Green Bay Packers 42, College All-Stars 20
Friday August 3rd 1962 (at Chicago)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(CHICAGO) - The Packers exploded a record smashing aerial attack to throttle the College All-Stars 42 to 20 in the 29th annual All-Star game in Soldier's Field here Friday night. But it wasn't easy. The All-Stars held the Packers at bay for three quarters and gained leads of 7-0 and 10-7 and 17-14 before Green Bay cracked it wide open with 21 points in the fourth quarter. Bart Starr hurled passes for the Packers' first five touchdowns and the sixth came on a three-yard run by Elijah Pitts, who had been in training camp for only two days. Starr's aerial magic added up to 13 completions in 22 attempts for 255 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. The five TD throws were the most ever thrown by one pro QB in the classic and the figure tied the most TD passes record by one team set by the 1940 Packers. In that game, Cecil Isbell hurled three and Arnie Herber two. The six extra points broke the record of five set by the 1940 Pack and the six TDs tied the 1940 mark (one point was missed that year). Starr hit Boyd Dowler and Max McGee each twice with TD passes and the other went to Ron Kramer. Dowler was Bart's favorite, as Boyd was working himself free most every play. The Packers didn't run over the Stars as some Packer Backers might have expected - a credit to the Stars' hard hitting. But this was an aerial circus and the Stars had no successful defense. The Bays' wonderful offensive line gave Starr good protection and the receivers got open. The Stars gave everybody a thrill by taking the opening kickoff into a 7-0 lead but the Bays flew back, Starr hurling 22 yards to Dowler in the end zone for the tying score. That's how the first quarter ended, 7-7. Greg Mather's field goal from 26 yards gave the Stars a 10-7 lead but just before the half Dan Currie ran an interception back 31 yards to the Star 27. Starr hurled to Dowler for 23 and then rolled out and hit Ron Kramer for the TD and a 14-10 halftime lead. The Stars took one more liberty with the explosive Pack. They recovered Herb Adderley's fumble of the second half kickoff and took a 17-14 lead on John Hadl's touchdown pass of 22 yards to Charles Bryant. The Packers charged right back for a 21-17 lead on Starr's 22-yard pass to Dowler. Late in the third period, Mather booted a 14-yard field goal and cut the score to 21-20. The honeymoon was soon over the Stars as the final frame started. Starr hit McGee at the 45-second mark with a 20-yard touchdown. He passed to McGee for 36 yards for TD No. 5 at 4:52 and then Pitts scored at 13:05. The Packers rolled up 380 yards, including 255 in the air. There was no particular aerial problem for the Pack but the ground game lacked timing - not unusual for this time of the season. Jim Taylor carried the most times, 13 for 42 yards. Paul Hornung and Lew Carpenter each moved six times. Coach Vince Lombardi kept the regulars working until they had piled up a sufficient lead. He started substituting after the Bays took a 28-20 lead. The All-Stars were extremely alert and eager. Earl Gros, the Pack's top draft choice, carried six times for 16 yards and scored the Stars' first touchdown. Green Bay's other All-Star, Ed Blaine, played linebacker in the second half and was called for roughing McGee near the end, thus setting up the Pack's sixth touchdown. The Packers lost a player on a rare incident. Lee Folkins, blocking under a punt, got into a slugging match with an All-Star player. Back Judge Tom Kelleher stepped between the two fighters and caught one of Folkins' rights. Kelleher went down in a heap - out cold. He was revived but Folkins was benched. The All-Stars' game opening touchdown was a real shocker, but the partisan crowd loved it. They moved 80 yards with four long completions, sparking the 13-play advance. Hadl hit four different receivers - Bryant for 19 to the Star 44, Gros for 14 to the Packer 42, Alworth on a throw deflected by Currie to the 20 and McClinton for 18 to the 2. On third down Gros leaped over right guard for the TD. Greg Mather kicked the Stars' two points. The Packers pulled out the bomb on their next play. Dowler set sail down the right sideline and gathered in Starr's long throw for 49 yards before Saxton pulled him down on the Star 18. Two Packer penalties and seven plays later Starr hurled to Dowler for six. Hornung kicked the first of six extra points. After an exchange of punts, Irv Goode recovered Carpenter's fumble of a punt on the Packer 27 to set up Mather's first field goal. The Packers moved right back down toward the Star goal line but Starr's pass was intercepted by Angelo Dabiero in front of McGee. Just before the half, Currie's interception set up Starr's TD throw to Kramer. Adderley fumbled the opening second half kickoff and Henry Rivera recovered on the Packer 25. He was off for a touchdown but Fuzzy Thurston tackled him. After Gros gained three, Hadl threw to Bryant for the touchdown. The Packers then went ahead for good, rolling 67 yards in 10 plays. After Starr's 10-yard pass to Kramer, it looked like old times as Taylor hit for 4, Hornung 15 and Taylor 8 before Starr passed to Dowler for six. The payoff went 22 yards from Starr to Dowler for 21-17. The Packers exploded again after Mather's second FG. This time the Bays covered 65 yards in five plays early in the fourth period. Carpenter led off with 12 yards and Taylor followed with 10. On play 4, Starr passed to Carpenter for 23 yards to the 20 and from there he threw 20 to McGee, who took it away from Dabiero for the score. That made it 28-20 and the chase was on. The Stars gave it a full go right down to the finish but there was no stopping the Packers as Starr hurled 36 yards to McGee for the fifth TD and Pitts romped three for the final six-pointer. The game was over at the strike of midnight and the Packer Express was off and running.
