Preseason: Green Bay Packers (2-0) 31, Chicago Bears 14
Saturday August 21st 1965 (at Milwaukee)
GAME RECAP (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE)
(GREEN BAY) - Noted for playing it close to the vest, the Packers startled a record County Stadium house (and a delayed TV audience) with some delightful derring-do here Saturday en route to a second straight preseason success. Exhibiting a flair for the dramatic, with such items as two highly profitable punt returns and a genuine long ball, Green Bay's hungry horde embarrassed the Chicago Bears for the sixth consecutive time in their Shrine series, 31-14, with 47,066 "live" customers sitting in. After a stuttering start, which saw the immemorial antagonists bumble through a scoreless first period, the Packers suddenly found the formula and frisked the Bruins for three second quarter touchdowns, then cruised through a patternless second half garnished by that 80-yard aerial bomb, a picture pitch from Zeke Bratkowski to fast-rising Bob Long, and a pair of consolation Bear TDs. Jet-like Elijah Pitts and the highly elusive Willie Wood got the Pack off the ground with dazzling runbacks, which triggered the Bays' surge to a 14-0 bulge during a 7-minute second quarter span. Almost trapped after fielding the ball late in the first period, Pitts wrestled free of two Bear defenders, turned the corner and streaked 24 yards to the Chicago 43. Ten plays later, Jim Taylor crashed over from the one-yard line behind left tackle Bob Skoronski. Wood's heroics came less than three minutes later - with an assist from Pitts. With Elijah throwing the first block to spring him, Willie veered to his left and, with Herb Adderley as a marauding escort, minced 37 yards up the sidelines to the Bear 47. The Pack required only eight plays to transverse the remaining distance, Tom Moore barging over right tackle with 9:15 gone. Again presented with favorable field position shortly thereafter by a puny 26-yard Bobby Joe Green punt that bounced out of bound on Green Bay's 44, the Packers continued to torment their guests, sweeping the remaining 56 yards in 9 plays, Pitts sliding outside left guard for the TD from the two with only 19 seconds remaining in the first half.
CHANDLER SUMMONED
On the move near the close of a highly eventful third quarter, the Pack offensive bogged down early in the fourth quarter, and Don Chandler was summoned to toe a 41-yard field goal, which was recorded at 0:57. The Packers' depredations subsequently were interrupted by a Bear thrust, sophomore quarterback Larry Rakestraw firing a 9-yard strike to rookie split end Dick Gordon (Michigan State) in the left corner of the end zone. Retaliating for this piece of impudence with dazzling dispatch, the Bays' struck on the very first play after Tom Moore fumbled Mike Eischeid's kickoff and downed it in the end zone. Leading Long perfectly, Bratkowski deposited a 50-yard floater in the sophomore flanker's hands on the Bear 46. A full stride in the van of defender J.C. Caroline, Long left the startled Caroline sprawling in his wake and cantered home free. The Bears then surged 63 yards in three plays to cap the scoring following the succeeding kickoff, Ronnie Bull wedging between Ron Kostelnik and Rick Marshall from the 3 for the TD. Although the final disparity was not as substantial, the story of this one is capsuled in one impressive statistic - the first half play comparison. The Packers forged a whopping 3 to 1 margin in this category, running off 42 to the Bears' 14 (excluding punts) during those first 30 minutes. Overall, the Lombardis emerged with a 65-47 edge. One other fascinating figure emerged. Though the Packers are noted for their running game, and the Bruins are not, they finished in a virtual dead heat in rushing, the Bays amassing 129 yards, the Bears 122. But, resorting to the pass with surprising abandon, the Pack connected on 14 of 25 attempts for 194 yards, compared to the Midway Monsters' mere 8 of 20 for 96, and thus came away with a solid 323 to 218 overall bulge. Determined to find out about his younger set as soon as possible, Coach Vince Lombardi substituted early and often. Rookie tackle Rick Marshall and sophomore end John McDowell, for example, were summoned to combat before the first quarter had run its course. The same pattern prevailed on offense, where the Packer major-domo employed six running backs - rookies Junior Coffey and Allen Jacobs in addition to Paul Hornung, Tom Moore, Jim Taylor and Pitts - and all three quarterbacks, Bart Starr, Dennis Claridge and Bratkowski. Pitts, the workhorse on this occasion, finished with 34 yards in 11 carries while Taylor netted 25 in 9 thrusts, Hornung 16 in 6 and Moore 12 in 5. Starr, voted the game's most valuable player on offense (Willie Wood on defensive honors), presided at the Pack's first two touchdowns and completed 12 of 21 passes for 132 yards overall. Claridge also figured in the point production, maneuvering the home forces to that third touchdown. He contributed 25 of the 56 yards himself when forced to abandon passing plans, one a 15-yard sortie and the other an 11-yard effort that found him lunging to the Bear 2, thus setting the stage for Pitts' 2-yard scoring burst.
SHY OF LONG
Although 31 points proved more than sufficient, the Pack might easily have had a few more. Starr, pitching from the end zone, over-led an open Carroll Dale by a yard in the first quarter and was just shy of Long, also with a step on the Bruins' Bernie McRae, in the second. The Packers were provided with yet another opportunity when Henry Jordan burst through to block Eischeid's field goal attempt midway through the third quarter, and Willie Davis, scooping up the bouncing leather, lurched nine yards to the Green Bay 48. The Pack shortly was forced to surrender the ball on downs. Although the Bears had their problems offensively, Gale Sayers was not one of them. The 22-year-old Kansas U. product, perhaps the most dangerous breakaway threat the Bruins have had since George McAfee shed his cleats, emerged as the day's leading ground gainer with 38 yards in three carries, a plush 12.7 average. He also returned three punts for 36 yards, cruising 26 yards in one sortie.
