WORLD CHAMPIONS
The 1966 Green Bay Packers - 12-2 (1ST - Western Conference)
Head Coach: Vince Lombardi
1966 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (3-2)
OFF DEF
AUGUST (2-2) RESULT RECORD ATT RSH PSS RSH PSS STARTING QB LEADING RUSHER LEADING PASSER LEADING RECEIVER
5 College All-Stars at Chicago W 38- 0 1- 0-0 72,000 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (75) Bart Starr (177) Boyd Dowler (6-80)
12 M-CHICAGO BEARS L 10-13 1- 1-0 47,034 Bart Starr Paul Hornung (60) Bart Starr (115) Carroll Dale (4-46)
20 at Dallas Cowboys L 3-21 1- 2-0 75,504 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (72) Bart Starr (96) Allen Brown (3-28)
27 G-PITTSBURGH STEELERS W 17- 6 2- 2-0 50,861 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (67) Bart Starr (149) Jim Taylor (4-59)
SEPTEMBER (0-1)
3 M-NEW YORK GIANTS W 37-10 3- 2-0 47,102 Bart Starr Elijah Pitts (72) Bart Starr (207) Max McGee (4-73)
1966 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS
SEPTEMBER (3-0)
10 M-BALTIMORE COLTS (0-0) W 24- 3 1- 0-0 48,650 155 137 112 101 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (76) Bart Starr (138) Boyd Dowler (6-73)
18 at Cleveland Browns (1-0) W 21-20 2- 0-0 83,943 118 238 110 156 Bart Starr Paul Hornung (51) Bart Starr (238) Jim Taylor (8-64)
25 G-LOS ANGELES RAMS (2-0) W 24-13 3- 0-0 50,861 94 233 106 67 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (42) Bart Starr (257) Carroll Dale (6-76)
OCTOBER (4-1)
2 G-DETROIT LIONS (2-1) W 23-14 4- 0-0 50,861 66 185 174 175 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (34) Bart Starr (212) Marv Fleming (3-72)
9 at San Francisco 49ers (0-2-1) L 20-21 4- 1-0 39,290 106 262 154 94 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (54) Bart Starr (287) Carroll Dale (4-86)
16 at Chicago Bears (2-2) W 17- 0 5- 1-0 48,573 121 59 42 52 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (66) Bart Starr (80) Jim Taylor (4-42)
23 M-ATLANTA FALCONS (0-6) W 56- 3 6- 1-0 48,623 126 231 140 76 Bart Starr Jim Grabowski (52) Bart Starr (220) Carroll Dale (4-110)
30 at Detroit Lions (3-3) W 31- 7 7- 1-0 56,954 174 170 84 233 Bart Starr Elijah Pitts (99) Bart Starr (154) Boyd Dowler (3-30)
NOVEMBER (2-1)
6 G-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-4-1) L 17-20 7- 2-0 50,861 158 134 126 164 Bart Starr Elijah Pitts (89) Bart Starr (140) Jim Taylor (5-44)
20 G-CHICAGO BEARS (3-4-2) W 13- 6 8- 2-0 50,861 69 227 75 85 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (49) Zeke Bratkowski (190) Carroll Dale (6-87)
27 at Minnesota Vikings (3-6-1) W 28-16 9- 2-0 47,426 164 140 128 194 Bart Starr Jim Grabowski (61) Bart Starr (149) Marv Fleming (4-37)
DECEMBER (2-0-1)
4 M-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-4-2) W 20- 7 10- 2-0 48,725 107 204 140 181 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (84) Bart Starr (236) Marv Fleming (4-36)
10 at Baltimore Colts (8-4) W 14-10 11- 2-0 60,238 97 145 153 130 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (43) Bart Starr (96) Elijah Pitts (4-79)
18 at Los Angeles Rams (8-5) W 27-23 12- 2-0 72,416 118 237 100 251 Zeke Bratkowski Donny Anderson (58) Zeke Bratkowski (245) Carroll Dale (3-121)
1966 POST-SEASON SEASON RESULTS (2-0)
JANUARY 1967 - 1966 NFL CHAMPIONSHIP
1 at Dallas Cowboys (10-3-1) W 34-27 74,152 102 265 187 231 Bart Starr Elijah Pitts (66) Bart Starr (304) Carroll Dale (5-128)
SUPER BOWL I AT LOS ANGELES
15 Kansas City Chiefs (12-2-1) W 35-10 61,946 130 228 72 167 Bart Starr Jim Taylor (56) Bart Starr (250) Max McGee (7-138)
G - Green Bay M - Milwaukee
1966 IN REVIEW
In June 1966, the NFL and AFL announced they were merging after six years of war. The immediate result was the creation on a title game between the two champions in 1966. For the Packers, a 1-point loss to the 49ers and a 3-point loss to the Vikings were the only thing that prevented them from a perfect season. Bart Starr was nearly flawless, completing 62 percent of his passes with only three interceptions, in being named NFL MVP. Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung began the final chapters of their storied careers. In response, Green Bay paid out more than $1 million for Donny Anderson (signed in 1965 as a junior) and Jim Grabowski to replace them. The defense ranked third in the league, giving up just 17 touchdowns all season. They sacked enemy quarterbacks 47 times and intercepted 28 passes in what may have been the finest season in Packer history.
THE MERGER - WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
Peace finally came to the football world on June 8th 1966, when the AFL and NFL laid down their guns, and checkbooks, and announced they would join forces for the 1970 season. One problem remained, though. The two entities could not become one without an anti-trust exemption from Congress, and that made Louisiana Congressmen Russell Long and Hale Boggs the most powerful figures in sports. As Chairman of the Senate Financial Committee, Long was not happy about the merger, as he did not see a benefit to New Orleans. The city had lost its chance at an AFL franchise in December 1964 after being awarded the 1965 AFL All Star Game. After experiencing the racial barriers in the city, AFL players called Houston Oilers owner Bud Adams and said they were going to boycott the game. The owners moved the game to Houston and that ended any chance New Orleans would join the AFL. NFL Commissioner Peter Rozelle was not ready to grant New Orleans an expansion team, and the two lawmakers were not ready to sign off on the anti-trust legislation. In one rumored scenario, a series of franchise shifts was proposed. The New York Jets would move to Los Angeles. Daniel Reeves would take his Rams franchise to San Diego and replace the Chargers. Barron Hilton then would take his Chargers to New Orleans. In order to keep the ownership of the 49ers happy, the Oakland Raiders would be moved to either Seattle or Portland. That rumor was quickly put to rest, when Rozelle and other NFL officials told Congress that no teams would be moved because of the merger. It appeared the merger was once again in jeopardy. Rozelle and the NFL owners finally gave in and promised Boggs an expansion team. Congress approved the NFL-AFL merger by giving the two competitors an anti-trust exemption, which was added as a rider to an anti-inflation tax bill on October 21, 1966. The NFL awarded its 16th franchise to New Orleans on November 1, 1966 on All Saints Day. The NFL collected an $8 million expansion fee from New Orleans owner John Mecom, which was split between the 15 NFL owners. The Jets paid $18 million to the New York Giants, and the Raiders handed over $8 million to the 49ers. The AFL also agreed to pay the NFL the $7.5 million it received from the Cincinnati expansion fee in 1968.
NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE YR PR AG G HOW ACQUIRED
Herb Adderley 26 CB 6- 1 200 Michigan State 6 6 27 14 1961 Draft-1st
Lionel Aldridge 62 DE 6- 4 245 Utah State 4 4 25 13 1963 Draft-4th
Bill Anderson 88 TE 6- 3 225 Tennessee 2 8 30 10 1965 Trade-Wash
Donny Anderson 44 RB 6- 3 210 Texas Tech 1 1 23 14 1965 Draft-1st
Ken Bowman 57 C 6- 3 230 Wisconsin 3 3 23 4 1964 Draft-8th
Zeke Bratkowski 12 QB 6- 3 210 Georgia 4 11 33 8 1963 FA-LA
Allen Brown 83 TE 6- 5 235 Mississippi 1 1 23 5 1965 Draft-3rd
Bob Brown 78 DE 6- 5 260 Ark-Pine Bluff 1 1 26 14 1966 FA
Tom Brown 40 DB 6- 1 190 Maryland 3 3 25 14 1963 Draft-2nd
Lee Roy Caffey 60 LB 6- 3 250 Texas A&M 3 4 25 14 1964 Trade-Phil
Don Chandler 34 K 6- 2 210 Florida 2 11 32 14 1965 Trade-NYG
Tommy Crutcher 56 LB 6- 3 230 TCU 3 3 25 14 1964 Draft-3rd
Bill Curry 50 C 6- 2 235 Georgia Tech 2 2 23 14 1964 Draft-20th
Carroll Dale 84 WR 6- 2 200 Virginia Tech 2 7 28 14 1965 Trade-LA
Willie Davis 87 DE 6- 3 245 Grambling 7 9 32 14 1960 Trade-Cleve
Boyd Dowler 86 WR 6- 5 225 Colorado 8 8 28 14 1959 Draft-3rd
Marv Fleming 81 TE 6- 4 235 Utah 4 4 24 14 1963 Draft-11th
Gale Gillingham 68 G 6- 3 255 Minnesota 1 1 22 14 1966 Draft-1st
Jim Grabowski 33 RB 6- 2 220 Illinois 1 1 21 14 1966 Draft-1st
Forrest Gregg 75 G 6- 4 250 SMU 10 10 32 14 1956 Draft-2nd
Doug Hart 43 DB 6- 0 190 Arlington State 3 3 27 14 1964 FA-St. Louis
Dave Hathcock 45 DB 6- 0 195 Memphis State 1 1 23 14 1966 Draft-17th
Paul Hornung 5 HB 6- 2 215 Notre Dame 9 9 30 9 1957 Draft-Bonus
Bob Jeter 21 DB 6- 1 205 Iowa 4 4 29 14 1960 Draft-2nd
Henry Jordan 74 DT 6- 3 250 Virginia 8 10 31 14 1959 Trade-Cleve
Ron Kostelnik 77 DT 6- 4 260 Cincinnati 6 6 26 14 1961 Draft-2nd
Jerry Kramer 64 G 6- 3 245 Idaho 9 9 30 14 1958 Draft-4th
Bob Long 80 WR 6- 3 205 Wichita 3 3 24 5 1964 Draft-4th
Red Mack 27 WR 5-10 185 Notre Dame 1 6 29 9 1966 FA-Atlanta
Max McGee 85 E 6- 3 210 Tulane 11 11 34 12 1954 Draft-5th
Ray Nitschke 66 LB 6- 3 240 Illinois 9 9 29 14 1958 Draft-3rd
Elijah Pitts 22 HB 6- 1 205 Philander Smith 6 6 27 14 1961 Draft-13th
Dave Robinson 89 LB 6- 3 240 Penn State 4 4 25 14 1963 Draft-1st
Bob Skoronski 76 T 6- 3 245 Indiana 9 9 32 14 1956 Draft-5th
NAME NO POS HGT WGT COLLEGE YR PR AG G HOW ACQUIRED
Bart Starr 15 QB 6- 1 190 Alabama 11 11 32 14 1956 Draft-17th
Jim Taylor 31 FB 6- 0 215 LSU 9 9 31 14 1958 Draft-2nd
Fuzzy Thurston 63 G 6- 1 245 Valparaiso 8 9 31 12 1959 Trade-Balt
Phil Vandersea 37 LB 6- 3 235 Massachusetts 1 1 23 14 1965 Draft-16th
Jim Weatherwax 73 DT 6- 7 260 Cal State-LA 1 1 23 14 1965 Draft-11th
Willie Wood 24 DB 5-10 190 USC 7 7 29 14 1960 FA
Steve Wright 72 T 6- 6 250 Alabama 3 3 24 14 1964 Draft-5th
NO - Jersey Number POS - Position HGT - Height WGT - Weight YR - Years with Packers PR - Years of Professional Football AGE - Age on September 1 G - Games Played FA - Free Agent
1966 PACKERS DRAFT (November 27, 1965)
RND-PICK NAME POS COLLEGE
1a - 9 Jim Grabowski (A) FB Illinois
1b - 13 Gale Gillingham T Minnesota
2 - 30 *-Tom Cichowski T Maryland
3a - 45 Fred Heron T San Jose State
3b - 46 Tony Jeter (B) E Nebraska
4 - 62 *-John Roderick B Southern Methodist
5 - 78 to Los Angeles Rams
6 - 94 to Washington Redskins for Bill Anderson
7 - 108 *-Ray Miller E Idaho
8 - 124 Ken McLean HB Texas A&M
9 - 138 Ron Rector HB Northwestern
10 - 154 Sam Montgomery HB Southern
11 - 168 Ralph Wenzel C San Diego St
12 - 184 *-Jim Mankins FB Florida State
13 - 198 *-Ed King LB USC
14 - 214 Ron Hanson E N. Dakota St
15 - 228 Grady Bolton T Mississippi St
16 - 244 Robert Schultz DE Stevens Point
17 - 258 Dave Hathcock DB Memphis State
18 - 274 Jim Jones DE Nebraska-Omaha
19 - 288 Dave Moton TE USC
20 - 304 Ed Maras E S. Dakota St
A- from Detroit Lions for Ron Kramer B - from Cleveland Browns * - Juniors
1966 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS
FEB 15 - Lost QB Dennis Claridge, RB Junior Coffey and OG Dan Grimm to ATLANTA in the expansion draft.
APR 25 - Traded RB Tom Moore to LOS ANGELES for QB Ron Smith, OT Dick Arndt and 1967 2nd-round draft choice.
JUN 25 - Traded DB Hank Gremminger to DALLAS for 1967 5th-round draft choice.
JUL 26 - Traded DT Lloyd Voss and TE Tony Jeter (3rd round) to PITTSBURGH for 1967 1st-round draft choice.
JUL 29 - Waived HB Sam Montgomery (10th round) and LB Marty Sica. Traded OT Ray Schoenke to CLEVELAND for undisclosed draft choice. (54 players on roster)
AUG 3 - Traded OT Fred Heron (3rd round) and a 1967 4th-round draft choice to ST. LOUIS for 1968 3rd round draft choice (53 players on roster). Lost HB Sam Montgomery (1oth round) on waivers to ATLANTA.
AUG 15 - Traded C Ralph Wenzel (11th round) to CLEVELAND for undisclosed draft choice.
AUG 22 - Traded RB Ron Rector (9th round) to WASHINGTON for 1967 4th-round draft choice. Released C Steve Burratto. (49 players)
AUG 30 - Traded QB Ron Smith to PITTSBURGH for 1967 5th-round draft choice.
SEPT 6 - Traded RB Allen Jacobs to NEW YORK GIANTS for 1967 7th round choice.
SEPT 23 - Claimed WR Red Mack off waivers from ATLANTA. Placed E Bob Long from injured reserve list.
NOV 1 - Placed TE Allen Brown on injured reserve list. Activated E Bob Long from injured reserve list.
DEC 12 - Signed OT Dick Arndt.
BIG PLAYS, BIG MOVE, POINTS: PACK HAD 'EM IN TITLE WIN
JAN 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The big plays. The big move. And the most points. The Packers had 'em all in their world championship victory over the Browns in Lambeau Field Sunday. Coach Vince Lombardi analyzed the six big plays in his rundown of the game Monday. After the frist good night's sleep he's had since last July. "In order, I would rate them like this: First would be the blocked kick by Hank Jordan. Second, Paul Hornung's 34-yard run that set up Don Chandler's go-ahead field goal in the second quarter. Third would be Hornung's touchdown run. Fourth and fifth, the interceptions by Willie Wood and Herb Adderley. And sixth, Ray Nitschke's great play in batting Frank Ryan's pass out of Jimmy Brown's hands in the end zone." The big move was the 90-yard, 11-play advance for a touchdown (on Hornung's 13-yard run) in the third quarter to give the Packers a 20-12 lead. It was the second longest of the season, ranking behind the 98-yard, 13-play touchdown
move against the Bears here Oct. 3. The 90-yarder was a thing of beauty and Bart Starr was faced with only one third down situation. He had a third and one call to make on the third play and Jim Taylor picked up two after Paul Hornung started with cracks of five and four yards. Then, in quick order, Ray ran five, Starr passed to Dowler for 12, Taylor ran 8 and 9, Starr passed to Taylor for 10, Hornung ran 20, Taylor hit for 2 and finally Hornung raced left end for the TD. There were six first-down plays, four second-downers, and the one third-downer. The Packers controlled the ball for nearly seven minutes on the drive and that was their winning secret right there. "Ball control was the objective and the statistics show how well we succeeded. We ran 69 plays to the Browns' 39. The idea was to cut down on Cleveland's opportunity to score," Lombard said, adding: "We started out passing to our backs, but with the intention of throwing the long one to an end when the situation was right. The Browns were shutting off our tight end (Bill Anderson). Their weak side linebacker was coming over to cover our flanker. This left the middle open, and we kept the middle linebacker (Vince Costello) guessing. When the proper time came - it was second down and short yardage - Bart Starr threw the long one to Carroll Dale. It amuses me how many people say Starr can't throw the long pass or that we don't like of the long pass. I'd like to have a nickel for every long pass he's competed. Any time an opponent wants to give us the long one, we'll take it." The Packers changed their defense for the Browns, Lombardi explained: "The previous week, in the divisional playoff, we played the Colts tight up front. We smothered them because we didn't think their young quarterback (Tom Matte) could hurt us with the long pass. Against the Browns, we kept our linemen and our linebackers up to meet the run, but we pulled back our three deep backs a little. We wanted to be sure not to give Ryan the long one." The subject of Starr - and that's a special one - came up and the coach noted that Starr wore a special padding to protect his damaged ribs, adding: "We knew he had recovered well enough to throw the ball, but the big question was how much of a pounding he could take. But he escaped that pounding and he called a terrific game. He fooled the Browns by outlooking them. That's what we call it, outlooking. He'd look to the left and then throw to the right. Or vice versa. I've said many times that Starr is one of the most underrated men in the league. And so is Dowler (end Boyd Dowler, who caught five passes Sunday). Dowler missed two complete games this year and yet e caught 46 passes." In answer to other questions, Lombardi noted: "Jim Brown is the greatest player in the history of football. And he's even more valuable now than he used to be because he has become a fine pass receiver. We wore standard cleats throughout the game. We seldom use mud cleats. The field has to be ankle deep for them to be effective. We thought at halfback that we were going to be able to run at the Browns effectively in the second half, and we did. But it had nothing to do with footwear." Any injuries, coach? Lombardi laughed, "We came out of in great shape and we'll be ready for the next game." The next game? It will be next August - against the College All Stars in Chicago. And that battle already poses an interesting sidelight. Playing against their own team will be the Bay's two No. 1 choices, Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski. The rest after the big game will be short for Lombardi. He leaves Wednesday for Miami and an advance league meeting at which preseason schedules will be discussed and then head for Los Angeles to get ready for the Pro Bowl game Jan. 16. The entire Packer staff will coach the West All Stars - Lombardi and aides Phil Bengtson, Norb Hecker, Red Cochran, Tom Fears, Dave Hanner and Ray Wietecha. The most points? Almost forgot. Green Bay 23, Cleveland 12.
FOUR RECORD KICKERS IN TITLE GAME; PACKERS USE SEVEN SUBS
JAN 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Lambeau field was jumping with record field goal kickers Sunday. Don Chandler booted three FGs to tie the record for the most field goals kicked in a championship game. Six other booters share the record and three of them were in the Packer-Brown classic - Lou Groza, Paul Hornung and Jerry Kramer. Groza booted his three in the Lions' 17-16 win over the Browns in 1953. Hornung kicked three in the Pack's 37-0 smash over the Giants here in '61, and Kramer notched his trio in the 16-7 Green Bay victory over the Giants in '62. Jack Manders of the Bears set the original record with three in the 1933 game against the Giants. Bob Snyder of the Bears, a former Packer coaching aide, hit three in the 1941 Bear-Giant game, and the Giants' Pat Summerall kicked three against the Colts in '59...Most of the Packers went into the world title game still sporting bruises from the sudden death playoff battle against the Colts the previous Sunday. Jerry Kramer's lips were still puffed - not to mention his forehead. In addition, he had an ugly looking purple bruise on his upper arm that actually showed the imprint of a cleat mark...Only seven Packers substitutions were made during the battle, and four of those were made near the end, Steve Wright going in for Forrest Gregg, Tom Moore for Jim Taylor, Elijah Pitts for Paul Hornung, and Zeke Bratkowski for Bart Starr. Bob Jeter replaced Doug hart, who took himself out when he was hampered by a foot injury in the first quarter. Bob Long went in for a few plays when the Bays went to their "distance" trio - Boyd Dowler at tight end, Carroll Dale at split end and Long at flanker. Ray Nitschke was shaken up late in the third quarter and Tommy Crutcher replaced him. Before the Browns ran off another play, Nitschke was back in and Crutcher scrambled out...First down measurements were made on the last plays of the first and third quarters. The Bays had third and two on the final play of Quarter 1 and Paul Hornung added three yards. They had second and six at the end of the third period when Jim Taylor got the six. Each first down led to Don Chandler field goals...The Browns were the eighth different team to play in Lambeau Field this season. The Giants and Cardinals were here for non-league games and the Bears, 49ers, Lions and Vikings came in for league action. Then the Colts and Browns on successive Sundays. The Packers won seven, losing only to the Lions, and all eight games were sellouts except for about 300 for the Division playoff...With the Packers ahead 13-12 at the half, Nate Wallack, publicity director of the Browns, quipped "we're one point behind last year's halftime." He referred to the 0-0 score at the intermission of the Brown-Colt title game in Cleveland. The Browns went on to trounce the Colts 27-0...When Paul Hornung ran for 20 yards in the Packers' 90-yard touchdown march in the third quarter, somebody yelled in the press box: "What a money player. He can smell those greenbacks and that goal line."...Lou Groza had kicked 53 straight extra points before the "miss" in the first quarter touchdown. It will go down in the books as a miss, but a bad passback from center John Morrow ruined the set-down and Groza wound up throwing a pass.
CLEVELAND PRESS ADMITS 'BETTER TEAM WON;' BAYS 'STRONGER'
JAN 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Cleveland's two major newspaper came out as usual on Monday, Jan. 3, 1966. And they are exceptionally fair in their reporting of the Packers' 23-12 championship game victory over their hometown Browns. The main stories were written by the two men who followed the Browns throughout the season - Chuck Heaton in the morning Plain Dealer and Bill Scholl in the afternoon Press. Heaton, who has covered the Browns since their birth in 1946, wrote in part: "The Browns would like a return match on a dry field, but there was no doubt about the better team yesterday. Green Bay won the battle of the lines and made fewer mistakes as the Packers dethroned Cleveland as NFL rulers, 23-12, at Lambeau Field. The new champions, back on top after a two-year layoff, won the crown in the trenches. Nursing a 13-12 lead at the half, Green Bay completely dominated the last two periods. The Packers' defense cut off Jim Brown and the Cleveland running game. And the Green Bay offensive line gave Hornung and Taylor enough daylight to establish almost complete ball control. It was a game in which Lombardi's club, which seemed physically stronger, was able to make the big play. And, in contrast, the Browns could do little right through the last two quarters." Scholl, another veteran of Brownie coverage, wrote in part: "Champagne was served on the Browns' quiet flight home last night but it tasted bitter - like defeat. Left trampled in the mud on Lambeau Field were the dreams of a follow-up victory to last season's electrifying shutout over Baltimore. Instead, 53 weeks later, the Browns discovered firsthand how the Colts felt. There wasn't the humiliation and embarrassment that was Baltimore's (27-0), but it hurt just the same. There was no denying Green Bay earned its 23-12 triumph and a record ninth National League title. The Packers played tough, alert, aggressive and close to errorless ball. What was difficult as sand for the Browns to swallow was the gnawing knowledge that a Cleveland victory had been there for the taking. Hanging like a ripe apple, but always just out of reach. When it finally fell - right on their heads - the pie in the sky became applesauce. And the capacity crowd of 50,852 warmed clad and gaily bedecked hero worshippers ate it up." Bob August, columnist for The Press, wrote these paragraphs: "There are some refined forms of torture that make a clear shot in the head the easy way to go. They say the Chinese used to do it with small, persistent drops of water on the victim's head. The Browns went the slow and painful way yesterday. They got the Italian version - the one perfected by Vince Lombardi - of the Chinese water torture, the nagging, unending assault on an opponent. The Packers kept whacking away, time after time, and in the second half they wore done the Browns." Hal Lebovitz, sports editor of the Plain Dealer, wrote about moving the title game to a warmer climate: "Because of the miserable weather here Sunday, there was the usual cry 'the championship game should be played in California or Florida each year.' I don't buy this. In the first place, it would have been a shame to prevent this town of Green Bay from working up to the emotional binge the host town always achieves. Only here it was even more so with every store front carrying a Packer sign. Money comes into the host city and that is part of the prize for winning. It's a form of compensation from supporting the team all season. Regardless of the weather, there's something about being part of a championship game crowd that you can't get via your television tube. Second, pro football is a game played in
all sorts of weather. There is no guarantee of ideal conditions on any given (league game) Sunday. Both teams play on the same ground and under the same sky. The weather is simply part of the game." It will be interesting to see what the well-represented New York press had to say. We haven't seen any papers yet. But sometimes it takes a spell for the NY papers to get this far out in the woods. You know...dog sled, etc.
'WE CAN STILL GET YARDS WHEN GOING GETS TOUGH,' TAYLOR
JAN 5 (New York) - "We may be getting old, but we can still get a few yards when the going gets tough," was how Green Bay fullback Jim Taylor described the Packers Tuesday. Sport magazine had to agree with him, for Taylor was in town to pick up the publications' annual award, a sports car, to the outstanding player in the NFL title game. Taylor was at his best when the Green Bay Packers needed short yardage in their 23-12 victory over the Cleveland Browns for the NFL crown Sunday. Six times he took handoffs from quarterback Bart Starr for first down yardage that enabled the Packers to eat up the clock with a devastating ground game. The 30-year-old Taylor, who figures he still has three or four more good years in the pro ranks, rushed for 96 yards on a game-high 27 carries. And like a typical gentleman, the Baton Rouge, La., linebuster preferred a desire to split the sports car 40 ways, if he could, and distribute a portion to each of the players who put up staunch support in his success...OVERCAME AILMENTS: The gritty fullback had to overcome physical handicaps in Sunday's game. He started with a groin injury and suffered a bruised right knee in the fourth quarter that puffed up twice its normal size. "I'm happy the season is over," the crew-cut Taylor said. "I'm glad I don't have to work out anymore. I'll just recuperate at home for about three or four months before trying any preseason exercises." Taylor said Green Bay, like many of the other NFL clubs, will have to regroup next season because of retiring veterans. "We're glad to have rookies Jim Grabowski and Donnie Anderson aboard for next season," Taylor nodded. "They'll have a lot to learn but out experience goes a long way in teaching them the game." Taylor said he had no fear over Grabowski taking over his fullback post. "When I start getting in condition, I go on the field with the attitude of trying to be the best football player around," Taylor explained. "I do the best job I can. I'm not trying to beat anybody for the position. Besides, these kids have to make the team before they can earn their pay."...ANDERSON IMPRESSED: Taylor grinned when he was reminded by reporters that Anderson, Texas Tech's All-American back, was signed by Green Bay because of the influence wielded by Packer players. "Maybe so," Taylor drawled, "but Anderson was also impressed by our caliber of play when he attended our game with Baltimore on Dec. 12. Andeson also saw some games that Houston played in the AFL and he made his choice." As far as the astronomical prices Grabowski and Anderson commanded, Taylor said he did not know how factual the amounts really were. "I don't know how much of it is in actual cash, how much in fringe benefits," Taylor said. "I have no resentment about these high salaries. These kids should get all they can. I, myself, signed for a modest bonus." Taylor wouldn't name his signing package, but indicated it could almost be counted in dollars and cents." Going back to the title game, Taylor said he thought the contest would be more valid if it was played under ideal conditions. "Jimmy Brown of Cleveland has the speed for those end sweeps," Taylor pointed out. "He doesn't got inside tackle very often. The muddy field didn't hamper my style because I don't have the speed to go outside and must concentrate on straight-ahead plays." Taylor missed being picked on the NFL Pro Bowl team and he said, "I feel as though I should have. It's the first time in six years that I wasn't picked." "I don't know if I could have been ready physically for the game," Taylor said Tuesday, "but it would have been an honor to be selected." Fullbacks representing the Western Conference in the bowl will be Ken Willard of the 49ers and Bill Brown of the Vikings.
PERSONALITY PARADE
JAN 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Standing in the middle of the Packers' plush green and gold quarters, a trim little man with a thick shock of iron gray hair puffed contentedly on a stubby cigar and surveyed the nearly deserted dressing room late Sunday afternoon with a smile of supreme contentment, wreathing his ruddy features. "Yes, sir," he confirmed with understandable pride, "I've been in on all of them." Pausing for a pull on the well-soaked stogie, ever-present in leisure moments, he added, "That makes nine worlds and 11 Western Divisions." The smiling citizen was Trainer Carl W. (Bud) Jorgensen, the dedicated Dane who, as he had proudly announced, has been associated with every one of Green Bay's nine world champions. No other members of the immediate family, it so happens, can make that statement. Also mindful he is unique in another way, Bud shyly observed, "I guess I have the distinction of being involved in more championships than any other trainer." Did this latest title man as much to him as any of those past eight? "Oh, yes, it means more." was the surprising and unhesitating reply. Bud, a member of the Packer staff since 1924 and now 61, interjected a realistic but somewhat poignant note by way of explanation. "One thing about it, I'm getting older. There won't be many more I'll be around to take part in, so I cherish each one more than the one before." Also a practical note citizen, Jergie (as he is known to most Packer players, past and present, as well as hundreds of the faithful) appended with a sly chuckle, "There's another reason, too. They (the financial rewards) are a little fatter now." How much fatter? "I think I got $150 after the first one in '29," he replied. "The boys took up a collection for me - I don't think they got a heck of a lot themselves at the time." A complete loyalist, the wiry little Scandinavian is convinced the Packers should now have 11 world crowns. "In 1938, when we played the Giants in New York, the officials stole the championship from us," he declared. "And that one in Philadelphia in 1960, if there ever was a game we should have won, it was that one. We outplayed the Eagles all the way." Pressed to continue his stroll down memory lane, Jergie noted that Sunday's Arctic setting in Lambeau Field was somewhat reminiscent of the Packers' first title playoff in 1936 (the NFL did not have its current two-division format when the Pack won its first three championships in 1929-30-31). "The weather was comparatively, if I remember correctly," he said. "It was as dark, dreary day. We played again the Boston Redskins in the Polo Grounds at New York - the Redskins already had announced they were moving to Washington the next year so it was decided to play the game in New York. We won 21-6 and that was quite a thrill to ride the subway - we stayed over until the next night - and see Green Bay in the headlines of the New York Herald-Tribune and the Times. Our eyes about popped out of our heads. There was 'Green Bay" in three-inch streamers across the back of the paper. That was more of a thrill than in 1929-30-31. That '44 championship was quite a deal, too," Bud enthused. "We went to Charlottesville, Va., and worked out in pretty much the same situation the Browns were in a week ago - we didn't know who we were going to play. The Giants won a playoff with the Redskins and we beat the Giants 14-7. The Giants had a great ball club and that was a great ball game."...LOOKING FORWARD: Bud, the Packers' assistant trainer and equipment man from 1924 until 1940 when he succeeded the late Dave Woodard, is not one to live in the past, however. "I'm looking toward to the All-Star game and winning that one for Mister Lombardi," he says. "And I'm looking forward to the new ball club next year." His work never loses its appeal for him, the amiable Gray Street resident confides, although he has been taping ankles and treating refractory muscles for more than 40 years. "There's always a challenge," says Jergie, recognized as one of the nation's foremost athletic trainers. "There's an excitement for me in treating and taping up the boys and watching them go out and do their stuff." "Just like Sunday. They were religious about coming in for their treatments. When you strap 'em up and fix 'em up, you're pulling for 'em to come through. And," he added proudly, "they certainly came through - every one of the cripples." Any further personal goals? "Yes," Jergie replied. "I'm looking forward to another championship - next years."
PACKERS, JOHN PROSKI LAUDED BY COUNCIL
JAN 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, an Allouez junior high school, and television all came to the attention of the City Council Tuesday evening. Aldermen voted unanimously to commend the Packers, Coach Vince Lombardi and his assistants and Field Superintendent John Proski for a job well done Sunday. The players and coaches were lauded for beating the Cleveland Browns, 23-12, and winning their third NFL title in five years, and Proski and his crew for enabling the game to be played despite the four inches of snow which fell just prior to game time.
JETER MAKES IT BACK; HOW WOULD BROWNS DO IN WEST?