ALL-STARS - 7 3 10 0 - 20
GREEN BAY - 7 7 7 21 - 42
ALL-STARS GREEN BAY
First Downs 11 16
Rushing-Yards-TD 31-54-0 32-140-1
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 26-14-201-1-1 25-13-255-5-1
Sack Yards Lost 38 10
Total Yards 231 380
Fumbles-lost 3-1 2-2
Turnovers 2 3
Yards penalized 1-15 6-70
SCORING
1st - COLL - Earl Gros, 1-yard run (Greg Mather kick) ALL-STARS 7-0
1st - GB - Boyd Dowler, 22-yard pass from Bart Starr (Paul Hornung kick) TIED 7-7
2nd - COLL - Mather, 26-yard field goal ALL-STARS 10-7
2nd - GB - Ron Kramer, 4-yard pass from Starr (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 14-10
3rd - COL - Charlie Bryant, 21-yd pass from John Hadl (Mather kick) ALL-STARS 17-14
3rd - GB - Dowler, 22-yard pass from Starr (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 21-17
3rd - COLL - Mather, 14-yard field goal GREEN BAY 21-20
4th - GB - Max McGee, 20-yard pass from Starr (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 28-20
4th - GB - McGee, 35-yard pass from Starr (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 35-20
4th - GB - Elijah Pitts, 3-yard run (Hornung kick) GREEN BAY 42-20
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Jim Taylor 13-42, Paul Hornung 6-33, Lew Carpenter 6-25, Elijah Pitts 3-25 1 TD , Tom Moore 1-4, Paul Dudley 1-10, Bart Starr 2-1
ALL-STARS - Curtis McClinton 9-19, Earl Gros 6-16 1 TD, Bob Ferguson 6-8, John Hadl 4-4, Roman Gabriel 3-7, Bobby Ply 3-0
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 23-13-255 5 TD 1 INT, John Roach 3-0-0
ALL-STARS - John Hadl 10-6-99 1 TD, Roman Gabriel 13-7-78 1 INT, Bobby Ply 3-1-24
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Boyd Dowler 6-137 2 TD, Max McGee 2-55 2 TD, Jim Taylor 2-26, Ron Kramer 2-14 1 TD, Lew Carpenter 1-23
ALL-STARS - Lance Alworth 4-58, Charlie Bryant 3-65, Bob Ferguson 3-19, Curtis McClinton 1-18, Gary Collins 1-18, Earl Gros 1-14, Reggie Carolan 1-9
LOMBARDI 'ALMOST' SECOND GUESSED CAMP DATE; CURRIE MADE BIG PLAY
AUG 4 (Chicago-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Would a "late" start prevent midseason sag - without triggering an All-Star ambush? This was the dilemma that confronted Vince Lombardi as he summoned his world champion Packers to camp July 15 (the same date as in memorable 1961) with the knowledge they would open a week earlier - against the All-Stars. For three agonizing quarters in cavernous Soldier Field Friday night, the dynamic Packer headmaster wasn't at all sure he was going to like the answer to part two of this puzzler. "The way it turned out, yes, I felt we had started early enough," he chuckled while holding forth for the press in an incredibly steamy dressing room at the witching hour. "But for a while, I was beginning to second guess myself." In this connection, he noted, "Our timing was bad at the beginning of the game but I think it improved as the game wore on (to which the All-Stars will ruefully attest). We found ourselves in the fourth quarter." This, one scribe ventured, might have explained a lack of crispness in the Packers' vaunted ground game. "That's right," Vince said. "We haven't worked on it too much." He wanted to know, however, that he was not thus downgrading the enemy. "I think the All-Stars played a very spirited game," Lombardi declared, "with a lot of pursuit - a tremendous amount of pursuit. I haven't seen many All-Star teams but this was an excellent All-Star team." All of which prompted him to single out the collegians' Larry Onesti, captain of Otto Graham's inspired disciples. "He must have played a fine game," Vince grinned, adding "at least ever time I looked up, he was making a tackle." The Packer major-domo also had praise for his own No. 1 draft choice, bruising Earl Gros. "I thought my boy, Gros, ran pretty hard," he said of the Bayou Blaster, who today formally reported to the Pack at their St. Norbert College training camp. Why, somebody asked, had the All-Stars been able to contain the Packers so well in the early going? Vince laughed aloud at this one and jovially declared, "If I knew the answer to that one, we wouldn't have had any trouble with 'em, would we?" Lombardi, who felt his athletes "were up for the game," said the All-Stars' strategy had not been a surprise. "They used the same thing they used against the Bears in their scrimmage (scouted by the Packers) a couple of weeks ago. The thing that did surprise us was the way Hadl (quarterback John, Kansas) was running around back there." Had the Packers' heavy aerial assault been significant? "It could be that we'll pass more this year," Vince replied, appending with a characteristic grin. "That's a real good answer, isn't it?" Turning again to the Pack's running game, it was suggested that sophomore Elijah Pitts had been impressive. "Pitts," the effervescent Lombardi grinned, "is our late secret weapon." Had he been satisfied? "I can't say I'm satisfied," was the forthright reply. "But I am for this time of the year."