CHICAGO - 0 0 0 14 - 14
GREEN BAY - 0 21 0 10 - 31
CHICAGO GREEN BAY
First Downs 15 21
Rushing-Yards-TD 25-132-1 37-129-3
Att-Comp-Yd-TD-Int 20-8-119-1-1 25-14-228-1-1
Sack Yards Lost 2-23 3-34
Net Passing Yards 96 194
Total Yards 228 323
Fumbles-lost 1-0 0-0
Turnovers 1 1
Yards penalized 6-50 8-63
SCORING
2nd - GB - Jim Taylor, 1-yard run (Don Chandler kick) GREEN BAY 7-0
2nd - GB - Tom Moore, 1-yard run (Chandler kick) GREEN BAY 14-0
2nd - GB - Elijah Pitts, 2-yard run (Chandler kick) GREEN BAY 21-0
4th - GB - Chandler, 41-yard field goal GREEN BAY 24-0
4th - CH - Dick Gordon, 9-yd pass from Larry Rakestraw (Mike Eischeid kick) GREEN BAY 24-7
4th - GB - Bob Long, 80-yard pass from Zeke Bratkowski (Chandler kick) GREEN BAY 31-7
4th - CHI - Ronnie Bull, 3-yard run (Eischeid kick) GREEN BAY 31-14
RUSHING
GREEN BAY - Elijah Pitts 11-34 1 TD, Jim Taylor 9-25 1 TD, Dennis Claridge 2-25, Paul Hornung 6-16, Junior Coffey 3-12, Tom Moore 5-12, Allen Jacobs 1-5
CHICAGO - Joe Marconi 6-39, Gale Sayers 3-38, Ronnie Bull 7-27 1 TD, Andy Livingston 4-16, Jon Arnett 4-12, Rudy Bukich 1-0
PASSING
GREEN BAY - Bart Starr 21-12-132 1 INT, Zeke Bratkowski 2-1-80 1 TD, Dennis Claridge 2-1-16
CHICAGO - Rudy Bukich 13-4-18 1 INT, Larry Rakestraw 7-4-101 1 TD
RECEIVING
GREEN BAY - Carroll Dale 3-43, Paul Hornung 3-24, Bob Long 2-96 1 TD, Boyd Dowler 2-19, Jim Taylor 2-11,, Max McGee 1-26, Tom Moore 1-11
CHICAGO - Dick Gordon 3-55 1 TD, Johnny Morris 2-26, Gale Sayers 2-(-8), Andy Livingston 1-46
VINCE UNIMPRESSED WITH PACKERS' VICTORY
AUG 22 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - His customarily cautious self, Vince Lombardi pronounced himself unimpressed with the Packers' performance in their 31-14 demolition of a somewhat erratic Bear cast Saturday afternoon. Wearily mopping his perspiring brow as he analyzed the County Stadium proceedings, Lombardi declared, "We didn't sustain anything very well - neither team did." He didn't think the Pack had appeared more artistic than in their opening 44-7 rout of the New York Giants? "I didn't see much improvement," was the cryptic reply. The Packer headmaster subsequently conceded, however, "that we did a lot better on kick coverage today than we did against the Giants." A Milwaukee scribe interjected the word "championship" into the press conference and failed to strike a responsive chord. "You're never going to get me to say anything," Lombardi said, chuckling mirthlessly before adding, "I don't know why you keep asking." That substantial 21-0 halftime lead that made it possible for him to substitute freely after the intermission, it was suggested. "I would have played them anyway," he replied. "I guess we played everybody again, everybody except Symons (Bill) and Gremminger (Defensive Capt. Hank). And we played them considerably, too." His athletes, he was pleased to report, apparently escaped from this one unscathed. "No, I don't think we had any injuries this time," he said, adding with some fervor, "Thank goodness." Asked to comment on the performance of sophomore quarterback Dennis Claridge, Lombardi dourly noted, "If he keeps running, we'll make a back out of him. He's supposed to go back and throw the ball." The steely-eyed strategist, terming the second half "quite a slipshod affair," said he hadn't detected any specific weakness - "we'll just work on everything in general next week. Yes, we will continue with the same lineup." Again interposing a note of cation, he asserted, "I think the press is putting a little too much emphasis on preseason games. The main thing in these games is to get into condition and experiment, although we all so want to win, of course." Declining to assess the enemy, Lombardi said, "I don't know anything about them. I never make a comment, one way or the other, on the opposing team."...Elsewhere in the light-hearted Packer quarters, boyish Bob Long, principal in the afternoon's most dazzling Packer project, happily confessed, "I didn't think I was going to make it, the goal line seemed so far away. I couldn't tell who was behind me." Reviewing his 80-yard collaboration with quarterback Zeke Bratkowski, the lanky University of Wichita alumnus explained, "I knew J.C. Caroline was in there. Zeke and I discussed the play on the sidelines before we went in. They were playing a Frank defense most of the day - that is, the halfback had me one-on-one, so he was the only one I had to worry about. That was the first play Caroline was in and I think we probably caught him unawares. It was a beautiful pass," the sophomore stringbean enthused. "Zeke led me perfectly and it went right over the outstretched arms of the safety." Reminded that the fourth quarter bomb had kept his string going - he has caught a touchdown pass in every appearance to date, including the intra-squad game, Long realistically observed, "It doesn't mean too much now, but it's satisfying." Puckish Willie Wood, voted the game's outstanding defensive player, revealed a