JAN 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - We can't recall a Packer game that left quite so much chewing material...as the now historic championship contest in Lambeau Field last Sunday. Here are some leftover thoughts (and this has been going on since Tuesday): The Browns have been heartbreak and elation for Bob Jeter, All in the same season. How would the Browns do in the Western Division...or more specifically Jimmy Brown? Jeter, the defensive back who hits like a linebacker, was switched from offense to defense away back in July. The idea was to throw him into competition with Doug Hart for the vacant right cornerback spot created by the retirement of Jess Whittenton. The onetime Iowa and Canadian star had the position pretty well won during the preseason campaign but ruined his ribs in the second last exhibition - against these same Browns in Cleveland. Hart took over right corner at the start of the league season, and Jeter just never could break into the lineup, though Hart had a shaky finish, permitting 20 receptions by Raymond Berry and Dave Parks in the last two games. A real fighter, Hart was looking forward to guarding Paul Warfield in the title test, but he came down with a foot injury on the day before the game. The Happy One got his chance but the injury slowed him down and Warfield caught two passes. Hart took himself out of the lineup in the second quarter, which is a real team gesture right there, and Jeter got the chance that he lost Sept. 4. Jeter never allowed Warfield a catch the rest of the afternoon. "When I walked out on that field, I thought for sure Warfield would see my knees shaking and run 100 yards on the first play. But I decided to give him the short passes and try to cover him long," he said. "Jeter is our fastest man," said Coach Vince Lombardi, adding: "He was the only man we had who could keep up with Warfield and we had to stop him on the long pass." As to Hart, Jeter said, "I honestly think he was having trouble with that foot and that's why he couldn't keep up with Warfield. He had a very fine year." Jeter was drafted in the second round in '58 by the Packers, but he elected to play with Vancouver in the Canadian League. "I only weighed out 180 pounds then, and I didn't think it was big enough for the NFL," he said. Jeter played two years with Vancouver and then was traded to Hamilton. "Have you ever been in Hamilton on a Saturday night? That's when I decided to come back to the States," Bob said. Jeter approached Buddy Parker, then coach of the Steelers, and Parker was interested. But Lombardi insisted on a draft choice in exchange for rights and Parker said no. "I decided to talk to Lombardi, He asked me to try out with the Packers." That was in 1962 and because the contract in Canada still had a year to run Jeter was ineligible to play in the NFL, so he spent the year on the Pack's taxi squad. He backed up Boyd Dowler and Max McGee in 1963-64. Bob had a moment of glory as an end. He caught a key pass in the final seconds to give the Packers a tie with the Rams and a second place finish last year. Oh yes...the Browns in the Western Division. We in the West, of course, feel that this division is toughest and best, but the Browns put salt on that theory by blasting the Colts in the '64 title game 27-0. The 1965 added some fuel in favor of the West. The Browns lost four games (3 in league play and the title test) and three of them were to Western Division clubs - Vikings (27-17), Rams (42-7) and Packers (23-12). The other loss was to the Cardinals, 49-13. In the three vs. the West, the amazing Mr. Brown was held to 109 yards - an average of 36. The Vikings, shooting for his No. 32, limited him to 39. The Rams stopped him with 20, and he picked up 50 vs. the Packers. The feeling in the coffee shop is that the Browns would be a definite contender in the West. And that Brown's average game would be reduced from about 100 yards to about 85. In other words, instead of gaining his usual 1,500 yards, he would have to settle for about 1,250. Which still is nothing short of great.
CURLY LAMBEAU LEFT ESTATE OF $355,000
JAN 7 (Sturgeon Bay) - The late Earl L. (Curly) Lambeau left an estate of $335,679, it was revealed here recently. The figures does not include his Palm Springs, California resident and an 80-acre ranch will be probated in California. Lambeau, who gained national prominence as a founder and long-time coach of the Green Bay Packers, died last Jun 1 at the age of 67 after suffering a heart attack while mowing a lawn in Sturgeon Bay. Following his death, City Stadium was renamed Lambeau Field in honor of his contribution to professional football and to Green Bay. According to the terms of the will, Lambeau's son, Donald E. Lambeau, Green Bay, received all of his father's stock in the Larson Company, valued at $46,500, and his 1965 Cadillac convertible. The remainder of his estate is to be shared equally by his son, Donald E., his grandchildren, Barbara, Mary, Jeffery, John and Stephen Lambeau; his brother, Oliver; and his sister, Beatrice C. Evrard, all of Green Bay. The estate included Lambeau's Fish Creek residence, valued at $43,000, a lot in Brown County valued at $3,000 and a lot in Marinette County valued at $400. Personal property has been valued at $309,279, with about $229,645 of the personal property consisting of notes secured by trust deeds which will not be payable for several years. Kellogg's Citizen's National Bank has been named executor of the will. Former Door County Judge Grover M. Stapleton, Sturgeon Bay, has been appointed guardian ad litem for the Donald Lambeau children, who are minors.
OILERS' RYMKUS, SPENCER RESIGN: 'SCHLINK' STAYS
JAN 7 (Houston) - Two Houston Oiler assistant coaches resigned Friday. Resigning from the AFL club were offensive line coach Lou Rymkus and defensive line coach Joe Spencer, both former Packers. Walter Schlinkman, another former Packer, will return as an assistant coach.
CITY LOSER IN VICTORY CELEBRATION
JAN 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - While the Packers won the world football title Sunday, the local economy won a multitude of dollars from visitors attending the game, and the citizens of Green Bay won the right to brag about their team - the city lost, at least in one respect. Missing after the Sunday celebrations are 35 American flags and 40 All-America City flags. The banners were taken presumably as souvenirs.
WHICH PACKERS (3-4) WILL ATLANTA SELECT?
JAN 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - So you are the new coach of the new Atlanta Falcons? You will get a chance to buy three or four members of the world champion Packers. Who will you pick? Money isn't a factor. The Packers will cost the same as the Steelers. The exact procedure of stocking the Falcons hasn't been worked out yet. Chances are club representatives, including Packer Coach Vince Lombardi, are discussing this subject at a preliminary NFL meeting in Miami this week. When the Vikings and Cowboys were stocked, each club submitted a list of eight available-to-buy players and the remaining 30 (the roster was 38 then) were frozen. With a higher player limit now (40), the Falcons could purchase as many as four players out of a list of 10. This will be resolved at the NFL's annual meeting in Miami later this month. Lombardi was quizzed about the stocking of Atlanta by scribes before the championship game last week and Vince said "we probably will follow the same plan we used for Dallas and Minnesota," but then he quipped "I hope we unfreeze only four." One of the problems to be worked out will be "which roster." Some clubs had as many as 50 different players on and off their rosters during the 1965 season, what with injuries and cuts. The Packers, on the other hand, were the only team to go through with the 40 they started with. The big question hereabouts concerns the Packers who will be made available to Atlanta. The names of the 8 or 10, of course, will be top secret. The Cowboys bought Nate Borden, Bill Butler and Don McIlhenny from the Packers in 1960 while the Vikings purchased Ken Beck, Dick Pesonen and Paul Winslow, Borden, Butler, Pesonen and McIlhenny saw pro action and Butler later was traded to Minnesota while Pesonen went to the Giants. It would be strictly guesswork to try and figure the Packers' "frozen" list of 30 or 32 players for Atlanta. But it's fun to guess. You could start with the 22 players who started on offense and defense in the championship game. Only two players were "pressed" into service during the action. They were Bob Jeter, the defense back who replaced the injured Doug Hart, and Steve Wright, who replaced Forrest Gregg, who was groggy for a few players. This group also could include Tommy Crutcher, who went in and out before a play could be run...for Ray Nitschke. Three other replacements were made - Tom Moore, Elijah Pitts and Zeke Bratkowski - but they came in after the victory was salted. They are No. 2 men behind Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung and Bart Starr, respectively. The Packers underwent little change during the hectic season. Billy Anderson beat out Marv Fleming at tight end and the realignment of the offensive line saw the benching of Wright, while Gregg shifted from guard to tackle. A good guess would be that most of the availables would come from the offensive unit. Only 16 of the 40 are on defense, the remaining 24 on offense. Of the defensive unit, only co-captain Hank Gremminger, 32, is around retirement age. Max McGee, 33, would be the only offensive players in that category. Tom Brown took over Gremminger's left safety spot in '65, and Hank played only in relief roles. McGee saw little action in the last four games - none in the two championships tests. With top flight rookies like Donny Anderson, Jim Grabowski, Gale Gillingham, and Tony Jeter coming in next year, the sale of three or four players would actually create openings for the newcomers. Anderson and Grabowski, considered sure-fire pro bets, could create quite a traffic jam in the offensive backfield. And so you have at least a month to work out your guesses.
PERSONALITY PARADE
JAN 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Green Bay vs. Buffalo for the football championship of the world? NFL afficionados, most of whom dismiss the AFL with an airy wave of the hand, feel this issue already had been decided in last Sunday's Packer demolition of the Cleveland Browns in snowbound Lambeau Field. There is at least one dissenting opinion (there, admittedly, may be others) in the heart of Packerland, however. It comes from Bill Rademacher, former Menominee High School and Northern Michigan University luminary who lately has been employed by the AFL's New York Jets. Rademacher, presently home seeking an offseason teaching job in his native Upper Peninsula, has no inferiority complex concerning his current affiliation, declaring, "I would have liked to have seen a playoff between the Packers and Buffalo (the reigning AFL champion). I think it would be a very good game." Although he admits his analysis is somewhat subjective, Rademacher delivers his views with evident sincerity. "Buffalo and the Packers are very similar teams," he says, warning, "The Packers would be in just as tough a game against Buffalo as they were in last Sunday." Curiously enough, the 23-year-old flanker announced that the Packers' 23-12 conquest of the Browns had only served to reinforce his conviction. "It strengthened my opinion," he said, "because Cleveland has a fairly good offense and the Packers played one of the outstanding games on defense to stop them. And Buffalo's mainstay is their defense. The first six games of the season, they didn't allow a touchdown on the ground." Although he would like to see such a showdown, Rademacher refrains from predicting an AFL victory. "I wouldn't say they would win," Bill says, "but I think they would definitely be in a ball game." He does not confine this opinion to the Bills, it should be added. "I think San Diego, as well as Buffalo, could give Green Bay, Cleveland or Baltimore a real run for it, if there was to be a playoff game," the ex-Menominee star asserts. "I really mean that. I know how great the Packers are. I've always been interested in the Packers, and I have watched them play, and I've worked out with some of their players. But after being in the American League for two years, I feel our league had made tremendous strides to the point where our champion could give the champion of the NFL a real battle."..."WHERE I BELONG": Signed by the Jets as a free agent in 1964, Rademacher toiled on the New Yorkers' taxi squad until an injury created an opening, then eventually won a starting berth. This season, he was cut before the Jets' first league game and played for Jersey City, N.J., in the Atlantic Coast Football League before being reactivated by the Jets in mid-season. "I started out my first season as a flanker-back and I was switched to defense," Bill explained. "This year, I started out at defense and was switched back to flanker, which is where I actually belong. Next year, I'll strictly be offense." Rademacher feels that this exercise in versatility has enabled him to make a better evaluation of the AFL's artistic caliber. "That's why I feel I know pretty well how strong both the offenses and defenses are," he says. "Not that I'm any great judge or anything. It's just a personal opinion." "It's funny," he added, "but most of my moves I picked up from Boyd Dowler. My senior year in college, I used to drive down to watch the Packers practice. And the last two years, I've worked out with Boyd and Bart Starr for a few weeks before their training season opens." "I know why Boyd's so good," he further volunteered. "He and Bart work out every day for a month before they go to camp. They always talk about how Unitas and Raymond Berry work together. But I don't think they practice any more than Dowler and Starr do."
THE REAL LOMBARDI: FEW REALLY KNOW HIM, WRITER FINDS
JAN 9 (Green Bay) - Enigmatic Vince Lombardi seemed about as excited as a man who just won a fistful of wooden matches playing checkers with children. But the low key was deceiving. An hour before, when the Green Bay Packers were still locked in a struggle for the NFL championship with the Cleveland Browns, Lombardi was almost exultant. Paul Hornung, the veteran halfback Lombardi led to greatness, had just scored a touchdown. Hornung yelled as he returned to the Packer bench: "It's just like the good old days! Lombardi took up the cry. "Did you hear that!" the 52-year-old coach and general manager shouted to his players. "It's just like the good old days! Just like the good old days!" But now the game was over and the Packers and Lombardi were back in the dressing room with their third league title in five seasons. But they weren't alone. Scores of newsmen filtered through the steamy room and television cameras peeked. Lombardi smiled and politely answered questions. Quietly, almost uncomfortably, he accepted congratulations. But what he felt and what he thought could only be guessed at. He wasn't giving any clues away even in triumph. He seldom does. The coach who runs the Packer operation down to the most minute detail remaining inscrutable. "I think there are people who know him," a friend said. "It's a very select and small group, but there are people. Remember that to get the most out of people you can't let them know your emotions. You can't let them figure it out." Lombardi is a man who, as one Packer said, "runs us until we can't run any more than he runs us more." He is also a man the same player said "who makes football fun." He is a man who swept Green Bay clean of players who did not share his concepts of dedication and sacrifice and replaced them with players he knew could win because they had won before. He is a man who will humiliate a player for a mistake, but will apologize later, should he feel he was unjust. "He's not going to waste his energy chewing you out, if he doesn't think you have the talent," a player explained. "Indirectly, he's paying you a compliment." Lombardi demands the winning attitude and for his winners, nothing is too good. The coach spared no expense in outfitting the Packer clubhouse. After a championship, he has rewarded Packer wives with mink. Despite his reputation as a taskmaster, Lombardi has made Green Bay as attractive to the football player as New York was to the baseball player when the Yankees were the class of the American League. "Opposing players will say to you: 'Hey, put in a good word for me with the coach, will you?'" a Packer said with pride. "Coach Lombardi will show his feelings to individuals, but never to a group of people," one friend said. "Later on that night of the championship game, he was extremely gay. It just took him awhile to release his emotions." The Brooklyn-bred son of an Italian immigrant never has been associated with a loser. In seven seasons in Green Bay, he has won four divisional titles and three league crowns. His worst finish was in 1959 when he brought the Packers, tailenders the season before, home third. Lombardi was credited with a miracle. It was his first season as a head coach above the high school level. "They build me up as a hard man and I'm not," the one-time member of Fordham's Seven Blocks of Granite said recently. But whatever softness is in Lombardi, it doesn't show. In Green Bay, his authority is absolute and unchallenged. "He got his training with Red Blaik at West Point (where Lombardi served as an assistant coach) and even now uses Army terminology in talking to us," a Packer said. "It's chow time and formations and so forth. The Army way is his way of treating men. He's an officer and we're the enlisted men." Few get close to Lombardi. "Players laugh and joke with him, but only up to a certain point," a Packer said. "You're afraid to go over a certain step. The Baltimore players, for example, call Don Shula Shoe. You never hear us call him Vince. It's always Coach Lombardi or Mr. Lombardi." At the same time, players hold Lombardi in awe. "Gee, have I learned football here," one rookie said. "I never knew there was that much to football before I came here." The players agree that Lombardi is a genius and not just a football genius. Lombardi has dedicated his genius to winning. "He'll play cribbage like it's a matter of life or death," a player said. "Anything he plays. Whether it's checkers or a harmless game of cards, he plays to win." He is also a religious
man, who sometimes will show up at practice with a Roman Catholic missal in his pocket. Lombardi tries to go to mass and communion daily and seldom fails. "Dedication and sacrifice are his two key words," a friend said. "He has sacrificed an awful lot to be a winner. I sometimes have the feeling he would like to sit down and relax with the players, but he can't for a minute. He's a leader and a leader is a lonesome man." A player was asked if he understood what made Lombardi tick. "Of course not," he replied. "Who does?"
PACK 'SEASON' CAME AFTER NOV. 28; CHANDLER DIFFERENCE
JAN 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - From the heat and defeat of Los Angeles, to the snow and triumphs of Green Bay. There are many ways to "put" the Packers' past season, but the crux of it came between Nov. 28 and Jan. 2. Green Bay had a chance to take charge of the Western Division race that day in the Coliseum. The Colts had just tied the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. A Packer victory in LA would have left them with 9-2, while the Colts had 9-1 and that dangerous tie, but the Rams smothered the Packers 21-20 and the Bays had 8-3, the Colts 9-1-1. The Packers needed help the next Sunday and they got it from their friendly enemies - the Bears, who mailed the Colts 13-0 and kayoed John Unitas in the process. The Bays then whipped the Colts to take the lead, slipped into a first place tie by knotting the 49ers, beat the Colts in a playoff, and finally stopped the Browns for the world title. Thus, since Los Angeles, the Packers won four and tied one, while the Colts won one and lost three. The Packers' 1965 season was, perhaps, their most hectic in history. They won their first six, including a tight verdict over the Colts; lost two in a row (the Bears and Lions); and then won two in a row before losing in LA. After seven games, the Bays and Colts were tied for the lead with 6-1 marks; after 10 the bays had 8-2 and the Colts 9-1; and at the end it was 10-3-1 for each club. The Packer offense was up and downish during the year and the defense was solid except for the 31-10 loss to the Bears and the tie with 49ers. What made the difference from 1964 when the Bays finished in a second place toe with the Vikings on 8-5-1 readings? The difference, it would seem, was Don Chandler, the kicker obtained from the Giants. Lack of a kicker ruined the Bays in '64 when they lost four games by 12 points and in 1965 Chandlers' field goaling was the decider in four games, including the Division playoff. This was a personal triumph for Vince Lombardi, who now has guided the Packers to four division titles and three world crowns in his seven years here. He used every trick in the coaching trade - from a brutal verbal beating before the Viking game in Minnesota to a sweet, confident talk before the critical Colt crash in Baltimore. This was his best coaching job as a Packer and about the only unfortunate circumstance now is that he isn't official recognized as the Coach of the Years. Here's a rundown of the season - sweat by sweat:
At Pittsburgh, Sept. 19 - Steelers shocked Packerland by taking a 9-7 halftime lead but Bays broke out with four TDs and two Chandler FGs in second half. Pack piled up 354 yards in 41-9. Jim Taylor below par with bad ankle, 42 yards. Paul Hornung got 50, Bart Starr completed 17 of 23 for 226 yards, 2 TDs.
Colts at Milwaukee, Sept. 26 - Great defensive struggle with Herb Adderley running John Unitas pass back for 44-yard TD. Taylor kept on bench. Colts led until last four minutes 17-13 when Zeke Bratkowski came off bench and pitched 37-yard pass to Max McGee for winning TD, 20-17. Victory saved when Adderley recovered Colt fumble at end. Bays held to 184 yards,
Bears at Green Bay, Oct. 3 - Packer picked up 23-0 lead and it looked like a breeze until Gale Sayers cut looser in second half. Bears rolled up 413 yards and Packers were unhappy after game. Sayers scored two TDs and Bears controlled ball in second half, 23-14.
49ers at Green Bay, Oct. 10 - Packer played best all-around game to date, picking up 339 yards in 27-10 victory. Highly-touted Ken Willard held to 39 yards. Starr hit 17 of 27 for 163 yards and touchdowns to Bob Long and Marv Fleming.
At Detroit, Oct. 17 - Lions went ahead 21-3 at the half and this loomed as Pack's first loss. But Starr threw three TD passes - Long for 68, Carroll Dale for 77 and Moore for 32 - and scored one himself on four-yard run to produce one of Pack's top comeback wins, 31-21, in history. Pack finished with 397 yards.
Cowboys at Milwaukee, Oct. 24 - Coming on heels of scoremaster in Detroit, this 13-3 win was a real shocker. Packers held to 63 total yards, seven first downs and a minus 10 yards passing. Cowboys threw Starr five times for losses. Only TD of game set up by alert defense on recovering of fumble.
At Chicago, Oct. 31 - This was Pack's only real solid defeat of season 31-10. Starr hurt as Packers drove for lead 7-0 TD and returned later, below par. Bears led 17-10 at half and broke away in second half on rushing of Jon Arnett and Ronnie Bull. Statistics amazingly close. 255 total yards for Bears to Pack's 255.
Lions at Green Bay, Nov. 7 - This was low point in Pack's season and coming just after loss to Bears it appeared that Pack's title chances were lost. Bays held to 8 first downs, 68 total yards and minus 2 yards passing in 12-7 test. Starr was thrown 11 times for losses totaling 109 yards, including one for safety. Defense was steady in holding Lions to 180 yards, 12 first downs.
Rams at Milwaukee, Nov. 14 - This was old-fashioned defensive battle, with no TDs. Chandler won it, 6-3, with a field goal in the last 37 seconds. Pack picked up 10 first downs, 177 yards. Defense staunch and saved tie when Lionel Aldridge recovered fumble to set up Chandler decisive field goal.
Vikings at Minnesota, Nov. 2 - Lombardi took Packers to woodshed in midweek and "shook up" offense. Bays piled up 359 yards and 16 first downs and nobody put a hand on Starr, who threw three TD passers. Doug Hart scored one TD for defense with 20-yard runback of a fumble in 39-13 win.
At Los Angeles, Nov. 28 - Packer rushing game held to 22 yards, lowest of year, and one first down. LA got 14 points in four field goals and safety. Pack's only TD came on 80-yard pass from Bratkowski to Pitts.
Vikings at Green Bay, Dec. 5 - Starr threw TD pass in first minute and then went out with injury, creating see-saw battle in which Vikings just missed winning on two incompletions in final seconds. Vikings won the statistics but payoff for Green Bay came on Bratkowski's 27-yard TD pass to Bill Anderson in third quarter and Chandler's field goal in last frame. Vikings stopped with three points in second half. Final: 24-19.
At Baltimore, Dec. 12 - Packers scored 21 points in each half to win blazer. Paul Hornung had one of best games in his career with five touchdowns, 61 rushing yards, and 115 yards pass catching. Starr hurled three TD passes. Victory, 42-27, put Bays in first place.
At San Francisco, Dec. 19 - 49ers broke away for two touchdowns in fourth quarter to gain 24-24 knot. Gold Coasters rolled up 392 yards, 20 first downs in amazing effort. Hornung kayoed after three carries, 1 pass catch. John Brodie completed 26 of 34 passes for 295 yards and three TDs. Tie was exceptionally disappointing for GB.
There seems little need to go into the "double championship" series in Green Bay. The scores were 13-10 and 23-12 and the details must still be fresh.
FAN, POETESS; BARK RIVER GIRL PENS POEM ABOUT PACK
JAN 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Christine Nault, 13-year-old pupil at Bark River Harris School in Bark River, Mich., happens to be a Packer fan and a budding poet. She composed the following poem about the Packers after they won the Division playoff.
OVER 5,000 SIGNEES BACK STARR, TAYLOR
JAN 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "Way over 5,000 signatures" have been secured in behalf of the drive to get the Packers' Bart Starr and Jim Taylor added to the West roster for the Pro Bowl game in Los Angeles Jan. 16, Harry Zegers, unofficial chairman of the project, reported Saturday night. The petitions, circulated throughout Green Bay and environs during the last few days, will be in the mail to Commissioner Pete Rozelle of the NFL over the weekend, Zegers said. "I know we could have gotten more names," he said, "but we just did this on the spur of the moment. We didn't do it all ourselves, of course. We got the cooperation of hundreds of people." Zegers added, "We don't want to get the reputation of being sore losers, because the Colts were tremendous in defeat and so were the browns, but we just feel that this thing was not handled right." The "committee" also included Jerry Jurgensen, Fred Brenden, Dick Northway, John Felton, Al Freiburger and Jim Verstegen.
PACKER YEARBOOK ANTHOLOGY GIFT TO HALL OF FAME
JAN 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A six-year anthology of Green Bay Packer Yearbooks has become a featured possession of the National Professional Football Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio. The collection, including each annual edition of the Yearbook since it was started in 1960, was accepted by Dick McCann, director of the "Hall." "We're pleased to get it," McCann said. "These
books chronicle 'the glory years' in Green Bay." It was the second national honor for the Yearbook in two years. In 1964, the book was selected for first place honors in a national lithography contest. Printed by Inland Press, Milwaukee, the Yearbook is published independently by Art Daley and Jack Yuenger.
STRICKLER NAMES SPORTS EDITOR OF CHICAGO TRIBUNE
JAN 9 (Chicago) - George Strickler has been appointed to succeed Wilfrid Smith as sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, Editor W.D. Maxwell announced Saturday. Smith, who is retiring, will remain as president of the Chicago Tribune Charities, Inc., an organization he has headed for 11 years. Smith was named sports editor and Strickler his assistant in 1955 following the death of Arch Ward. Cooper Rollow succeeds Strickler as assistant sports editor. Strickler first joined the Tribune in 1931 as a general assignment sportswriter. He left in 1941 to become public relations director and assistant to the commissioner of the NFL. Strickler, who also served as publicity director of the Green Bay Packers in 1947-48-49, returned in 1950 and was assigned to pro football.
DAVIS, UNITAS, HUFF, GIFFORD TO VISIT VIET NAM TROOPS
JAN 10 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Three NFL players, including All-NFL defensive end Willie Davis of the champion Packers, will visit U.S. troops in the field in Viet Nam this month. The trip, the first for a sports group in the battle area, is sponsored by the Department of Defense. Traveling with Davis will be Johnny Unitas of the Baltimore Colts, Sam Huff of the Washington Redskins and former New York Giants player Frank Gifford, now a television announcer. The group will fly from Los Angeles to Saigon Jan. 18 and will visit various military bases on a two-week tour. Davis will play in the Pro Bowl in Los Angeles Sunday.
TURNED DOWN BID TO JOIN ARKANSAS STAFF: ANDERSON
JAN 13 (Knoxville, TN) - Green Bay Packer offensive end Bill Anderson said Wednesday he had turned down an offer to join the Arkansas football staff. "I think I'll stay in professional football, at least for another year or two," said Anderson. Anderson, a former Tennessee player and assistant coach, was sought by Arkansas Coach
Green Bay Press-Gazette - Jan. 11, 1966
Frank Broyles to fill one of three vacancies on his staff. Anderson said that after a few days vacation in Florida he plans to return to Knoxville and enter the insurance business.
DOWLER JOINS BOWL SQUAD
JAN 13 (Los Angeles) - Flanker Boyd Dowler of the Green Bay Packers, responding to a rush call from Coach Vince Lombardi of the West team, joined that squad Wednesday to work for Sunday's Pro Bowl football game. Dowler is a possible replacement for Jimmy Orr of Baltimore, who suffered a leg injury in practice. He arrived by plane at 1 a.m. and was in uniform after a few hours sleep. This is Dowler's first appearance in the Pro Bowl, though he is considered one of the top receivers in the NFL. He is the fifth Packer on the West team. The others are Willie Davis, Herb Adderley, Willie Wood and Lee Roy Caffey. For the East, St. Louis Cards' tackle Ernie McMillan filled in during practice for Dick Schafrath of the Cleveland Browns, who still was bothered with a pulled hamstring muscle and may not play. After a light workout, the East team selected Dale Meinert of the Cardinals and Pete Retzlaff of the Eagles as defensive and offensive captains. The West has not yet picked its captains.
LA SAYS PACK FANS' PETITION HAS POINT
JAN 16 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer Fans Have a Point. That was the headline in the Los Angeles Times last Monday. Word that several thousand Green Bay people had signed petitions protesting the absence of Bart Starr and Jim Taylor in the Pro Bowl today had reached the city of Angles. Paul Zimmerman, Times sports editor, put it this way: "If you are inclined to dismiss the complaints of Green Bay fans as home townish because Jim Taylor and Bart Starr were left off the West team in the Pro Bowl here Sunday, don't. They have some good points in making their objection of the coaches' selection to Commissioner Pete Rozelle. In the first place, three of the coaches have since been fired and another is on thin ice. If the owners dislike their coaches' judgment, then why not the Packer fans. In the second place, Taylor and Starr, who played a major role in taking Green Bay to the championship, also have the statistics on their side - plus that championship. It's pretty hard to argue against these points. Next to Jim Brown, Taylor finished the regular season second in rushing. Bill Brown of the Vikings was fourth and Ken Willard of the 49ers failed to make the top 15. Starr led the quarterbacks, in a virtual tie with Fran Tarkenton. Brodie was listed 12th. There is still another point. San Francisco has six men on the team. So have the Lions. The Bears and Colts rated five each. The Packers, as league champs, qualified four (all defensive), along with the Rams and Vikings. Green Bay fans are probably too late with their petition to Rozelle, but they're certainly right." Starr and Taylor won't be in the Pro Bowl game today. But the good folks who plastered out town with petitions can get some satisfaction out of Zimmerman's comments. Brodie, Tarkenton, Brown and Willard had better be sharp today. Because there are thousands around here who are ready to say, "We told you so." And the weather had better be good in LA, too. With all the barbs Green Bay has taken because of the weather for the championship game, it is difficult not to wish for a deluge in dear old LA today. You may recall that the Packers and Browns played the title game without a fumble - despite the so-called conditions. See how many fumbles there are today. It will be interesting to see what the Bears' flash, Gale Sayers, does against the East. West Coach Vince Lombardi has always spoken highly of the whiz-back and one time even noted that "he's the first back I ever saw who didn't need any blocking." Vince was stretched a point but it looks that way when he gets outside the flank...BUSINESS NOTES: Jerry Kramer, now on a business and pleasure trip in New Orleans and Mexico, is not a partner with Art Laha, Larry Garot, Dick Cooley and Larry Armstrong in the American Archery Co., which will have headquarters in Oconto Falls. The firm, moved from Clarendon Hills, Ill., will be in production in a month. Kramer is also a partner with former Packer Urban Henry in a skin diving business in Louisiana. It's a professional diving service and will do salvage work in the gulf - chiefly on oil rigs for the Mexican government. Fuzzy Thurston, Max McGee and Bill Martine, who operate the Left Guard and Left End supper clubs in Menasha and Manitowoc, respectively, are opening up two new places - the Old Pro Charcoal House and the Old Pro Meat Market - in a commercial development on W. College Avenue near Appleton...Lawrence Moreau, a 14-year-old from Melville, la., (Pop. 1,900), watched the Packer-Brown championship game on television and the commentator say that "your city received three awards." Lawrence wrote a letter to Mayor Donald Tilleman in part: "Mr. Mayor, please answer this question of request for me. It is: May I, when I grow up, become a citizen of your great city? Please send me the answer as fast as possible. Mr. Mayor, I have never seen a real football game, but on TV, before. If I ever get the chance I hope it is between Green Bay's most popular Packers. They may even by my team someday. I am fourteen years of age and waiting for the answer...Baltimore is still hollering murder over its loss to the Packers in the Division playoff. N.P. Clark, discussing the loss of Unitas and Cuozzo, in the Baltimore News-American, wrote: "That manages to make the Green Bay Packers the phoniest imitation champions in history." Those are 14 words that will get into the Packers' dressing room come next season.
ALLYN CAN'T SEE MILWAUKEE IN AFL
JAN 19 (Appleton-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Snooping around for football talk at a baseball banquet can be
frustrating, but, at the risk of being slashed 15 times for unsportsmanlike conduct, we submit the following yard lines: Arthur Allyn, owner of the White Sox, has applied for a Chicago franchise in the AFL. This isn't the hottest news in captivity, but Allyn happened to be at the Red Smith Sports Award dinner here Tuesday night in the interest of the White Sox organization, which has taken on the Fox Cities Foxes as a farm club. He was asked questions about his chances for an AFL franchise against those of Milwaukee interests: Allyn appeared a little shocked but, never at a loss for words, the widely-known stockbroker and baseball executive pointed out, "Why I'm sure our chances would be much greater than Milwaukee's," and then asked two questions: "Why would they want to go into Milwaukee before they came to Chicago? And can you see any reason why they'd go into Milwaukee after we got a team in Chicago?" Allyn said that "Chicago is the logical place to put an AFL franchise" and then as an afterthought noted: "I can't see why in the world they went into Miami." The AFL presently has a meeting in Houston, but Allyn said he has no representative there, explaining, "They know we're interested, and they know what we have to offer." Allyn said he isn't "a bit interested in a new all-purpose stadium in Chicago. Mr. Wrigley (Phil, owner of the Cubs) and Mr. Halas (George, owner of the Bears) are behind a new stadium."
AUSTIN, RECOMMENDED BY VINCE, GETS STEELER POST
JAN 21 (Pittsburgh) - At 17, Bill Austn broke into the Oregon State football lineup. At 20, he played pro football. Today, at 37, Austin is head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the youngest coaches in the NFL. Austin was hired by the Steelers Thursday, moving up from relative obscurity as offensive line coach of the Los Angeles Rams. He was given a three-year contract. "It's a big challenge, but I'm happy to be with such an organization as the Steelers," said Austin at his home in Van Nuys, Calif. Oddly, Austin was the last of some 50 candidates the Steelers had interviewed for the job. Steeler owner Art Rooney met Austin for the first time Wednesday and Austin flew back home. "Things have happened so fast," he remarked. "I really haven't had much chance to talk to my wife about it." Austin replaces Mike Nixon, who was fired by the Steelers Dec. 28 after the club finished one of its most dismal seasons, losing 12 of 14 games. Nixon took over the club following the abrupt resignation of Buddy Parker Sept. 6. Rooney said a big factor in selecting Austin was the recommendation of Green Bay Coach Vince Lombardi. Austin was an assistant at Green Bay for six years before joining Los Angeles last season. Rooney said Lombardi recommended Austin in a telephone conversation Wednesday, adding: "Vince went over all the requirements of a head pro coach and insisted Austin will fill the bill. Not only the football knowledge, the ability to teach, but also the temperament and leadership which means so much with pro players." Rooney said, "The biggest thing is to have a man who can get the most out of his ball players and he (Austin) impressed us as this man," The Steelers have never won a division title in 33 years. "Bill has his work cut out for him," said Steeler Vice President Dan Rooney, son of Art. "He is just starting his career as a head coach which we think will be a long tenure." Salary terms were not disclosed. It was not revealed whether Austin will name a complete new staff, but Dan Rooney said Austin "has to have a staff that coaches football the way he believes it should be." Austin played guard for the New York Giants in 1949 and 1950, and after two years in the service, returned to the club from 1953 through 1957. He coached at Wichita University in 1958 before moving to Green Bay.