...For the All-Stars, the issue had turned upon Dan Currie's spectacular interception just before the half, a thoughtful Otto Graham contended. "We were leading (10-7) at the time and we were moving down there," Paul Brown's one-time meal ticket pointed out. "They intercepted. Down, down and score. That really hurt. It was just a question of judgment," the All-Star chieftain added philosophically. "He (North Carolina's Roman Gabriel) threw it and he shouldn't have." The loss of Ernie Davis, now in a Cleveland hospital undergoing tests for a blood disorder, and Ronnie Bull, ex-Baylor ace who was bedded with a 103-degree fever Friday afternoon, also affected the collegians' chances, Otto admitted. "That hurt, no question about it," he said. "It left us with only three guys at those positions - we lost our speed." Although he declined to label his '62 squad the best he's had since taking over as All-Star mastermind in 1958, Graham said, "They're just as good as we've ever had. The Packers are a better team than the Lions were the year we beat 'em," Otto smiled. "That's the difference." The basic difference, he further volunteered, "was experience - and good receiving." This last had reference, of course, to such as Boyd Dowler, Max McGee and Ron Kramer, who among them appropriated five touchdown passes. Making reference to Dowler, Graham declared, "He didn't do us any good, that's for sure. He's not as fancy as Tommy McDonald (who spearheaded the Philadelphia Eagles' 1961 victory over the All-Stars), but he's deceptive. He's a lot faster than you realize." Graham left little doubt about his opinion of Packer draftee Gros, who performed at fullback for him during a large part of the evening. "You're damned right Gros will make it," he rapped. "In fact, he's liable to run somebody out of a job." He also was high on John Hadl, somewhat nomadic quarterback, who ranged far and wide. Hadl, who will perform for the San Diego Chargers in the AFL, "has very good potential," Otto feels. Was he happy, Graham was asked. "Yes, I'm happy," the Northwestern immortal said. "You always like to win, but I'm happy as I can be under the circumstances. The boys
gave it all they had."...The impressively-built Gros, ready to leave, confided, "We weren't surprised - we'd played the Bears and got a lesson from them. I knew we'd have to play good ball to stay with 'em." "We did the first half," he continued with a grin, "but the second wasn't so hot. I think, though, if we played the game we played tonight against the Bears, we'd have beaten them. We played a good first half but then the Packers' experience just took over."...The winning principals in this humid drama, the Packers, were somewhat divided in their appraisal of what had transpired. A number confessed they had experienced emotions ranging from concern to outright worry, while others said they had not been fearful. "The way they drove down there the first time they got the ball had me worried," scholarly Willie Davis volunteered. "Things like that deflected pass make it look bad. We had a lot of opportunities to stop them on that drive and we just didn't do it." All-Pro tackle Forrest Gregg admitted he had similar misgivings. "I'll tell you," he drawled, as he left the postgame victory banquet, "I was nervous for a while." Hank Jordan readily conceded that "they sure surprised me - I'm glad it's over. We were a little sloppy in our penalties, things like that, and they were a rough, tough bunch of boys. It shows we have a long way to go." Elder statesman Dave Hanner agreed. "At one time, it could have gone either way - they had a scrappy club with a lot of desire. Of course, I thought they got a lot of good breaks. In the fourth quarter, both offensively and defensively," he added with a smile, "the Packers looked more like themselves." "Every time we got the ball," Lew Carpenter observed, "it seemed like we had 100 yards to go. How many penalties did we have? They hurt. I fumbled, too, and gave 'em three points," Lew, who subsequently atoned for that misadventure with some hard-nosed running, that launched a Packer scoring drive, lamented. "That's the first punt I've fumbled in four years - I hope it's the last." A middle-of-the-road view was taken by quarterback Bart Starr, the accomplished Alabaman who hurled five touchdown passes to crack a 28-year old All-Star record. "I wasn't so much worried as I was concerned because we looked so bad, the penalties and just sloppy play," he said soberly. "And, of course, things can happen with a young team like that. They get a little incentive and they're gung ho - they were doing crazy things out there. Then it doesn't take too much to lose a game like that." Burly Ron Kramer, who indicated he had not been unduly concerned, said, "They didn't surprise me. That is, we really didn't know what to expect - either offensively or defensively, but they did surprise us by taking advantage of our mistakes the way they did." Laconic Max McGee, never at a loss for words, summed up the situation in his usual forthright fashion with, "I thought they were pretty easy - we just couldn't get together."...QUICK KAYO: It came perilously close to being a short evening for Back Judge Tom Kelleher, an untended recipient of a whistling right cross from Packer end Lee Folkins. Kelleher was kayoed when he stepped in to break up an "altercation" between Folkins and an All-Star. Yes, the collegian emerged unscathed, but play was suspended for several minutes while Kelleher, sprawled upon the turf, was being revived...NEW 'TOE': "There's our new kickoff man," Asst. Coach Norb Hecker quipped in the press box as Willie Wood drove the opening boot deep into the end zone, where Johnny Saxton judiciously downed the ball.