hasty chance in plans had triggered his snaky 35-yard second quarter punt return, which in turn had keyed the Packers' second touchdown push. "If we had gone the way we were planning - we had it set up to the right - they might have gotten me a lot sooner. They were loaded up over there, so we broke the other way." The sniffling safetyman, still struggling to shake a severe head cold, pointed out, "Lots of times that happens - that you have to change your plan on the spur of the moment. You don't always go all the way on it, of course, but you can get a pretty fair return." Forthright Dennis Claridge, who emerged with the day's plushest rushing average (12.5 yards on two flights from pass formation), explained, "It was a life or death thing. When you don't have that experience, you don't stay in the pocket as long as you should. I'm probably a little nervous. I think when you're played a little more, you stay in there a little longer and give your receivers more time to get open." Farther down the line, rookie halfback Junior Coffey grimaced in pain and reported, "I pulled it (a muscle in his right leg) again. I just don't know what to do. I've been warming up good, too - I guess it's just one of those things." "This is the first time I've ever had one of those," he sadly confesses. "I got in the All-Star camp, and I haven't been able to shake it. I didn't want to stop," Coffey, who collected 12 yards in three thrusts, added apologetically. "I didn't want to be a detriment to the team. So I went as long as I could. I didn't want to go half-speed, it wouldn't be fair to the team. So I just informed the coach." Wincing as he thrust the ailing leg into his trousers, Junior declared, "Man, that's really tight. And it was really feeling great, too. This really puts you back - with the outstanding backs we have around. It hurts your chances - they can't afford to have sicklings around." Bart Starr, always the soul of modesty, shrugged off his selection as the game's outstanding offensive player, observing with a grin, "They must have run out of people to pick from." Asked about the "misunderstanding" which saw Packer non-combatants sweep toward the Bear bench following an altercation between Max McGee and the Bruins' Johnny Sisk in the closing seconds of the game, Willie Davis replied with an enigmatic smile, "There was nothing to it. Just making conversation, that's all." McGee also made light of the incident, observing, "He (Sisk) is just a young kid - a little overanxious, I guess. I couldn't afford to hit him," Max quipped, "so I just held him off."...Over in the Bears' quiet quarters, timeless George Halas was slightly dispirited. "I haven't much to say after a game like this," he said, a little sadly. It was a terrible first half for us, both offensively and defensively. I had noting complimentary to say between halves," he appended significantly, "so I had to go the other way." But the improvement in the second half was encouraging. Turning to Green Bay's finest, he dryly asserted, "The Packers are in midseason form right now, and Vince Lombardi has a great team." Papa Bear was not without his consolations, he admitted. "Gale Sayers is a fine football player - he has lots of speed and he's good with it." Asked to compare the spectacular recruit with Bear immortal George McAfee, Halas conceded, "He's pretty close to the McAfee type. And Dick Butkus (who made life occasionally miserable for the Pack in the early going) will be a fine help defensively - where we do need help."...Little Johnny Morris, the Bears' all-pro flanker, summed up the Pack with, "They're the same Packers they were last year and the year before that - well schooled, well-disciplined and with a beautiful talent for eating up the clock."...PACKER PATTER: The Packers had three captains for this one. Willie Davis, nominated as spokesman for the defense with convalescent Hank Gremminger sitting out, joined Gremminger and offensive Capt. Bob Skoronski in the pregame coin flipping ceremony...Paul Hornung (offense) and Ray Nitschke (defense) were presented with plaques for winning most valuable honors in last year's Shrine classic...Vonda Kay Van Dyke, 1965's "Miss All-America," and Candace Wenninger, this year's Shrine queen, reigned over the Shriners' colorful halftime ceremonies, which also included remarks from Gov. Warren Knowles.
GRID FANS FLOOD TV STATION WITH PROTEST
AUG 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay residents were interested in the Gemini 5 flight, but they also wanted to watch their Packers play the Chicago Bears Saturday afternoon. Television station WBAY here reported "hundreds" of calls after it was announced that the station would be unable to carry the Packer-Bear Shrine game telecast from Milwaukee. Space agency officials were trying to decide if the Gemini flight should be continued or scrubbed at the same time the two teams were playing. A station official said the game was nationally televised and the local station had no means of getting the game here. It was possible, however, to obtain a video tape replay which was presented at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Had the game been presented as a regional hookup, he said, the station could have broadcast it, and used news bulletins to keep viewers informed of Gemini's progress. Two television networks received hundreds of calls in other places protesting the preempting of scheduled football telecasts in favor of the Gemini coverage. The Columbia Broadcasting System said it got 400 calls in New York and 121 in Philadelphia. It had scheduled the Packer-Chicago Bear game on its New York outlet and the Philadelphia Eagles-Minnesota Vikings game in Philadelphia...AFL CALLS: The National Broadcasting Company received 250 calls in Washington protesting cancellation of the New York Jets-Buffalo Bills game. The networks had ceased coverage of the astronauts after the successful launch but resumed when the capsule developed problems. The American Broadcasting Company said it received "just a few" calls when it preempted two schedule baseball contests - the New York Mets-St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates-Milwaukee Braves games.
