and have very little arthritis," said Toburen, noting with a laugh that he's the only former judge in Kansas who doesn't golf. "I wonder how I'd be if I played 10 years in the NFL. I had a very unfortunate accident, but I guess I came out pretty well in the long run."
suffered the embarrassment of not scoring a touchdown in the earlier Lion game and they'll want to "correct" the resulting impression. Tom Moore will open at the left halfback position as he has since Paul Hornung was injured Oct. 14. Hornung will be available for use, and while he has lost some of his speed, Golden Boy still stands as a threat. Jerry Kramer will do the point kicking. The Packers' big key will be Jim Taylor, who was simmered down to 46 yards by Baltimore. He's the Lions' No. 1 target. If he moves, the pass attack - from Starr to Boyd Dowler, Max McGee and Ron Kramer, will work. Happy Thanksgiving!