PACKERS DISPLAYED OFFENSIVE VERSATILITY AGAINST ALL-STARS
AUG 5 (Chicago-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers demonstrated their amazing versatility in the 42 to 20 victory over the All-Stars. And that brings up the question: Will the Packers shift their future emphasis from the ground to the air? The answer is a big fat "not on your life," since the 1961 world championship was keyed largely on the booming cracks of Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung. But the Packers can throw and throw successfully if the need presents itself. The All-Stars came up with a rugged defense against the Pack's ground game so Bart Starr went to the air and hurled five TD passes. There was, of course, a rather obvious reason why the Pack went to the air. The Stars just can't put together an adequate defense in three weeks. It takes some pro teams three years to perfect a secondary. This problem in coaching for Otto Graham ranks as an advantage for the pros but the amateurs have a little something going for them, too. The pro running game can hardly be "timed" properly at this early stage of the season. The Packers were limited to 125 yards rushing - a paltry amount by mid-season standards, although let's not forget that the Star defensers were tackling exceptionally and covering in a hurry. Coach Vince Lombardi emphasized passing in the Pack's preparation for the game and Starr completed 13 out of 22 passes for 255 yards and 30 points...AHEAD IN CONDITION: Lombardi noted in his postgame rundown that Starr and flanker Boyd Dowler were ahead of the other Packers in condition. And they were off and running. Starr's first three completions went to Dowler - a
40 yarder to start the Packer attack for the night, a 26 yarder, and a 22-yard touchdown pass that tied the game. Dowler caught two for touchdowns, both 22-yarders; Max McGee nailed two, 20 and 36 yards; and Ron Kramer leaped for one, a 4-yarder in the end zone. Starr was given excellent protection for his passing and never once had to eat the ball. The Packer ground game - best in the NFL last year - actually was held to only 77 yards in the first three periods when the Stars gathered up leads of 7-0, 10-7 and 17-14. McGee's great catch of a Starr pass away from Angelo Dabiero on the second play of the fourth period might have cracked the Stars split...INSTALLED REPLACEMENTS: It was this stage that Lombardi installed some replacements on defense - Ron Kostelnik and Ben Davidson spelling Dave Hanner, Nelson Toburen replacing Bill Forester, and Herb Adderley coming in for John Symank. A Star punt was forced and two plays later McGee caught a second TD pass. From then on the Pack piled up 48 yards while John Roach incompleted three passes. Elijah Pitts, a real buzzsaw runner with only two days of drills under his belt, started the final TD drive with a 19-yard scamper and ended with a three-yard TD run. Each team ran off 57 plays in what actually was a thrilling game despite the final score. The consensus in the pressbox was that this was one of the best All-Star games in the 29-year history of the classic. It was filled with long runs and passes and, best of all for the Star-favoring audience (except the Packer Backers), the Stars were right in the game. Like Paul Hornung's mother, Loretta, was telling the Packers before the team flew back to Green Bay Saturday morning, "those college kids had you scared for a while. Does you good."...The Packers were given the weekend off but it will be back to work Monday morning. The coaches are due to look at game films today. Next assignment in the process of toughening up for the championship campaign will be the Cowboys in Dallas' Cotton Bowl Friday night. This will be the first of five non-leaguers. After Dallas, the Bays play the Cardinals at Jacksonville, Fla., the Bears in Milwaukee, the Giants in Green Bay and the Redskins in Columbus, Ga. The Pack's two All-Star players, fullback Earl Gros and guard-linebacker Ed Blaine, were to join the club today. Gros finished with 16 yards in six carries, caught one pass for 14 yards, and scored the first touchdown n a two-yard div. Blaine saw some action in the second half and roughed McGee attempting to punt. The penalty set up the Pack's sixth touchdown.