PICTURES ALSO SHOW PACK 'DIDN'T PLAY GOOD GAME'
AUG 23 (Milwaukee-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "I'll have to wait until I see the pictures" has become the coach's invariable insurance against snap evaluations that may come back to haunt him. After spending most of his Sabbath viewing films of Saturday's Packer-Bear imbroglio in overcast Milwaukee County Stadium, however, Vince Lombardi today found no reason to alter his immediate postgame assessment of a 31-14 success. "I don't think we played a very good football game," he asserted. "I didn't think so at the time, and I don't think so now." But the Packer headmaster, who today begins prepping his athletes for Saturday's invitation of the Dallas Cotton Bowl, did find a plus or two. He discovered, for example, that medical marvel Jerry Kramer "is improving each week. He's improving in his endurance, that is - he's always done things well. I think played a little longer this week that he did last week." Strapping Steve Wright, who inherited Norm Masters' right tackle berth at the start of the training grind and is still holding forth there, "did a fine job," Lombardi conceded, although he added, "He was no worse or no better than any of the others. That's about what it amounts to." Evaluating the efforts of mountainous Rick Marshall, the 274-pound rookie defensive tackle who was inserted early and often, Vince observed, "He made a lot of mistakes, which is what we expected. He has a tendency to play a little high, but that will come, I hope." Asked about reports that Paul Hornung, who thus far has given way to Don Chandler, will be given placekicking employment in the near future, Lombardi said, "I plan to have him kick, but I don't know just when it will be." He also announced that the roster, last pared Thursday when rookie tight end John Housel was dropped shortly before the arrival of Bill Anderson from the Washington Redskins, will remain at 50 for the present. This figure is only three over the limit the Pack must reach by the first cutdown date, Aug. 31. Four more will have to be released by Sept. 7 and the remaining three the Tuesday before their NFL inaugural at Pittsburgh Sept. 19...Whether it was early contentment with a 21-0 lead, or the Bruins' reaction to a sulphureous halftime sermon from George Halas, or both, the Packers played two sharply contrasting "games" in Saturday's Shrine set-to. They emerged from the first half, which saw them exercise admirable ball control (42 plays to 14), with a robust net of 190 yards, including 102 passing. And, along the way, they were virtually infallible in clutch situations, averaging nearly 13 yards (12.8) on 10 of 11 third down plays, which in turn amassed nine first downs. In startling contrast, the Bays settled for only three first downs (out of 21) and a net of just 42 yards in 20 plays over those final 30 minutes - aside from Zeke Bratkowski's 80-yard collaboration with Bob Long. And, as a matter of painful fact, the Pack had an inglorious minus 11 to show for their efforts after their first six offensive essays of the third quarter, all passes (or attempts). And one of these was intercepted by Mike Reilly, sophomore Bear linebacker. To complete this sharp about face, the home forces did not acquire a second half first down until late in that third period, and it took a diving catch by Carroll Dale along the sidelines to turn the trick. His "spectacular" gave the Pack sufficient momentum to gain position for Don Chandler's lofty 41-yard field goal five plays later. The fourth quarter, aside from the Bratkowski-to-Long eruption, was even less productive, yielding a net of 19 yards on eight plays...PACKER PATTER: Again openly delighted with this "recuperation," Jerry Kramer announced, "I got in a few good licks, and I took some. I played quite a bit against the Giants last week, but I didn't get hit as hard as I did in this one."...Wally Cruice, known to the Packer family as "super-scout," arrived at the club's St. Norbert College training headquarters later Sunday afternoon preparatory to briefing the Pack on the imminent enemy, the Dallas Cowboys. Cruice flew in from Portland, Ore., where he watched the San Francisco 49ers jolt the Cowboys, 27-7, Saturday night.
BAYS IN MIDSEASON FORM, SAYS HALAS
AUG 23 (Milwaukee) - Master builder Vince Lombardi may have constructed another monumental football team on the shores of Green Bay. The Green Bay Packers looked nothing less than awesome Saturday afternoon as they pummeled the Chicago Bears 31-14 in an NFL preseason game before a sellout crowd of 47,066. "They are in midseason form," Chicago Owner-Coach George Halas said of the Packers afterwards. "Their young players especially impressed me," added Halas, "and I know Vince was counting heavily on them. They are going to be very hard to handle in the regular season." Lombardi, Green Bay coach and general manager, said he was displeased with the lack of continuity in the Packer attack. While the lineup was juggled repeatedly to test various players, Lombardi said, "I would have liked to see more sustained punch." But the Packers were stymied only for the first 15 minutes of the game. They walked off the field at halftime with a 21-0 lead built on touchdowns by Jim Taylor, Tom Moore and Elijah Pitts, crunching blocking and the kind of defensive charge that would intimidate a herd of rhinos. Quarterback Bart Starr was voted most valuable offensive player in the game, the 16th annual Midwest Shrine exhibition for the benefit of the Shriners' crippled children's fund. Willie Wood, a will of the wisp defensive back, won the most valuable prize for defense, but the Packers were most impressive as a team, individual heroics aside. The Packers had everything going for them, including a passing attack that gained 194 yards with 14 completions in 25 attempts, a rushing game that netter 129 yards, Don Chandler's punting (he averaged 48.8 yards a boot) and
precise execution on punt returns. Lombardi had complained about the way the Packers blocked on punts against the Giants, but he had no grounds for complaint Saturday as two long punt returns set up the first two touchdowns.
AGRESSIVENESS KEY TO NITSCHKE'S SUCCESS IN PRO FOOTBALL CIRCLES
AUG 23 (Green Bay) - Gentle at heart is Ray Nitschke. The remorseless middle linebacker of the Green Bay Packers says so himself. The all-pro, who loves children, animals and the great outdoors, does admit to being aggressive, but only because he has to be that way. "It's the only way I can play," explained the eight-year veteran with the happy knock of knocking ball carriers loose from footballs. "After all, I'm not the biggest guy or the strongest guy either. I have to make up for lack of size with aggressiveness." It's punish or perish for Nitschke, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds. "I've always learned that the best way to play the game," Nitschke said, "is to hit your opponent a little harder than he hits you. It's self-perservation." Few NFL players strike harder than Nitschke, who makes up in speed what he lacks in strength. "I've been never been hit harder in my life," said an awed Packers' rookie who had the misfortune of getting in Nitschke's way in a scrimmage...MAN AT PEACE: In uniform, Nitschke looks every bit the middle linebacker. Out of uniform, he seems to be a man at peace with the world. He'll pause with graciousness and patience to sign autographs for the youngsters who flock outside the Packers' dressing rooms and few fathers sound prouder than Ray when the subject gets around to his two-year old son. But the fury of football is Nitschke's element. "It's like war," the linebacker said of his profession, which he practices with a warrior's zest. "You can't play this game," he said, "unless you enjoy rubbing elbows and shoulders. But it's no place for someone with mayhem on his mind. You have enough to think about in following your assignments to go out there and want to hurt anyone." Nitschke gets joy from playing hard football, but he said he doesn't want to hurt his opponent. "I respect the fellows I play against. I don't want to hurt them. Why go out of your way to do that? And you don't want them to go out of their way to get you either," he said. Nitschke believes in playing by the rules. "I don't want to be known as a dirty football player," he said. "I want to be known as a guy who hits hard and does his job."