HECKER NAMED COACH OF ATLANTA FALCONS
JAN 26 (Atlanta) - Norb Hecker, defensive backfield coach for the Green Bay Packers, was named head coach Wednesday of the Atlanta Falcons, who make their NFL debut this fall. The selection of Hecker, 38, came as a surprise. His name was not among those mentioned during months of speculation about the coach the Falcons would choose to build their new team. Hecker was named by Falcon owner Rankin Smith, who said the Green Bay assistant would serve only as head coach and not as general manager. Hecker was given a four-year contract, Smith said. Terms were not announced. The new Falcon coach has been with the Packers since 1959, and helped coach Green Bay to NFL championships in 1961, 1962 and 1965. Hecker started his coaching career as a player-coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL in 1958, after playing five seasons in the NFL. A halfback, he started with the Los Angeles Rams in 1952 and wound up his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1957. During his NFL career, Hecker played in 86 consecutive games and intercepted 28 passes in six seasons. He played his college football at Baldwin-Wallace College, Cleveland, Ohio. Hecker was named to the Atlanta job in preference to more widely known candidates, including former NFL head coaches Red Hickey, George Wilson and Buddy Parker. Smith also tried to get Hecker's boss at Green Bay, Vince Lombardi. Atlanta was highly successful in landing its drafted choices of college players without a coach and lost only one to the rival AFL. One of Hecker's first duties will be to select players from other NFL clubs at a league meeting next month, when the Falcons will be allowed to pick 42 experienced men from the 14 established teams. "Of all the people I talked with - and there were a lot of them - Norb Hecker impressed me the most," Smith said. "I know Vince Lombardi thinks a lot of him." Smith said he had to choose between experience and youth. "I decided I didn't want a retread," he said. "I know Herb is a young fellow with a big
challenge, but he realized this and he is ready to go." Hecker came to Atlanta last weekend. At the news conference, he said, "I am really excited over the opportunity to be in on the ground floor with the Falcons. I think we have a good start with the fine rookies the Falcons have drafted and signed. I'm ready to go to work." Hecker is the second Lombardi-product to receive a head coaching job. Bill Austin, who was the Packers' offensive line coach from 1959 through 1964 before handling the same job with the Rams in 1965, was named coach of the Steelers last week.
VINCE CITED AS SALESMAN OF THE YEAR
JAN 27 (Appleton-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi, coach and general manager of the NFL champion Packers, said here Wednesday night that he doubts that the NFL and the AFL will ever meet in a title game. Lombardi was honored as the "Salesman of the Year" but the Sales and Marketing Executive Club of Northeastern Wisconsin. The dinner was held at the Butte des Morts Golf Club. In other observations, Lombardi said: He is not at all concerned about the abundance of talent the Packers have in the offensive backfield. That payment of big bonuses doesn't disrupt morale because veterans realize signing outstanding rookie talent can mean championship money for all. That TV has not, and never will, take over pro football. That the rumor about the NFL teams making as many as 15 players available, from which Atlanta can choose, is untrue. It would take unanimous approval by a special committee to effect such a chance in procedure, and that won't happen. That he feels honored that Atlanta turned to Green Bay to select its head coach. In accepting the award, Lombardi likened selling to coaching a championship football team. He stressed that fundamentals, through discipline and constant training, are of prime importance in both professions. SME President Robert C. Nelson, in presenting the award, lauded Vince's sales achievement in effective total sellouts in two major markets, Milwaukee and Green Bay.
BART STARR SOLID CHOICE AS STATE ATHLETE OF YEAR
JAN 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bart Starr, the mechanical man who despite creaking joints quarterbacked the Green Bay Packers to the NFL championship, was named today as Wisconsin's Athlete of the Year for 1965. The 32-year-old former Alabama standout was a solid choice in the annual Associated Press poll of state sportswriters and sportscasters. Starr's nearest rival for the award was pitcher Tony Cloninger, who won 24 games for the Milwaukee Braves. Cloninger received four votes to eight for Starr, who was at his brilliant best against the Cleveland Browns in the NFL championship game. The slightly built quarterback, badly banged up against Baltimore in the Western Conference playoff the week before, was a doubtful starter against the Browns. But Starr played and got Green Bay a quick touchdown with a 47-yard pass to Carroll Dale. Starr finished the game with 10 completions in 18 attempts for 147 yards while winning praise from both the Packers and the Browns for his signal calling. Starr, plagued throughout the season by assorted injuries, still managed to have a solid year. He completed 141 passes in 251 attempts for 2,065 yards and 16 touchdowns...3 VOTES FOR WOOD: Teammate Willie Wood, who won all-pro honors as a safetyman in the Packers' crack defense unit, received three votes, and comeback offensive guard Jerry Kramer got two. A fourth Packer, fullback Jimmy Taylor, received one vote. Single votes also went to Eddie Mathews and Henry Aaron of the Braves, whose combined career home run total reached 803 in 1965, breaking a tandem record by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Carol Sorensen of Janesville, last year's winner, was shut out in the balloting, but another female golfer, Carol Jean Sorensen of Racine, received one vote for capturing the state women's golf championship. Dick Ritger of Hartford, the state match game bowling champion, got a vote and so did William Bartholomay, Braves' chairman. The editor backing Bartholomay singled him out with tongue in cheek as this year's "artful dodger," a reference to Bartholomay's handling of the Braves' move to Atlanta. Starr, a 10-year veteran, will receive the 10th annual Red Dunn Memorial Award at a date to be announced. The award is given in memory of the late Marquette University and Packer football star by St. Theresa parish at its annual sports night in Milwaukee. Previous winners of the award include Warren Spahn of the Braves, 1956, '58 and '63; Lew Burdette, Braves, 1957; Eddie Matthews, 1959; Paul Hornung, Packers, 1960 and '61; and Ron Vander Kelen, Wisconsin football star, 1962.
PACK EARNS .787 'HOME' FLOOR RATING
JAN 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Quick now. How much of a "home floor" advantage is there in the NFL? The Packers have played 47 home league games here and in Milwaukee, and 47 on the road in the seven years Vince Lombardi has guided the Bays. The record shows 37 victories against 10 losses at home for a percentage of .787. On the road, the Packers won 31, lost 13, and tied 3 for a ratio of .704. The home grass saw six more victories - a little less than one per year. This would indicate that there is a definite advantage to playing before the home folks. And, perhaps, linebacker Ray Nitschke - a Green Bay taxpayer - puts it best: "It's more enjoyable playing at home. You know the fans personally and you just play harder." The Packers are 30-10 against Western Division opposition at home and 7-0 vs. Eastern Division teams in their home parks. On the road, the Packers are 25-12-3 vs. the West and 6-1 against the East. In fact, the only game Green Bay lost to the East was the first one - to the Giants in New York in 1959. The Packers have won 13 in a row since. Of the 10 losses at home, the now-so-lowly (to Green Bay) Rams have given the Packers the most trouble. They whipped the Bays three times on home soil (all in Milwaukee). The Colts, Bears, and Lions each scored two victories in Badgerland, while the Vikings have one. The 49ers have yet to post their first win vs. the Lombardis in Wisconsin. Seven of the Packers' 12 losses on the road were absorbed in two cities - Baltimore and Chicago. The Colts stopped the Pack four times in their outdoor asylum, and the Bears won three in Wrigley Field. Green Bay lost two each in Detroit and San Francisco, one in Los Angeles and (ah ha) none in Minnesota. The ties were played in Detroit, LA and San Fran. The Packers, of course, are the only team in the league that plays 10 road games - due to the annual three-game overnight stop in Milwaukee. The 10 league losses were divided evenly (5-5) between the two cities, but Lambeau Field has an "advantage" because 28 games were played in Green Bay and 19 in Milwaukee. Thus, the record is 23-5 for .821 in Green Bay and 14-5 for .736 in Milwaukee. The Bays lost two to the Bears and one each to the Colts, Lions and Vikings in Lambeau Field. They lost three to the Rams and one each to the Colts and Lions in County Stadium. Here's another "home" point: The Packers lost five games in Green Bay by an average of 3.4 points on scores of 12-7, 21-20, 24-23, 10-3 and 17-14. They lost their five in Milwaukee by an average of 11.8 on scores of 27-17, 17-13, 33-31, 28-24 and 45-6. Nitschke feel that "it's easier to maintain concentration on the game when you're home. On the road, there are always little distractions that remove some of that concentration. This is an emotional game, and you've got to keep concentrating." Big Ray admitted, however, that "I don't hear the crowd noise when we're on the road. I don't mind playing in Baltimore, for instance, but you can feel the tenseness of the crowd against you."...Proposed by Dick Weisgerber, former Packer blocking quarterback, and Dick Spille, the Door County Board of Supervisors passed a unanimous resolution the other day extending the county's congratulations to Coach Vince Lombardi, his assistants and each player for "their great achievement in winning the championship."...Dr. and Mrs. W.J. Schleis of Denmark correspond with the U.S. astronauts and in a return message from Col. Frank Borman the spaceman included this P.S. "Those Packers did all right."
PACKERS NAME BURNS AIDE, SET 3 NON-LOOP TILTS
FEB 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Vince Lombardi made two announcements and accepted a trophy designating him as "sportsman of the year" at the weekly luncheon meeting of the Mike and Pen Club at the Stein Monday. And then hurried off to New York to delve into the formula for stocking the new Atlanta Falcons. The Packer coach announced that (1) Jerome M. (Jerry) Burns, former head coach at the University of Iowa, has been hired to fill the vacancy created by the departure of Norb Hecker, who was named head coach of the Falcons. And (2) the Packers will play two preseason games in Milwaukee and one in Green Bay in 1966 - the reverse of 1965. The 39-year-old Burns, who quarterbacked Michigan's 1950 Rose Bowl team, will start work here Monday, Feb. 7. He can coach all phases of the game and won't necessarily replace Hecker as defensive backfield coach, Lombardi said. Green Bay again will host the Bishop's Charities game and Milwaukee will again hold the Shrine Classic - in addition to a second preseason battle. This will be Milwaukee's first shot at a two-game preseason schedule. Green Bay hosted two of them last year and sold out Lambeau Field (50,852) for each. Lombardi said the dates and opponents for the three games will be announced later, but noted that the Giants would not be the Bishop's Charities game opponent. New York had been the opponent for that game since the Charities series was started in 1961. Renewal cards to season ticket holders for league games in Green Bay and Milwaukee are now being sent out and there will be no increase in prices except for approximat4ely 200 children's seats, which will be raised from 50 cents to $1.00. Lombardi said that "our prices are now the lowest in the league. The $4 seats is undervalued by today's standards. However, there will be no increase." The coach and general manager pointed out that "Atlanta has two prices, $10 and $6." Despite the addition of Atlanta, the league will continue with a 14-game schedule, with each team having an open date. Atlanta will play as a swing team, meeting each of the other 14 clubs, and will be placed in the Eastern Division standings. Under the new arrangements, only one Packer game will be played against an Eastern Division foe, not counting Atlanta. The remaining 12 Packer games will be home and home series against the six opponents in the West. Burns has been in football since he left Michigan. He was born in Detroit Jan. 24, 1927, and starred as a back on the Detroit Central Catholic High team. After his graduation from Michigan, Burns worked a year as backfield coach at the University of Hawaii and then moved on to Whittier, Calif., College for a season. He then coached three sports, including football, at Detroit St. Mary's High and became the area's prep coach of the year. Burns went to Iowa in 1954 and started as freshman football coach. He became assistant backfield coach in 1955 and coached the backs from 1959 until he became head coach in 1961. He was fired shortly before the 1965 season ended. Burns is married and has four children - Michael, 10 years; Eric, 9; Kelleen, 7; and Kathleen, 6,,,Lombardi is on a league committee to work out a formula for stocking Atlanta and the group will meet in New York starting today. The committee's proposal then will be presented to the NFL convention in Palm Beach, Fla., starting Feb. 14. Working with Vince are Wellington Mara of the Giants and Dan Reeves of the Rams. Asked about the formula, Vince quipped "if everybody acts normal, it will be a selfish allotment." The big question likely will be (1) the number of players to be unfrozen by each club and (2) the number of players Atlanta will be
allowed to purchase. In answer to other questions, Lombardi pointed out: "I have been criticized many times (the question was on the use of Dennis Claridge) on not playing some of the new boys. If we lose three out of the first four or five, I undoubtedly would use them, but my job is to win championships and as long as we are contending I will use the players who have proven themselves." Regarding the loss of Norb Hecker to Atlanta, "it is good for us to lose a coach. It gives us some new thinking." The George Halas squabble over the loss of George Allen, who had signed a three-year pact with the Bears - "No assistant coach should be signed for more than one year and I wouldn't want to sign for more than a year myself as an assistant." Trading players - "I'm not hoodwinking anybody when I trade. Nobody is giving up anything for nothing, and that goes for me, too." The Packers' success - "We have been most fortunate to win four (championships) in the last seven years and to stay up there every year. This is against the normal league pattern based on the draft, but I don't see why we shouldn't stay up near the top."
SYMANK NAMED FALCON ASSISTANT
FEB 2 (Atlanta) - John Symank, assistant defensive backfield coach for the University of Virginia, has been named to a similar post with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. Falcon Head Coach Norb Hecker named Symank defensive backfield coach Tuesday. It was Hecker's first appointment since he was chosen as head coach, Symank, 30, played professional football for the Green Bay Packers, where Hecker coached until moving here, from 1957-62 and then played one year with the St. Louis Cardinals. Hecker coached the defense while Symank was at Green Bay. Symank became an assistant at Tulane and then went on to the Virginia position. He played college ball at the University of Florida. He is married and the father of four.
TETEAK CONTACTED FOR FALCON POST?
FEB 3 (Madison) - Deral Teteak, a University of Wisconsin assistant football coach, has been interviewed for a similar post with the new Atlanta Falcons of the NFL, it was reported here today. Teteak played five years with the Green Bay Packers, who lost assistant Norb Hecker to the Falcons as head coach. Teteak joined the Badger coaching staff in 1958. He won three football letters at Wisconsin.
SECOND HIGHEST CUTS
FEB 3 (New York) - Each member of the Green Bay Packers will receive $7,819.91 from their victory over the Cleveland Browns in the NFL championship game, the league announced today. The Browns each will receive $5,288.83. The shares are the second highest in NFL playoff history, surpassed only by those from the 1964 title game. Cleveland received $8,052.82 and Baltimore $5,571.40 from that one. The 1965 title game, won by the Packers 23-12, grossed more than $2 million for the second straight year. Gross receipts, including $1.8 million for network radio and television, totaled $2,383,086. The players' pool, 70 percent of the net total, came to $826,659.26. Baltimore, which finished second in the Western Conference after losing a playoff to Green Bay, divided its share of $982 per player while third-place Chicago split its share into $681.82. Dallas and New York tied for second in the East and shared in combined money of $87,500. Dallas voted 50 shares worth $863.89, and New York 56 shares worth $767.41. The Colts, by winning the Playoff Bowl, each earned another $1,200 while each Dallas Cowboy earned another $500.
FEARS INTERVIEWED FOR CARD JOB
FEB 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer End Coach Tom Fears said today he feels he has "an excellent chance" of being named head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, "if any outsider gets the job." Fears, who confirmed a report he had been interviewing by Cardinal officials for the post with the consent of Packer Coach Vince Lombardi, in Chicago over the weekend, quipped, "But I'm sure there are a few other candidates." "They're not entirely sure whether they want to bring in a new man or move up somebody in their own organization. I feel, however, that I stand an excellent chance of getting the job, a far as any outsiders are concerned. If they find they want to move up somebody within the club, I would admire their loyalty for doing it. But I would be disappointed if some other outsider should get the job." Although he pronounces himself "definitely interested," Fears added, "On the other hand, I won't be crushed if I don't get it. I'm with a winner and you can't complain about that. I never have and I never will." The answer will come within the next 10 days, he said. "They told me their decision would be before the league meetings in Miami, Feb. 14, and maybe sooner." Fears, who won three NFL pass receiving titles while starring for the Los Angeles Rams, has been coaching posts in the NFL. Norb Hecker was chosen to lead the new Atlanta Falcons last week and Bill Austin, Packer offensive line coach from 1959 through 1965, became head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in mid-January.
MILWAUKEE WOULD DO 'VERY WELL' IN AFL, SAYS FOSS
FEB 4 (Brookline, MA) - Commissioner Joe Foss predicts that the AFL will have 14 to 16 teams by 1970. Foss told a Boston Patriots award dinner Thursday night that his own plan was "to add one team each year." He said, "We've already taken in Miami for 1966, and we'll announce at least one more team and possibly two this spring." "We need a team in the Midwest," Foss continued. "Chicago, of course, is the top territory. However, I think we'd do very well in Milwaukee and we wouldn't hurt the Packers." The Green Bay Packers of the NFL now play three league games each season in Milwaukee. Foss said that with all the baseball trouble in Milwaukee, "I think Milwaukee fans would turn out in force to back one of their own teams." He said "whether the city is Milwaukee, Chicago, Cincinnati or Columbus, Ohio, I think we need a team in the Midwest."
OWN PERSONALITY
FEB 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Do nice guys always finish last? Vince Lombardi, whom we have never seen classified in the "nice guy" division of sports coaches and managers, and who has never finished last, does have an opinion on the question. The conversation at last week's Mike and Pen luncheon, at which Lombardi was a guest, had turned to Norb Hecker, the former Packer assistant, taking the Atlanta head coaching job. Someone ventured that perhaps Norb was too nice a guy to win in the NFL. "A coach has to be his own personality," Lombardi immediately philosophized. "When he tries to copy somebody else, he's in trouble. There are good coaches of both kinds." Then, with his tongue at least partly in cheek, the Packer headmaster declared, "I'm tired of reading all over the league what a louse I am. Personally, I think I'm the nicest guy in the league." And although the statement was apparently made largely in jest (at least it brought a good laugh from the rest of the table), the coach seemed to feel a need to explain his position. "My job is winning championship for the Green Bay Packers," he started. Emphasizing his point with a waving finger, Lombardi continued, "That comes first. The Packers and winning championships. Before everything else. The press, television, radio, my fff...no, not my family, but everything else. And it's necessarily so." Reminded that one of Heckers' first statements after signing with Atlanta was to the effect that the one game he was going to win next year was against Green Bay, Lombardi smiled and offered: "That was Norb's first mistake as a head coach. It won't take him long to learn that a head coach better keep his mouth shut." Any good words for Hecker? "He's in the enemy camp now," Lombardi replied.
TOM FEARS JOINS FALCONS; SYMANK ALMOST A STEELER
FEB 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - This is about the coachiest offseason ever. And did you hear the strange story of how Johnny Symank headed for Pittsburgh and wound up in Atlanta? But first the news. And this comes as a surprise. Tom fears, the Packers' offensive end coach, has joined Norb Hecker at Atlanta. Earlier in the week, Fears was among the people interviewed for the vacant Cardinal head coaching post. Latest to be screened in St. Louis was Harland Svare. Best bet, from our chair, is little Charley Winner, the Colts' defense coach. Fears, the onetime pass-catching great with the Rams, was the end coach under Vince Lombardi in his Packer debut season and helped develop Boyd Dowler, who was rookie of the year in '59. Fears returned to the Rams to coach in 1960-61, and then came back to Green Bay in 1962. Fears and Hecker have been close personal friends for years - ever since they played together with the Rams in the early 1950s, and this figured in Tom's decision to leave the champion Packers. Tom was in Atlanta Saturday night and couldn't be reached but his wife, Lou, said that "Tom likes the idea of a new team and the challenge it presents." The departure means that two members of Lombardi's staff (Hecker and Fears) have left, leaving Phil Bengston, defense; Dave Hanner, defensive line; Ray Wietecha, offensive line; and Red Cochran, offensive backfield. One of the vacancies was filled earlier last week with the selection of Jerry Burns, the former University of Iowa head coach. Lombardi is expected to name a successor to Fears shortly. Burns will start work Monday. The Symank story starts in the Washington airport. Hecker had flown into Washington from Atlanta the other day and to his surprise he ran into Symank, who was waiting to catch a plane for Pittsburgh where Steeler coach Bill Austin, another former Packer, was to interview him for possible duty as the Steelers' defensive backfield coach. Norbie said "why don't you join me in Atlanta" and Symank jumped at the chance to work under Hecker, who coached Johnny during part of his career with the Packers. Austin still is in the market for a defensive backfield coach, and there are reports that Hank Gremminger, a 10-year Packer veteran, may fill the bill. Gremminger was a Packer for nine seasons - until Tom Brown beat him out in '65. The Cardinals are expected to name their new head coach almost any moment - at least before the league convention opens in Palm Beach, Fla. Feb. 14. Five new head coaches will take to the sidelines next fall - at Atlanta (Hecker), Pittsburgh (Austin), Los Angeles (George Allen), Washington (Otto Graham) and St. Louis (?). This means that at least 25 assistants will be added along the line.
HORNUNG NOT GOING
FEB 6 (Louisville, KY) - Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers said Saturday he has been assured that he will not be placed on the draft list for the Atlanta Falcons. Each team in the NFL will freeze a certain number of players and the fledgling Falcons will be able to select from those remaining. The number has not yet been determined. There had been speculation that both Hornung and Jim Taylor would not be protected. "I am definitely not going to Atlanta," Hornung said. The former Heisman Trophy winner and Notre Dame star would not say, however, who gave him this assurance. "Just say a couple of people have told me this," he said.
SCHNELKER NAMED PACKER ASSISTANT COACH
FEB 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bob Schnelker, the former Giant end, is the newest Packer assistant coach. The second named in a week and the fourth in a year. Coach Vince Lombardi announced the appointment of Schnelker today and noted that "he's a fine young man...and he's done a good job wherever he's been." Lombardi coached Schnelker when he handled the Giants' offense for five seasons starting in 1954 - just as he did Ray Wietecha, who was named a Packer assistant a year ago. Schnelker joins Jerry Burns, the former University of Iowa head coach, as newcomers on the 1966 Packer staff. Burns' selection was announced a week ago today. Lombardi has now made four changes in the staff since last January, 1965, when Bill Austin resigned to become an assistant with the Rams. Shortly before the past season started, Dave Hanner, a 13-year Packer veteran, was added to the coaching staff. Norb Hecker resigned two weeks ago to become head coach of the new Atlanta Falcons and over the weekend Tom Fears, Packer end coach since 1963 - plus a part-time stint in '59, joined Hecker at Atlanta. These two departures opened the way for Burns and Schnelker. Two members of Lombardi's original staff remain - Phil Bengtson, the defense coach; and Red Cochran, offensive backfield. Hecker, Austin and Fears were also on that staff, hired in 1959. Specific duties of the new coaches hasn't been determined yet, Lombardi said. Hecker had coached the defensive backfield and Fears the offensive ends. Bengtson handled the defense, Cochran the offense backfield and Hanner the defensive line. Schnelker, 37, played nine seasons in the NFL, starting with the Giants in 1954. He closed out his playing career with Pittsburgh and Minnesota in 1961-62 and joined the Rams as an assistant in 1963. Onetime star at Bowling Green, Schnelker caught 213 passes for 3,713 yards during his career and was twice named to the Pro Bowl squad. His best season was in 19959 when he caught 37 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns. New to the Packer picture, Burns and Schnelker are busy studying Green Bay films and "catching up." Lombardi is busy closing out a busy day today - the last before departing for the NFL's annual parley in Palm Beach, Fla. He will leave Wednesday for El Paso, Tex., for a meeting of the American Heart Assn., of which he is a director, before going to Florida. The major business at the NFL confab is the stocking of the Falcons. A formula for producing a roster of veterans for Atlanta was worked by a committee composed of Lombardi, Dan Reeves of the Rams and Wellington Mara of the Giants at a meeting in New York last week. "We've made our recommendations and it ought to be interesting to see what they (the other NFL clubs) do about them," Lombardi said.
LIONEL ALDRIDGE TO ANNOUNCE FOR WTMJ
FEB 8 (Milwaukee) - Defensive end Lionel Aldridge of the Green Bay Packers has joined the announcing staff of WTMJ radio and television, vice president and general manager George Comte announced Monday. Comte said Aldridge, 24, will be featured regularly on radio and television sports programs between now and July 1, when he will rejoin the Packers.
CODY CHOSEN AS BEARS' BF COACH
FEB 8 (Chicago) - George Halas, owner-coach of the Chicago Bears, continued reshuffling his coaching staff today by naming Ed Cody his backfield coach. Halas previously boosted Jim Dooley to defensive coach and shifted backfield coach Chuck Mather to the position of player talent scout. Both of these assignments had been held by George Allen, who recently left the Bears to become head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. Cody joined the Bears as assistant last April after serving as head coach at Sn Bernardino Valley College for three seasons. The one-time star Purdue fullback was the No. 1 NFL draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 1947 and was traded to the Bears two years later. He played linebacker and fullback two years for the Bears, then coached St. Rita's High School in Chicago until 1955 before going to the University of California at Santa Barbara as head coach. He as an assistant at Washington State before taking over at San Bernardino. "Cody has a rare knack for developing backfield talent," said Halas.
CARS, MINK GIVE HORNUNG FEDERAL INCOME TAX CASE
FEB 9 (Louisville, KY) - Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers has a federal tax case on his hands because of a Corvette, a Thunderbird, and a mink stole. The government cited the items in claiming that the Packer halfback owes #3,163 more in taxes. Hornung told Judge John Austin Hoyt in U.S. Tax Court Tuesday that the items were not income because he performed no service for them and had no control over them. Hoyt reserved decision. The 1962 Corvette, valued $3,300, was a gift from a magazine which honored Hornung as the most valuable player in the 1961 NFL championship game, it was said. The stole, valued at $400, was given the Packer organization, which presented one to each player as a gift for his wife, mother or girlfriend. The 1962 Thunderbird came from a friend in Detroit who worked for the Ford Motor Co. Hornung said he drove it about 3,000 miles. The government said it would have cost Hornung $600 to rent the vehicle. The savings, it maintained, should have been listed as income.
YANKS' MORALE IN VIET NAM 'JUST TREMENDOUS,' WILLIE DAVIS
FEB 11 (Chicago-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - We flew out of Los Angeles to Saigon with stops in Hawaii, Wake Island, Guam and Manila. They were having their New Year's celebration in Saigon and everybody was supposed to cease fire for three or four days. But there were firecrackers, loud ones, going off every second,
and it was kind of nerve wracking to us. We thought it might be the real thing. You never knew what was happening. Somebody bombed the police station and I guess they (Viet Cong) took advantage of the other noise. We visited the hospitals first in Saigon and I believe we saw every kind of injury possible. Seeing the boys there made you feel very fortunate that you weren't cast in the same situation. Most of them were pretty well filled in on sports over others wanted to be brought up to date. One of the most common questions we were asked had to do with our feelings on the large bonuses being paid the college football players before they went into pro football. I had a stock answer for that one. I told them that it's no use having a feeling of animosity toward them (the college boys) because they are only taking advantage of the bargaining between the two leagues. A veteran can only be expected to be paid in relation to his previous year's performance and that's our only bargaining power. This whole thing is a management problem. We showed films of several games, including our playoff victory over the Colts. They asked about the personal foul penalty on me against the Colts and I said the only thing that bothered me was that in eight years I get one personal foul and they send me all the way to Viet Nam to show it. They heard about how close that field goal was that tied up the Colt game and the only thing I could say was that the official who called it was in a better position than anyone who protested it. We went to 22 places in the field, and I'm sure that we reached 15,000 boys. We didn't get 10 minutes off since we were there. We put on shows from 7:30 in the morning until 10 o'clock at night for 13 days. We must have been in every conceivable place over there - and some of the outposts couldn't be visited by the larger groups (Bob Hope show, etc.). The trip gave us a chance to see a cross-section of the whole situation and after completing the visit I realized that this is one of the prices you pay to enjoy the things that you enjoy in America. There is no doubt in my mind that it is worthwhile for our boys to be there. I feel that these people need help and I definitely feel that we're right in giving them assistance. The overall morale of our soldiers and the Vietnamese is just tremendous. We are trying to win these people over and I think we are succeeding. It's amazing to see the little kids follow you around in the villages. Few natives here know anything about football players, but they know we're Americans and that's the biggest thing in their lives. The little kids always gave us the No. 1 sign, which means that they like us. Anything above No. 1 - No. 10 for instance - means that they don't want anything to do with you. We were in Da Nang the night they threw the mortars in there, and fortunately we were in our quarters at the time this happened. There was times when we were all a little shook up - especially when traveling by helicopter. At least we didn't draw any fire, but each helicopter had two manned machine guns ready for action. They sent us up to within five miles from the demarcation zone and we covered most of the north part of South Viet Nam. It is great to be back home and, believe me, I appreciate American more than ever. I'm spending most of my time now working on a master's in business administration at the University of Chicago, part-time now but full-time the next quarter (March).
THERE'S MEANING IN PETE-PAUL 'SHAKE'
FEB 11 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - It only lasted a few second. This handshake between Pete Rozelle and Paul Hornung. But, man, what significance the gesture carried. It had been a long, hard road back for Packer halfback Hornung since the spring of 1963 when NFL Commissioner Rozelle suspended Golden Boy for betting on games. The punishing inaction of '63, the frustrations of coming back in '64 and the injuries in '65. But Hornung reached the top again when he helped the Packers beat the Browns 23-12 by scoring one touchdown and rushing for 105 tough yards at Lambeau Field Jan. 2. Hornung was the first player Rozelle congratulated after the grueling game. And the extreme pride Pete had for the guy he had to knock down was written all over his face. This was one of many highlights of a tremendous color film of the Packer-Brown game. Entitled "Elements of Victory," the 28-minute movie was world premiered at Bilotti's Forum Thursday for members of the Green Bay Mike and Pen Club - plus Packers Bart Starr, Boyd Dowler, Doug Hart, Ray Nitschke, Hank Jordan, Red Cochran, Verne Lewellen and Tom Miller; representatives of the sponsoring Coca Cola and Old Gold Filter firms; and Al Taylor of Grey Public Relations, Inc., of New York. Ten cameras, using 16 mm. color, a record number for any football film, were used to document the fierce action. Over 28,000 feet of film was shot and it was reduced to 900 for the final product. The opening scene shows a helicopter rising over the snowbound tarpaulin covering the field and the film also reveals the snow-sweeping operation on the field before the game. The game's nine big plays are analyzed in the film, starting with Starr's touchdown pass to Carroll Dale and ending with the roughing the kicker call against Don Chandler by Cleveland's Ralph Smith. Among the highlights are Jordan's blocking of a field goal try by Lou Groza, a head on tackle of Jimmy Brown by Bob Jeter, and Nitschke's save of a sure touchdown pass to Brown in the end zone. The picture included many "reaction" shots. Priceless are the looks on the faces of Coach Vince Lombardi and Hornung on the sideline after Hornung was in motion. Vince is also shown in action after Lee Roy Caffey drew a 15-year penalty for roughing. And then there's the look on Brown's face as the Packers' Jim Taylor and Hornung power the Packers' 90-yard touchdown drive to start the third quarter. The picture captures the ferocious determination of Taylor, the Packer's fullback who is called the "Toy Tank" by narrator Ray Scott, the Packers' TV voice. Ray refers to Starr as "the master of the calculated risk." The film, of course, is available for local showing starting in March at no cost (other than the cost of mailing) starting in March, Al Taylor said.
NITSCHKES ADOPT ANOTHER SON
FEB 11 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Ray Nitschkes today announced the adoption of a son, Richard Carl, an infant. He is the second son adopted by the Packer linebacker and his wife, Jackie. The first is John Raymond, who will be three years of age in May.
MUCH TOO HIGH, VINCE
FEB 11 (El Pason, TX) - Professional football players have salaries "much too high to be fiddling with unions," Coach Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers said Tuesday. Lombardi made the comment when asked whether he thought a move to unionize professional athletes stood much of a chance in the NFL. Lombardi, in El Paso for an American Heart Assn. benefit, repeated his criticism for the high bonuses paid college football stars by professional teams. "I don't know how much longer terms are going to be able to operate under this method," he said.
SUE WALLEN REMEMBERS ASTOR HOTEL IN HEYDAY
FEB 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There was a day when "everybody in town" came to the Astor Hotel. That was the claim made last week by Mrs. A.W. Casabona of Baton Rouge, La., She managed the historic hotel at 209 N. Adams St., for 12 years when it was widely known as "the home" of the Green Bay Packers. Mrs. Casabona is probably better known in these parts as Sue Wallen, the mother of Earl Wallen, who was the first soldier to die in the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor...MANAGER OF HOTEL: From 1935 to 1946, when she remarried, the former Sue Wallen managed the hotel that was widely known in Northeastern Wisconsin. The Astor, which dated back to the 1880's, was destroyed by fire Feb. 4. Eight people died in the blaze that was called the worst in the city's history. The Packers began using the hotel as their headquarters in the early 1930's. From then until they moved to Rockwood Lodge, about 16 miles north of Green Bay, in 1946, the Astor attracted thousands of fans during the football season...ADVICE DISHED OUT TO PACKER PLAYERS: "Everybody in town used to come down to the hotel after the games in those days and tell the players what they should have done right," Mrs. Casabona recalled in a telephone interview. "We used to have dances, and most of them were drummed up by the boys. I can remember when Joey Laws and Milt Gantenbein would get up and sing songs and play the guitar," she said. "We loved every one of those boys, and everybody loved being here. We had so much fun in those days." The hotel was a favorite spot for local dances and other social functions during the year, "but the place really jumped during football season," she remembered...CHARLEY BROCK REMEMBERS: Charley Brock, who started his career with the Packers in 1939, remembered, too. "The Astor Hotel was like a fraternity house for the players, and Sue Wallen was our housemother," he said. "About 20 or 25 guys from the team used to stay at the hotel every year, and we spent most of our free time there," Brock added. "Besides the dances, we used to play cards in the back room or lay around the lounge. There was always somebody who wanted to talk." Ted Fritsch, who joined the Packers in 1942, said, "That was our home. Most of the guys in those days weren't married so there weren't many wives around and they stayed at the hotel."...TELEPHONE VISIT WITH LARRY CRAIG: Fritsch said Larry Craig, a former Packer, called him the day after the fire and they talked for half an hour about the "times we had at the Astor Hotel." He said in those days Myrtle Muenster was the barmaid and night clerk at the hotel. Miss Muenster was one of those who perished in the fire. She had been employed at the hotel for 25 years. Capt. J.R. Sloan of the Green Bay Police Dept. remarked, "I can remember those dances they used to have at the hotel, but I was a little too young to go to them. I was jerking sodas at Oliver's Ice Cream Shop (now Flatow's) down the street, and some - the players used to stroll down from the hotel for a soda," Sloan said...ASTOR FUR ENTERPRISE: The famed hotel was named after the fur company that made Green Bay one of Wisconsin's first settlements. The original Astor Hotel, located at Mason and Adams Streets across from the present Water Department building, burned down in 1857. The Astor Hotel Corp, purchased the old Adams House at the present location, and after extensive remodeling it reopened as the Astor Hotel under the management of the late Jake Guerts. The hotel was purchased in 1936 by William Nickolai and the business has been operated by his son, Donald, for the past 20 years. Most of the people who survived were permanent residents of the hotel. The hotel may have lost some of its luster over the years, but the flames that destroyed the history building could not destroy the memories.