TUNNELL GETS MARRIED; KNAFELC BLOCKS CONCERN
AUG 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Em Tunnell doesn't miss playing football "as much as I thought," he observed before the All-Star game. The 14-year veteran, who played the last three years as a Packer, added: "I didn't play much last year. I miss play much last year. Great bunch of guys." Tunnell had some news: "I got married. Yeah, I got married. A girl in Philadelphia. I've been going with her about seven years. No kidding," he announced. This comes as a great shock since Em had been getting married every year. Tunnell stopped in for the game and a chat with Coach Vince Lombardi. He then went to St. Louis to scout the Cards' intra-squad game. Em is game scouting for the Giants and talent scouting for both the Packers and Giants. "I'm just like Wally Cruice (game scout) is for the Packers," Em said...Bud Erickson, assistant general manager and publicity director of the Lions, notes that the Lions' biggest change will be at quarterback where Milt Plum is holding forth. "And we'll have to fill the hole at defensive end, with Bill Glass going to Cleveland. Sam Williams is working there now. Our defense will be the same except for Glass." Erickson feels the Lions will continue as the Packers' chief contender...Red Cochran, the Pack's offensive backfield coach, was the first Packer blocked. Gary Knafelc slammed into him full tilt just as he turned after he caught a pass in pregame warmup. And speaking about Cochran, Paul Christman, the onetime Cardinal great, was reminded of Red when somebody pointed out that Tom Moore is a great back in his own right even though he plays behind Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung. "Cochran was a terrific offensive back with us but he played behind Charley Trippi and nobody was about to beat out Trippi. So Cochran had to play defense."...The Packers made history of sorts Friday night. They were the first team in the previous 28-year life of the game to have the starting lineup introduced. Practically a "home" team, the Packers were well received when they went out to warm up. Usually the pro club is roundly booed...Lew Carpenter is the only Packer
to play in two previous All Star games - the Stars in 1953 and Detroit in 1954. Other Packers who played as Stars - 1953 Bill Forester; 1954 Gary Knafelc; 1956 Forrest Gregg, Bob Skoronski; 1957 Paul Hornung, Hank Jordan, Ron Kramer; 1958 Dan Currie, Jerry Kramer, Ray Nitschke, Jim Taylor; 1959 Boyd Dowler; 1960 Tom Moore; 1961 Herb Adderley, Ben Davidson, Jack Novak...Baltimore writers are worried about the life and limbs of one John Unitas if the Colts lean too heavily on the forward pass. With R.C. Owens to go with Lenny Moore and Raymond Berry, the Colts might be inclined to pass more than normal , thus inviting defenders to zero in on Unitas...The All Stars were introduced twice - once for the fans in the stands, and, after a short delay, for the television audience. The PA asked fans to re-cheer the introductions for the TV viewers. The announced start of the game (9:00) was delayed 15 minutes...Chicago was jumping with Green Bay people, former Packer players and others interested in the Bay cause. Among the visitors were Curly Lambeau, founder of the Packers who coached the team in three All Star games and then coached the Stars for three years; Paul Lipscomb, the onetime Pack tackle who is located now in the midwest; and Mickey McCormick, former Packer director from Menominee who flew in from Los Angeles. The big gathering place was the Packer Alumni Assn.'s hospitality room in the Conrad Hilton Hotel...The Packers voted to give the game ball to Ernie Davis, the Stars' fullback who was ruled out of the game with a blood disease. Davis watched the game via television from a Cleveland hospital room. Fate Echols, the Northwestern tackle, asked the All Stars at halftime "to win this one for Ernie."
REPORT SAYS AFL DALLAS ENTRY WILL BE SHIFTED TO NEW ORLEANS
AUG 5 (New Orleans) - The guessing game is on again about AFL expansion - or realignment. The latest twist is a report the Dallas Texans will move to New Orleans. The pro football loop - starting its third season this fall - has been dropping hints about expansion, but has taken no official action. At a league meeting in Boston earlier this summer, New Orleans and Atlanta bid for spots but the AFL owners deferred action. In a report from Chicago Saturday, executive sports editor Cro Duplantier of the New Orleans States-Item said he has learned there is a strong possibility this city's entry into the AFL will be by franchise transfer rather than expansion. "The likeliest prospect for the transfer: the talent-rich Dallas Texans, who had five of their new signees on the All-Star squad," wrote Duplantier. Wealthy Dallas oilman Lamar Hunt, one of the AFL founders and currently president of the league, is the owner of the Texans. But he has ben running into trouble trying to buck the older NFL's Dallas entry...SEASON TICKETS: Hunt visited New Orleans shortly before the Boston meeting and told newsmen he would vote to add the city in the league by 1963 if it could guarantee 20,000 advance season ticket sales and adequate stadium facilities. Hunt - in Atlanta for an exhibition game between his Texans and the Oakland Raiders - said he had no plans to shift his team to New Orleans. "They must be talking about the Cowboys moving," said Hunt. There have been indications the AFL might take further action on expansion - or franchise shifts - at a Sept. 1 meeting. At least the backers of the New Orleans bid think so. They've set a downtown office to sell tickets for the 1963 season. David Dixon has been the only person identified in the group seeking the New Orleans franchise. Several months ago, he said he would reveal other members of the group within a week, but he hasn't done so. Rumors have been circulating in New Orleans since the Boston AFL meeting that Hunt might have a shift for his Texans to this city in mind. Duplantier quoted an unnamed NFL executive as saying he understood 1962 would be the last season for the Hunt AFL club in Dallas. The NFL man, continued Duplantier, said nothing officially would be announced about any such shift for some time since the Texans are currently conducting a 1962 ticket drive. Plans to bring pro football to New Orleans might be influenced by the turnout for the Aug. 18 AFL exhibition game between the Houston Oilers and Boston Patriots. Backers of the exhibition game - who say they are not associated with the move to gain a franchise - report a brisk ticket sale and expect to have a near capacity crowd in the 32,000-seat City Park Stadium.