EX-PACKER SIGNS WITH EAGLES
AUG 24 (Philadelphia) - The Philadelphia Eagles announced Monday the signing of football flanker end Gary Barnes, a veteran of three years in the NFL. He was released last week by the Chicago Bears. Barnes, 25, was drafted by Green Bay in 1962 while at Clemson. He played with Dallas in 1963 and last year with the Bears.
'WORK CUT OUT FOR ME,' REALIST THIBERT ADMITS
AUG 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "I've gotta make this one - I've been moving around long enough." The author of this heartfelt sentiment, soberly studying the floor of his room in St. Norbert College's Sensenbrenner Hall during a brief Monday respite, was rugged, hawk-faced Jim Thibert, the rookie tight end whose task of making the Packer grade obviously has been complicated by the recent acquisition of ex-Washington Redskin Bill Anderson. A competitor, as well as a realist, Thibert evaluated his situation matter-of-factly, observing, "I've got my work cut for me, but I just have to keep hustling, keep trying." Had he been dismayed by what the Anderson trade suggested? "I was dismayed, yes, but I thought something like that might come about," was the forthright reply. "I was hoping that the coach would feel those who were here could do the job." The 6-3, 230-pound Ohioan, who has had previous trials with the San Diego Chargers of the AFL and Canada's Edmonton Eskimos, in addition to toiling with Toledo in the United Football League for a season, is convinced, however, he is being given every opportunity to earn a berth on the final 40-man roster...ALL TENSED UP: "I played almost half the Bear game in Milwaukee last weekend," he points out, "and more than a quarter against the Giants. Playing like that week after week should give a fellow a good shot at it." Assessing his performance to date, Thibert confided, "I didn't feel I did very well against the Giants - I was all tensed up. I was a little more relaxed against the Bears, a little wiser about what was going on out there." The muscular Toledo native, rated by one Packer aide as a standout blocker, has been handicapped in his bid by the fact that he had never played the position as a pro. "I never played any offense at Edmonton last year except at center," he explained, "and then I only snapped the long ball on punts and field goals." And in college? "I played blocking end at Toledo U. We were a Woody Hayes-type of ball club. I was drafted out of college, though, as a linebacker by the San Diego Chargers in 1963. I was their seventh pick. They needed linebackers out there like they do here," Jim added with a wry smile. "I got cut after the exhibition season." Thibert, now 25, finished out the year with Bob Snyder's Toledo entry in the UFL, then moved to Edmonton last season. "In Canada, they're allowed only 16 American players per team, and the coach at Edmonton was Neil Armstrong, who had been with the Houston Oilers the year before," the crew cut recruit informed. "He needed some more defensive ends and defensive backs, so he began making a lot of changes. After I left, I found out he started to cut 8 and 9-year veterans. They can do that up there all season long, there's no deadline." Analyzing his new role, Jim dryly noted, "I have a little trouble running those pass patterns
- I feel like a light-footed guard out there. But I sure have learned a lot about the position in the last couple of weeks. I hope in due time that everything will coincide. I'm a slow learner, but once I learn it," he declared, "I feel I learn it rather well." "I know what to do," he added, "but sometimes I just don't do it right. But I'll get it - I'm not afraid of that, it will come to me. I just have to keep firing away and hope I can make it. I'd like to get a little settled down and set a goal in life," he concluded. "I've been living from camp to camp, and it gets old fast."...PACKER PATTER: Anderson, Thibert's main rival for employment, made a pair of deft catches during Monday morning's drill for Saturday's invasion of Dallas, one of them a stab over the congested middle, the other when he floated back to nail a short pitch. Each effort drew plaudits from his colleagues...Flankers Carroll Dale and Bob Long, defensive backs Donnie Davis, Doug Hart and Bob Jeter and quarterback Dennis Claridge remained for special individual work after practice. Claridge threw to the flankers, under guard from the defensive trio, on slants and other patterns near the goal line. Long, the spectacular sophomore, was sporting a heavily taped left thumb. "I stove it in pretty bad in the 2-minute drill last Thursday," he reported. "Luckily, it didn't bother me in catching that touchdown pass (an 80-yard collaboration with Zeke Bratkowski) against the Bears. I was able to catch it in here against my chest - and mostly with my right hand."...Since Bill Anderson has been assigned as Forrest Gregg's roommate, an unidentified Packer wag has tacked a sign on the door of Sensenbrenner Hall's No. 118 which reads, "Reserved for Tennessee coaching staff." Anderson was a member of the Tennessee staff last season, and Gregg originally signed to join the Vols' 1964 brain trust, then happily reconsidered and rejoined the Pack.