NFL OWNERS TO CONSIDER PUNT RULE CHANGES FOR ADDED THRILLS
FEB 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The lowly punt will become a bigger factor in future NFL games. If representatives of the 15 clubs go for a suggested rule change at their annual convention in Palm Beach, Fla. Undoubtedly designed to add more thrills to their already exciting product, the teams will vote on a rule that would prohibit the punter from standing more than 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. There is no limitation now, but the punter usually stands 13 to 14 yards behind the line. Under the new rule, blocking of kicks would be encouraged and this would force the kicking team to protect the punter by holding more men back from going downfield under punts. Thus, there would be more punt returns, better field position and perhaps more scoring. It certainly would cut down on the large number of fair catches. There were 230 fair catches in 1965, 201 in '64, 200 in '63, and 192 in '62. Boyd Dowler, who shared the Packer punting with Max McGee before Jerry Norton and Don Chandler, feels that "such a rule would put a burden on the punter. he would have to punt a lot quicker than he does now. I can see where it would make for more runbacks." Another possibility, Dowler agreed, would be more runs by the punter. He would have more blockers ahead of him. The major business at the parley, which starts Monday, will be the allocation of 42 players to the new Atlanta Falcons, who will receive three from each club. The number of veterans each club is permitted to protect from the allocation will be decided - as will the number each club is required to place on its list. The league will argue out a formula which has been set up at an advance meeting by Vince Lombardi of the Packers, Wellington Mara of the Giants and Dan Reeves of the Rams. There is speculation that some of the clubs want to include members of their taxi teams on the list of availables to the Falcons. Atlanta, however, likely will balk at this. The best guess is that 30 or 32 players will be "protected" from the official roster of 40 per team. After the formula is set, Atlanta will be formally inducted into the league. Commissioner Pete Rozelle will lift the current trading freeze after the Atlanta stocking and considerable action is expected...KNOWS PACKER PERSONNEL: Coach Norb Hecker of the Atlanta Falcons is undoubtedly banking heavily on the league's three top clubs - the Packers, Colts and Browns - for talent. Lombardi is expected to name just about all offensive players on his list of availables and, of course, he know the Packer personnel, having coached here for seven seasons. The league also will discuss a proposal to increase the player limit from 40 to 42, further coordination of scouting and the use of video tape playback, discontinued last year. The player limit was raised a year ago from 37 to 40. There will be no action planned on the selection of a site for the 16th franchise. However, there will be a discussion of material provided by the Stanford Research Institute which is currently surveying seven cities at the request of the NFL - Boston, Cincinnati, Houston, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland and Seattle. Joining Lombardi at the parley, which could last until Friday, will be Packer President Dominix Olejniczak.
NFL CLUBS FREEZE 29 IN ATLANTA PLAN; 'VERY FAIR,' SMITH
FEB 15 (Palm Beach, FL) - The new Atlanta Falcons get their first look today at the list of veteran players their 14 NFL brethren will make available. Falcons owner Rankin Smith, who paid a reported $8.5 million for the franchise, and Norb Hecker, his coach, both called the stocking plan "very fair." They will have about 24 hours to make known their 42 picks. The NFL owners argued and labored for 5 1/2 hours Monday afternoon and evening before devising a formula for stocking the baby franchise with veterans. "I think it is a better plan than when Dallas and Minnesota were stocked," said Commissioner Pete Rozelle, "because of the number available, the draft and the players already signed." Using the 40-man player rosters that opened the 1965 season as a base, the clubs are allowed to freeze 29 players. Atlanta then takes one of the remaining 11 from each of the 14 teams. The teams then freeze two more players and Atlanta selects two more of the eight remaining on each list. At the end of the process, the Falcons will have 42 men with NFL experience in 1965 plus 32 rookies and 19 veterans free agents already signed. Atlanta had the first and last pick in each of the first five rounds of the college draft last November. The original 40-man rosters will include any players who were removed later because of injuries, but still remained under control of the club. Players who started the season and then were traded or transferred on waivers will not be on the list. However, each list will contain 40 names, including the men who replaced traded or waived players. The only club that didn't make a change was Green Bay. For instance, both Johnny Unitas and Gary Cuozzo will appear on the Baltimore list of 40, although they were injured and not active at the end of the season. Both, of course, will be frozen by the Colts. Larry Morris, veteran Chicago Bear linebacker who was lured out of retirement after the season started, is not on the Bears' 40-man list because he didn't open the season. Larry, a Georgia Tech alumnus, reportedly is anxious to play with the new team. If the Falcons get him, it will have to be by a trade. When the Falcons decide they are interested in a player who is eligible for selection, they will be given detailed reports on military status, physical condition and contractual data by the team that owns his contract. Once selected, a player cannot be traded back to his old team for two years. The Atlanta club also will be granted a number of special privileges. They can go to training camp at any date desired, and they do not have to adhere to the 60-man training camp limit. The Falcons do not have to cut the squad until the Tuesday before opening day and may keep six more than the player limit, currently 40, for two weeks. They can keep two over the regular player limit the remaining weeks of the season but can suit up only 40 of them for any one game. Atlanta will also get first choice on all waivers until opening day. Among the proposals to be considered by the owners during the current meeting is a suggestion to increase the player limit from 40 to 42. When Dallas was admitted in 1960, it did not have the benefit of the college draft and was permitted to pick from 11 men on the 36-man rosters. When Minnesota was stocked in 1961, the Vikings did have a college draft and picked from eight men on the 38-man rosters. In each case, the Cowboys and Vikings got only 36 players. The clubs will not release the names of those who are to be exposed to Atlanta selection for obvious reasons. However, names like Johnny Sample and Rick Casares of the Washington Redskins are expected to be included. The league sold television rights to its title game for the next two years to the Columbia Broadcasting System Monday at $2 million per game, highest ever for a one-day sports event. Combined with the $18.8 million for the regular and preseason games and $400,000 for the postseason Playoff Bowl in Miami, the NFL income from CBS TV alone will come to $21.2 million a year. Still to be negotiated is the contract for the Pro Bowl game in Los Angeles. The agreement runs through the 1966 and 1967 seasons, with an option for 1968 at the same figure. The old title game contract that expired after the Green Bay-Cleveland game brought in $1.8 million a year.
NFL PLAYS TO RECORD 4,634,021
FEB 15 (Palm Beach, FL) - The NFL drew a paid attendance of 4,634,021 fans in 1965, setting a record for the fifth consecutive year. The total represented 83 percent of capacity. Commissioner Pete Rozelle said today there was an increase of 70,972 over 1964. An average of 47,286 fans paid to see the 98 regular season games with 57 sellouts. The record season followed a preseason schedule that drew 1,90,479 fans for 37 games. The Western Conference title playoff between Green Bay and Baltimore drew 49,257, the championship game 50,777, the Playoff Bowl in Miami 65,569, and the Pro Bowl in Los Angeles 60,124. The first year for which attendance figures were available, 1934, showed a total of 492,674. The league hit the million mark in 1939, two million in 1952, three million in 1958, and four million in 1962.
DENNIS CLARIDGE, COFFEY, GRIMM PICKED BY FALCONS
FEB 16 (Palm Beach, FL-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer offensive players Dennis Claridge, Junior Coffey and Dan Grimm were chosen by the Atlanta Falcons today. The selection of Claridge came as a major surprise since the former Nebraska All-American had been tabbed as a successor to the Packers' veteran quarterback, Bart Starr. Claridge, drafted as a junior eligible in 1963, understudied Starr and Zeke Bratkowski for two seasons and was ticketed for more duty on 1966. Coffey, a 215-pound fullback from Washington, was the Pack's seventh choice last year and made the 1965 world champions, though he saw little action. Grimm, the Bays' fifth choice in 1963, worked behind Jerry Kramer and Fred Thurston as a rookie and then played regular left guard after the first game in 1964 when Kramer became ill. Grimm backed up Kramer and Thurston in '65. The loss of the three players reduces the Packer roster to 37 and opens the way for Coach Vince Lombardi to deal for a third quarterback to spell Starr and Bratkowski. Claridge joins flanker-end Alex Hawkins of the Colts as two of the top choices named by the Falcons. Hawkins, who started his pro career with the Packers, was captain of the Colts' special teams for kickoffs, punts and punt returns. The eight-year pro also filled in at flanker and end. Only the players chosen by the Falcons from teams in the Western Conference were announced this morning A press conference was set for this evening at which times players chosen from the Eastern Division will be announced.
TAB CINCINNATI TOP NFL SITE FOR EXPANSION
FEB 16 (Palm Beach, FL) - An expansion survey made by an independent firm for the NFL has tabbed Cincinnati as the most ideal site for a 16th franchise. The survey, conducted by the Stanford Research Institute, canvassed New Orleans, Houston, Boston, Phoenix, Seattle and Portland, in addition to Cincinnati. A 216-page report was delivered to NFL owners here today. The Institute was instructed to rank the cities according to potential attendance and financial support. The survey found that Cincinnati had the best potential of any of the seven cities in terms of per capita dollar support.
JOHNNY BLOOD MARRIED IN ALL-WISCONSIN CEREMONY
FEB 16 (Las Vegas) - Johnny Blood, the terror of the gridiron for the Green Bay Packers 30 years ago, was married here Tuesday night to a college sweetheart in an "all Wisconsin" ceremony. Blood obtained a marriage license under his real name, John Victory McNally, 62, and listed his home as New Richmond, Wis. He was married to Catherine I. Kopp, 48. of St. Paul, Minn. The ceremonies were performed by acting supreme court justice David Zenoff, also a Wisconsin native, at the home of Morrie Zenoff, the judge's brother, and another Wisconsinite. Twelve persons attended the services. The couple honeymooned at the Stardust Hotel, and said they would return home Wednesday. McNally was divorced in 1950 in Minneapolis. Mrs. Kopp was divorced in 1960. The judge went through school with Mrs. Kopp in Chippewa Falls many years ago.
HECKER'S PICKING JOB 'TOO GOOD,' LOMBARDI
FEB 17 (Palm Beach, FL-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Take it from the old pro, Vince Lombardi: The Falcons' new coach, Norb Hecker, is a pretty good student. Hecker made his selection of 42 veterans, three from each club, at the NFL's annual meeting here Wednesday and Lombardi thinks Hecker did a good job - "perhaps too good so far as the rest of the league is concerned." Hecker, defensive backfield coach under Lombardi for seven seasons, surprised Vince by grabbing quarterback Dennis Claridge, the former Nebraska star who was being groomed as a successor to Bart Starr. Lombardi said he put Claridge on the list because he thought Hecker would be looking for a quarterback with more experience and added that he didn't think the Falcons would select him. As a result of the loss of Claridge, there are rumors that a deal might be involved at a later date. The Cowboys and Vikings agree that the newly stocked Atlanta Falcons fared better than they did as expansion franchises in 1960 and 1961. "I would have liked to have had that group when we started," said Tex Schramm, general manager of the Cowboys, who finished their first season in 1960 with an 0-11-1 record. "They are better off than we were," said John Thompson, assistant general manager of the Vikings, whose first team in 1961 wound up with an 3-11 mark. Commissioner Pete Rozelle and the other NFL owners went along with the thinking of the Cowboys and the Vikings. "I feel, with the stocking program and the rookies Atlanta has signed, they are in much better position than either Dallas or Minnesota at the start," said Rozelle. Joe Kuharich, coach and general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles, said the Falcons could be "fairly formidable" and Ray Walsh, general manager of the New York Giants, said, "They are going to have a fairly good team on the field." The Falcons were stocked Wednesday with 42 experienced players from NFL rosters. They averaged 26.2 years pro experience. The Falcons also have 22 rookies and a large number of free agents, making a total of 94 players. "I am very pleased," said Hecker. "We have a fine group of defensive backs and defensive linemen. The big surprises to me were Claridge, Alex Hawkins of Baltimore, Larry Benz and Bobby Franklin of Cleveland and Maury Youmans of Dallas. "As of now, Claridge is my quarterback. I think he is a great prospect." The league never has announced any financial figures on the Atlanta franchise, but it is reported owner Rankin Smith put up $8.5 million to get the team. It is understood that $50,000 goes into the league treasury as a franchise fee, and the rest is divided among the other 14 clubs over a period of years. That would give each team about $600,000. As each gave up three players, it could be figured at $200,000 a man. The Falcons took 23 offensive players and 19 defensive men from the established clubs. According to league compilations, 22 of the players have held starting jobs in the NFL although not all in 1965. Hecker outlined his personnel on a blackboard depth chart, showing an offensive unit with Claridge at quarter, Ernie Wheelwright of New York or Junior Coffey of Green Bay at fullback and Perry Lee Dunn of Dallas, Dan Lewis of Washington or Randy Johnson of San Francisco at running back.
DENNIS CLARIDGE! ARE YOU SURE...?
FEB 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Little old Green Bay got pretty well shook up Wednesday...when word of the Packers' contributions to the new Atlanta Falcons seeped through. "Claridge? Are you sure? I thought Dennis was..." That was the stock comment. The first feller we thought of when we heard the news was Bart Starr, the Packers' senior quarterback citizen. For the telephone we reached by Bart was out of town. Bart's lovely wife, Cherry, was asked if she had heard yet the players the Packers had lost to Atlanta. "No, I haven't. Who are they?" she asked. "Well," we answered, evading the question, "the Falcons picked a quarterback." "Not Zeke," she said and asked at the same time. "Nope," we chuckled. "BART?" Cherry said in something louder than a whisper. "No, they didn't pick Bart," we added. "Oh no...not Dennis. He's such a fine boy. And he has a wonderful future," Cherry explained. The Packers' three quarterbacks, Starr, Zeke Bratkowski and Claridge, are a closely-knit group and they work together for six months of the year. "Bart talked to Zeke (who lives in California) just last night by telephone. They had no idea of anything like this," Cherry said. Claridge figured to see more action as a Packer in '66 - particularly in the preseason campaign. And most folks felt he would be the logical successor to Starr, who has completed 10 Green Bay seasons. Which is why the departure of Claridge created so much comment Wednesday. Almost lost in the shuffle were the other two players chosen by Atlanta - guard Dan Grimm and halfback Junior Coffey. While the reaction to Claridge was surprising, there were some stock conclusions to Coach Vince Lombardi's decision to put Dennis on the list of availables. They went like this: "He (Vince) knows what he's doing." "You can't argue with him. He's been so right." Loss of Claridge, of course, means that the world champions will be in the market for a third quarterback to work with Starr and Bratkowski. And since Lombardi didn't draft a quarterback last December, it follows that a trade would be in the offing. But that's another story. While people here may have been surprised, Claridge, in Lincoln, Neb., where he is studying dentistry, said he wasn't. "It was in my mind. I did not play much for the Packers and you can't blame the coach for sticking with the guys who helped win the championship. Atlanta opens up a new chance for me. My career in pro football will depend on what I can make of this opportunity. But the toughest part will be leaving all the wonderful friends I've made at Green Bay. It was a great place to be located." Grimm said "there's no way of knowing when you may be traded in pro sports, but I think it will be an interesting experience. I like Norb Hecker and think he can do a good job. Generally, I couldn't feel good or bad about the news."
DENNIS SEES NEW CHANCE IN ATLANTA
FEB 17 (Lincoln, NB) - "I only hope I can make the grade," said quarterback Dennis Claridge after learning that he would finally desert the sidelines for a crack at a starting job in the NFL. Claridge, the third-string quarterback for the Green Bay Packers the past two seasons, was picked by the new Atlanta entry Wednesday in the NFL grab bag. Claridge said he was not surprised that he was made available. "It was in the back of my mind," he said. "I did not play much for the Packers. You can't blame (Coach Vince) Lombardi for sticking with the guys who helped win the championship." "Atlanta opens a new door for me," Claridge says. "My career in pro football will depend on what I can make of this opportunity."...'TOUGHEST PART': Claridge said the "toughest part of making the change will be moving from all the wonderful friends I've made at Green Bay. It was a wonderful place to be located, even if I didn't play much." In his two seasons, Claridge saw only one minute of regular season play. Dan Grimm, another Packer picked up by Atlanta, said he "couldn't feel good or bad about the news." "There's no way of knowing when you may be traded in this business," he said. "I think it will be an interesting experience in Atlanta. I like Norb Hecker and think he can do a fine job there. I just hope he can build a club that will play some good games." Grimm was a starter in
the first half of the 1965 season but gave way to Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston as Lombardi went back to veterans to shake up a Packer offensive slump that seemed partially caused by lackluster blocking up front. The Packers also lost Junior Coffey, a promising halfback who stood out as a member of the special teams in his rookie season last year.
PACKERS TO HAVE THIRD QUARTERBACK, LOMBARDI DECLARES
FEB 18 (Palm Beach, FL-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Wanted: young quarterback to serve as apprentice for Bart Starr and Zeke Bratkowski. Great chance for advancement if willing to sit and wait. Must like winter sports. Best fringe benefits. Vince Lombardi, coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers, is on the prowl for a young passer to take the place of Dennis Claridge, who apparently grew tired of waiting on the Packer bench. Lombardi took a chance on Claridge in the Atlanta expansion draft and lost the former Nebraska star to the Falcons in the stocking program. Cynical observers think Lombardi, who drive a hard bargain, had a deal set up or in the making when he put Claridge on the list. Others say the young man wanted a chance to try his wings. This is the way Lombardi explained the situation Thursday as the NFL meeting ended: "Look at it this way. We won last year and we think we have a chance to win it again. That means Bart and Zeke will do most of the playing. Claridge would have had a third year sitting on the bench. I would like to get another young boy to bring along. I've got something to offer and some of the clubs may need what I have. I would like to have a third quarterback and I'll have one." Lombardi said he had no intention of trading Paul Hornung or Jim Taylor, his regular running backs, before training camp opened. He has Tom Moore and Elijah Pitts, two additional veteran running backs, plus his highly touted rookies, Don Anderson of Texas Tech and Jim Grabowski of Illinois. Although it has been widely reported that Anderson got $600,000 to sign and Grabowski $250,000, Lombardi refused to talk money. "I have no comment on any figures anybody has mentioned," said Lombardi. "But I see no problems. What makes my team anything unusual? Didn't the Bears have two big ones in Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers" They didn't' come for peanuts." Lombardi revamped his offensive line last summer but had to return to veterans like Fuzzy Thurston and Jerry Kramer in the stretch drive that ended in another championship. "I don't know what I will do," said Lombardi. "The old fellows finished real strong. Maybe I tried to force the young men in there too early." Lombardi is high on Bob Jeter, a defensive back from Iowa who sparkled in the title game with Cleveland after Doug Hart was injured. "Jeter was a regular until he was hurt in a preseason game," said Lombardi. "After he cracked a rib, we put Hart in there and Jeter couldn't get him out." Lombardi is going on a month's vacation before going back to his swank Packer office and the IBM machines. The league meetings ended officially Thursday, but the main business was transacted Wednesday when the Atlanta club was stocked with 42 experienced players. No action was taken on expansion other than to repeat the league's desire to operate with 16 teams in 1967. Presentation will be made by interested cities at the spring meeting in late April or May at a site to be determined later. Commissioner Pete Rozelle said seven cities still were in the running. They are Boston, Cincinnati, Houston, New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, Ore., and Seattle. Rozelle said the owners had not discussed a common player draft or any merger with the rival AFL. Rozelle indicated the bonus dollar war for collegians would continue, and pointed out that all 14 NFL teams made money in each of the last two years.
GATHER AROUND...AND PICK A QB
FEB 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The sudden and unexpected disappearance of Dennis Claridge from the Packer roster last week - via the stocking of Atlanta - forced the following obvious deductions: (1) The Packers will need a third quarterback to operate behind Bart Starr and Zeke Bratkowski in 1966 and (2) Coach Vince Lombardi will have to wheel and deal for that third party since the Bays did not draft a QB last December, and they have no such animal on their taxi squad. So the question is this: Where do the Packers go to get a quarterback prospect? There are hundreds of college quarterbacks who can be signed as free agents, but if they escaped being drafted their possibilities can be questionable. However, one or two of this breed may be brought in. The most logical method of getting a reasonably good backup QB - and possible successor to the throne - is by trading. So what's available from the other clubs: The 14 teams closed the 195 season with 39 quarterbacks on their official rosters - plus another half dozen or so on the various taxi squads. Eleven teams were in the three-quarterback category, although one of the three two-QB clubs, Pittsburgh, actually had three until the last two games. The Steelers waived their third QB, Ed Brown, to the Colts for the last league game, leaving only Bill Nelsen and Tommy Wade. The other two QBs are Cleveland, with Frank Ryan and Jim Ninowski, and Washington, with Sonny Jurgensen and Dick Shiner. These three clubs can be eliminated as QB traders. Baltimore can be added to this group, too, since the Colts' third QB, Tom Matte, is actually a halfback behind John Unitas and Gary Cuozzo. The remaining nine clubs have 27 quarterbacks, and you can rule out the No. 1 and No. 2 QBs from each team, with the exception of Dallas, whose backup QBs to Don Meredith will both be sophomores, Craig Morton and Jerry Rhome. At any rate, the list of possibles is now down to 10 - Morton and Rhome of Dallas; Larry Rakestraw of Chicago; Tom Myers of Detroit; Ron Smith of Los Angeles; Bob Berry of Minnesota; Bob Timberlake of New York; Jack Concannon of Philadelphia; Terry Nofsinger of St. Louis; and George Mira of San Francisco. Rakestraw, Rhome, Morton, Myers, Smith, Berry and Timberlake each has one year of pro experience (one less than Claridge); Concannon and Mira, two each; and Nofsinger, six. Assuming (1) that the Packers' third quarterback will come from that group of 10 and (2) that Lombardi would prefer a back-upper with a year or two of pro training, the question now is: Do the needs of these clubs fit what the Packers can offer. With Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski coming in to join Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, Tom Moore, Elijah Pitts and Allen Jacobs, it would appear that the Packers can offer a good halfback or two - Moore and/or Jacobs, not to mention Pitts and/or Jacobs. Anybody can use a good halfback, particularly one like Moore, but who really needs one? The first clubs that come to mind are the Cowboys and Eagles. This points the finger at Morton, Rhome and Concannon - all good prospects...SEEK DEFENSIVE HELP: The Vikings could use a good back, too, but Coach Norm Van Brocklin undoubtedly would seek defensive help and it isn't likely that the Packers will part with any of their skilled defensers. The Rams might be interested in parting with sophomore-to-be Bob Berry and they certainly need an offense back. There's a story out of Detroit that says the Lions are unhappy with nice-guy Milt Plum, but the Lions most certainly would want a QB of equal stature. Young Tom Myers, the former Northwestern star, must be considered a possibility for trade, however. The Falcons will go to work with at least six quarterbacks - Claridge, rookies Randy Johnson and Steve Sloan; and retreads Henry Schichtle, John Torok and Bill Lothridge.
PACK FLAVOR AT ATLANTA
FEB 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The coaching staff of the Atlanta Falcons has been completed by Coach Norb Hecker. And five of the six coaches have a Green Bay flavor. Hecker, defensive backfield coach of the Packers for seven years, has named Tom Fears, offensive end coach; John Symank, defensive backfield; Hal Herring, defense; George Dickson, offensive backfield; and Brad Ecklund, offensive line. Fears coached Packer ends for four seasons while Symank is a former Packer defensive back. Dickson, the former Notre Dame quarterback, scouted for the Packers in the
early 1950s, and Ecklund was drafted by the Packers in the late 1940s. Ecklund, a center, played in the old All-America Conference. The Falcons will go to camp next July with nearly 120 players, including 42 veterans chosen in the recent expansion draft, 19 free agents, 25 from the college draft, and many others seeking tryouts. Hecker is presently hunting for a training camp site.
BETTIS NAMED CHIEFS AIDE
FEB 25 (Kansas City) - Tom Bettis, 32, former Purdue University standout and a nine-year veteran of pro football, was appointed defensive backfield coach for the Kansas City Chiefs today. He replaces Tom Catlin, who resigned this week to join the Los Angeles Rams' staff. Bettis, a native of Chicago, played at Purdue from 1951-54 and was captain his last two years. The Chiefs' head coach, Hank Stram, was backfield coach at Purdue during Bettis' career there. After his senior year, Bettis played in three All-Star games - the East-West Shrine game, Senior Bowl, and College All-Star game. He played seven seasons for the Green Bay Packers as a linebacker, 1955-61, then played one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears. He retired in 1963 and entered business at Green Bay.
PERSONALITY PARADE
FEB 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There are some pro football pundits who contend the present practice of disbursing astronomical bonuses to graduating collegians is certain to foment revolt among the veterans, who figure to be somewhat less prosperous than these infant cold war "corporations." Massive Arnie Herber, retired king of the game's long passers, is inclined to disagree. Not that the Packer immortal is naive enough to believe that all will be sweetness and light between the old pros and the incoming wonders when the 1966 season arrives, but he feels a pertinent point is being overlooked - the athletes' inbred zest for competition and/or pride of performance. One of those who was "born too soon," Herber is well qualified to discourse upon the issue. Analyzing the situation from what he presumes to be the veteran player's standpoint, Herber readily admitted, "There is no question there will be a little friction." "I don't think it'll be right out in the open, but these bonus boys will take a lot of ribbing. The veterans aren't going to like it, that's for sure. You play five years and help win the championship, and somebody else comes in and gets all the money - naturally you aren't going to be happy about it. But there won't be any fights, or anything like that. A big thing to remember, of course, is that's not only happening on one team," the one-time West High luminary pointed out. "All the clubs are going to be affected the same way." "But it won't be difference in the play," Herber declared. "I don't care what anybody says. When you get out on that field, you forget everything else except that ball game." "The idea of anybody not playing with anyone else," he added, gesturing with a blunt, olive-colored cigar, "is a lot of foolishness." "That only happened once," Arnie chuckled, "and then it was done just as a joke. The last time Curly Lambeau (the Packers' late founder and coach) played, we agreed before the game to open the gates on him - nobody would block for him. But Lambeau knew something was fishy and when the pass from center came, he just grabbed the ball and knelt down," Herber grinned. "He wouldn't move. It was a big joke- everybody got a kick out of it, doing it to the coach." Blessed with a quiet but robust sense of humor, the bull-shouldered Cherry Street resident had a facetious word of advice to all veterans. "Most of them are saying they welcome these bonus boys and will try to help 'em, and the bonus boys
TRADING IS RISKY, BUT PACKER CHOICES PAY OFF
FEB 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Trading is a risky season...at best. But you'd never know it by the results of Packer Coach Vince Lombardi's last four trades. Before the 1964 season started, Lombardi traded Jim Ringo and Earl Gros to the Eagles for Lee Roy Caffey and their first draft choice. That first pick was converted into a lad by the name of Donny Anderson, who was selected a year ago as a junior eligible. Anderson, the best collegiate back in the U.S. last fall, is now a Packer. Caffey, who was obtained to fill the hole created by the retirement of Bill Forester, won a startling linebacking job in '64 and then did so well last year that he was selected for duty in the Pro Bowl game. That's the top recommendation. The next three deals brought in Don Chandler, Carroll Dale and Billy Anderson. Chandler cost only a draft choice in a switch with the Giants; Dale came from the Rams in exchange for Dan Currie, who became expendable when Caffey looked so good; and Anderson was a draft choice tradee via Washington. Chandler and Dale were fantastic in the Packers' historic "double championship" at Lambeau field Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, And what a return on Lombardl's investment of one draft choice and one gent named Currie. Chandler, whose kicking won three games during the regulation season, booted five field goals in the overtime playoff win over the Colts and the championship victory against the Browns. In addition, he averaged 40.3 yards on eight punts. Don missed one FG try - from 47 tards vs. the Colts. Don booted a 27-yard FG to tie the Colt game at 10-up in the fourth quarter and then drilled home a 25-yarder to win it in the "fifth." He kicked 15, 23 and 29-yard FGs in the title game. Dale caught five passes for for 123 yards and one TD in the two games, snaring
three for 63 vs. the Colts and two for 60 against the Browns. He made a spectacular catch of a 33-yard Zeke Bratkowski pass to set up the only TD in the playoff and then set up the winning FG. His TD came on a 47-yard strike from Bart Starr in the title test. Anderson stepped in nobly when Marv Fleming faltered along the way and the former Redskin, who was out of football in '64 while coaching at Tennessee, caught eight passes in the playoff victory. The trading season is upon us once more. But it's pretty difficult to expect the dividends the Packers reaped from their last three trades...PRO PACKINGS: Bob Skoronski was asked about Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung at a banquet in Fond du Lac the other night. Said Bob: "Jimmy is fabulous. He has no regard for his body at all. He just wants contact. There is no man in the league who is as good or who comes through as well as Paul when the chips are down.".
PACKERS, BROWNS VIE IN '66: GROZA
MAR 2 (Appleton-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Pro football buffs won't have to wait until the end of the 1966 season for a rematch between the NFL champion Packers and the eastern conference champion Browns. The Browns' Lou Groza, football's most famous placekicker and the most prolific scorer in NFL history, revealed here Tuesday that the Packers and Cleveland would meet in a regular season game in '66. Groza said he hoped the Browns could get even next fall for the 23-12 loss to the Packers in the NFL title game. "But, it's no disgrace to lose to a team like the Packers," Groza told his Appleton Rotary Club audience in the Conway Hotel. The former offensive tackle, who is now a kicking specialist, paid special tribute to Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr. "Starr, to me, doesn't get the recognition he deserves. He gives the team as great an offensive threat as anyone." Starr diversified the Packer attack against Cleveland and "took advantage of a few defensive flaws," according to Groza. Speaking about the playing conditions in Green Bay Jan. 2, Groza refused to alibi, saying "it was the same for both teams." In fact, Groza emphasized that the site of the title game should never be changed to a warmer climate - as some have proposed. On the question, "are college stars worth the big money they're getting?", Groza's answer was: "They're not worth it in terms of what they can contribute immediately but business conditions force it." The dollar war is the natural result of two leagues fighting each other for personnel, Groza noted. There's little difference in the amount of television money available to each club in the NFL and the AFL, but the NFL has greater resources because of its larger stadia, according to Groza. The economic factor is the thing that will bring the two leagues together or will kill one off, Groza indicated. He added that it's anyone's guess right now as to how it will come out. Groza posed the question. "what does it (big bonus policy) do to established players?" He wouldn't go into the matter, however, except to say, "no one knows how far it will go" - and he wouldn't comment on the possibility of unionizing pro gridders. Groza, the only Brown remaining active from the original 1946 teams, cites three major changes in pro football since that time: (1) The increased importance of the passing game; (2) The change in basic defenses from 6 and 5-man lines to the current 4-man lines; (3) players are much bigger.
BOB LONG TO MISS ROOMIE CLARIDGE
MAR 6 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - What's Bob Long doing these days? He's playing basketball, going to school, and thinking about playing regular with the Packers next season. "And I plan to go up to Lincoln (Neb.) and see Dennis, and maybe play a little golf," the Packers' fleet offensive end chirped over the phone from his home in Wichita, Kan., the other day. "Dennis and I were real close you know. We were roommates for our two seasons in Green Bay, and I'm going to miss him," Long said, adding: "I talked to him shortly after he went to the Falcons, and he said he was disappointed leaving a team like Green Bay with all its tradition and habit of winning. One thing, thought, Dennis will find out now if he has what it takes. He should get plenty of chance to play. Dennis has a tremendous arm. He can throw it almost any distance. All he needs to do is relax a little and not get so excited. That's one thing about Bart. He never gets excited, and he puts the ball right in there." Long, who caught five touchdown passes as a sophomore last year, makes no bones about the upcoming season, pointing out: "I want to play regular. That's my ambition. I can't kid anybody. If I can't play regularly, I'll be real disappointed. I thought I got quite a bit of experience last year and that experience is the big thing in this league."...DOING RADIO WORK: Long is presently finishing up his master's degree in business administration at Wichita University, his alma mater. The former Wichita basketball star is playing in a strong city cage league and "right now we're fighting it out for the state championship." Long is also doing some radio work on broadcasts of Wichita's basketball games. "They're second in the Missouri Valley Conference, but they can't win on the road. They've won all their home games and lost everything on the road," he said. Wichita has "another Long in the making." He is Kelley Pete, a 6-1, 195-poud forward who hasn't played football since his high school days. Long was a star prep gridder but then didn't go out for football at Wichita U until his senior year. He had only six college games under his belt when he reported to the Pack in '64...FEARS CALLS: "Tom Fears called me the other day about Pete (now a senior) and I guess most of the pro clubs are interest in him. He's built like Herb Adderley and reminds you of Cornell Green. He probably would play flanker or defensive back in the pros," Long said. Long is keeping an eye on the mail. "I'm anxious to get the championship ring. I heard it's a beauty. The first one is always the best."
COACH POSEWITZ QUITS REDWINGS
MAR 10 (Sheboygan) - Dick Posewitz, Sheboygan Redwings player-coach since 1964, has announced his retirement as coach of the Central States Football League team for business reasons. Posewitz, who once had a tryout with the Green Bay Packers, said he hopes to stay on as a player.