PACKER ROOKIE ROSTER CUT TO 10; DALLAS NEXT
AUG 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers' rookie roster was sliced to 10 today with the dispatching of two more via waivers. Coach Vince Lombardi announced that guard Jack Novak and halfback Peter Schenck have been placed on waivers. Novak's departure wipes out the world champions' cab squad of 1961. The stand-by unit was composed of Jack, who had suffered a leg injury as a member of the 1961 College All Star team; Ed Sutton, who retired before the current season started to pursue his medical studies; and Don Ellersick, who was placed on waivers a week ago. The Packers now have 45 players in camp, including 35 holdover members of the 1961 championship team. The remaining 10 rookies include two members of the '62 All Star lineup who worked with the pros for the first time today - fullback Earl Gros and guard Ed Blaine. Gros scored the Stars' first touchdown Friday night and Blaine played some at linebacker. Four of the rookies are on defense - tackles Dick Davis and Ron Gassert and halfbacks Howard Williams and Paul Dudley, who was just shifted from offense. The six on offense are quarterback Bob Joiner, fullback Ernie Green and Gros, ends Gary Barnes and Oscar Donahue and guard Blaine. With the All Star game out of the way, the Packers are now looking forward to their non-league schedule, which will prepare them for the championship season opening Sept. 16 against the Vikings here. The Packers have five games in which to sharpen up - the Cowboys in Dallas Friday night, the Cardinals in Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 18, the Bears in Milwaukee Aug. 25, the Giants in Green Bay Sept. 3, and the Redskins in Columbus, Ga., Sept. 8. The rookies, last of about 25, now get a chance to test their skills against some real pro opposition - though they're learning every day in the midst of the league's top group of pros. The newcomers are competing for work in just about every department but linebacker Gassert and Davis are in the defensive line battle and Dudley and Williams are seeking work in the secondary. Blaine is the only rookie eying a spot in the inner offense line. Barnes and Donahue hope to displace somebody at offensive tackle. Gros and Green are in a fight for the returning running back foursome of last year - Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Tom Moore and Elijah Pitts. Joiner hopes he can make the Pack a three-quarterback team. The Packers had the weekend off but resumed drills this morning in preparation for the Dallas game. Everybody came out of the All Star game in good condition.
GROS, BLAINE BLEND WITH PACKER BIG BACKS, GUARDS
AUG 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The policy of bigness that characterizes Packer running backs and offensive guards was continued Monday with the presence of Earl Gros and Ed Blaine for their first pro drill. Gros and Blaine, fresh from the College All Star game (Pack 42, All Stars 20), fit right in. Gros packs around 220, which makes him the biggest of the R-backs, Jim Taylor 215, Paul Hornung 215, Tom Moore 215, Ernie Green 205 and Elijah Pitts 200 (all give or takes a few pounds). Blaine carries a little over 240 pounds, which puts him in the "heavyweight class" of Fuzzy Thurston (240) and Jerry Kramer (250). Packer guards are unique because they outweigh the tackles at times during the season. Gros and Blaine found their first pro practice "so hot," most newcomers he had to be reminded by Coach Vince Lombardi to "run it out." Some rookie backs will stop running about five yards beyond the line of scrimmage, probably a habit picked up in school. Lombardi wants his backs to cut loose downfield, maybe 20 yards or more. And it's refreshing to see Hornung, Taylor, Moore and Pitts gallop away like young colts once they hit the area occupied by the linebackers. Another exponent of the hard, long run is Lew Carpenter, a rugged nine-year veteran whose had running was among the Packer highlights of the All Star game. Green had trouble going the "distance" in recent practices but he's legging it downfield now. And Lombardi complimented him for his running a couple of times yesterday. Gros and Blaine found their first pro practice "so hot", noting that it had been cool during the All Star camp. The heat and the humidity were close to a matching 89 Monday. Blaine had never played offensive guard until yesterday. The former Missouri star, who was the Pack's second draft choice, had played both tackles and linebacker. He was a linebacker for the College All Stars. Blaine said he liked playing offensive guard and received a good dose of running yesterday as the squad practiced wide runs, with the guards pulling out. Asked about the roughing the kicker penalty, he drew in the All Star game, Blaine laughed, "He (Max McGee) sure let out a yelp when I came in, but I don't think I touched him at all." McGee convinced the official who nicked the All Stars for 15 yards and the Packers went for their sixth touchdown. The Packers continued work under a hot sun today, thus hurrying the weight-reducing process for those in that category. Forty-five players are in camp. The squad was reduced by two, with the waiving of Jack Novak and Peter Schenck Monday. One good thing about the heat. It will help adjust them for their trip into the "warm" south - Dallas and Jacksonville, Fla. They leave Thursday for Dallas and the Cowboys game Friday night and then train at Southern Methodist University in Dallas next week before meeting the Cards in Jacksonville Aug. 18.