GREMMINGER EAGER TO 'HIT SOMEBODY,' ESPECIALLY IN DALLAS
AUG 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Soft-spoken Hank Gremminger, the Packers' defensive captain, is looking forward to a happy homecoming in "Big D" this weekend - for a couple of reasons. "Big D," of course, is Dallas, home of the famed Cotton Bowl where Henry cavorted on occasion with Baylor's Bearcats during his college days. But the Hollywood handsome safety man isn't motivated by nostalgia alone. Shelved since Aug. 2 by stretched ligaments in his right leg, incurred when broadsided in a scrimmage, he has missed both of the Pack's preseason ventures to date and is understandably eager for combat. "I'm looking forward to playing in Dallas, of course," Hank confided Monday night, "but I'm really looking forward to just playing again. I'm getting anxious to hit somebody. The knee feels real good, and the doctor has given me the okay to play," he further informed. "I'm all set." Gremminger, now in his 10th NFL semester, also took time out to compliment his replacement, sophomore Tom Brown of Maryland, asserting, "I think he's been doing real well." Hank, who joined the Pack in 1956 as an offensive end but was converted into a cornerbacker, is sold on his "new" role as a safety, now in its fourth season. "I like anything, as long as I can play," he said, "but I do like playing safety a lot better than cornerback. Whenever you're the free safety, you get a chance to play the ball." Gremminger, now an offseason resident of Madison where he is a restauranteur and insurance agent, isn't concerned about any possible psychological problems in connection with the knee, observing, "Once I get hit on it Saturday night, it'll be alright." Neither is he giving serious thoughts to calling it a career at the moment. "It's hard to tell about the future," Henry admitted, "but when I feel I can't help the ball club, then I'll hang it up. When you lose your enthusiasm for hitting people, it's time to get out." And the immediate future? "It's hard to make comparisons, as between this team and our championship years, but I'd say this is the best training camp we've ever had since I've been with the ball club."...PACKER PATTER: Bill Symons, the impressive rookie halfback from Colorado, ran through signals in full regalia in Tuesday morning's S. Oneida Street session for the first time since pulling a leg muscle returning a punt in the Giant game Aug. 14. "It's coming along," he later reported. "I haven't turned on it or anything yet, but I'll be all right." Another freshman, Utah's Allen Jacobs, drew considerable comment for his "outside" running...The Packers took official note of their next opponent, the Cowboys, for the first time. The offense executed Dallas plays against the regular Packer defense, and the Pack attackers tested their customary weapons against the anticipated Cowboy defense.
BILL CURRY TAKES NOTHING FOR GRANTED
AUG 25 (Green Bay) - Rookie center Bill Curry, making a strong bid for a berth with the Green Bay Packers, isn't taking anything for granted. Although he has been in the Packers' training camp for almost three weeks, Curry still hasn't unpacked his suitcase. "I'm just keeping my stuff in the suitcase just in case I'm leaving," the former Georgia Tech stalwart explained. "I don't want to leave of course." Curry, 23, is one of 11 rookies left in the Green Bay camp. Chances are that fewer than half a dozen will be on the roster by Sept. 19 when the regular season opens. Curry isn't about to presume he'll be one of the fortunate survivors...IN ALL-STAR GAME: "I couldn't believe it when they drafted me," said Curry, who reported late to camp because he had been tapped to play in the College All-Star game earlier this month. "Anyone would like a shot at playing with the best." But Curry, like many another rookie, discovered quickly that college football and the NFL are worlds apart. "They ought to call it something else besides football," said Curry, a 6-foot-2, 235 pound prospect who wishes he were bigger. "It's not football like I played before. It's so much quicker. You just don't have time to fiddle around. Everyone moves so fast. And technique is so important here. The tackles, for example, are so strong that if you don't hit them just right, they'll spin right off you and push you right into the play." Curry had heard that in many professional camps, the veterans remain aloof from the rookies and seldom if ever give them any suggestions on improving their play. Fortunately, he said, this isn't the case with Green Bay. "I was lost when I got here," said Curry. "The coaches were very patient with me. I would make mistakes and they would be very understanding, and the veterans all came to me when I made mistakes. I would say I got help from all of the veteran interior linemen, both offensively and defensively. They've all been great to me." But understanding and seasoned advice can only go so far. Curry has to make the team on his own merits and no one understands that better than he does. "You have got to believe you'll be able to pro football. If I didn't believe I could pick it up eventually, I wouldn't be here, wasting my time and the coaches' time," Curry said. Someday, Curry hopes to devote his life to Christian work, perhaps with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. But right now, it's football on his mind, and the cutdowns, which now come about once a week. "They call the guys who are going in," Curry said. "There's no announcement or anything like that. Then somebody says that so and so is gone. It's real sad to see him go." How would he feel should the ax fall on his neck? "It would be a very severe disappointment," said Curry. But, it wouldn't be the end of the world for the young man. "I would definitely try to make it with someone else," he said.
PERONALITY PARADE
AUG 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Although puckish Willie Vernell Wood is an all-pro defensive safety, for which his coaches are duly grateful, it is the breathtaking excursions as a punt returner that have endeared him to the Packer faithful. Willie, who has been executing such derring-do with titillating aplomb since joining the Pack in 1960 - most recently in last weekend's 31-14 demolition of the Bears - is not inclined to bravado, however. Readily conceding his to be a perilous assignment, he soberly admits, "I'll say it's dangerous." But Wood fondly adds, "It's exciting." The compactly constructed USC alumnus, author of a circuitous 37-yard runback that
triggered the Packers' second touchdown against the Bears, added, "I don't mind running 'em back, though. After you've been doing it for five or six years, like I have, you kind of get the hang of it. I don't get the shakes like I used to - now I imagine the younger guys are getting 'em." Although he is not overly concerned for his physical safety, which he consistently demonstrates as one of the NFL's most devastating tacklers, Wood volunteered, "It's a terrific responsibility. You just make one mistake - fumble the ball - and the other team is in scoring position." Strangely enough, considering he has ranked 1-2 in the NFL for three consecutive seasons (1961-62-63), the highly elusive Washington native never was employed as a punt returner in his college days. "We had too many 9.6 sprinters at USC," Willie, a solid choice as the most valuable defensive performer in last Saturday's Shrine match, explains with a grin. "They put them back there. We had Angelo Coia, who's with the Redskins now. He had been timed at 9.5 in the 100-yard dash in the Compton Relays, and Don Buford (current Chicago White Sox second baseman). He was a great football player." Though he hasn't missed a game since becoming a Packer regular in 1961, Wood was overlooked by NFL scouts because of collegiate injuries as a 170-pound quarterback, and, if it hadn't been for exemplary initiative on his part, might never have crashed the pro ranks. "I hurt my left shoulder my junior year - got a separation - but I played all season with it," Willie said. "I hurt it again as a senior and I missed four or five games. They spotted me that year - just used me in some of the tougher games. So I guess the scouts had me branded as fragile. Plus, of course, my size - a lot of people thought I was too small. A lot of my coaches were hesitant about recommending me, and the doctor said he didn't think I could play again. I went to a bone specialist, though, and he said I could." Taking matters into his own hands, Willie sent letters "to every ball club. The Packers were out in Los Angeles at the time to play the Rams, and Jack Vainisi (the team's late business manager) contacted me. We made an agreement on a Sunday afternoon and three or four days later, they sent me a contract." "That," Willie added, "was one of the best things that ever happened to me." (And, it might be added, to the Packers). And what of the 1965 Packers? "When we won the championship in 1961 and 1962, we probably had more seasoned clubs, but this year the guys seem to have more desire - probably because we have several guys who are lacking in experience," he replied. "The championship? I think we can do it - with the hustle we have. With a few breaks, and if everybody stays healthy, I don't see why we shouldn't win it."