PACKER SMILE AS FOES STUDY 'STIX'
MAR 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The winner smile and the losers yell for the statistics. Since the Packers were world winners last season, they're not particularly interested in the final figures. But the NFL has set aside the two-week period, March 13 to March 27, as the Statistical Season and the final official figures will be presented on various days - for the benefit of you Figure Filberts. The first batch, for release today, has to do with scoring and it is hereby noted that the Packers finished eighth in the matter of producing points. They counted 316 points - an average of 22.5 per game, which is a far cry from the 49ers' leading 421 and 30.07. Since the Packers scored a total of 38 touchdowns and Don Chandler kicked 17 field goals, our boys averaged 2.7 touchdowns and 1.2 field goals per start. This point, of course, to the Pack's fine defense, but that's another story. These figures aren't earth shaking (they averaged 3.7 TDs and 1.07 FGs in scoring 415 points in '62), but you are reminded that the Packers won the 1965 title with an 10-3-1 record, not to mention the playoff victory and the world title game triumph. The Pack's TD total (38) is the lowest since Vince Lombardi's debut year, 1959, when the Bays scored 32. It is interesting to note the rise and leveling off in Vince's seven years of success. TD production jumped to 41 in 1960, 49 in 1961, and 53 in 1962 before dropping off to 46 in 1963, 44 in 1964 and then 38 last year. While the Packers, during Lombardi's reign, have been a rushing team, they scored 19 touchdowns rushing and 19 passing last season. The bays had one other even split - in 1959, when they counted 16 by air and 16 on the ground. In between, however, the rushing TDs exceeded those by passing and the totals for the seven years show 189 by rushing and 114 by passing. Individually, the Packers have a new scoring champion - with the arrival of the foot specialist, Dr. Chandler, who led the Bays with 88 points on 17 FGs and 37 of 38 (one was blocked) extra points. Don replaced Paul Hornung, who settled for eight touchdowns, including five in the Colt game in Baltimore, for 48 points. Chandler, like the Packers, finished eighth in the league scoring race. Gale Sayers won the point title with 132 on a record 22 touchdowns. Sayers bettered the previous rookie scoring record of 128 by Doak Walker of Detroit in 1950, Sayers and Jim Brown of Cleveland, with 21, both broke the TD record of 20 set by Lenny Moore of Baltimore in 1964. Hornung boosted his all-time Packer scoring total to 730 points - 93 short of the record of 823 held by Don Hutson. Paul needs 94 marks to snap the mark - a record he has said he'd like to break. Fifteen different Packers had a finger in Packer scoring in '65 - an increase of five over a year ago.
MILLER APPONTED PACK ASSISTANT GM
MAR 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Tom Miller, the Packers' publicity director for the past 10 years, has been named assistant to the general manager, it was announced today by Vince Lombardi, head coach and general manager. A successor to Miller will be announced shortly, said Lombardi. Miller succeeded Bonnie Ryan as PR chief in 1956. He is only the clubs' fifth publicity chief in history. The late George W. Calhoun handled publicity from 1919 through 1946, when George Strickler took over the job. Jug Earp did the public relations work from 1950 through 1953 and Ryan in 1954-55. Miller has been in athletics most of his life. A native of Milton, Pa., where he was an all-stater in high school football and basketball, Tom played football with the varsity at Hampton-Sydney as a freshman - when the school played such powers as Maryland and Dartmouth. Miller served a year in the Navy Air Corps after college and then played five years of pro football - with the Eagles in 1942-43-44, the Redskins in their championship year of '45 and the Packers in '46. Miller enrolled at Wilkes College in Pennsylvania to work on his degree and assisted in coaching football, baseball and basketball. He also coached the baseball team at Drexel College and assisted in basketball and football before returning to Green Bay in 1954. He worked at the H.C. Prange Co. before joining the Packers. The Millers (Tom and his wife, Beverly) have three children - Tom, 20, Nancy, 18, and Susie 10...The Packers, first in 1964, finished 12th in kickoff returns in 1965, according to final official statistics announced by the NFL today. They averaged 20.8 yards on 50 returns against 25.8 in '64. Detroit led the league in KO returns in '65 with an average of 27.2. Tom Moore topped Packer returners with an average of 24.1 yards on 15 returns. Elijah Pitts was next with 19.8 on 20 returns. Herb Adderley was third was 22.1 on 10 returns. The Lions' Tommy Watkins topped the league with 17 returns for an average of 34.4 yards. Gale Sayers of the Bears was next with 31.4 on 21 returns.
ANDERSON WILL HELP PACK IN '66: DAVIS
MAR 16 (Milwaukee) - Defensive end Willie Davis of the Green Bay Packers said Tuesday night he feels bonus rookie Donny Anderson "will be one of the key players" for the team in 1966 and "will deliver us some long scores." "I expected him to be a game-breaker, even if
he is used only on a spot basis. He is a good football player," Davis said of the Texas Tech halfback who signed for an estimated $600,000. David said he figured the Packers' other big bonus rookie, fullback Jim Grabowski of Illinois, will be valuable "if he just makes Jim Taylor sting a little harder." Taylor is the Packers' veteran fullback. All-pro Davis, speaking to a father-son banquet at Trinity Presbyterian Church, said felt Anderson would push veterans Paul Hornung into more of the clutch play Hornung delivered near the end of the 1965 season. Davis said Hornung's play in the last few games of last season was probably due to his realization that Anderson would be around this year. Davis said he felt Coach Vince Lombard put quarterback Dennis Claridge on the Atlanta Falcons' draft list to give the former Nebraska star a better chance to play regularly in the NFL. David said it was unlikely Claridge would gain any significant game experience with the Packers in the foreseeable future because of the presence of veterans Bart Starr and Zeke Bratkowski. Starr should be able to play another four or five years, Davis said.
PACKERS PRESENT $15,000 TO CITY, WITHOUT COMMENT
MAR 16 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The city coffer contains $15,000 more today - thanks to the Green Bay Packers. Tuesday, Stadium Commission President Clarence Nier received a gift in that amount from the club's General Manager-Coach Vince Lombardi. Lombardi's letter read: "Dear Clarence, Enclosed is a check for $15,000 was a gift to the city, Sincerely, Vince." Nier said the money is apparently an outright gift, with no strings attached. He said the city was reimbursed $10,000 for expenses connected with the championship game and has been paid in full for all league, non-league and extra games. He added that all points of the City-Packer contract have been fulfilled and that the $15,000 appears to be a sign of good faith due to the "extraordinarily good relations between the Packers and the Stadium Commission." Lombardi was out of the city and could not be reached for comment. The donation was dutifully accounted by the City Council Tuesday night, with no questions asked.
PACKERS OPPOSE AUSTIN, STEELERS IN BISHOP'S GAME
MAR 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Two departures from the 1965 card are in the offing for the Packers' home preseason schedule for next season. The Steelers, coached by former Packer aide Bull Austin, will replace the Giants as the guest for the sixth annual Bishop's Charities game at Lambeau Field Saturday night, Aug. 27. New York had been the opponent for the previous five Bishop's Charities contest. Milwaukee will play host to two preseason games this year - unlike a year ago when Green Bay hosted the Bishop's battle and the Cardinals, both sellouts of 50,327. The 17th annual Midwest Shrine Classic again will feature the Packers and their ancient foes, the Bears, and will be played before a national television audience on Friday night, Aug. 12. The second game in County Stadium will present the Giants - on Saturday night, Sept. 3, the final preseason test before the league opener. The preseason schedule was announced today by Coach-GM Vince Lombardi. The Packers will play two other preseason games, the first of which will be the College All Star affair in Chicago the first weekend in August. The other preseason test likely will be at Dallas the weekend of Aug. 20. The Packers will take winning streaks into both charity games. They'll be going for their sixth straight triumph in the Bishop's Charities test. The Bays trounced the Giants 44-10 in the 1965 games. The Packers will be firing away for their seventh straight win in the Shrine event and the previous six were at the expense of the Bears. Lombardi hasn't lost a Shrine game since his preseason debut at the Packer helm in 1959 when the Bears won 19-16 in the last few seconds...The Packers finished fourth in the league in punting, final NFL statistics showed today. Don Chandler did all of the booting and closed with an average of 42.9 yards on 74 kicks. San Francisco closed out first with 45.8, with Tommy Davis delivering 54 kicks. Gary Collins of the Browns won the individual championship with an average of 46.7. Chandler finished fifth. Chandler booted the longest punt, a 90-yarder against the 49ers in Green Bay. It was four yards short of the league record held by Wilbur (Fats) Henry of Canton, who posted a 94-yard boost against Akron in 1923.
1965 DEPARTURE FOR DOWLER - PLAYED MORE POSITIONS
MAR 20 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Boyd Dowler, being a three-position offensive end, doesn't make many tackles. But he set some sort of personal record in the past Pro Bowl game when the Western All Stars, and John Brodie in particular, had eight passes intercepted. "I found out about playing defense that day. I must have been in three or four tackles," Dowler laughed the other day. "Bart doesn't have many interceptions and I hardly remember making any tackles as long as I've been with the Packers," Boyd said, adding: "I've never played on the platoons here either, so I guess you'd have to say the Pro Bowl game was a new experience in that way, too." Actually, just playing in the game was a new experience for Dowler because it was his first trip there. He wasn't chosen in the original group from the West by Star Coach Vince Lombardi called Boyd in a hurry when one of his ends was injured. Dowler has put in seven seasons in the Green Bay silks and he has led the club in pass receiving in five of those years and place second twice. And the fact that he received by one Pro Bowl bid - and that an "accidental" one - shows you just how underrated Dowler really is. Boyd led the Bays with 44 catches last season and the next two receivers were actually 24 receptions behind him - Carroll Dale and Jim Taylor, each with 20, Paul Hornung following with 19, Marv Fleming 14, Bob Long 13, Elijah Pitts 13, Max McGee 10, Billy Anderson 8, and Tom Moore 7. The past season was quite a departure for Dowler, who found himself as the lone regular survivor of the Big Three - Dowler, McGee, and Ron Kramer. McGee played in a relief role and Kramer was traded to the Lions. These three were the big pass catching guns in the Pack's previous championships, although Gary Knafelc did the tight ending in Kramer's place in 1960. In previous years, Dowler and McGee would have a neck and neck finish for the pass receiving lead with Kramer running a close third. Asked about the difference last year, Dowler observed: "We were a little out of balance compared to the other years and Bart might have thrown to me a little more just out of force of habit - or human nature on his part. I was playing more positions and that also accounted for more passes being thrown to me." Dowler was the Packers' original flanker - since 1959 when he won rookie of the year honors in the NFL. But in '65, he often played flanker, left (split) end and tight end on many occasions. In fact, he played just about all of the last two Colt games at tight end. Dowler doesn't seem the tight end type - at 6-5 and 225 pounds and fine speed, but, like the man said, "after all the experience I consider myself a pretty good blocker." Dowler never seems to catch that proverbial bushel of passes, but the Packer attack is based on balance and quarterback Bart Starr always keeps the defenses guessing. With most other teams Dowler would catch 75 to 80 passes a season, but with four championships in his seven years, nobody, and that includes Boyd, is complaining about statistics. Dowler caught 32 as a rookie and then followed with 30 in, 60, 36 in '61, 49 in '62, 53 in '63, 45 in '64, and 44 in '65. Boyd finished 15th among league receivers. Dave Parks of San Francisco led the league with 80 while Tommy McDonald of Los Angeles was next with 67. Dowler and Starr, the kingpins in the Pack's aerial attack, both were plagued with injuries last year. Dowler had troubles with his shoulder and ankle, while Starr injured his finger and back along the way. Starr, the defending passing champion, ranked fourth in his specialty behind Rudy Bukich of the Bears, John Unitas of the Colts and Brodie of the 49ers. Bart, with 251 attempts, went through with only nine interceptions. Starr turned in 140 completions for a percentage of 55.8, 2,055 yards and 16 touchdowns. Zeke Bratkowski, getting his heaviest dose of relief as a Packer, completed 21 of 48 passes for 348 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.
ARNIE HERBER NAMED TO PRO GRID FAME HALL
MAR 23 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Arnie Herber's election to the National Professional Football Hall of Fame at Canton, O., was made official today. And the Green Bay native admitted today that "this is the greatest thrill I've ever had." Herber was chosen along with the late Walt Kiesling, a Packer in 1935-36 and later a Packer assistant coach; Steve Owen, New York Giant immortal; Bulldog Turner and George McAfee, Chicago Bears stars; Bill Dudley, a dazzling halfback with Pittsburgh, Detroit and Washington. Joe Guyon, an early-day halfback with six different clubs; and Hugh (Shorty) Ray, a statistician who helped make the rules of pro football. Arnie is the eighth Packer to make it. He joins Curly Lambeau, Cal Hubbard, Don Hutson and Johnny Blood, who were named as charter members in the million-dollar Hall in 1963; and Mike Michalske and Clarke Hinkle, who were chosen in 1964. Lambeau and Herber are the only Green Bay sons in the shrine, and, in the process, West High pulled even with East High. Lambeau starred as a passing back at East starting in 1915 and Arnie was a West hero in the mid-1920s. Herber joined the Packers in 1930 as an understudy to the late Red Dunn as passer and halfback. Still ranked as the "longest" passer in the history of pro football, Herber gained stardom as the front end of the famous Herber to Don Hutson passing combo - an aerial weapon that swept the Packers to championships in 1936 and 1939. He won the NFL passing championship in 1932, 1934 and 1936. Herber closed out the Packer phase of his career after the 1941 season and then went into retirement until the New York Giants talked him into a comeback in 1944. He led the Giants to the Eastern Division championship in that year, but lost in the championship game to, of all people, the Packers. Arnie called it quits after the 1945 season in New York and returned to his home in Green Bay where he remains as a staunch Packer Backer. Herber is now secretary-treasurer and sales manager of the Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of De Pere. Herber said today that "I can't believe that I've been chosen with the greats at Canton. There have been many fine players in pro football but not many of them are in Canton." Kiesling, Owen and Ray are deceased. The five surviving inductees will be enshrined at elaborate ceremonies in Canton Aug. 27. Dudley was an all-around halfback and led the NFL in rushing and returning punts and kickoffs. "Bullet Bill" played his collegiate ball at Virginia where he scored 134 points in 1941. Guyon, a standout performer at Carlisle and Georgia Tech and later with several pro clubs, was a blocked back for Jim Thorpe, one of the 31 members
already in the shrine...RETIRED TO RANCH: Turner, a two-way performer for the Bears, coached pro football until 1962, when he retired to his ranch in Texas. Bulldog earned his nickname from his bone crushing tackles as a linebacker and bruising blocks as a center. Kiesling, a journeyman tackle who played with more than a half dozen pro clubs, attended college at St. Thomas, Minn. A rough lineman, Kiesling later became a top-notch coach. Ray didn't contribute to the NFL on the football field, but in his office where he streamlined the sport in his capacity as NFL technical advisory and officials supervisor. Ray, of Illinois, held the post from 1938 to 1956.
WISCONSIN WIDOW GIVEN LIPSCOMB INSURANCE CLAIM
MAR 26 (Milwaukee) - Federal Judge John W. Reynolds has awarded proceeds from a $20,000 life insurance policy left by a former Green Bay Packer tackle to an Elm Grove woman. Mrs. Sonia Lipscomb, Elm Grove, and Mrs. Elizabeth Lipscomb, La Crescenta, Calif., both had filed claims that they were the beneficiary of the policy left by Paul F. Lipscomb. Both women claimed to be Lipscomb's legal widow, although Reynolds did not rule on that matter. Lipscomb died in 1964 of a heart attack. He had played with the Packers from 1945 through 1949. In his ruling, Judge Reynolds noted that Mrs. Sonia Lipscomb was designated beneficiary of the policy. A claim by Mrs. Elizabeth Lipscomb that Lipscomb had made an oral agreement with her in 1962 to make her beneficiary of all his insurance policies in lieu of alimony and support payments for her son was disallowed.
ANDERSON, GRABO 'GOOD' FOR PAUL?
MAR 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Paul Hornung would like to "end my career in Green Bay." And he thinks the presence of Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski "might be the best thing that happened to me." These are among the views expressed by the Packers' Golden Boy in a story entitled "The Full Story of Paul Hornung's Comeback" in the current Sport magazine. Interviewed in Los Angeles about eight hours after the championship game last Jan. 3, Hornung said in part: "I'm just going to take it year by year. At no time this year (1965) did I think I might be washed up. The Anderson-Grabowski thing might have be the best thing that happened to me, might be a blessing in disguise. Two backs like that, the coach is going to have to use them. Got to start thinking about the future. I'll be in my 10th year, Jimmy (Taylor) will be in his ninth. I think Jimmy and I can help them a little bit. Not with their running but with the audible system and how to think in a situation. There's more to it than running, but with the audible system and how to think in a situation. There's more to it than running. Anderson's a mature kid. I haven't met Grabowski. But Anderson is more of a man coming out of college than a lot of kids I've seen come out in recent years. Let the kids get all the dough they can. I would if I was in their shoes. But the kids still have to beat the veterans out. They can't buy their way into the regular lineup. You win with veterans, not kids. Vince Lombardi calls me up and says I won't be traded. He says there's nothing to the rumors. He says he still wants me on his side. I believe him. If I get traded, I'll feel bad about it. I'd like to end my career in Green Bay, But if I get traded, I'll do the best I can." Hornung chartered a private plane to Chicago, braving the snow and bad weather, right after the title game and then boarded a jet for LA. He arrived there early Sunday night and was playing golf with Bob Rosburg the next day. Plagued by injuries during the season, Hornung was held to 299 yards in 89 attempts for an average of 3.4 yards, finished 31st in the league. Taylor, below par in the first five games, still came home with 734 yards in 207 attempts for 3.5. Hornung was a terror in the "double championship" series at Lambeau Field with 138 yards in 28 attempts - an average of just under 5 per crack. Taylor rushed 156 yards in the two games in 49 attempts for 3.2...STARR THIRD HIGHEST: The figures would indicate that Hornung, as he has shown so many times in the past, is at his best when the stakes are highest. Bart Starr wound up as the Pack's third leading ground gainer with 169 yards in 19 carries for a rousing average of 9.4. Tom Moore dropped off to 124 in 51 and Elijah Pitts had 122 in 54. The Packers finished 11h in rushing - their lowest ranking since 1958, with 1,488 yards in 432 attempts. Cleveland (who else?) won the rush title with 2,331 yards in 476 tries and the Browns' great Jim Brown took the individual crown with 1,544 yards in 289 attempts...SIDEBAR: The Rams have now been in Los Angeles 20 years (they moved from Cleveland in 1946), but they've had only one 10-year player in LA. That would be Lamar Lundy, who will be going for No. 10 next fall. Since 1946, the Packers have had five 10-year operators - Bill Forester, Jim Ringo, Hank Gremminger, Max McGee, and Bart Starr. Forrest Gregg will join the group next season.
CHUCK LANE, 23, NAMED PACKER PUBLICITY CHIEF
MAR 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Chuck Lane, 23, former Washington and Lee athlete, has been named publicity director of the Packers, it was announced today by Coach-GM Vince Lombardi. Lane succeeds Tom Miller, the publicity chief for the past 10 years who has been chosen assistant to the general manager. Lane has been named with the Max Winter Attractions, Inc., of Minneapolis for the past three years and handled promotions of the Harlem Globetrotters in a five-state area plus Winnipeg. He worked with the Minnesota Vikings press staff the past seasons. The new PR chief attended Blake High School in Hopkins, Minn., where he was all-conference in football and basketball. He was named the school's most valuable baseball player in '59. He quarterbacked and captained the football team and captained the baseball team at Washington and Lee. Lane was senior class president at W-L, president of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and was selected Who's Who in American Colleges. He also was athletic editor of the Waashington and Lee yearbook and art editor of the Washington and Lee Humor magazine. Lane will start his duties here Friday.
LOMBARDI SALUTED AT JERSEY DINNER
APR 3 (Jersey City, NJ) - Vince Lombardi, highly successful coach of the Green Bay Packers, was saluted by more than 600 persons at a banquet and testimonia in his honor at the Skyline Club here Saturday night. The gigantic fete was arranged by the Six Blocks of Granite for Fordham University in honor of the Seventh Block - Lombardi, who was a guard on the famous Gotham team. Jim Crowley, a Green Bay native who coached this Fordham club, said, "I'm not here because Vince was a great player and coach or because he won a NFL title. I'm here because I have a great respect and admiration for his loyalty and friendship and his dedication to his chosen profession and because he is a real Christian gentlemen who every Fordham man can call his own." Wellington Mara, president of the New York Giants, said, "I've known Vince as a classmate, as a friend, a boss and an opponent and he's tops in all categories. I respect him highly in all classes." Cliff Case, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, remarked that "even though he made his fame in Green Bay we consider him one of our own in New Jersey. We are just as proud of him as the people of Wisconsin." Joining in the program were Packer president Dominic Olejniczak and Packer Asst. General Manager Tom Miller.
BONUS ROOKIES WELCOME; STARR
APR 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The question always seems to come up. "What do you think of the high bonuses being paid the rookies?" Bart Starr, the Packers' star quarterback, was on the receiving end at the annual meeting of the Associated Press Sports Writers' Assn., at the Downtowner Saturday night. The query, of course, referred to the Packers' recent signing of Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski, the All-American backs who each received something in the neighborhood of six figures to sign. Starr drew a parallel to the Bears, who signed Gale Sayers and Dick Butkus to similar packs a year ago...WARMLY WELCOMED: "With the success the Bears were having - due to the fine play of Sayers and Butkus - the veterans couldn't have cared less how much the Bears paid those two boys," Starr said. "You can bet that our new boys (Anderson and Grabowski) will be warmly welcomed and the defensive players will want to show them that they have a good defense," Bart laughed, in referring to how the defense will react to the newcomers. "But we have a very fine disciplined feeling on our club and we feel that the entire team will benefit from the addition of the two boys. We know that if we can't sign them some other club will and it is to our advantage to have them," Starr said, adding: "We will never have a morale problem over anything like this - Coach Lombardi has done an excellent job in helping us mold into a well-knit unit." Starr was honored as Wisconsin's Player of the Years in the annual Associated Press poll and the official AP certificate was presented to him by the Press-Gazette's Len Wagner, president of the AP writers. In accepting the award, Starr said, "One man, one person never does anything. It's the team that does it. I'm just sorry 39 others of these (the awards) weren't passed out." Introduced as the "nice guy who finished first," Starr told writers from 20 state cities that "Green Bay is a wonderful place to play and live. We've lived here the year-around for six years now and we hope to make our home here." In answer to other questions Starr said: "The College All Star game really doesn't hurt us in preparing for the league season. Coach Lombardi is an excellent psychologist and he won't let us get too high of the expense of the season. Playing in the All Star game means that you've won the championship."...FINEST TREATMENT: "We receive the finest treatment of any athletic team in Green Bay from the writers and the fans. We feel that the coverage is very fair and we have no serious complaints. More clubs will be carrying three quarterbacks after what happened to the Colts last year. Those things will happen. I'm not injury prone, but I've had more injuries last year than I've ever had. It was just one of those years. There is a continual upgrading of talent and character in pro football. When I first came here, we had players who just wouldn't be around now."
PACKERS MEET COLTS, BROWNS IN 'REPLAY'
APR 4 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers start their 1966 league season with a replay of "Two Sundays in Titletown"...except they won't be in Green Bay. Green Bay opens against the Colts in Milwaukee County Stadium Saturday night, Sept. 10, and then plays at Cleveland Sunday afternoon, Sept. 18. The Packers played the same two teams in their back-to-back championship battles at Lambeau Field last season, beating the Colts 13-10 in the sudden death playoff Dec. 26 and the Browns 23-12 for the world title Jan. 2. The Packers will play the Rams Sept. 25, the Lions Oct. 2, the Vikings Nov. 6 and the Bears Nov. 20 at Green Bay. They meet the Colts Sept. 10, the Falcons Oct. 23 and the 49ers Dec. 4 in Milwaukee. The schedule was jointly announced today by Commissioner Pete Rozelle of the NFL and Packer Coach-GM Vince Lombardi. Green Bay will draw a bye Sunday, Nov. 13 - giving the Packers a break after eight games - in the NFL's expanded schedule due to the addition of Atlanta as the 15th team. The schedule is lengthened from 14 to 14 weeks and the number of games jumps from 98 to 105. The Falcons will play every team in the league and its won and lost record will be counted in the Eastern Division. With the addition of Atlanta, each team will play only one opposite
division game, with the Packers drawing the Eastern champion Browns. The '66 card includes many departures from what had come to be standard operating procedures in Green Bay over the years. The first Bear game, a fixture here since the two clubs started swinging back in '21, will be played in Chicago for the first time - on Sunday, Oct. 16. The replay is in Green Bay a month later - Nov. 20. In another switch, there will be a 3 o'clock game at Lambeau Field - against the Vikings Nov. 6. The game has been scheduled as a second game of a national TV doubleheader. The Packers' game at Minnesota Nov. 27 also will start at 3 and also will top a twin bill. The Packers figure in four league-game national telecasts, headed by the Saturday night classic against the Colts. The others are the games against the Vikings and a Saturday date against the Colts in Baltimore, Dec. 10. Other than Atlanta, which is being organized this year under former Packer aide, Norb Hecker, the schedule shoes no so-called breathers for Green Bay. After meeting the Colts and Browns, the Packers return to Green Bay to meet the Rams and Lions, each of whom scored a victory over the Packers last year. The Packers then travel to San Francisco, to Chicago, to Milwaukee to meet the Falcons, and to Detroit. The Packers next meet the Vikings here, draw a bye and then host the Bears. They take off for the final four - at Minnesota, at Milwaukee vs. the 49ers, at Baltimore and at Los Angeles...MURDERER'S ROW: No matter how you cut it, the Packers face at least a 13-team murderer's row in defending the championship. Rozelle said: "With the new season, the NFL confidently embarks on a new and expanded era. The addition of an area of such great sports interest as Atlanta, together with new stadia there and in St. Louis indicated paid attendance will reach five million for the first time."
MILWAUKEEANS SEEK STADIUM FOR AFL CONTEST
APR 7 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A Milwaukee group headed by Marvin L. Fishman has requested use of County Stadium for an AFL exhibition game, Aug. 20. County Stadium Manager Bill Anderson said he has received a letter from the Milwaukee group requesting use of the stadium for a game between the New York Jets and the new Miami Dolphins. The letter was to be given to the Milwaukee County Park Commission for consideration at their meeting today. The Packers have an exclusive contract for professional football in County Stadium, and it is highly doubtful that the Packers would consent to the game.
BYES HARMFUL OR HELPFUL IN NFL?
APR 10 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The NFL's 1966 schedule is cluttered up with 14 byes. And this brings up that proverbial question: Does a bye hurt or help your favorite team? The current bye situation was created by the addition of a 15th club - the Atlanta Falcons, who will play one game against every team in the league as a swing team. This forces each team to draw an idle Sunday. The league will still play a 14-game schedule, but it will be spread over 15 weeks. This is only the third bye season the league has arranged since 1950 when the Baltimore Colts became a swing (13th) team with the addition of three clubs from the old All-America Conference. The Colts were dissolved in 1951 in a common draft, returning the league to 12 teams. One of the clubs, the New York Yanks, was shifted to Dallas (Texas) in 1952 and then moved back to Baltimore for 1953, which was the start of the current Colts. The next bye season was in 1960 when the Dallas Cowboys became a 13th club. Things were evened in '61 when the Minnesota Vikings were added. A bye rips into a team's continuity and delays each team's major purpose, with the result that most coaches, including Vince Lombardi of the Packers, aren't generally pleased with a bye season. The Packers won the Western Division championship on 8-4 in 1960 and finished with 3-9 on 1950, which means their bye-bye season batting average is .500. It took a bit of digging but we've discovered that a bye season really isn't so bad. The 1950 bye teams complied a 6-5 record in the games on the Sunday following their byes. It as more decisive in 1960, the teams with a week's rest posting seven wins against four losses. This would indicate that a bye could be valuable as a means of resting up and the record shows that the "idled" teams apparently didn't lose their winning purposes. A badly injured club could get well in a hurry with a week off. And this was suggested the other day to Doug Hart, the Packers' defensive back. But Hart said he'd rather play a season without a bye. "There's too much chance of going stale with a bye," he pointed out. If the rest-up theory means anything - and you understand all this malarkey goes down the drain once the season starts - the Bears had better watch their step next season. The Bears draw both the Packers and the Colts after their bye Sundays. Baltimore is idle on Oct. 2 and then visits Chicago Oct. 9. Green bay gets it bye on Nov. 13 and then hosts the Bears on Nov. 20. Thus, Chicago will oppose two well rested teams. The Packers' well-rested foe will be the Rams. Green Bay will be in Los Angeles Dec. 18 and the Rams have off on Dec. 11. Two clubs go through without a skip - the Cowboys, who have a bye on the first weekend of the league, and the Lions, who are idle on the final Sunday...Only three players have scored more than 100 touchdowns in their pro football careers - Jimmy Brown with 126, Lenny Moore, 106, and Don Hutson, 105. Jm Taylor is presently closes to the magic 100, with 85 in his eight-year career. Behind him are Tommy McDonald of the Rams with 78 and Bobby Mitchell with 74. Other high Packers are Paul Hornung with 57 and Max McGee 50...Bill Austin, former Packer coaching aide now head coach of the Steelers, played varsity football at Oregon State at the tender age of 16. How come? "My parents started me in school when I was four, and told me I was six," Bill explained.
ANDERSON, GRABO JOIN WISCONSIN NATIONAL GUARD
APR 13 (Madison) - The Wisconsin adjutant general's office reported today that two Green Bay Packer prized rookies have enlisted in the 32nd Red Arrow Division of the State National Guard. Donny Anderson, 22, Texas Tech halfback, and Jim Grabowski, 21, fullback from Illinois, have selected Oshkosh Guard units to complete their military obligation, the state office said. Anderson is assigned to Company B, 32nd Aviation Battalion, and Grabowski is a member of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry.
SOFTEST JOB
APR 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A willowy, attractive brunette secretary walked into Packer Publicist Chuck Lane's office and softly asked, "Jerry, can I get a couple of pictures of, oh, I mean..." The confused salutation was understandable. After all, Charles Stevenson Lane has been situated in this office for only a few days as the successor to familiar Tom Miller. he is a good-looking young man of 24 years, 6 feet, 180 pounds, sandy hair and blue eyes. He is not married. And he is sporting the remnants of a black eye, the only mar on his still boyish appearance. Chuck reddened a bit but smiled back at the equally embarrassed brunette and chided, "Sure, you can have a couple of pictures of Chuck Kramer." The retaliation seemed to typify the first impression Lane makes on a person. And a lot of Green Bay and Wisconsin people...to say nothing folks across the country...are destined to meet this sharp witted, enthusiastic packer salesman who is still basking in the realization of an ambition. How does it feel to be in possession of Green Bay's softest job? (With sellout crowds assured for virtually every season, even Miller must admit that the position is well cushioned.) "Great, fantastic. It's what I've always wanted," Lane grinned with the same excitement as a rookie halfback learning he just made the team. And how did it come about? It started with a failure. Having graduated from Washington and Lee University in 1963, Lane returned to his native Minneapolis and was granted a baseball tryout with the Minnesota Twins. "I really blew it," recalls the former captain and four year varsity star of his college baseball team. "Our college season ended in early May and the tryout wasn't until July and I couldn't hit the ball at all. They must have fired the scout who signed me for a tryout." This being the situation, Lane secured a job with Max Winter Attractions and was assigned to promoting the Harlem Globetrotters along with working on the Minnesota Viking public relations staff during the football season. The idea was that he would eventually work into the Viking setup on a fulltime basis. But the idea took too long in solidifying for the ambitious Lane and, while in Green Bay last February to promote the Trotters, he stopped at the Packer office and introduced himself to Miller, letting it be known he was looking for an NFL publicity spot. When the Packers decided to hire a PR director, Miller remembered Chuck and the deal was sealed from there. Lane hasn't severed all relations with Minneapolis yet, though. He commutes to the Twin Cities each weekend for a game of rugby, a little basketball and because he is still living "out of a suitcase, the back of my car and the visitor's locker room." Strangely, it wasn't the rugby that dealt him the black eye. That came from the no-contact sport of basketball. Rugby represents his love of football, though, a love nurtured by three years of quarterbacking his college team. The game is really English football, a combination of American football and soccer. Many people may remember the game that was played between halves of a Packer contest in Milwaukee two years ago. It was that interlude in which two teams of eight players each, jammed together like flies on a spoon of honey, butted each other for possession of the ball. This is the scrum...and Lane impressed us with his intelligence when he declared "I wouldn't get in that scrum for the world." He, it happens, is a back, which means all he has to do is carry the ball and pitch it back to a cringing teammate before being mauled by 15 opponents. "There is no blocking and once they knock you down they can do anything to get the ball. So the idea is to get rid of it before they have you on the ground," Lane explains. And a good idea it is. But for this he returns to Minneapolis every week? Well, there is another reason, involving his current bachelorhood, but Chuck says, "We won't talk about that."
ELI STRAND WILL NEVER FORGET ARRIVAL HERE IN '65
APR 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Eli Strand may or may not dress "quite eloquently" when he reports to the Packers next July. The 250-pound guard, who likely will fight it out with Fuzzy Thurston for a regular berth next season, will never forget his arrival in Green Bay last summer. Here's how the likable free agent, who made the taxi squad last year, put it: "For some reason, I arrived on the plane wearing a pair of khaki pants and a sport shirt. The reasoning behind this was that I felt that if I arrived and showed everyone that I came to play ball and not to model then it would make some sort of impression. At the airport I spotted some other rookies who were dressed quite eloquently. I went up to them and started to ask them their names. Before I could get a word out, one of them handed me a suitcase. By the way
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 12th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 13th 1966)
I dressed I guess they thought that I could only be working there." With Dan Grimm off to Atlanta and Forrest Gregg back to tackle, Strand's chances of making the Fast Forty appeared bright. Solid Strand looked good last year and was one of three taximen to go the full schedule. Strand is presently attending his alma mater, Iowa State, to pick up a few credits toward his degree. He's playing handball and basketball to keep in condition. What about 1966? Strand said: "I want to make the team and help them in some way. I know one thing, however, I can only look at a situation in one way, positively, and there is only one way I know how to play or do anything. And that is to give all that I have to give. That is what I plan to do this coming year." Strand's long suit, not to mention the ability to block and go all out, was his tremendous attitude. As he explained, "I think all of the fellow sensed how much I wanted to learn and badly I wanted to play." Few free agents make it - let alone taximen, but Strand looms as a prospect to break both barriers. And he just may wear khaki pants again July...Bart Starr and Zeke Bratkowski are taking in the Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Las Vegas this weekend, and it's a good bet the conversation may wander from golf to football. Starr went out to do a commercial on national TV for Simplicity, and Bratkowski flew in from his home in Los Angeles. Both golf nuts, the Packer QBs planned to play a few rounds...What makes a champion? Paul Hornung says "luck, lack of injuries and a minimum of mental mistakes. Last year, the breaks went our way. When a player was hurt, another took over like he'd been a starter all the time. As far as limiting mental mistakes, this has been our strength ever since Vince Lombardi took over." Incidentally, Hornung says a knee injury in 1962 was behind his sudden decline as a placekicker. "I could lock my ankle maybe twice and he next time I couldn't," he says. "Then my foot would wobble, and you can't kick straight under those conditions."