COW-BOYS ARE MEN; PAUL'S OFFER 'PUBLICITY'
AUG 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - First it was the college boys. Now the cow boys. There's a great deal of difference because the "boys" the Packers will be playing in Dallas Friday night are men - real live pros. The College All Stars of last Friday night are quite the amateurs by comparison. This is really the start for both clubs. The Packers expect to test their championship muscles and the Cowboys hope to get an idea how much they've improved over a year ago. The game will mark the "debut" of young Don Meredith, who is destined to be a great quarterback. The Texan is scheduled to take over this year year, his third season, and his biggest booster and best teacher, Eddie LeBaron, feels the youngster is ready. LeBaron has worked carefully with Meredith and little Eddie is just about ready to bow out. This is his 10th season. Another native Texan, Billy Howton, the ex-Packer, is getting read for his finest season, according to Larry Karl, Cowboy publicist. Billy is starting his 10th season and he's "in his best condition already." The Cowboys scouted the Packers via television last Friday night and Bart Starr's touchdown passes must have been noteworthy to the Cowboys' two rookie safetymen - Mike Gaechter and John Chaisson, who are scheduled to start. "The way Gaetcher and
Chaisson are working I'd have to say they both show a lot of promise. We're happy with the way George Andrie and Cornell Green have been looking on defense, too," Coach Tom Landry said, following a scrimmage with the Vikings last Saturday...Off the normal game beat, Paul Hornung said Tuesday that he had declined an offer of $250,000 to leave the Pack and play for another club. Hornung noted "nobody's worth that much. As far as I'm concerned it's just publicity." He declined to name the club. Packer Coach Vince Lombardi said he had no comment on the story. The story broke in New York via the Hearst Headline Service Tuesday afternoon and there's a little more than a suspicion that the offer was made (as Hornung said "just publicity) by Harry Wismer, owner of the New York Titans who has a feud going on with the NFL. He's also fighting the Giants tooth and nail in N.Y. This writer received a call today from Baltimore scribe John Steadman suggesting that possibly Colt Owner Carroll Rosenbloom might have made the offer in view of R.C. Owen's switch from the 49ers to the Colts. "He has a habit of throwing figures around," said the John. We mentioned Wismer and John laughed, "He throws the figures around, too." Owens reportedly couldn't get together contractwise with the 49ers and Rosenbloom graciously took him off their hands. To think that something similar would happen with Hornung is extremely farfetched. Speaking about Hornung, advance copes of the paperback, "Paul Hornung, Pro Football Golden Boy," are now out and it should be on the newsstands shortly...The Packers move out of town for 10 days Thursday morning when they fly out of Austin Straubel Field for Dallas. They'll stay there next week and train for the Cardinal game in Jacksonville, Fla., Aug. 18. The team will headquarter at the Ramada Inn in Dallas and train at Southern Methodist University. Joining the Bays there will be Elijah Pitts, who is presently getting his discharge from the Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and Ben Agajanian, the kicker, who will come in from Long Beach, Cali. Ben went home after the All Star game. The Packers will be playing the Cowboys in the 15th annual Salesmanship Game. A crowd of over 35,000 is expected in the Cotton Bowl.
DALLAS GETS FIRST SHOT AMONG PACKER HUNTERS
AUG 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "Everyone will aim at the Packers!" "The Packers will be the hunted - instead of the hunter." "'Beat the Packers' is the new battle cry of enemy clubs - especially in the Western Division." And so it goes - 1962 storm warnings around the league. This is the year the Packers defend their world championship and their first experience as the "hunted" will be against the Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl Friday night. Green Bay and Dallas aren't scheduled against each other during the league season. Thus beating the Packers becomes a giant prestige and morale matter for the Cowboys. There is no such thing as a non-league championship but it helps to win the non-loopers. Certainly, Coach Vince Lombardi has put the non-league victories to good use. The Packers haven't lost this type of game since Sept. 5, 1959 when the Giants beat Lombardi's debut team 14-0 in Bangor, Me. The only other non-championship game Green Bay lost under Vince was a final-second affair with the Bears, 19-16, the Shrine Game Aug. 15, 1959 - his first game. The victories along the "grapefruit" route apparently
have helped Lombardi develop the winning feeling among the Bays. His 1959 Packers posted a 7-5 record and the 1960-61 clubs captured the Western Division crowns, not to mention the "world" in '61. Now the Packers, well satisfied with a winning complex, launch their fight to maintain edge. Lively competition for positions and/or regular action is expected to help keep the Packers fiery - plus the club's fierce pride in its championship accomplishments. This competition is everywhere on the Packer squad with the exception of maybe two positions - option (left half) back where Paul Hornung is the absolute ruler and quarterback where Bart Starr runs the show. But look at the other spots: FULLBACK - Earl Gros, the pile-driving 220-pounder, looks strong despite his rookie status and will surely push powerful Jim Taylor. And how about Tom Moore? He could be No. 1 on most NFL clubs...OFFENSIVE END - Gary Barnes and Oscar Donahue have shown exceptional promise as wide pass catchers. Gary Knafelc, Lee Folkins and Lew Carpenter are "lemme in coach" guys. Ron Kramer, Max McGee and Boyd Dowler can't relax...OFFENSIVE LINE - Ed Blaine is making a spirited bid for the third guard spot. And what a natural at left offense tackle - two anxious-to-lay fellers in Norm Masters and Bob Skoronski...DEFENSE LINE - Ron Kostelnik is waiting for the nod. So is Ben Davidson. These two plus Dick Davis and Ron Gassert offer the Big Four (Dave Hanner, Hank Jordan, Bill Quinlan and Willie Davis) competition...SECONDARY - The foursome of a year ago (Jess Whittenton, Hank Gremminger, Willie Wood and John Symank) are being pressured by some topflighters in Herb Adderley, Howard Williams and Paul Dudley. A change is already underway here. Gremminger is working some at Symank's left safety spot and Adderley is at Gremminger's old corner backer position...LINEBACKER - Nelson Toburen, the highly-touted sophomore, is anxious to spell any of the regular threesome, Bill Forester,
Dan Currie or Ray Nitschke...The Packers were scheduled to hold today's practice in the Cotton Bowl this afternoon shortly after arrival in their United Airlines charter. The team is headquartering at the Ramada Inn...Hank Jordan won the club's annual calf-measuring contest Wednesday. His calf measured 18 inches but the winner wasn't here. That would be Ben Davidson, the six-seven tackle who has a 19-inch calf. Davidson was in the hospital the last few days with a virus infection.