LLOYD VOSS SHIFTED TO DEFENSIVE END
AUG 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The heartwarming comeback of Jerry Kramer and the sudden emergence of Steve Wright, rapidly maturing sophomore, have triggered a transfer from the Packers' talent-laden offensive line. Lloyd Voss, the Pack's No. 1 draft choice in '64, had been shifted to defensive end, at least for the present, where experienced practitioners are in shorter supply. The redeployment of the 6-3, 250-pound Voss, who had been toiling at both offensive tackle and guard, came as no great surprise, since Vince Lombardi is blessed with perhaps the most gifted guard corps in the NFL - Fuzzy Thurston, Dan (Charlie) Grimm, Forrest Gregg and Kramer. And, since it is apparently SOP to operate with three guards and three tackles, and since Gregg has won all-pro honors at tackle as well as at his present position (Offensive Capt. Bob Skoronski and Wright are the incumbents), it would appear the Packers are enviably well fortified along the attacking wall. Voss was the logical candidate for transfer. The heroically-hewn Minnesotan having been installed on the defensive line upon reporting from the College All-Star camp last season, where he worked at both end and tackle. He had been drafted as a potential offensive tackle but, since he had been delayed by his All-Star commitment and thus was at a disadvantage in absorbing the Packer offense, it was deemed advisable to use his talents on defense for the balance of the year. He greeted his reassignment with
equanimity, asserting, "It's fine with me - I always played both ways in college anyway. I'm happy to play - anywhere. Dave (Player-Coach Dave Hanner) has been working with me quite a bit," Voss added. The square-cut sophomore is expected to see some action at his new post for the first time in Saturday night's march with the Dallas Cowboys in the Cotton Bowl. It appears the home forces will go into their third preseason skirmish with a 50-man roster, including 11 freshmen. No further reductions are required until next Thursday, Aug. 31, when the complement must be reduced to 47 under NFL rules...PACKER PATTER: The Packers devoted the bulk of Wednesday morning's drill to polishing their offense for the invasion of "Big D."...Jim Taylor, as might be expected, is the Pack's leading rusher after two games with 56 games in 15 carries, a 3.7 average, according to figures released by Publicist Tom Miller. Elijah Pitts is next with 55 in 15, also a 3.7 average, followed by Tom Moore, with 52 in 13 for 4.0. Marvelous Marv Fleming paces the receives with six catches for 59 yards. The emergent Bob Long has amassed the most yards, however, 104, with only three catches, and Carroll Dale has accumulated 94 with four receptions. Quarterback Bart Starr is averaging a plush 58.8 percent with 22 completions in 34 attempts for 285 yards...Tickets are still available for the Pack's final preseason appearance against the St. Louis Cardinals in Lambeau Field, Ticket Director Merrill Knowlton reminded today.
COWBOY OFFENSE 'MISLEADING,' PACKERS WARNED
AUG 27 (Dallas-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Dallas Cowboys, the Packers' imminent hosts in the capacious Cotton Bowl, have scored only seven points in losing two ventures to date, a performance hardly calculated to strike terror into Green Bay hears. But, one knowledgeable observer insists, the Texans "could go all the way" in the NFL's forthcoming Eastern Conference. Which would indicate there is more to the 1965 Cowboys, who entertain the undefeated (2-0) Packers Saturday night, than meets the statistical eye. The aforementioned expert is Wally Cruice, the Pack's veteran game scout, who diagrammed Big D's standard bearers in Portland, Ore., last weekend where the Cowboys sustained a 27-7 bruising at San Francisco 49re hands. Shrugging off the Cowboys' 0-2 record and accompanying paucity of points, Cruice confided Thursday, "They've been doing a lot of experimenting, which accounts to a large degree for their record. For one thing, they've been breaking in Ralph Neely (6-5, 255-pound rookie from Oklahoma), at tackle and they've been doing a lot of interchanging at the guards. But," he added, "they've got terrific offensive ends in (Frank) Clarke and Buddy Dial and Pettis Norman. Their big problem, of course, is that Meredith (Don) still leaves a little bit to be desired at quarterback. But Rhome (rookie Jerry from Tulsa) looks real good, and he could be the answer to their problem. And Craig Morton (rookie out of California) could come through for them. He's been looking good. If they get a quarterback," Cruice declared, "they could go all the way." Documenting this last, he said, "They've got a good, strong defensive team. Andrie (George) and Youmans (ex-Bear Maury) are two pretty decent defensive ends, and Lilly (Bob) and Stephens (Larry) are good tackles. They've moved Jordan (Lee Roy) to middle linebacker and made a coach out of Jerry Tubbs. With Dave Edwards and Chuck Howley at the other spots, that's a pretty good trio of linebackers. They've got two good safeties, too, in Renfro (Mel) and Gaechter (Mike), and two good cornerbacks in Livingston (Warren) and Green (Cornell)." Reviewing the Cowboys' Dallas performance, the ex-Northwestern star appended, "That last game, they had Lilly (an all-pro in 1964) out with a bad leg, and he's their key defensive guy. He'll be ready for us Saturday night, by the way, from what the Dallas coaches told me."...RENFRO, HAYES BACK: The Packers' kick coverage teams will have to exercise particular diligence, Cruice also informed. "They have Renfro (clocked at 9.3 in the 100-yard dash) and Bon Hayes (the world's fastest human) back on both kickoffs and punt returns, and they can hurt you in a hurry." The Cowboys, 9-0 victims of the Los Angeles Rams in their preseason debut, have found the early going usually hectic because they were required to play their first two games within the short space of four days. Their match with the Rams, originally scheduled for Aug. 14, had to be postponed for three days because of the race rioting in Los Angeles, and just four days later, they fulfilled their Portland commitment against the 49ers. Saturday night's assignment thus will be the Texans' first outing in the Cotton Bowl, which is expected to attract in the neighborhood of 50,000 customers...