PACKERS SIGN QB, CAFFEY; GET AFL MILWAUKEE BID
APR 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers scored two "firsts" today. And the Milwaukee County Board added another. Lee Roy Caffey became the first veteran of the 1965 world champions to sign for '66. Kent Nix, no relation to one-time Packer Doyle Nix, is the first of what might be a group of free agent quarterbacks to be signed for the purpose of filling the vacancy created by the departure of Dennis Claridge. Milwaukee got into the act Monday when the County Board "passed" on a request for use of County Stadium for an AFL exhibition in August. The request was made by Marvin L. Fishman, spokesman for a Milwaukee group seeking a game on Aug. 20 between the Jets and Dolphins. Board Chairman Eugene H. Grobschmidt said, "I wouldn't do anything to hurt the Packers down here. Unless Vince Lombardi okays it, I won't go along with it." The Packer general manager and head coach presently is bedded down with the flu and couldn't be reached for comment. The Jet-Dolphin game is tentatively scheduled for the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., but Fishman said he is in contact with two charities interested in sponsoring the Milwaukee game. Caffey will be starting his fourth season in Green Bay after breaking in with the Eagles in 1963. He was obtained for Jim Ringo, Earl Gros and a first draft choice, which was turned into Donny Anderson, the celebrated Texas Tech back. Lee Roy scored a key touchdown in the victory over the Bears here last fall, returning an interception 42 yards. Nix, bothered by injuries as a junior and part of his senior year, came along strong to lead Texas Christian to victories in the last four games. He completed 50 of 106 last year, 51 of 117 in '64, 18 of 44 in '63, and 54 of 112 as a freshman. He threw 14 TD passes in his four seasons, six as a senior. His best day was 19 of 38 for 236 yards against Texas Tech in '64..."GREAT RELEASE": A business major and a B average student, Nix has a strong arm, and Jim Brock, TCU publicist, said "he has a great release and it is very accurate." The newcomer stands 6-2 and weighs 195 pounds. Nix' father, Emery, was a star at TCU back in 1941 and is still famous for the touchdown pass he threw in the last eight seconds to upset the national championship University of Texas team that year. Emery, now a school teacher in Corpus Christi, still holds the TCU one game passing record of 25 completions.
SYMONS REALISTIC ABOUT DONNY, GARBO
APR 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Consider the plight of Bill Symons, the halfback who looked so good until his knee went out in the Packers' first non-league game last season. The 205-pound former University of Colorado running back returns this year to find himself face to face with not only Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung but two of the most highly publicized collegians in many a Packer year, Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski. Asked about the competition from Anderson and Grabowski, Symons said from his home in Denver that "they'll make it a little harder on me" and then as an afterthought pointed out: "But they can't be much harder than Taylor and Hornung, who are the best in my book." Symons stood a good chance of breaking into the Packer offensive backfield last year - until the injury against the Giants on a punt return. As things developed, two rookie backs made it - Junior Coffey and Allen Jacobs, who joined Taylor, Hornung, Tom Moore and Elijah Pitts. This group has been reduced to five with the selection of Coffey by Atlanta. After the injury, Symons underwent surgery for removal of cartilage from his knee and then laid out the rest of the season. "I've been working with weights to strengthen my knee and I feel very strong. As soon as the weather straightens out, I'm planning on doing quite a bit of running," Symons said. Symons returned punts for 18 and 24 yards against the Giants. When his knee "gave," he lateraled to Willie Wood before going down. Symons was one of five players announced as signed today for 1966 by Coach-GM Vince Lombardi. The others are Allen Brown, the good-looking tight end, who "lost" his 1965 chance due to an injury in the College All Star camp; and taximen Eli Strand, guard; Wally Mahle, defensive back' and Larry Moore, defensive back and kicker. Brown recovered quickly from his injury and remained with the Bays on the taxi squad for the season. He'll join veterans Marv Fleming and Billy Anderson and rookie Tony Jeter in the tight end fight. The former Mississippi star stands 6-4 and packs 230 pounds. He caught 51 passes as a collegian and was selected as an All-American on defense. Like Symons, Brown drew considerable praise from the coaches along the training route. With the departure of Dan Grimm (to Atlanta), Strand would appear to have a good shot at a guard spot. The Iowa State star, who was signed last year as a free agent, packs 250 pounds. Mahle, former Syracuse University quarterback, was switched to defensive back last year and he'll continue to work at that position next season. He stands 6-2 and weighs 200. Mahle was the Bays' fourth draft choice last year. Moore, one of those proverbial "little guys," displayed plenty of scrap last year - not to mention ability as a placekicker. The former Northern Michigan star worked with Don Chandler on kicking throughout the past campaign.
PACKERS EARN $1,500,000 FOR CHARITY IN PRESEASON
APR 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer preseason games in the past seven years have resulted in $1,217,242 to various charities, Coach-GM Vince Lombardi said today. The figure will be raised to more than $1,500,000 with four charity games in 1966 - chiefly the Shrine Classic in Milwaukee and Bishop's Charities game in Green Bay. The other are the Salesmanship Club's game for boys work in Dallas and the College All Star game for the benefit of Chicago Tribune Charities, Inc. Lombardi said that "monies to charities continue to increase each year with the popularity of NFL preseason games." The four games this year will produce an estimated $241,000 for charity - the highest figure in history. The increase coincided with the arrival of Lombardi here in 1959 when the charity figure was $91,126. Totals for the next six years - 1960, $96,838; 1961, $127,744; 1962, $213,492; 1963, $228,135; 1964, $237,951; 1965, $222,092.
PACKER SNUB AFL GAME
APR 23 (Milwaukee) - A Milwaukee realtor says he has cancelled plans to promote an AFL exhibition game at County Stadium because the Green Bay Packers wouldn't cooperate. Marvin Fishman said Friday that the Packers had denied use of the stadium for the game. The NFL team has exclusive professional football rights for stadium use through 1968. Fishman had hoped to lure the New York Jets and the Miami Dolphins to Milwaukee for a game Aug. 20 or 21. He said the game would have drawn 40,000 fans. The realtor originally went to the county board with his request for stadium use. The board referred him to the Packers.
STARR PASSES 9 1/2 MILES: PLAYOFF GAMES WORTH $23,088
APR 24 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Add up the figures...and you get some interesting results. Like so: Bart Starr, now the all-time king of Packer quarterbacks, has gained 15,929 yards with his pass completions in 10 years. That figures out to 9.1 miles - slightly less than a mile a year. Actually, Starr would be having a bad year if he didn't get a mile. The total includes his first three years when he played very little. Bart pitched for 2,055 yards (well over a mile) last year...We all like to add dollars and the most heartwarming total of the season is the $1,217,242 earned by the Packers in their preseason charity games in the past seven years. That boils down to an average of $173,890 per year. With four more charity tests coming up in '66, topped by the Shrine Classic in Milwaukee and the Bishop's Charities test in Green Bay, the grand total will exceed $1,500,00. The Packers started the Shrine Classic in Milwaukee back in 1950 and, needless to say, it wasn't the charity money producer at the start that it is now. It has become a tradition and compares favorably with the famed East-West college Shrine show. The AFL apparently has attempted (or at least permitted an attempt) to break into Packer territory under the guise of charity - via Marvin Fishman, the Milwaukee realtor, who had requested use of County Stadium for an exhibition between the Dolphins and Jets. The NFL has exclusive rights to the stadium through 1968 and Packer Coach-GM Vince Lombardi has refused to permit the AFL game. The Shrine's generous cut of the Stadium game certainly would seem to be the limit a football attraction would obtain for charity. Fishman claims his game would attract 40,000. This is totally unrealistic for a football show involving virtual strangers. It took the Shrine game eight or nine years to really connect in Milwaukee and the Packers weren't strangers. But back to the figure adding before we get riled up...The Packers have now played 46 games at Lambeau Field since the place was opened as City Stadium in 1957. In this stretch of nine years, the attendance totaled 1,770,729 - an average of 196,747 per season. Eight games were played there last year (two preseason, four league, 1 playoff and 1 championship) and drew approximately 406,816 persons, an all-time record. Attendance at the five games for the 10th year in Lambeau Field should exceed 254,000. This would bring the grand total to more than 2,025,000. If this figure doesn't stagger you, it is safe to point out that it took 20 years to draw that many in old City Stadium where crowds averaged between 15,000 and 20,000 from 1936 to 1956...The Packers have now played in seven straight postseason games - the championship tilts in 1960, 1961 and 1962, the playoff blow in 1963 and 1964, and the division playoff and championship in 1965. Each player who participated in the six games received a total of $23,068 - not counting a game's salary for the division playoff. Winning the world championship (the Bays won three in that space) also means an extra game's salary for players in the All Star game. It pays to be a winner...The Packers and Bears have played more games than another two pro rivals - 94 since they started belting each other in 1921. The Bears, in winning 53, scored 1,579 points. The Packers, winning 35, counted 1,334. Six ties were played.
PACKERS DEAL MOORE FOR RAM QB SMITH, TWO OTHERS
APR 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers traded Tom Moore to the Rams today for a giant of a quarterback, a future offensive lineman and a high draft choice. Coach Vince Lombardi, announcing the trade, said the Packers will receive besides the draft pick: Ron Smith, a six-foot-five-inch, 220-pound second year quarterback from the University of Virginia. Dick Arndt, a 250-pound tackle from the University of Idaho, who was drafted No. 5 as a future last November. Arndt will be available for duty in 1967. Thus, Lombardi traded for youth with the same club - just as he did a year ago, when he swapped linebacker Dan Currie for Carroll Dale, a pass catcher deluxe whose key catches figured in the Packers' championship victory over the Browns. The trade broke up the foursome of Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, Moore and Elijah Pitts - a group that played together for five years, except for 1963 when Moore took over the left halfback spot due to the absence of Hornung. In addition, the trade created a wider opening for the Packers' highly-touted new running backs, Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski. And, of course, it filled the hole left by the departure of the Bays' third quarterback, Dennis Claridge, who was picked by Atlanta. Smith is one of the tallest and strongest young quarterback prospects in the league. He made the Rams as their third quarterback last year but was placed on the taxi
squad and the club went with the two veterans, Bill Munson and Roman Gabriel. When Munson was injured, Smith was placed on the active roster for the last four games, playing briefly against the Browns. Smith is considered an excellent passer, with a quick delivery and ability to throw the long ball - not to mention accuracy. A native of Richmond, Smith started his college career at Wake Forest and then transferred to Virginia in '61. He rewrote the passing records at Virginia was picked as a future n the 10th round by the Rams in 1964. Arndt started his college football career at Stanford and then transferred to Idaho. When they drafted Arndt, the Rams tabbed him as a can't miss prospect. He has good speed and carries his 250 pounds on a 6-4 frame. Moore, the Packers' first draft choice in 1960, played six years in Green Bay - all as a backup man for Hornung except for 1963. An excellent pass catcher and an elusive runner, Moore has finished his career here as the Packers' eighth all-time ground gainer with 2,069 yards in 503 attempts for an average of 4.1 per trip. What with an injury in the final preseason game, Moore played little last year, carrying 51 times for 124 yards and an average of 2.4. He caught seven passes for 87 yards and one touchdown. For his career, Moore caught 71 passes for 645 yards and seven TDs. Moore led the league in kickoff returns in 1961. Lombardi also announced today the signing of three more free agents, including a quarterback, and veteran Doug Hart. The newcomers are Junior Edge, a passer from University of North Carolina; offensive lineman Jim Chevillot of Boston College; and Bob Brown, a defensive offensive tackle from Arkansas A.M. and N. Hart returns for his fourth season. He was signed as a free agent after he was put on waiver by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1963. He was carried on the taxi squad that year and back up Jess Whittenton in 1964. He won the right cornerbacker job in '65. Hart intercepted four passes last year and returned them for 29 yards. Edge played in the Canadian League in 1964 with Hamilton and Ottawa and then quarterbacked Grand Rapids in the Pro Football League of America in 1965. He completed 134 passes in 281 attempts for 1,950 yards and 19 touchdowns over a 10-game schedule with Grand Rapids. Edge is the second free agent quarterback announced by Lombardi in a week. Joining the club earlier was Kent Nix, a strong prospect from
from Texas Christian. Edge ranked sixth in the nation in passing in his junior year at North Carolina and 13th as a senior. He completed 192 of 355 passes for 2,397 yards and 12 touchdowns in these two years. Edge stands 6 feet tall and weighs 202 pounds. Chevillot, a 235-pounder who stands 6-1, will be tried in the offensive line. Browns, who stands 6-5 and weighs 270, is ticketed for defense.
'GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ME,' MOORE SAYS
APR 27 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "I knew I would be traded. I was just hoping it would be before training camp. Coming at this time I can better prepare for making the change." That was some of Tom Moore's reaction to the trade that sent the veteran Packer halfback to the Rams Tuesday for quarterback Ron Smith, future Dick Arndt and a high draft choice. Moore, back to work in the real estate business in Goodlettsville, Tenn., today after signed a Ram pact in Los Angeles Tuesday said, "Somebody had to go with Anderson and Grabowski coming in. But I'm real happy with the trade. I feel I should get plenty of opportunity to play and Los Angles will be a good place to go." Moore, who was a sort of third starting back with Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, said he talked with the Rams' new coach, George Allen, and "visited with the staff. I think the change there will be a big help." Plagued by injuries during his six-year Packer career, Moore was asked if the warmer weather in Los Angeles might be a help to him. "Overall, the weather shouldn't make any difference - except later in the season. I had that foot injury later
Junior Edge, who quarterbacked North Carolina to a 9-2 record and Gator Bowl win in 1963 (Fayetteville Observer file photo)
last season and running on the frozen ground in practice aggravated it." Moore said, "I enjoyed my football in Green Bay, and I hate to leave my many friends there, but this is a good opportunity for me, and I'm going to take advantage of it." Smith, a real jumbo of a quarterback at 6-5 and 220, couldn't be reached today at his home in Richmond, Va. He was in New York on business for the Reynolds Metal Co. Smith was a rookie in 1965 and was the Rams' third quarterback behind Bill Munson and Roman Gabriel. He was on the taxi squad but was reactivated for the last four games when Munson was hurt. The trade will benefit the Packers over a period of two seasons - in 1966 when Smith reports and in 1967 when Arndt, a 250-pound offensive lineman, becomes available. In addition, the draft choice will be forthcoming at the next selection party - probably next December. Packer Coach Vince Lombardi pointed out the future possibility of the trade, noting Tuesday that "we're building for the future. Moore was a good player, but we had to give him up to get what we wanted." Ram Coach Allen said "we now have a proven offensive halfback with his best football ahead of him." Moore will be 28 in July. Lombardi will be toasted as "coach of the year" at the annual banquet of the Minnesota Sports Association in Minneapolis tonight. Also on the program will be Gale Sayers, Bears' halfback, and the Colts' Tom Matte. In Minneapolis, Viking Coach Norrm Van Brocklin, "I've been trying to make a deal with Lombardi for Tom Moore since the season ended, but he told me he wasn't going to trade him. It's funny. I haven't been able to make a trade with Lombardi for six years. Apparently, Vince doesn't know my phone number."
TALL QUARTERBACK FACTOR IN MOORE TRADE, LOMBARDI
APR 28 (Minneapolis-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - One factor in the deal that sent halfback Tom Moore to the Rams was "obtaining a tall quarterback." Vince Lombardi, coach of the world champion Packers, told a press conference here Wednesday night that "the day is coming when all of the quarterbacks in the NFL are 6-4or 6-5? Why? Because the defensive linemen are getting so big you've got to be able to throw over them." Here to accept a trophy as the Twin Cities' selectin as 1965 Coach of the Year in the NFL, Lombardi added: "It used to be Bart Starr had only about two passes a year blocked by opposing defensive linemen. Last year, it seemed like 20." The Packers obtained Ron Smith, a second year quarterback from the Rams (plus a future and draft choice) for Moore. Smith stands 6-5 and packs 220 pounds. Asked if he was through trading for 1966, Lombardi said "no" and then explained: "We're open to any trade if we feel it will help us. But because of the uncertainties caused by the military draft, it's going to be tough to make more trades." Speaking of Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski, the Pack's two strong running backs, Lombardi said "these boys will play a lot of football this year. Reports on Anderson are the best we've received on a halfback. He should be a great one. He's not the shifty kind of halfback Gale Sayers is but, then, who is? Anderson will probably weigh in at 225. He's at 235 now and he runs the 100 in about 9.9. And the beauty of Anderson is that he can catch a pass like a flanker." Anderson is ticketed to replace Paul Hornung eventually and Lombardi noted that he expects Hornung to play "one year, maybe two." Asked to comment on reports that pro football players are threatening to form groups - like Don Drysdale and Sandy Koufax - for making salary increase requests, Vince said, "We don't have that problem at Green Bay. At least not yet. I'll tell you this: If they come in as a group they'll go out as a group." The main speaker before 1,500 at a banquet honoring Lombardi, Tom Matte of the Colts and Sayers of the Bears, Vince gave his sport and lifelong career a rousing testimonial. Lombardi said, "Those colleges which are discontinuing or deemphasizing football are making a serious mistake." He cited the characteristics of football - "courage, stamina, efficiency that is coordinated - as the principles on which the United States is founded. We must maintain them if we are to maintain the American ideal to win and be first in everything." If not, he added with obvious reference to the conflict in Viet Nam, "we may lose this one." Competitive sports and particularly football, is one of the greatest teachers of these attributes, Lombardi continued...HAVE THEM PLAY GAME: "Football," it is said, "is a violent game. Any other way is imbecilic. Those of you who are fathers," he told the audience, "and have sons; if you want them to be men, have them play a game." The audience gave him a standing ovation. Given a sendoff by Vikings Coach Norm Van Brocklin for "doing probably his best coaching job this year," Lombardi commented: "I don't think this was the best football team I've ever had at Green Bay. But it had other things equally as important. The '65 team had a great deal of character because it overcame so many adversities." Lombardi exchanged good natured razzing with Matte, who was honored as NFL player of the year. Matte spoke with reference to Don Chandler's disputed field goal against the Colts in last December's Western Division playoff game at Green Bay. "The people at Baltimore," said Matte, "have asked me to present this little trophy to Vince Lombardi. They feel it is apropos." Matte then produced from behind his back tiny goal posts, with one side of the goal posts offset far to the outside - thereby continuing the contention that Chandler's kick was wide...OFFSET ON BOTH SIDES: It drew a roar of laughter from the Viking fans. Lombardi got in the last word. "I'll take offset goal posts every time," he chuckled. "In fact, why not offset them on both sides. Despite what the Colts may say, I received a check which says we won the game," Lombardi called Matte's pinch-hitting job at quarterback for injured John Unitas and Gary Cuozzo "the best single man performance over a three or four-game stretch I've ever seen."
FUZZY SIGNS PACKER PACT
APR 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Veteran guard Fred (Fuzzy) Thurston of the Packers signed a contract Wednesday for the 1966 season, his 10th in the NFL, Coach Vince Lombardi announced today. Thurston alternated with Forrest Gregg throughout much of last season but returned to regular duty against the Rams in November and helped spark the Packers to the NFL title. Thurston, 30, came to Green Bay from Baltimore in 1959 for linebacker Marv Matusak. He played his college ball at Valparaiso...The Packers will play in two of the five nationally television preseason games this summer, Commissioner Pete Rozelle announced Wednesday in New York. The NFL champions will meet the College All-Stars Aug. 5 in Chicago in the first of the Friday night series. The Packers will also be in the second televised game, Aug. 12, when they face the Chicago Bears in Milwaukee. The final three games match Baltimore and St. Louis, Aug. 19, Baltimore and Cleveland Aig. 26, and Minnesota and Dallas Sept.2. The Packers' preseason schedule also includes a game at Dallas with the Cowboys Aug. 20; a game at Green Bay Aug. 27 with Pittsburgh, and a game at Milwaukee Sept. 3 with the New York Giants. The Packers were 4-1 in preseason play in 1965. Both Baltimore and Minnesota were unbeaten at 5-0.
RON SMITH 'EXCITED' OVER TRADE TO PACK
MAY 1 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Ron Smith was the tallest quarterback in the NFL last year. "That's the only thing I can say for myself as a rookie," the six-foot-five inch Packer prospect drawled from his home in Richmond, Va., the other day. Smith comes to Green Bay, along with future offensive lineman Dick Arndt and a high draft choice, in the trade with the Rams for veteran Tom Moore. Smith, who packs 225 pounds, didn't have much to say about his break-in year in Los Angeles. "I played quite a little before the season began and then I spent my time on the telephones and watching Munson and Gabriel," he said. The strong-arm thrower from the University of Richmond was on the Rams' taxi squad until Bill Munson was hurt with four league games left on the schedule. Then he was reactivated and played behind Roman Gabriel. He played briefly against the Browns. Asked to compare himself with Gabriel, who is also of the giant size at 6-4 and 220, Smith said, "Gabriel has more speed than I do on the straight-away. Otherwise, I'm similar. I'm no scrambler, but I am able to get back and set up real quick. I've been told that this is one of my plus factors." Smith pointed out that he works out often during the offseason "just on getting back and setting up in a hurry. I've also been playing handball and exercising." The sophomore said, "I'm very excited about being traded to Green Bay. I just hope I can be of some value to the Packers and can fill in the vacancy there," adding: "It's quite a privilege just being a member of a team like Green Bay. I have great respect for the Packers and Coach Lombardi." Smith said he is "anxious to meet Bart Starr. He certainly is the most consistent quarterback in the league." Now a sales trainee for the Reynolds Metal Co., in Richmond, Smith said he is hopeful of playing pro football for the duration of his athletic life. The newcomer isn't injury prone and he explained that "I've had only one injury in 12 years of football. That was a slight torn cartilage as a sophomore in college, but I was able to go on playing."
DONNY ANDERSON IN AMERICA GAME
MAY 9 (Atlanta) - Texas Tech halfback Donny Anderson, who has signed a big bonus contract with the NFL Green Bay Packers, will play on the East squad in the coaches All-America football game here July 9. Anderson gained 2,200 yards rushing and caught passes worth 1,327 yards and 12 touchdowns in his Texas Tech career. The annual game will be the first ever played in the new Atlanta Stadium - this fall to become the house of the NFL Atlanta Falcons.
GRABOWSKI STEELING HIMSELF IN ILLINOIS DRILL
MAY 10 (Champaign, IL) - Jim Grabowski hasn't turned in his Illinois football suit after all. The prize Green Bay Packer bonus rookie said Monday he's working out with the Illini this spring to steel himself for his professional football debut. "I don't expect to walk into Green Bay and find a job waiting for me," the 6-foot-2, 220-pound fullback said Monday night. "The Packers have a lot of talent. They're the champions." Grabowski, who will play against the Packers in the College All-Star game Aug. 5, is concentrating so hard on making the Packers that he's postponed his wedding plans. "I'm not ducking out on my girl," he said. "But we decided to wait until after my first season at Green Bay." "I don't know what kind of reception the veterans will give me," Grabowski said, "but as far as I'm concerned this is a job. I'm just going to keep my nose clean and do my best." His comment on the Al-Star game: "I'll find out then how tough they are, won't I?"
GRIMM SIGNS
MAY 10 (Atlanta) - The Atlanta Falcons announced today that Dan Grimm, a 245-pound guard, formerly with Green Bay, has signed a 1966 Atlanta contract. The fledgling Falcons of the NFL acquired Grimm in February's expansion draft. The 25-year-old lineman starred at the University of Colorado and was the Packers' fifth round draft choice in 1963.
PACKER POST GREATEST 5-YEAR PERIOD IN HISTORY
MAY 15 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers are fresh from their greatest five-year winning period in history. Here's what they've done from 1961 through 1965: (1) Won three world championships and finished second twice, winning two trips to the Playoff Bowl. (2) Scored 53 victories against only 14 losses and three ties in league competitions for a percentage of .791. (3) Led the NFL in three of the four major statistical categories - most points scored, fewest points allowed and fewest yards allowed. (4) Averaged 10.6 victories against 2.8 losses in the 70 games. (5) Defeated opponents by an average score of 26 to 15 and outgained them by an average 318 yards to 258. The grand climax to Coach Vince Lombardi's seven years of coaching the Packers certainly was the 1965 world title because it required a fierce comeback after a midseason dropoff and an overtime sudden death division playoff victory before mastering the Browns in the "world" game. Lombardi compiled 68 victories against only 23 losses and three ties in league play in seven years. His debut team produced a 7-5 record in '59 and the sophomore edition posted 8-4 for the Western Division title, followed by a tight loss to the Eagles in the world championship fray. The league shifted to a 14-game schedule in 1961 and the Packers were on their way. They posted 11 wins and 3 losses in 1961 and then followed with 13-1 in '62, 11-2-1 in '63, 8-5-1 in '64, and 10-3-1 in '65. They won the world titles in '61, '62 and '65. The Packers had three other comparable five-year periods in their long history. They counted 50 wins, 12 loses and 6 ties in the 1928-32 era. While the percentage was higher (.806) and three consecutive world titles were chalked up, the current five-year string included three more wins and three more losses. The 1929-33 teams compiled 49-15-4 and the 1938-42 teams had a record of 41-12-1 and two world titles. The 1961-65 Packers scored 1,833 points - an average of 26 per game, and allowed 1,046 - an average of 15. The only major category the Packers didn't lead in the five years was in total yards gained. The Colts were tops with 23,903, while Green Bay was fifth in the league with 22,268. The yards allowed is something else again. Green Bay permitted 18,075 - an average of 258 per game, for the best in the league. The major figure, of course, is points allowed and the Bay defense showed the consistency that has produced the titles. The five-year rankings in the league were second, first, second, second and first. Though Lombardi had spent 10 years at West Point and with the Giants as an offensive coach, he set his cap for defense when he took over the Packers. His first move was to trade offensive star Billy Howton for defensive ace Bill Quinlan. Vince emphasizes defense for two reasons - first to keep the other team from scoring and second to help the team's morale. As he pointed out early in his Packer career, "nothing hurts your morale more than for the offense to sit on the bench and watch the defense gets run over." Packer offenses have had a pleasant time on the bench.
GREGG NAMED NFL'S OUTSTANDING BLOCKER
MAY 17 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Forrest Gregg, the Packers' 250-pound guard and tackle, has been declared the winner of the NFL's outstanding blocker for 1965 in a pool of 47 newspaper, radio and television people in the 14 NFL cities, it was announced today by the National 1,000 Yard Club Foundation, Inc. Gregg, a nine-year veteran, will be honored at the Foundation's third annual banquet in Menasha Tuesday, June 7 - an affair that will also be highlighted by an address by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. The 11 backs in the NFL who had gained 1,000 yards were enshrined at the Foundation in 1964. Jim Parker of the Colts named the outstanding blocker for the 1964 season, was honored a year ago. Gregg, five-time all-pro, received 50 out of a possible 141 points in the balloting, collecting 14 first-place votes. Parker ranked second with 29 points and five firsts. Rounding out the top 10 were: Third, Bob Brown, Eagles, 23 votes; Fourth, Mike Ditka, Bears, 21; Fifth, Mike Tingelhoff, Vikings, 19; Sixth, Fuzzy Thurston, Packers, 16; Seventh, Jerry Kramer, Packers, 15; Eighth, Dick Schafrath, Browns, 12; Ninth (tie), Ken Gray, Cardinals, and Paul Hornung, Packers, 11. The Packers' Bob Skoronski received five points. Thirty-one NFL players received mention, including current 1,000-yarder John David Crow of the 49ers. The blocking award is based on superior ability, agility, strength, quickness and play-by-play execution - plus overall effectiveness and value to his team. Gregg has been a standout in the Green Bay offensive line throughout his career. The durable Texan started 84 consecutive games before an injury forced him out of the second Detroit game last fall. The blocking award was established by the Foundation, a charitable organization, which was founded in 1964. It is composed of 121 business and professional men in the Fox River Valley. Profits of the organization are used to promote worthwhile youth activities.
NFL'S 16TH TEAM TO BE NAMED BEFORE DRAFT
MAY 17 (Washington) - The 16th team in the NFL still is Team X and will not be named until sometime before the college draft. Pete Rozelle, NFL commissioner, insisted today that the owners had made no decision on the expansion club and would not make any at the spring meetings that opened Monday. "We have no deadline," he said, but admitted it should be before the draft. "We are having representatives of the seven cities in here Wednesday," said Rozelle. "They will bring us up to date on stadium plans and make their presentations. We are very proud of the caliber of people who are coming, including governors and mayors." Houston, New Orleans, Seattle, Cincinnati, Boston, Portland and Phoenix are due to make their best sales pitch to the owners. Each will have 15 minutes to tell his story. "I have read three different reports that three different cities have it locked up," said Rozelle. "It simply is not true. We have not made up our minds. After we get the presentations, we will be ready for some important discussions. There will be no decisions at these meetings." Rozelle expects Team X to be ready to field a ball club for the 1967 season. The league will be divided into an Eastern Conference and Western Conference with each conference split into four-team divisions. That will set up playoffs for each conference title before the league championship game. If it comes down to a matter of immediate stadium availability, Houston would appear to have an edge because the Astrodome is wide open. However, that would involved a hand-to-hand war with the rival Houston Oilers of the AFL. Rozelle said Monday night that three other cities had the possibility of using interim stadiums until their own could be built. New Orleans presumably could play in the Sugar Bowl. Cincinnati at Crosley Field and Seattle at the University of Washington. Rozelle emphasized he did not know if such permission would be available. When the city is selected, the Western Conference members will have their choice between Atlanta and the new city. When Dallas and Minnesota were admitted, the East had the choice and took Dallas. Atlanta, however, counts in the East standings in 1966 only. The NFL studied means of winning the all-out talent war with the AFL, expected to flare up next fall. A central scouting system with pooled information on college athletes was discussed. The league decided to extend the goal posts 20 feet above the cross bar to help officials in making calls on field goals. The league denied there was any connection between the innovation and the disputed field goal by Don Chandler of Green Bay in last season's tie playoff game with Baltimore. The Colts claimed the field goal was no good, but the Packers won 13-10 and went on to beat Cleveland for the title. The league announced that all goal posts must be offset. At present, some of the bars are offset while others are on the goal line. The hope is to achieve a uniformity of six feet inside the end zone. All goal posts must be painted gold. This is to improve visibility.
CHANDLER REASON FOR PRO WAR?
MAY 22 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers' Don Chandler may have been indirectly responsible for the current player fuss between the National and American Football Leagues. A little more than a year ago, the Giants traded Chandler to the Packers for a draft choice. The kicking specialist booted 17 field goals in the 14-game season, setting a Packer record, and than made five in the back-to-back championship games. The Giants, meanwhile, suffered through the 1965 campaign with only four (out of 25) field goals. This is a 10-year low in the NFL for field goals in a single season. The last team to kick less than four was Baltimore - in 1956 (only three). Why the Giants traded Chandler has always been a mystery to this writer but their field goal misery quickly points out who got the best of that deal. Without him, the Packers might not have won the championship and with him the Giants might have made it to the Playoff Bowl in Miami. And with Chandler in New York, the Giants might never have made a pitch for Pete Gogolak, the specialist who played out his option in Buffalo. It is doubtful the two league will get into a serious veteran-stealing war. There may be a few more cases - involving athletes who rank money above team loyalties - but we don't see a full-scale conflict. It would ruin too many teams. And both leagues know it...The annual stockholders meeting of Green Bay Packers, Inc., will be held in the WBAY Auditorium at 8 o'clock Tuesday night. Directors will be elected, reports will be made by officers and General Manager-Coach Vince Lombardi will make his annual report...The 1966 induction of new members in the Hall of Fame at Canton, Ohio, will be tied in with the Packer-Brown game in Cleveland Sunday, Sept. 17. The ceremonies will be held Saturday, Sept. 16, and the living inductees then will attend the league game as part of the program. Five of the eight to be enshrined are living - Arnie Herber, Green Bay; Bill Dudley, Pittsburgh; Joe Guyon, Cleveland; Bulldog Turner, Chicago; and George McAfee, Chicago. The deceased members are Walt Kiesling, lineman with seven pro clubs, including
Green Bay; Steve Owen, former New York coach; and Hugh (Shorty) Ray, technical adviser to the NFL. Their addition will bring membership in the Hall of Fame to 39...There are now five new head coaches and 32 new assistant coaches in the NFL for the 1966 season. Of the 14 established teams, only three - Cleveland, New York and San Francisco - do not have any new assistants. The new head coaches are Norb Hecker, Atlanta; Bill Austin, Pittsburgh; Charley Winner, St. Louis; Otto Graham, Washington; and George Allen, Los Angeles.