WELL-WARMED PACKERS, COWBOYS CLASH TONIGHT
AUG 10 (Dallas-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers are a hot team, not because they're world champions. They practiced in blazing 106-degree heat Thursday afternoon and not much relief is on tap for tonight when they launch non-championship action against the Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl. It may warm up to around 90 by kickoff time (9 o'clock, Green Bay time) and it may not drop much lower than 85, according to local weather experts. This kind of heat could pose a problem but the players don't think so - especially some of the native Texans like Bill Forester, Hank Gremminger, Forrest Gregg and others. It's a dry heat and doesn't tire you, says Gregg. The Cowboys are coming out of a "cold" climate, too. They're training at Marquette, Mich., and like the Pack came down from the north Thursday. The Pack experienced a 50-degree change since it was around 56 when they left home. The heat could figure if one team controls the ball for seven or eight minutes at a time. It would be rugged for both clubs on the field. Coach Vince Lombardi is going with his regular championship exception - in the defensive secondary. Herb Adderley may start at left cornerbacker in place of Gremminger who in turn will move back to left safety in place of John Symank. Jess Whittenton will remain at right corner and Willie Wood at right safety. Symank has been working at right safety, thus becoming available as a replacement for both Wood and Gremminger. Two rookies are working into the secondary - Howard Williams at right corner and Paul Dudley at left safety. A crowd of close to 40,000 is expected for the league's first official non-looper of the season. This will be the best crowd for this annual Salesmanship Club production since Doak Walker, the famous Texas football saint, made his annual visit with the Detroit Lions before crowds of 50,000. Ticket sales boomed right after the pro fans got a look at the Pack via television in the All-Star game last Friday. The two big Packer talking points have been Bart Starr and Boyd Dowler, who proved to be such a fearsome aerial combo vs. the Stars. Packer rookies are likely to see some action tonight, although Lombardi wants to make sure the veterans get a good chance to work together and thus regain their 1961 coordination. Though he's been in camp less than a week, Earl Gros may work a few plays. The giant will back up his LSU buddy, Jim Taylor. Gros, incidentally, has been receiving some extra work on his pass catching. Backfield Coach Red Cochran threw the passes and Ends Coach Tom Fears watched Gros' moves in some overtime work after practice Thursday. The Packers will look at one of their ex-rookies in a starting role for the Cowboys. Tackle John Sutro, who was traded to Dallas for a draft choice, will start at right offensive tackle. Coach Tom Landry will also start two rookies in his secondary - Cornell Green and Mike Gaechter. The Packer cast is in good physical condition. The weather helped Taylor shake off a leg injury and he'll be at top speed. In fact, the heat is expected to boil down the two or three overweights on the club...BRIEFS: Herschel Forester, brother of the Pack's Bill and former Cleveland Brown guard, watched the club drill. He's slimmed down to a neat 220, which prompted Bill Quinlan to remark, "Now I know why there's never a fat Texan." Actually, Herschel, who was in Green Bay for the championship game last Dec. 31, keeps his weight down by playing handball. In fact, one wizard figured out that there is an 85-degree difference in the temperature at the Pack's last game in 1961 and first in '62. In case you think we're laying it on, the headline in the Dallas Morning News read: "Record-breaking heat bears down on Texas." Fortunately, the Ramada Inn where the Pack is headquartering is air-cooled...Paul Hornung was among the last to make it on the Cotton Bowl Field for practice. When the players spotted Paul coming down the runway alone, they struck up staccato hand-clapping and he bowed graciously when he arrived under the goal posts. They love that Hornung. Paul responded with a quick dash down to the other end of the field and back...Willie Wood couldn't stop sweating after practice and was wringing wet when he arrived back at the Inn, even though the bus was cooled. "I'll be like this all week," Wood grinned...Jim Kensil, NFL publicity chief, and Mike Wilson, chief of the officials, are here for the game.