PACKER PATTER: A somewhat inauspicious "two-minute" drill climaxed the Packers' final home exercise on the South Oneida Street practice field Thursday morning. Bart Starr pitched a touchdown pass to Marv Fleming on the first "drive," but it was nullified by an offside "penalty," and Herb Adderley abruptly interrupted the second by intercepting a Zeke Bratkowski sideline pass intended for Carroll Dale....Defensive tackle Henry Jordan's brother, Gene, is following in Hank's footsteps - in the Continental League. Gene, just a shade under 6 feet and 250 pounds, also is employed as a defensive tackle by Norfolk's CL entry and wears the same number, 74. "How good is he? My old coaches tell me he's better than I am," Henry reported. "I've never seen him play. I'd like to see him get into this league (the NFL)," Jordan said, adding hopefully, "Some scout may see him and pick him up."
PACK FACES TOUGH COWBOY DEFENSE TONIGHT
AUG 28 (Dallas-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay's perspiring Packers, now more svelte than ever, will be confronted by two major obstacles to a third straight preseason victory in the yawning Cotton Bowl here tonight. In addition to the withering heat, that is. (The temperature is expected to hover in the 90s, a rare figure in Wisconsin's more temperate climate.) These items, not necessarily in order of importance, are Texas pride and tightfisted defense, both of which belong to the host Cowboys, who will formally greet the Pack at a 9 o'clock (Wisconsin time) kickoff. The winless Cowboys, who submitted to the Rams and 49ers in their previous exhibition ventures, will be making their first Texas appearance, and, it goes without saying, are more than casually concerned about being embarrassed before the home folks in tonight's march, to be broadcast by Press-Gazette radio station WJPG. Although the Packers obviously must be favored on the basis of 44-7 and 34-14 conquests of the Giants and Bears, respectively, the Cowboys' chances of a successful debut are enhanced by the presence of a rapidly maturing defensive platoon, which has yet to be overrun, despite 9-0 and 27-7 losses to the Rams and 49ers. In the former, it should be noted, the Texans limited the Rams to three field goals by Bruce Gossett. Their more liberal performance against San Francisco, when they were frisked for three touchdowns and two field goals, is largely traceable to the absence of all-pro tackle Bob Lilly, out with a damaged leg. He incidentally will be available tonight. The Cowboys, who have been able to generate only seven points in those two outings, patently are having offensive troubles, which are particularly evident at quarterback. Don Meredith, who has yet to arrive as a pro although he is in his sixth season, is expected to start but if he fails to ignite the Dallas attack, he is likely to be supplanted by rookie Jerry Rhome (Tulsa) early in the evening. Craig Morton (California), another freshman, likewise may be permitted to try his hand at the controls. Still another expensive recruit, "world's fastest human" Bob Hayes, also is likely to be showcased. Hayes, who has been clocked at a blistering 9.1 second in the 100 dash (in track raiment, of course) is understudying the accomplished Frank Clarke at split end. In addition to Clarke and Hayes, the Packer defense will have to contend with flanker Buddy Dial and fullback Don Perkins and sophomore halfback Perry Lee Dunn. Since Vince Lombardi is traditionally loath to tamper with a winning combination, the Packers will go with basically the same format that dispatched the Bears and Giants - with the possible exception of two defensive assignments. Capt. Hank Gremminger, who has been sidelines since Aug. 2 with a knee injury, is tentatively scheduled to make his first start at left safety, where sophomore Tom Brown has been holding forth, and Doug Hart is expected to open at left cornerback in place of Bob Jeter. Forrest Gregg is likely to be hampered somewhat by a badly bruised toe on the left foot, incurred when he was inadvertently stepped on during a practice last week. Dr. James W. Nellen punctured the top Friday morning to relieve pressure and the towering all-pro is expected to be available for full time duty, if needed. Newcomer Bill Anderson, acquired from the Washington Redskins as insurance for tight end Marv Fleming, and Lloyd Voss, transferred from offensive tackle to defensive end, are expected to see early action, along with Jerry Kramer. Only rookie halfbacks Bill Symons and Junior Coffey, both troubled by leg hurts, are likely to sit out...Stretch Elliott, a Packer end (1950-54) and now an El Paso insurance agent, was on hand to personally welcome the Pack when they arrived at the Cotton Bowl for Friday afternoon's light "orientation" drill. Greeting Max McGee, who joined the Packers the year Elliott departed (1954), Stretch said, "You came up and put me out of a job." Elliott brought his wife and five children in from El Pason (600 miles distant) for the weekend...The Packers, many of them stripped to the waist, worked out in shorts on the floor of the Cotton Bowl, where the temperature was a blistering 100...Rifle-armed Ray Nitschke won an impromptu passing contest prior to the calisthenics, winging the football 72 yards. Boyd Dowler was runnerup with a heave of 66 yards, finishing ahead of fellow contestants Paul Hornung, Willie Wood, Jerry Kramer, Jim Taylor and McGee.