PACKER INCOME, EXPENSE SET RECORDS; PROFIT FOR '65 REACHES $274,919
MAY 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Despite soaring salaries in the booming era of the big buck, the Packers turned the second handsomest profit in their 46-year history on 1965's championship operations. This heartening Green Bay Packers, Inc., report was delivered to a small but enthusiastic assemblage by General Manager-Coach Vince Lombardi during the corporation's annual stockholders' meeting in the WBAY Auditorium Tuesday night, a brisk 35-minute session. The Packers netted $274,919.31 en route to acquiring their ninth NFL title, he announced, substantially less than the record $404,730.30 they realized on 1964 business, but nearly $20,000 more than in any other previous season. The all-time high prior to 1964 was $255,501, recorded in 1962, another championship year. Although the profit figure was not a record, the '65 season did produce two major financial marks, Lombardi reported. "Our total operating income, $2,948,916.21, represents a new record," he said, adding with a wry grin, "It is also true that our expenses, $2,612,761.77, established a record - which is true with almost every organization these days." By way of contrast, operating income amounted to $2,540,351.17 a year ago, expenses to $1,770,037.82 - or nearly $850,000 less than in '65. "Most of the increase," Lombardi noted matter-of-factly, "is where player salaries and player bonuses were located." Although this trend has elicited expressions of alarm in some quarter, the Packer GM did not echo the prophets of doom. "Let's not be frightened by salaries," he cautioned. "That's your raw product - the players' salaries represent the raw product in your operation." Elaborating upon those record income and expense figures, Lombardi revealed that slightly less than 37 percent of the former, $1,127,385.94, was produced by home games at Lambeau Field and Milwaukee County Stadium, just over 37 percent by radio and television, 26 percent by road games, and 4 percent by program advertising and sales. The major item in the expense accounting, $1,945,122.78, was listed as a season expense. Overhead and administrative expenses totaled $547,550.78 and training expense $93,088.21. The latter, Lombardi appended with a grin, is the only figure which remains "fairly consistent. We used to keep a lot of players around, the first year or two I was here, because we weren't sure who was good and who wasn't. There will be a substantial increase in that figure this year, however, because of the All-Star game." The future, he also reported, looks prosperous. "All of our preseason games - that is, the two in Milwaukee - except the Bishop's Charities game here (against the Pittsburgh Steelers Aug. 27) have been sold out. And all of our season tickets have been requested. I would dare say at this point that our park is sold out." Subsequently assessing last year's artistic operations, with which he
understandably expressed himself as "very well pleased," the Packer major-domo donned his other hat with the observation, "I am quick to say our 1965 team was not the best I have had since I have been in Green Bay, but it had something which is not just ordinary talent. It had character which few teams I have known have had. It was perfectly disciplined by its own will and it played with that discipline." Having paid tribute to past performance, the ex-Block of Granite turned to the future with the same optimism that has characterized his financial report. "We have a strong nucleus from last year plus the best rookie talent I have had since I have been in Green Bay," Lombardi, who shortly will begin his eighth season at the Packer throttle, asserted without the faintest hint of reservation. Running down his roster by position and unit, he analyzed the '66 Pack thusly: "The quarterback situation is solid. Bart Starr has proved himself to be one of the finest quarterbacks in the NFL and he is ably backed by Zeke Bratkowski, who came off the bench to win four games for us last year. We also have Ron Smith, the young quarterback we acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in the Tom Moore trade. In addition, we have two free agents (Junior Edge of North Carolina and Kent Nix of TCU), one of whom I feel has an excellent chance. We were sorry to see Tom Moore go, by the way. He is a fine young man who played excellent football for us. We are also strong at running back with Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung back, plus Elijah Pitts and Allen Jacobs, a reserve in 1965 who showed great promise, and the signing of the heralded Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski, as well as Ron Rector of Northwestern and Phil Vandersea of Massachusetts. Pitts, but the way, is a fine spot player and a very important asset as a member of our special teams. Hornung and Taylor had mediocre seasons, but they both finished real strong. We have the fastest group of experience split ends we've had since I've been here. Dale (Carroll) and Long (Bob) have great speed and they are ably complemented by the veteran Dowler (Boyd) and McGee (Max). At tight end, Bill Anderson has been a welcome addition and we will have Marv Fleming back. And, in addition to Allen Brown, who was injured in the All-Star camp last season and did not play we also have Tony Jeter, the All-American from Nebraska, so we will be extremely deep in receivers. There is no way to estimated, I might add, how the loss of Ron Kramer affected us last season. The interior line has depth and experience. Returning at the tackle positions are 9-year veteran Forrest Gregg and 8-year man Bob Skoronski. Third-year man Steve Wright will serve as a backup man for them. Injury plagued the guards last year, but near the end of the season, Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston returned to form to lead the Packers in the stretch drive. Forrestt Gregg is always available as a backup man and draft choice Gale Gillingham will also be tested, along with Eli Strand, a member of last year's taxi squad. Bowman (Ken) is now a veteran at center, and a highly respected one - and he will be hard pressed by Bill Curry, who will be in his second year. We will have depth, mixed with youth, on attack. Defensively, the Packers remain one of the top units in the NFL. Four men, Willie Davis, Ray Nitschke, Herb Adderley and Willie Wood, were named to the All-Pro team, and a fifth, Lee Roy Caffey, to the West Pro Bowl team. The defensive backfield of Adderley, Wood, Tom Brown, Hart and/or Jeter, has great speed and quickness and the defensive line, of Davis, Henry Jordan, Ron Kostelnik and Lionel Aldridge, is one of the lightest but one of the most mobile defensive lines in the NFL. We hope this will be Lloyd Voss' year. In addition, we have Rick Marshall and draft choices Bob Schultz and Jim Weatherwax. Linebacking has always been a Green Bay strong point and 1966 will be no exception. Lee Roy Cafffey and Dave Robinson, who will flank All-Pro Ray Nitschke, improved tremendously last year. And they, along with Tommy Crutcher, have the size, strength and speed to do the job.
STARR SIGNS, LOOKS BEYOND 1966
MAY 29 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bart Starr has signed for his 11th season with the Packers. But he's looking beyond 1966. Signing of the Packers' ace quarterback was announced today by Coach Vince Lombardi. Thus, Starr, the Pack's leader on the field, sets the pace for Packer veterans in the annual contract -inking derby. At one stage in his career, Bart planned to call it quits after 10 years, but before leaving on a two-week holiday in Alabama over the weekend he pointed out: "I have changed my mind because I have been feeling better every year. Now I honestly feel I can play two or three more years." The nice-guy signalist, who was named Wisconsin athlete of the year in 1965, said, "I am extremely happy here. I have always been treated well by the club, Coach Lombardi and the townspeople. In fact, I can't put in words the strong attachment I have for the Packers and the city." Starr has been the most underrated QB in the league - and even in Green Bay - for years, but gradually he has moved himself into a spot right alongside the Colts' brilliant John Unitas. Starr proved his "position" with the job he did on the Browns in the past championship game. Despite a back injury and snow and rain, he led the Packers to a convincing 23-12 victory. The same Browns blanked Unitas in the 1964 title game...ALL-TIME PASSING LEADER: The Packers' 17th draft choice in 1956, Starr has become the Packers' all-time passing leader. He has thrown the most passes (2,069), completed the most (1,172), gained the most yards passing (15,929), and completed the most touchdown passes (97). He has the best completion percentage mark of any Packer passer in history - 57.9. He has passed for over 2,000 yards in four of the last five seasons. Last year, he set a league record by throwing 294 passes without an interception. He started the string in the third game in 1964 and ended it with an interception by Jim Johnson of the 49ers last season. Starr has thrown 88 interceptions in his career - an average of only 8.8 per season. He's had only 13 interceptions in the past two years. Starr, who led the Pack to four division titles and three world crowns in six years, has an amazing championship game record - 51 completions in 95 attempts, 595 yards, 5 touchdowns and 1 interception. He has thrown 78 straight passes without interception in championship play before the Browns' Walter Beach stole one. Starr is tied with the Browns' Otto Graham for the most championship game victories - three. A real Green Bayite, Starr has been extremely happy outside of football. For considerable work in charity and public affairs, Starr was named one of the five outstanding young men in the state in 1965. He is general chairman of Rawhide (guidance and counseling home for boys) and is active in the Cancer fund, YMCS, Red Cross, Easter Seal, Boy Scout and church work...Donny Anderson, the Packers' highly-touted rookie halfback, has donated $1,000 to the Texas Tech Red Raider Club. The money will be used for an athletic scholarship and he explained, "I want to give another boy the opportunity I had to go to college."...Only eight deals involving 13 players have been made during the offseason thus far. The scarcity of trading was due mainly to the fact that an embargo was in effect until Feb. 16, when players were allocated to the new Atlanta Falcons. Last year, there were 12 deals involving 22 players made to this point. The Rams, Packers and Eagles were involved in the major deals. Tom Moore went to the Rams for QB Ron Smith and rights to tackle Dick Arndt (a future) and a draft choice, and the Eagles peddled Maxie Baughan for defensive tackle Frank Molden, linebacker Fred Brown and a draft choice.
PACKERS LAUNCH TRAINING JULY 13
MAY 31 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers will open their summer training camp Wednesday, July 13, Coach Vince Lombardi announced today. All rookies and veteran offensive backs, ends and centers will report July 13, and all other veterans are expected to report Sunday, July 17. The first official group practice will be held Monday, July 18. The July 13 contingent will include 23 of the 27 rookies signed for 1966 and five members of the 1965 taxi squad - Allen Brown, Wally Mahle, Larry Moore, Eli Strand and Bill Symons. Four rookies will report to the College All Star camp in Chicago and will not join the club until after the Aug. 5 classic in Soldiers Field. They are backs Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski, tackle Gale Gillingham and end Tony Jeter. Thirty-six veterans from the 1965 championship team are returning. Four members of the club have departed - Tom Moore, who was traded to the Rams, and Dennis Claridge, Dan Grimm and Junior Coffey, who were selected by the Atlanta Falcons. The opening day contingent will also include two new coaches - Jerry Burns, who will work on defense, and Bob Schnelker, offensive ends. Burns replaced Norb Hecker, who was named head coach of the Falcons, and Schnelker takes over for Tom Fears, who joined the Falcons. The Packers will have about three weeks to get ready for their first test - the College All Star game in Chicago. Four preseason games will follow against NFL competition - the Bears in the Shrine Game in Milwaukee Aug. 12 (Friday), the Cowboys in Dallas Aug. 20 (Saturday), the Steelers in the Bishop's Charities game in Green Bay Aug. 27 (Saturday), and the Giants in Milwaukee Sept. 3 (Saturday).
LAME DUCK PLAYERS CONCERN NFL, AFL
JUN 3 (New York) - It's a players' market in pro football. Bud Adams, owner of the Houston Oilers of the AFL, says at least 10 NFL veterans have contacted AFL teams. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle says both leagues are concerned about lame duck players. AFL Commissioner Al Davis is strangely silent. The big fuss started May 17 when the New York Giants announced they had signed Pete Gogolak, the soccer-style placekicker who played out his option with Buffalo of the AFL. Two NFL strongmen, George Halas, owner-coach of the Chicago Bears, and Vince Lombardi, coach-general manager of the Green Bay Packers, have said they didn't like the idea. "I think good judgment was not used," said Halas. "I did not like it and many other did not like it either," said Lombardi. Several of the 15 NFL coaches, who finished a two-day meeting Thursday, deplored the contract war. "They're going to kill the game if they start flirting with one another's players," said George Allen, new coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams. "There are enough good football players to go around for both leagues."...GABRIEL IN COURT?: Allen is faced with the possibility of losing quarterback Roman Grabiel to the Oakland Raiders of the AFL. Oakland announced it had signed Gabriel for 1967, but the Rams said he had signed with them for 1966 and 1967. It may wind up in court. Under pro football rules, when a player signed, he is bound to a club for two seasons - the second year on option. He can play out his option. He then becomes a free agent the following May 1 and is free to dicker. Gogolak did that at Buffalo, and many players are expected to do it this year unless the war ends. A settlement of some type may be in the wind. One NFL owners, who refused to let his name he used, said there might be interesting developments before the teams return to training camps in July. Gogolak apparently is a Giant to stay, as far as the NFL is concerned. Rozelle said the 10-day period during which he could disapprove the contract had expired. Wellington Mara, president of the Giants, said, "We got tremendous reaction from our fans and our players. That is the reaction that interests us." Is peace possible? "I would think some overtures would be made by both leagues," said Lombardi.
STEELER CENTER SUFFERS BURNS; CRUTCHER ESCAPES
JUN 3 (Dallas) - Ken Henson, center for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, was in satisfactory condition Thursday with second and third degree burns on the face, neck and hands. Henson was burned Wednesday when he and Tommy Joe Crutcher, a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, attempted to start Crutcher's automobile. Henson was priming gasoline in the carburetor when the car backfired, throwing gas on him. The gas suddenly ignited and burned the side of his face and both hands. It was not immediately known whether Henson would be able to report to the Steelers' training camp July 10. He is expected to be in the hospital about two weeks.
PACKERS TO TEST SYMONS ON DEFENSE; 6 ROOKIES AT GUARD
JUN 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Bill Symons, the offensive back who looked so good in Packer training last year before an injury forced knee surgery, has been shifted to defense. The three-deeps (they're considerably deeper than three at this point) announced by Coach Vince Lombardi Saturday shows Symons in competition with Herb Adderley at left cornerback. Symons stands 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds. He was the Bays' sixth draft choice in 1965. Three other rookies are ticketed for an early test in the defensive backfield. Wally Mahle, the fourth choice a year ago who spent part of the 1965 season on the taxi squad, joins Sam Montgomery and Dave Hathcock in this group. Expected to return are the six defenders from last year - Adderley, Doug Hart, Bob Jeter, Willie Wood, Tom Brown and Hank Gremminger. Almost one-fourth of the 27 first-year men, who will report July 13, are concentrated at offensive guard. This is a sort of jump-off position for offensive tackle on even the defensive line. No rookies are listed behind offensive tackles Bob Skoronski, Forrest Gregg and Steve Wright, but six are stacked behind the two remaining guards, Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston. The third year last year (not counting Gregg, who shifted between guard and tackle) was Dan Grimm, who was selected by Atlanta. The new guards are Eli Stand, a member of the taxi squad last year; Gale Gillingham, the first choice from Minnesota; Jim Chevillot, a free agent from Arkansas AM&N; Roy Schmidt, 13th pick as a future in '64 from Long Beach State; Ralph Wenzel, 11th pick from San Diego State; and Ray Schoenke, a free agent from Southern Methodist. Gillingham, Strand and Chevillot are behind Thurston at left guard and the other three are behind Kramer. Chevillot weighs 235, Wenzel 240, and the other four pack 250. Three quarterbacks will fight for the berth vacated by the departed Dennis Claridge, who went to Atlanta. The threesome is led by second-year Ron Smith, who comes to Green Bay from Los Angeles in the Tom Moore trade, followed by rookies Kent Nix of Texas Christian and Junior Edge of North Carolina. Bart Starr and Zeke Bratkowski both will be playing their 11th seasons, although Zeke is older, 34 to 32. Bratkowski came up with the Bears in 1954 and then served in the Air Force in 1955 and 1956. Starr, a 17th pick out of Alabama, joined the Pack in '56. The Pack's two highly-touted backs, Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski, are in their "right" spots. Anderson is listed at left half along with Paul Hornung, Elijah Pitts and ninth draft choice Ron Rector of Northwestern. Grabowski is at fullback behind Jim Taylor and Allen Jacobs, holdovers from 1965, and rookie Phil Vandersea, a 225-pounder from Massachusetts.
PAUL HORNUNG SIGNS JET CONTRACT FOR '67, CLAIM
JUN 7 (Dallas) - The Dallas Times Herald said Tuesday that Sonny Werblin, owner of the New York Jets of the AFL, has Paul Hornung's contract for 1967 in his pocket. The paper continues that the Green Bay Packer halfback, one of the great stars of the NFL, as paid a bonus of $175,000 to play out his option in 1966 and then sign with the Jets for three years. Additionally, the Times Herald continued, AFL negotiators are going all the way in demands for settlement of the dispute with the NFL over signing of veterans. A timetable asked by the AFL in return for full and everlasting peace is as follows: Common draft in 1966. NFL-AFL All-Star game in January, 1967. Championship game matching the leagues' two winners at the end of the 1967 season. Full merger of a 28-team circuit in 1968, to be composed of two 14-team leagues of seven-team divisions each, mixing in the AFL members on a geographical and indiscriminate basis. To get the 28-team lineup, four new teams would be granted franchises in the new combined NFL. Three of these teams would be in New Orleans, Cincinnati and Seattle, the Times Herald said. Hornung's name is added to a list which now includes Pete Gogolak, who played out his option with Buffalo and signed with the New York Giants; Roman Gabriel of Los Angeles who reportedly signed a contract with the Rams through 1968 and also with Oakland; and quarterback John Brodie of the San Francisco 49ers, reportedly threatening to play out his option in 1966 and sign with Houston of the AFL for 1967-69. An AFL official told the newspaper that one other NFL quarterback of top rank is negotiating with an AFL team. The Times Herald said the NFL is agreeable in all counts, except the ultimate merger, balking at giving up its 47-year-old identity, or allowing the nine existing AFL teams to come within that identity on a basis of parity. The NFL reportedly is holding out for a 16-team vs. 12-team split. The NFL also asked the AFL, as an opening gambit, to accede to the one-team formula, which would mean the withdrawal of the Jets from New York City. The AFL reportedly regards this as a ruse to keep the young league from moving franchises into Los Angeles and Chicago. The newspaper reported negotiations are proceeding on an almost hourly basis with Lamar Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs, Ralph Wilson of Buffalo, William Sullivan of Boston (and president of the league) representing the AFL, and Tex Schramm of the Dallas Cowboys, George Halas of the Chicago Bears and Commissioner Pete Rozelle, representing the NFL. "Most pro football fans want the war to end before the game as a whole is seriously damaged," Chet Nelson, sports editor of the Rocky Mountain News, reported. "Player jumping back and forth and making outrageous demands eventually would bring a deterioration. Peace, negotiated or otherwise, would be wonderful." Joe McGuff, sports editor of the Kansas City Star, said the American League has gone on the offensive against the more established NFL for the first time, but discounted reports that the signing of Gogolak by the Giants marked the beginning of a mass player raid against the AFL. "Obviously, this is not the case," McGuff wrote. "The Giants apparently acted on their own and against the wishes of a majority of the other owners. It is significant that the (Chicago) Bears have made no effort to sign Ernie Ladd and the (Detroit) Lions have not moved to sign Earl Faison. It now appears that the AFL will try to sign enough NFL players to make the rival league pay for taking Gogolak, but the AFL probably will not go so far as to precipitate an all-out war." Ladd and Faison, two of the AFL's top defensive linemen, played out their options with San Diego last season - as did Gogolak with Buffalo - and are legally free to sign with a club in the other league.
HORNUNG DENIES JET BID, TO MEET WITH VINCE
JUN 8 (Menasha-Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Pete Rozelle and Paul Hornung were not present at the third annual dinner of the National Thousand Yard Foundation at the Sabre Lanes here Tuesday night. Rozelle, commissioner of the NFL, was scheduled to deliver the principal address. Packer halfback Hornung was expected to join a dozen other Packer players in a tribute to Forrest Gregg, who was honored as the outstanding blocker in the NFL last year. The absence of Rozelle strengthened speculation that peace negotiations between the warring NFL and AFL were going on. At that very moment. Hornung, meanwhile, was somewhere in Wisconsin in the 1965 Imperial of Max McGee, his crony and teammate. And his absence led some of the 300 spectators to believe that there might be some truth in a report out of Dallas earlier in the day that Paul had agreed - in return for $150,000 - to play out his Packer option in 1966 and then join the New York Jets for three years. "I want to talk to him as much as you do," McGee told reporters. "He has my car, my clothes, and everything I own." Hornung, who lives in Louisville, had borrowed the car after a midday golf date with McGee. But it was past midnight before Hornung returned to his motel room in Green Bay...DENIES RUMORS: The eight-year veteran said he had been "up north all day" and added he knew nothing about the story or the commotion it caused in fueling the latest rumors of player raids between the rival AFL and the NFL. Hornung listened quietly as the story was read to him and replied, "There's nothing to it. It's all new to me." He did not deny that he had spoken to Werblin, who he called "a good friend of mine" in contrast to Werblin's comment Tuesday: "The only time I ever met Hornung was to shake hands with him at the Kentucky Derby." Hornung said he had not signed a 1966 contract yet with the
Packers, but planned to sit down today or Thursday with Lombardi, the general manager as well as coach, to talk over terms...LOMBARDI PINCH HITS: Rozelle called Packer Coach Vince Lombardi late Tuesday morning and asked him to pinch hit as the chief speaker. Lombardi responded with a stirring address on the game of football, how it has grown and the need for leadership in our time. Referring to Rozelle at one point, Lombardi said "there is pressing business going on and I'm glad he's attending to it." This was a reference to talks between the two leagues. Asked about the Hornung bit before the banquet, Lombardi said "he's got to be a fool to print a story like that" and likened the report out of Dallas to "somebody out here printing a story that somebody in the other league was going to make a move." Vince declined any specific comment on the Hornung business and advised writers to ask Hornung, himself. It is doubtful that Hornung actually had signed a three-year pact with Jet owner Sonny Werblin since Paul had stated earlier in the year that he wanted to finish out his playing career with the Packers - and, more specifically, under Lombardi. It was Vince who molded Hornung into one of the top stars in the NFL. Later Tuesday, Werblin said "there is no truth to it." Two of the presently-active 1,000 yarders at the banquet said they had been contacted by clubs in the AFL - John Henry Johnson of the Steelers and John David Crow of the 49ers. Both said they had not signed for the 1966 season yet with their NFL clubs. Gregg also said he hadn't signed with the Packers yet but added that he didn't anticipate any trouble. He explained that he hadn't been contacted by an AFL team. "This war just can't keep up. There just isn't that much money," Forrest said...THANKS FUZZY: Presentation of the award to Gregg was made by Ron Kramer, former Packer tight end now with the Lions, who presided in the absence of the Colts' Jim Parker, chosen as the best blocker in 1964. Gregg, noting that "this (trophy) will be with me the rest of my life," said he wanted to thank two people - "Fuzzy Thurston for letting me play his position, and Coach Vince Lombardi, for having faith in me. I asked him (Lombardi) for one more chance last season and he gave it to me. This (the award) was the result." Chris Schenkel, sports director of the ABC network, who was chosen the nation's top sportscaster the last two years, introduced the Packer personnel present and other guests, including Arnie Herber, the Packer immortal who was recently named to the Hall of Fame at Canton, and Donny Anderson, the Pack's highly-touted rookie halfback. Eight of the 11 Thousand Yarders were present - Beattie Feathers, Tony Canadeo, Joe Perry, J.D. Smith, Jim Taylor, John David Crow, John Henry Johnson and Dick Bass. Missing were Jim Brown, Steve Van Buren and Rick Casares...Jerry Kramer, who spent what seemed like an entire season (1964) on the operating table for removal of pieces of wood from his abdomen, revealed that "they're going to cut me one more time." This isn't as serious as the earlier operations, Jerry was pleased to report. "I had a hernia operation at the end of all those others a year ago and they covered it with a plastic plate. I'm going in Thursday to have that plate removed," Jerry said...A conversation with Crow, Anderson and Boyd Dowler got around to playing weights and Donny, who is training with the National Guard in Oshkosh, remarked that he's down to 205 now. Crow, a solid 215-pounder who is a bit shorter than Anderson, told Donny that "you'd better get heavier than that. Those linebackers are mighty mean and big in this league." Anderson assured him that "I'll bring my weight up. You can count on it."
ROZELLE CONFIRMS 'TALKS' UNDERWAY
JUN 8 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Prospects for peace between pro football's feuding major leagues appeared brighter today despite the interjection of two big games - Green Bay's Paul Hornung and San Diego's Paul Lowe - into the simmering power struggle. The peace offensive picked up steam Tuesday when Pete Rozelle, commissioner of the NFL, confirmed earlier reports of secret meetings between NFL and AFL club owners. Although Rozelle insisted that no progress had been made in the talks, his admission of their existence lent some credence to speculation that an end to hostilities, a common draft and eventual intra-league play are in sight. Meanwhile, Hornung, the New York Jets of the American League and the NFL champion Packers are busy denying a published report of the Green Bay halfback's alleged defection to the AFL club, and Lowe, the AFL's rushing king last season, was adding his name to a mushrooming list of stars involved in the player-raid controversy that has set the two leagues at each other's throats. Other developments included the signing of Ernie Ladd, who helped touch off the talent war by playing out his option at San Diego last year, by Houston of the AFL and the Washington Star's disclosure that pending congressional action may open the door for a common draft by exempting pro football from some aspects of antitrust legislation. Rozelle, who had previous refused to comment on reports on conciliatory sessions between the rival leagues, said in New York that talks have been going on between the owners - without result. "If an agreement had been reached in these discussions, it would have been announced," the NFL boss said. "I have no announcement to make at this time." Several NFL standouts have reported offers from American League clubs since Pete Gogolak, who played out his option with Buffalo of the AFL in 1965, was signed last month by the New York Giants of the NFL. Lowe said he received feelers from an NFL club - which he would not identify - about the time Gogolak signed with the Giants. Ladd's three-year contract with Houston, which acquired him from San Diego last winter in a trade later nullified by former AFL Commissioner Joe Foss, must be approved by Al Davis, the new commissioner. The 312-pound lineman was legally free to sign with anyone, including the Chicago Bears, who held NFL contract rights. "I have signed with what I believe is the finest organization in pro football," the four-time AFL All-Star tackle said. "I'm real happy to be able to stay in the AFL."
PEACE SEEN AS WIN FOR BOTH LEAGUES
JUN 9 (New York) - The National and American football league have linked hands in a merger plan that will produce a gigantic 26-team league and end an era that turned college glamour boys into instants millionaires. The marriage between the 15-team NFL and the nine-team AFL took place at a hastily called ceremony Wednesday that ended their bitter six-year battle and, at the same time, left this year's college crop standing at the altar. A title game will take place at the end of the 1966 season - and will mark the first time teams from the two leagues will meet on the playing field. The NFL and AFL will hold their separate title games before meeting in the world championship game. That was one of the key items listed in the plans announced Wednesday that eventually will expand the new league to 26 teams in 25 cities by 1970, under the supervision of Pete Rozelle, now the NFL commissioner. The major points, beside the champion game, on which the two leagues reached agreement, were:
-
All existing franchises will be retained and no franchises will be transferred from their present locations.
-
Until 1970, when all existing contracts expire and a single schedule is drawn up, the two leagues will continue to operate separately.
-
While the leagues still are operating individually, they will not be permitted to engage in inter-league trading of players.
-
Two new franchises, for a total of 26, will be added no later than 1968, one in each league, and two
-
more teams will be added as soon as practical after that.
-
The two leagues will conduct a common draft following the 1966 season.
-
The leagues will begin playing inter-league exhibition games before the 1967 season.
There will be continued two network television coverage. In addition, the plan calls for the AFL to pay the NFL $18 million over a 20-year period, plus the money received from the addition of the two new franchise holders. The NFL will be paid a total that will reach in the neighborhood of $25 million when the money from the new franchise are added. The peace plan was seen as a victory for both leagues. The six-year-old AFL ends its long search for recognition and a claim to parity with the 44-year-old NFL...TWO BIG QUESTIONS UNANSWERED: And both league cut off the multi-million dollar war for player talent, ended the escalating raiding battle and insured themselves of additional revenue through the championship game meeting. While solving more problem, the plan did, however, leave two big questions unanswered- which would be the next franchises and what would be the position of Al Davis, the new AFL commissioner, in the merger setup. There were no concrete answers, but it appeared that the leading franchise contenders were New Orleans, Seattle and Cincinnati. Davis was not available for comment, but it was considered doubtful that he would take a position in the new alignment. Friends predicted that he would return to coaching. Also up in the air was the question of whether the merger might bring antitrust action from the Justice Department, which said in Washington that it would take a "close look" at the plan. Rozelle said he did not think there would be any problems. "We have talked with Senator Hart, D-Mich., and Rep. Celler, D-N.Y., who are chairmen of the judiciary committees in their particular houses," Rozelle pointed out...REALIGNMENT ISN'T UNWARRANTED: "I feel this realignment certainly isn't a risk and isn't unwarranted. Football is a sport with certain business aspects. I don't see where enlargement makes it more of a business." Rozelle also established firmly that, although the two leagues will not formally merge until 1970, he is the top man starting immediately. "I am commissioner of both leagues - as of right now," he said. Rozelle, flanked by Tex Schramm, owner of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and Lamar Hunt of the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs, appeared at a midtown hotel to answer questions about the merger after the abrupt announcement that the two leagues had reached agreement. Asked why the AFL had to pay the NFL, Rozelle said: "A portion of it must go to the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers for encroachment on their territorial agreements. We did the same for Washington when we moved a franchise into Baltimore." Rozelle was making reference to the fact that Giants and AFL's New York Jets and the 49ers and the AFL's Oakland Raiders share the same market. In addition, Rozelle said, "Our owners felt that in recognizing and joining with AFL teams, we were adding value to their franchises." Rozelle also left no doubt that any player contracts signed with a rival league for 1967 would be voided under the terms of the agreement which stipulates that there can be no inter-league trades before 1970...GOGOLAK, GABRIEL CASES DIFFER: Rozelle also made a distinction between the cases involving soccer-style kicker Pete Gogolak and quarterback Roman Gabriel. Gogolak played out his option with the AFL's Buffalo Bills and signed with the NFL's New York Giants. Gabriel, a member of the Los Angeles Rams, is reported to have signed a contract with the AFL's Oakland Raiders to begin play in 1967. Rozelle said "the Gogolak contract has been duly approved. It will not be affected by the merger." As for the Gabriel case, Rozelle said: "Since this would involve a future date, it would be a case that would have to be studied." The signing of Gogolak, considered a "provocative" act by the AFL, apparently triggered the merger. Rozelle said that actual talks had started in March - before the Gogolak affair - but max Winter, president of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings, said that the incident quickly brought merger talks to the serious stage. "I sat in on some of the meeting in Washington two weeks ago," said Winter. "The teams were advised of the negotiations daily. It required a team-by-team vote, and this was done by telephone daily as they worked out details. We started talking seriously after the Gogolak affair. I think that's what triggered it."...RUNNING SELVES INTO RED: The Gogolak affair also triggered raids by AFL teams on NFL teams as a retaliatory measure. Stars such as quarterbacks John Brodie of San Francisco, halfback Tom Brown of Philadelphia and tackle Alex Karras of Detroit were contacted. Gabriel apparently got caught up in the all-out raiding war, and on the same day both the Rams and Raiders announced they held signed contacts with the quarterback. The prospect was for a court battle, and a deadly contract war. No one wanted it. And the talks that had been going on began to point toward agreement. "There was no question we were running ourselves into the red, " said Jerry Wolman, owner of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. "This hopefully will eliminate some of that." The merger, Wolman said, came about when the situation "got into a position where the AFL was winning to agree to the terms laid down by us. We basically laid out the terms we would agree to, and they basically agreed to it." That was seen by the Detroit Lions, one of the main targets in the raiding war, as "restoring sanity and balance to what was becoming a chaotic situation."
VETERANS BENEFIT, SKORONSKI; PACK TO REPEAT 1949?
JUN 9 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "The veterans will benefit in the long run." That was Bob Skoronski's major comment today on the surprisingly-quick merger of the National and American Football Leagues Wednesday. The Packers' 10-year veteran offensive tackle said "the clubs no longer will be faced with making large expenditures in order to get new players to sign. We, as veterans, don't bargain on what rookies are being paid, but rather we bargain on the kind of year we had. This should upgrade the entire pay scale from the proven player." Skoronski said he felt that "fighting between the two leagues was not healthy. Certainly the Packers and the other clubs couldn't afford many high bonus players on their roster. This makes the entire future of pro football much better. We already have a great pension plan and with added teams the competition should be tremendous." Paul Hornung, who denied Wednesday that he agreed to play out his option in return for a three-year, $175,000 contract with the New York Jets, said today "it had to happen" and added: "It won't the veterans but it will hurt the rookies coming in." Hornung, unsigned for 1966, left for his home in Louisville today after spending a few days here. Packer Coach Vince Lombardi declined comment today, but he indicated at the Thousand Yard banquet in Menasha Tuesday night that he was pleased that the two leagues were getting together. The feeling in the Packer camp was that the costly bonus war would eventually deteriorate the game, the quality of play and the attitude of the player. Packer
President Dominic Olejniczak said the merger was "good for professional football" and added that the merger shouldn't affect the Packers' chances at a repeat championship. As defending world champions, the Packers go into 1966 action as a favorite to repeat and, thus, become the first team to oppose the American League champion in the new world championship game, scheduled in January. This would be sort of a repeat - of the last merger. The NFL and the old All-America Conference merged in 1949 and the Packers took on the Browns in the first exhibition between the new and the old in Toledo in 1950. One of the interesting twists in the merger will be the new and elongated draft, scheduled in January, probably after the last championship game. Due to the war, each league held its draft early in December - smack in the middle of the championship stretch drives. Now the 26 clubs will sit down at their leisure and conduct a huge battle of wits for talent. But how about the championship team getting the 26th player chosen? And the 52nd players on the second round? This will increase the importance of draft choices - usually dealt pretty feely in trades. The merger also eliminates the threat of the AFL coming into Milwaukee.
CLARIDGE SIGNS FALCON CONTRACT
JUN 10 (Atlanta) - Quarterback Dennis Claridge has signed his 1966 contract with the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL. Claridge was acquired from the Green Bay Packers in the expansion draft last winter.
BUCK, FIRST COLLEGE 'NAME' SIGNED BY PACKERS, DIES
JUN 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - A major chapter in the Packers' colorful history ended Monday. It came to a close with the death of Howard (Cub) Buck, an all-time Packer, in a Davenport, Iowa, nursing home at the age of 79. Buck, who had operated an automobile dealership at Rock Island, Ill., until his retirement a year ago due to ill health, was the first big name collegiate football star ever signed to a Green Bay contract. A standout tackle at the University of Wisconsin, where he won All-American honors in 1915, Buck was lured into the embryo NFL by the late E.L. (Curly) Lambeau, founder and head coach of the Packers, in 1922. Buck, who later became a member of the Wisconsin Hall of Fame, signed for the
magnificent sum of $75 per game, slightly anemic by today's standard but top money on the fledgling Packers, then in the process of shedding their "town" team status. Addition of the bulky tackle proved to be a troke of genius. Buck not only anchored Green Bay's line - both ways - but also reigned as one of the NFL's premier punters and placekickers. A consistent all-league selection, he kicked 12 field goals and 24 extra points during his four-year tenure (1922-25) with the Pack. In his book, "The Green Bay Packers," the late Arch Ward paid tribute to Buck's contributions to the early Packer cause. "He was one of the most serious men to ever compete in professional football and served as father-confessor to many of the younger players," Ward, former sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote: "His personality and leadership helped the Packers over many a hump in their early years in the league." Charley Mathys, a homegrown hero who held forth at quarterback during that span, today echoed Ward's sentiments. "He really was an encyclopedia of football - he knew every rule in the book," Mathys declared. "And, in view of the fact that he captained the team at Wisconsin and had played some pro football at Canton before he joined us, he was an awful lot of help to Curly with the coaching, particularly concerning line play. And, in that line, he was a stone wall. Cub also punted until Lew (Verne Lewellen) got here. He was a terrific punter. But, of course, there was only one Lewellen." "He was a high class gent," Charley added. "He was always a perfect gentleman - he was a stickler for behavior. The game meant a lot to him. He felt it was here to stay and he impressed that upon everybody else. He was a natural leader and was well liked all over the league - even by the officials, who respected his knowledge." After leaving the Packers, Buck went into college coaching - first at Carleton College in Northland, Minn., and later at Lawrence College in Appleton in the late 1920s and from 1936 to 1940 coached at the University of Miami. From 1931 to 1945, he was an automobile factory district representative in Chicago. Buck, named to the all-time Packer team in 1946, is survived by his widow, Marjorie, and two daughters. Funeral services will be held at Davenport Thursday.
GREGG INKS PACKER PACT
JUN 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - GM-Coach Vince Lombardi announced today that veteran offensive tackle Forrest Gregg has signed his 1966 contract. Recently honored as the NFL's Outstanding Blocker by the National 1,000 Yard Foundation, the towering Southern Methodist University alumnus will be launching his 10th season in Green Bay silks. An all-pro choice six times, "Trees" was drafted in the second round in 1956. In 1956, when he again demonstrated his versatility by performing at both guard and tackle, he was named to the Associated Press all-league team at guard and the United Press International dream squad at tackle. Gregg also saw his "iron man" streak go by the boards while assisting in the acquisition of Green Bay's ninth NFL title. He missed the Pack's second match with the Detroit Lions, ending a string of 84 consecutive games that he had started.
PAUL HORNUNG SIGNS FOR FIGHT FOR FOOTBALL LIFE
JUN 19 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Flamboyant Paul Hornung, customarily at his best under pressure, has formally committed himself to what looms as the fight of his football life. The simple translation is, of course, that the 30-year-old Golden Boy has autographed a 1966 Packer contract, a development announced today by GM-Coach Vince Lombardi, and thus will be arrayed against the celebrated rookie, Donny Anderson, in a showdown for regular employment at left halfback when the defending champions report for duty next month. Hornung, who will be launching his ninth season in the Pack's green and gold silks, has been the incumbent since 1959 (except for 1963, when he sat out for a one-year suspension) and, a proud citizen, he is understandably reluctant to surrender starting status...MOORE GONE: The departed Tom Moore, now a Los Angeles Rams, held forth there in '63, but Hornung reclaimed his old position in '64. Last year, the former Heisman Trophy winner was hampered by injuries but reasserted himself in the stretch, forging a club record with a five-touchdown burst in the Packers' 42-27 conquest of the Colts in Baltimore last December. It may have been merely a coincidence, but the blond blaster's heroics were witnessed from the Green Bay bench by the aforementioned Anderson, then a college superstar being courted by the Packers...GOLDEN BOY: Those five touchdowns were, ironically enough, the only one Hornung collected via rushing all season. He did, however, register three others on pass receptions to emerge with 48 points, his lowest point total since his rookie year in 1957, when he saw limited action and settled for 18. The renascent Golden Boy further confounded those who had been counting him out by unfurling another glittering performance in the Bays' 23-21 title game triumph over the Cleveland Browns in snow-struck Lambeau Field Jan. 2, barging 105 yards in 18 carries and scoring one touchdown. Hornung, who already owns the NFL's season scoring record, is closing in on the Packers' all-time record. The Louisville native has amassed 730 points in eight seasons on a collection of 57 touchdowns, 66 field goals and 190 conversions, a total which finds him running third among all active players in scoring and only 95 behind the legendary Don Hutson, the Pack's all-time scoring leader. Hutson piled up 825 in 11 seasons...57 TOUCHDOWNS: Those 57 touchdowns also rank him third in the Packers' all-time table. Hutson collected 10t from 1935 through 1945 to lead in this category and Paul's long-time running mate, Jim Taylor, a runnerup with 85. Along the way, Hornung has led the league in scoring three times (1959, '60 and '61) and, in the middle of that reign, he erected an NFL season record of 176 points, shattering Hutson's 1942 mark of 138. The swashbuckling Notre Dame alumnus also was voted the league's most valuable player in both '60 and '61, was chosen MVP following the '61 championship game and three times has been named to the all-pro team. One of the most versatile performers in the game's history, Hornung has ground out 3,511 yards in 817 carries during his eight Packer seasons, an average of better than four yards per thrust, and has caught 118 passes for 1,346 more - this in addition to those 66 field goals and 190 conversions.
DOWLER SIGNS PACKER PACT
JUN 21 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers' Mr. Sure Hands, Boyd Dowler, has signed his contract for 1966, it was announced today by Coach Vince Lombardi. Long Boyd has been the team's leading pass receiver five out of his seven seasons with the Packers and last season was selected to West Pro Bowl team. Onetime star at the University of Colorado, Dowler was the Packers' third choice in the 1960 college draft and then, in his first season, won rookie of the year honors in the NFL. He caught 32 passes for 549 yards and four touchdowns after playing little in the first four games. Dowler started his career as a flanker but in the past two years has "flopped" between flanker and split end. In addition, he played tight end in various formations last year. Boyd's best year was 1963 when he caught 53 passes for 901 yards and six touchdowns. He caught 44 for 610 yards and four TDs in 1965 and topped the campaign off with five catches for 59 yards in the championship game. He caught six passes in four different games last year - twice against the Rams and once each against the Steelers and 49ers. Dowler handled the punting in 1962, finishing sixth in the league with 43.3 yards per kick...Three Packers - Jerry Kramer, Doug Hart and Bob Skoronski - will take part in a clinic at West Allis Central High Wednesday, demonstrating football and physical conditioning techniques under the auspices of the president's council on physical fitness. The clinic is one of eight being presented on a nationwide basis as part of the "Poised for Action" youth fitness program.
MARSHALL, JACOBS SIGN PACKER PACTS
JUN 23 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Sophomores Rick Marshall and Allen Jacobs have returned their signed Packer contracts for the 1966 season, Coach Vince Lombardi announced today. Jacobs, a 6-1, 215-pound fullback from the University of Utah, was the Packers' 10th round future draft choice two years ago. As a rookie last year, he carried three times - all in the league opener at Pittsburgh - and gained five yards. At Utah, Jacobs led the Western Athletic Conference with 48 points and led the Utes in total offense with 695 yards. His 163 carries in 1963 tied a Utah record. Marshall, who packs 270 on a 6-5 frame, starred in Stephen F. Austin College in Texas and was the Packers' 10th choice. He will compete for defensive tackle duty.
PACKERS DEAL GREMMINGER TO DALLAS, JETER SET
JUN 26 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Hank Gremminger has been traded. And the Packers are now down to 35 holdovers from the 1965 world championship squad. Coach Vince Lombardi announced the trade of Gremminger Saturday to the Cowboys for an undisclosed draft choice. Gremminger, who started his pro career in Green Bay in 1956 and then put in 10 seasons as a defensive back, will play at "home" in 1966. The onetime Baylor star lives in Dallas and he's in the insurance business there. Hank is the fifth world champion to depart, leaving considerable elbow room for a talented group of incoming rookies come the start of practice in mid-July. Three members of the '65 team were selected by the Falcons - quarterback Dennis Claridge, guard Dan Grimm and running back Junior Coffey, while halfback Tom Moore was traded to the Rams for second-year quarterback Ron Smith and two draft choices. Smith became the 36th veteran player, though he played only briefly after being placed on the active roster late in the season. Gremminger was the Packers' seventh choice in 1956 after starring as an offensive end at Baylor. He was converted into a defensive back in his first season. Hank intercepted 28 passes in his Packer career and ranks in a tie for third place among all-time interception leaders. Bobby Dillon, in eight seasons, leads with 52, while Irv Comp, in seven years, intercepted 33. Gremminger and Willie Wood, returning for his seventh, are next with 28. Henry returned his interceptions 421 yards. He intercepted five each in 1957, 1961 and 1962...CUT TO FIVE VETERANS: The trade of Gremminger, the defensive co-captain the past two years, reduces the Pack's defensive secondary to five veterans - Herb Adderley, Tom Brown, Doug Hart, Bob Jeter and Wood. Gremminger was the sixth man last year, playing behind Brown and Adderley. Give or take a last minute addition, four rookies will be in competition behind the veteran fivesome. They are Bill Symons, an offensive prospect last year until he was injured; Wally Mahle, a member of the taxi squad in '65; Dave Hathcock, the 17th draft choice from Memphis State; and Sam Montgomery, the 10th pick from Southern University. Symons will toil behind Adderley at left corner; Montgomery will line up behind Hart and Jeter at right corner; Hathcock will be a candidate for left safety; and Mahle will work behind Wood at right safety. The signing of Jeter was also announced by Lombardi Saturday and this brings to mind the expected fight between Hart and Jeter for starting duty at Jess Whittenton's old spot. Jeter had a slight jump on Hart during the 1965 non-league season, but Jeter suffered rib injuries in the second last exhibition. Hart would not release the spot until he was hurt early in the championship game. Then, Jeter came on and did a strong job cutting Paul Warfield down to two catches...Those holding season tickets in either Green Bay or Milwaukee are reminded that the final date payment will be accepted is July 1, GM-Coach Lombardi announced.
HALE KRAMER, WRIGHT SIGN PACKER PACTS
JUN 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jerry Kramer and Steve Wright are the latest Packer veterans to officially enter the fold for 1966. Coach Vince Lombardi announced the signing of the offensive linemen today, this bringing to 12 the number of veterans who have inked their '66 pacts. Kramer, the Packers' fourth draft choice in 1958, enters a season in the pink of health for the first time since 1963 when he won all-pro honors. He was forced out of play after the first game in '64 and underwent about eight months of surgery for removal of splinters of wood which had been in his abdomen since
he was a teenager...NEVER PLAY AGAIN: Kramer was a question mark for 1965 but he returned to earn his starting right guard position after many predicted he would never play again. As a climax to the past season, he cleared two Brown defenders for Paul Hornung on his 13-yard touchdown run in the third quarter of the championship game. The 6-3, 250-pound Kramer was named to the all-pro team three times - 1960, 1962 and 1963. He is considered one of the best pulling guards in pro football. Kramer formerly backed up Hornung as a kicker and during Paul's absence in 1963 Jerry set a Packer record of 43 points after touchdown and the field goal record of 16, which held up until Don Chandler kicked 17 in 1965. Kramer played college football at Idaho and captained the West team in the 1958 East-West Shrine game...FOURTH PICK IN '64: Wright, the Pack's fourth round pick in 1964 from the University of Alabama, was started at tackle last year when Forrest Gregg was switched to left guard. Gregg later moved back to right tackle and Fuzzy Thurston returned to right guard for the stretch drive. An above average blocker, Wright figures to come out strong in a bid for starting duty in '66. He stands 6-6 (the tallest man on the team) and packs 250 pounds. Fifteen rookies, including top choices Donny Anderson, Jim Grabowski and Gale Gillingham, are presently here for some classroom work and a light practice. Several veterans, including Bart Starr, Ken Bowman and Boyd Dowler, are assisting in the drills. The group, which will be here for a few days, also includes quarterbacks Ron Smith, the sophomore obtained from the Rams in the Tom Moore trade, Junior Edge and Kent Nix - plus Allen Brown, Bill Symons, Tony Jeter, among others.
NEW PRO FOOTBALL LEAGUE FORMED, POOLS $24 MILLION
JUN 30 (Chicago) - A new pro football league, with a pooled $24 million in its kicker to outbid the National and American Leagues for player talent this fall, has been announced by Frank Leahy, the former Notre Dame coach. It is a unique corporation program consisting of 12 franchises in metropolitan centers with Anaheim, Calif., and its new stadium, the only member so far identified. Bruce Werlhof of Santa Ana, Calif., an attorney who was named executive vice president of the corporation known as the United States Football League, said that the $24 million in cash and credits includes the price of franchises along with the packaged amount to be spent "to get the players we want." Leahy, who will serve as chairman of the board with broad powers, was emphatic at a news conference Wednesday that "we are willing and adequately prepared to spend money for outstanding players - and can go to a half a million dollars to get any one of them." The recently announced merger of the NFL and AFL leading to one league by 1970 touched off the USFL. Leahy and Werlhof indicated that if the two established leagues think they now have few problems in what was a spiraling big money war of signings, they might have another thought coming. "We will have a common player draft based on a central scouting system as soon as the regular intercollegiate football season is completed in November and will be ready to start business in the fall of 1967," said Leahy. "I know our draft will be a couple of months before that of the NFL and AFL, who have announced theirs for January. But I surmise that they now will chance their plans. I think the AFL and NFL people are too sports minded to try to circumvent our emergence as a new leader. They have no reason to do so and I don't see how they could do anyway." The USFL will be programed like this: 1. Incorporated in Delaware with temporary officers in the Bowen Building, Washington, D.C., with headquarters to be in New York, site unannounced. 2. Seven incorporators, Werlhof and Leahy, Harry Kagen, Washington, real estate investor, treasurer; Norman Hecht, Rockville, Md., banker, president; A.M. Cetrulo, Cincinnati, commercial industrial financier, secretary; Chester Brewer, Dallas, banker and insurance executive, and Clayton Faulkner, Haverton, Pa., investment banker. 3. The first six franchises will be announced July 20, the next three Aug. 15, and the last three Sept. 1. "Four or five applicants have either NFL or AFL teams in their cities," said Leahy, "Frankly, we are staggering the announcement of our sites to spread out the publicity value." Among cities in the rumor hopper are Chicago, Washington, Philadelphia, Memphis, New Orleans, Seattle, Phoenix and Cincinnati. 4. Prediction by Leahy that "in four or five years we will match the NFL-AFL talentwise and in competitiveness." 5. Players and coaches will have rights to buy stock in teams they represent. 6. Intra-league exhibition games will be played and perhaps televised by Telstar in Europe, South American and the Orient during the first three years. 7. Each franchise owner will assure satisfactory offseason employment for players. 8. Eligibility for retirement of players will be much sooner than in the NFL-AFL. 9. Each of the 12 teams will have one president who will sit on the board of directors. This board will set policy regarding business matters. 10. The league will have a "board of coaches" which will schedule games and handle the central annual draft. 11. The theory of a commissioner will be abandoned. It will be replaced by a chairman of the board (Leahy), who will have jurisdiction over two separate divisions of the league. The first will be the officer of president, who will be in charge of all league business matters. The second will be the office of athletic director, who will supervise over all football matters. There was no comment from any NFL or AFL official in New York.
ROOKIE HALFBACKS SIGNED BY PACKERS
JUN 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Two more rookie halfbacks, one for offense and the other a 9.6 defensive speedster, have been signed by the Packers, Coach Vince Lombardi announced today. The new prospects are Ron Rector, a 196-pound offensive back from Northwestern, and Sam Montgomery, a 210-pound two-way player from Southern University. Rector was the Packers' ninth draft choice last December, Montgomery No. 10. Rector led the Wildcats in rushing his junior year and in his senior year rushed for 345 yards in 82 attempts for an average of 4.2. He also caught six passes for 125 yards and one TD. His 78-yard run with a Tom Meyers pass his junior year set a Northwestern record. Montgomery looms as a serious contender for the spot vacated by Hank Gremminger, the 10-year veteran who was traded this week to Dallas. Sam stands 6-2 and he will start at right halfback - the position occupied by Doug Hart and Bob Jeter...Bob Long, the Packers' veteran flanker back, will marry Virginia Lou (Ginnie) Thompson, at the First Presbyterian Church in Wichita, Kan., next Tuesday...The three-day class for nearly 20 Packer rookies ended at noon today and most of them departed for their homes in the afternoon. They'll all report for the start of training July 13, except for Donny Anderson, Jim Grabowski and Gale Gillingham, who will join the College All Stars.
GRANDSON FOR VINCE
JUN 30 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - There's a new Vincent Thomas Lombardi on the scene - Vincent Thomas Lombardi II, who was born recently to the Vincent J. Lombardis of Minneapolis. The grandson of the Packer coach and general manager is the first born for Vincent J., who married the former Jill Butz of Minot, S.D., in June of 1965.
PACKERS ADD PAIR OF SKIS - BRATKOWSKI AND SKORONSKI
JUL 3 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers added a pair of skis today. And, presto, the veteran quarterbacks and offensive tackles are signed and sealed for the 1966 season. Latest to ink their contracts for the defend-the-championship season are Bob Skoronski, the offensive captain who works left offensive tackle, and Zeke (To The Rescue) Bratkowski. Skoronski, an eight-year veteran who was a fifth round choice of Indiana in 1956, joins tackle Forrest Gregg and Steve Wright in the satisfied department. Skoronski played his rookie season at right tackle and then went into service for two years. He moved to his present position, left tackle, in 1959 and has been stationed there ever since - other than a brief sojourn at center when Jim Ringo was traded to Philadelphia three years ago. Skoronski, a Green Bay taxpayer, is the Packers' representative in the NFL Players Assn. Bratkowski, obtained in a trade with the Rams three years ago, backed up Bart Starr to the tune of four victories in the 1965 championship drive. Most notable were two wins over the then-defending champion Colts. He pitched a TD pass to Max McGee in the final minutes of the first Colt game in Milwaukee and then worked the sudden death victory over the Colts that produced the Pack's Western Division title. He replaced Starr, who was injured on the first play of the game. In the sudden death drama, Bratkowski completed 22 out of 39 passes for 248 yards. In his relief appearance during the league season, Zeke completed 21 of 48 passes for 348 yards and three touchdowns. Starr also has signed for the 1966 campaign, along with quarterbacks Ron Smith, obtained in the Tom Moore trade with the Rams, and Kent Nix of Texas Christian and Junior Edge of North Carolina...The Packers' two highly-touted offensive backs - Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski - will wear double numbers next season. Anderson has been assigned No. 44, the number worn so long by Bobby Dillon, and Grabowski will sport No. 33, Lew Carpenter's old numeral.
PACKERS ADD 3 ROOKIES
JUL 5 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Packer Coach Vince Lombardi today announced the signing of three more rookies, bringing to 26 the number of prospects signed for the 1966 season. The latest additions to the rookie roster are guards Roy Schmidt and Ralph Wenzel and flanker Jeff White. Schmidt was a two-way starter at Cal State at Long Beach and was drafted in the 13th round as a future in 1965. In addition to being a co-captain of his college eleven, he was also named to the All-Conference, All-Coast and Honorable Mention Little All-American teams. He is 6-3 and 240 pounds and together with Schmidt will be tried as an offensive guard. White, from Texas Tech, was drafted as a future in 1965 in the 18th round. Although he played his football in the shadow of talented Donny Anderson, Jeff was a Junior College All-American at Glendale, Calif., in 1963. The 6-23, 190-pounder has excellent speed and will be tried as a flanker. All rookies with the exception of those playing in the All-Star game in Chicago will be reporting to camp Wednesday, July 13. Missing will be Donny Anderson, Jim Grabowski and Gale Gillingham, who will not be joining the team until after the All-Star team, Aug. 5.
FALCONS WILL LOOK LIKE PACKERS - UNTIL SEASON STARTS
JUL 5 (Asheville, NC) - The Atlanta Falcons, newest team in the NFL, will look just like the Green Bay Packers - until the season starts. Coach Norb Hecker, a disciple of Green Bay Coach Vince Lombardi, has wasted no time adopting the Packers' sweat-and-blood practice tactics for his Falcons. The Falcons - who will rely on rookies and castoffs from other clubs when they make their debut this fall - aren't expected to play like the Packers but Hecker plans to make them look like the NFL champions. "We'll be in as good a shape as Green Bay," Hecker promised after a pair of rugged conditioning workouts Monday and his players agreed. "That was the roughest opening workout I've seen," said former Georgia Tech quarterback Billy Lothridge, who has had trials with Baltimore, Dallas and Los Angeles. Ernie Wheelwright, former New York Giant fullback, dropped 13 points in the morning drill. Not a minute was wasted during 90-minute morning and afternoon workouts, and the players met with coaches for another hour Monday night. "The rest of the night is theirs," Hecker said, cheerfully admitting that the Falcon camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains is a 20-minute drive from town, which doesn't leave players too much time of their own. Curfew is 11 p.m. "I don't think anyone will want to do anything but sleep around here at night," Hecker added. "They'll be too tired." "But I don't think our opening drills were any tougher that the first day for the past seven years at the Packers," the former Green Bay assistant coach said. "Some of the players just aren't used to that kind of workout, that's all." The first day's drills, Hecker said, indicated that many of the veterans and rookies trying for jobs with the Falcons won't make it. Hecker's biggest chore during the first few weeks of workouts will be to determine which players to keep. Sixty-four prospects reported Monday, with about 5 NFL veterans obtained from other clubs scheduled to come in Saturday. Six of the top college players acquired by the Falcons are tied up with the Coaches All-American game in Atlanta. Hecker plans to trim 20 or more players from the squad this week, and cut the list down to about 60 by Aug. 1. Dennis Claridge, reserve quarterback for the Packers the past two seasons, was on hand and led the passing drill. The first casualty in the camp was Bob Toneff, former defensive standout at tackle for the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers. He as signed as a free agent but failed to pass the physical exam.
DONNY, GRABO FOES FOR LAST TIME
JUL 7 (Atlanta) - Two rich college football players - Donny Anderson of Texas Tech and Jim Grabowski of Illinois - will battle for the last time Saturday night before they team up in what they hope will be rewarding careers with the Green Bay Packers. Anderson will play for the West and Grabowski for the East in the Coaches All-America game, which marks the second time they have dueled. The two youngsters - each of whom received a bonus reportedly in the neighborhood of $600,000 to sign with the Packers - were on opposite sides last January in the Hula Bowl at Honolulu. "We won that game by one point," Grabowski said, "although Donny had a better day than I did. I scored a conversion, but he caught a couple of nice passes." Grabowski and Anderson will team up for the College All-Star Game in Chicago Aug. 5, when the 1965 college standouts meet the Green Bay Packers, champions of the NFL. Then the two hard-running backs will report to Green Bay, where they plan to room together. Both are being counted on heavily in the All-America Game, with Grabowski the East's starting fullback and Anderson playing fullback for the West. "I enjoy playing against Donny," Grabowski said, "although he's so much faster than me I don't even like to think about it." Grabowski is a burly 220-pounder who broke Big Ten running marks by gaining 2,878 yards in his career; Anderson, who also weighs 220 on a rangier frame, gained 2,280 yards rushing in three years at Texas Tech, and also caught 105 passes for 1,327 yards and 12 touchdowns. "Jim and I are good friends," Anderson said. "We got to know each other at the Hula Bowl, and both of us are in the National Guard and went to summer camp together." "I'm looking forward to rooming with Jim, because we're both going to be rookies with the Packers and it will be nice to have a friend around," Anderson said. Both admit they may have trouble cracking the Green Bay lineup. Grabowski will be understudying the Packers' great fullback, Jim Taylor, and Anderson will be playing behind halfback Paul Hornung.
PACK DEFENDS AGAINST 22 FOES
JUL 10 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers - in three days - start defense of their hard-earned championship against the largest field in the history of pro football. Green Bay, in effect, starts in front of a pack of 22 snarling opponents, compared to only 13 last year. This circumstance, of course, is brought about by (1) the addition of a 15th team to the NFL and (2) the newly-admitted 10 clubs of the AFL to what we in the NFL like to call "major league status."...CHAMPIONSHIP THINKING: While the official defense of the title won't start until league firing commences on Sept. 10 (Colts in Milwaukee), the championship thinking - as molded by Coach Vince Lombardi - will start with the first workout of rookies and selected veterans Wednesday. Packer headquarters again will be at St. Norbert College and the entire squad will be together come next Saturday night, Picture Day is set for a week from today and the first full scale drilling will open Monday, July 18. The Packers won't see anything of the AFL clubs this league season, but the champions of the two leagues will saw it off for a sort of a new world championship after the title games of the two leagues Jan. 6 or 7. This means that the two leagues will be scouting each other for the first time - at least late in the season...PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE: The Packers are more or less experienced in the matter of playing two championship games. They had to beat the Colts (13-10) to win a saw off for the Western title last Dec. 26 and then whipped the Browns (23-12) for the world crown a week later. The Green Bay of the AFL is Buffalo, which whipped San Diego for that league's version of the world title last December in a surprise 23 to 0 contest. This super title playoff is a long way off, of course, and the Packer problem at the moment is getting ready to keep the Western Division championship...TEST FOR OFFENSE: The Packers won't have wait long to see if they get help where they need it most - on offense. This is a reference to the College All Star game in Chicago Aug. 5 when the Packers get first hand looks at their two prized rookie halfbacks, Donny Anderson and Jim Grabowski. These two are tabbed as the Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor of the future, but if they can add power to the Packer scoring machine in 1966 the Packers' chance of repeating will be increased considerable. Joining these two will be Gale Gillingham, a top-flight prospect for the offensive line. He will be started at guard. Lombardi has something of an "open" position on offense. That would be tight end, which was shared by Marv Fleming and Bill Anderson last year, with each showing flashes of form. Chief candidates here are Allen Brown, the rookie who looked so good last year until injuries cut him down, and Tony Jeter, a rookie from Nebraska...NOT MUCH CHANGE: Defensively, the Packers don't figure to change - unless Bob Jeter (brother of Tony) beats Doug Hart at right corner. The defense is solid, and the unit has a real reputation to live up to. The defense allowed an average of only 16 points per game. The offense scored an average of slightly over 22 points - and that's too close for comfort. Two more Packer veterans have signed their 1966 contracts - Ron Kostelnik and Ray Nitschke of the defensive team. This brings to 20 the number of veterans signed. Nitschke officially returns for his ninth season in pro football - all with the Packers. The former Illinois star was named all-pro in 1965 for the second straight year. He was the Packers' third draft choice in 1958. One of his top honors as a pro was being named the most valuable player in the 1962 championship game. One of the youngest players ever drafted (he was barely 20 when he came up in 1961), Kostelnik is starting his sixth season with Green Bay. After working under Dave Hanner his first three years, the baby-faced destroyer has been a regular in 1964-65...Experience pays off in the NFL. Take the roster of the Packers as an example. The average number of years experience for a Packer player if 5.1. The only teams with a higher average are the Browns, defending Eastern Division titlists, and the Colts, Both the Colts and the Browns average 5.4 years. The Bears have the same experience level as the Packers...EXPERIENCE COUNTS: Last season only four NFL teams won more than half their games. The four were the Browns, the Colts, the Packers and the Bears, the four most experienced teams. At the same time, the NFL's big four are the oldest teams in the league. The Browns have an average age of 28.1 years. The Colts' average age is 27.9, the Bears 27.4, and Green Bay 27.7.
'OLD' PACKERS? VINCE DISPUTES CLAIM; SQUAD GAME SET JULY 28
JUL 12 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers stand ready - and emphatically able - to defend their NFL championship in the imminent 1966 scramble. An ebullient and incisive Vince Lombardi made this abundantly clear during a freewheeling press conference which featured the Packers' annual statewide party for the Fourth Estate at Oneida Gold and Riding Club Monday evening. "I see that some of the magazines say the Packers are an old football team," he volunteered. "There is no question in my mind that we are not - I say every emphatically - we are not an old football team. We have experience - and that's what you need to win in this league. Youth is important, certainly, but what you must have is a blend of youth and experience if you hope to win the NFL." Lombardi earlier had announced that his defending champions, who begin assembling at St. Norbert College Wednesday night with an influx of this year's rookie crop, will make their first formal public appearance in the annual intra-squad at Lambeau Field Thursday night, July 28. "It will be sponsored by the benevolent associations of the Green Bay police and fire departments," he said, adding, "We hope to have 50,000 fans in the stands that night. I'd be very much disappointed if we don't. I think it's a great buy at a dollar a head." Taking note of the College All Star game Aug. 5, the Pack's first "outside" assignment, the Packer major-domo emphasized, "You have to remember one thing - we are here to win the NFL championship, not to win the All-Star game. This is one of the games with which we prepare for the NFL season." Responding to one scribe's observation that "the All-Stars are supposed to be the best ever," Lombardi rejoined, "They say that every year." He chuckled and added, "I think they're right. This year's personnel is superior to that of any past team." Did he think the recent merger of the NFL and AFL might trigger abandonment of the All Star classic? "I doubt that," Vince declared. "It has a great deal of color. There are some things that are wrong with the game, but I wouldn't care to go into them." "I screamed about the All Star game a couple of years," he appended with a significant smile, "but I'll tell you one thing, I'm real happy
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 15th 1966)
Fond du Lac Commonwealth Reporter (February 15th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 17th 1966)
Chicago Tribune (February 18th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (February 25th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (March 4th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (March 11th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (March 13th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (March 28th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (March 29th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 1st 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 3rd 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (April 3rd 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 15th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 24th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (April 26th 1966)
Madison Capital-Times (April 30th 1966)
Sport Magazine (April 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (May 2nd 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 15th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (May 21st 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (May 24th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (May 26th 1966)
Appleton Post-Crescent (June 7th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (June 8th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (June 8th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (June 9th 1966)
Grave of Howard (Cub) Buck - Rock Island, IL (Source: Findagrave.com)
Appleton Post-Crescent (July 5th 1966)
Green Bay Press-Gazette (July 12th 1966)
The pre-season preview from the 1966 Football Pros magazine (Credit - Packerville, USA)
Bart Starr describes his favorite play: “We have a pass in Green Bay we throw against everyone and all defenses and make it go. Against the Lions in Detroit, we used it several times very effectively in ’65, once for a real long gain that got us started after we were down by some 20 points. It’s a crossing action type of pass not easily covered by a defense and is known in our play book as ‘Right Formation, Flare Wide L & R, Wing Trail.’ L & R merely denotes L (left end) and R (tight end) are crossing. Wing trail is just that. The wing, or flanker, trails across. I like the pass specifically for three reasons: 1) it can be thrown against any defense very effectively; 2) there are four good choices of receivers, depending on how the defense covers; 3) there are easy take-off or companion routes the wing can run off this basic move to keep his defender completely off balance. The blocking is very sound and simple. Big linemen on big defensive linemen. The center is responsible for the middle linebacker. The remaining back, the left halfback, is responsible for the linebacker to his side. If the linebacker on the fullback’s side comes, the ball is released quickly to the fullback flaring. Optional blocking is to delay flaring the fullback, in which case he takes the linebacker on his side if the red dog (blitz) is on. This play was part of our (1965) championship game plan against the Browns and we completed it a couple of times for crucial gains.” Source: “The Pro Quarterback” by Murray Olderman (1966)
The 1966 Green Bay Packers: Profiles of Vince Lombardi's Super Bowl I Champions (Great Teams in Pro Football History) (By George Bozeka) - The 1966 Green Bay Packers were one of the greatest teams in professional football history. Led by legendary head coach Vince Lombardi and 10 future Hall of Famers--including Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis and Ray Nitschke--they were the decisive winners of Super Bowl I, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs and upholding the superiority of the National Football League over the upstart American Football League. This book tells the story of the hard-working '66 Packers on the gridiron and their legacy in Titletown, USA. To find the book on Amazon, click here.
we're in it this year." How did he feel about the merger? "I think it's a real fine thing for football," Lombardi said. "It's a great thing for football, and it's a great thing for the players." Had he not played a "big role" in bringing the two leagues together? "Yes, I did have a role," he replied. "I suppose what you would call a big role. I was on one of the committees which formed the merger. That's all I care to say about that. There are some matters in connection with it which I am not at liberty do disclose at this time." What are his feelings about the site for which Miami has been suggested as a possible permanent city for the projected NFL-AFL title game? "All I can say is that, whatever opinion I have, the game will be played in Green Bay if we are in it. You have to consider the people who fill your stadium, they want to see it here - they don't want to see it on television?" Did he think that, with the addition of the "world" title game, the schedule might be approaching the players' physical limit? "I think there's a physical limit, yes," Lombardi said, "but I don't think it has been reached yet." Still on the multi-faceted subject of TV, he also announced in reply to another question that the Packers will employ video tape during their practices this season. "We will be able to play back a play right now - instead of tomorrow - and show a player what he is doing wrong." How, he was asked, did he account for the spectacular upsurge in pro football's popularity? "It's the violence," the ex-Block of Granite asserted. "And there are very few lulls in action. There is nothing wrong with violence if it is controlled. I think most successful people, no matter what field they're in, are violent people." Inevitably, there was a personal question. Was he satisfied in Green Bay, or does he have other aspirations? Smiling as he replied, Lombardi said, 'Yes, I have aspirations, and no, I'm not satisfied. If I were, I'd be ready to retire. And I am not ready to retire." It is being said, one scribe suggested, that the Packer head man has replaced the Bears' ageless George Halas as the "strong man" of the NFL. "I don't consider myself the strong man," Lombardi said. "I'm not trying to outmuscle anybody and I'm not trying to outthink anybody. I'm just trying to do what is best for the Green Bay Packers and keep them a winner."
BOWMAN AND ALDRIDGE SIGN
JUL 12 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The number of Packers under contract for the 1966 NFL season rose to 22 today with the signing of veterans Ken Bowman and Lionel Aldridge. Vince Lombardi, head coach and general manager, noted that the signing of Bowman, a center, rounds out the entire starting offensive line for the coming season. Bowman, the Packers' eighth round draft choice for 1964 from Wisconsin, is 6-1 and weighs 235. Aldridge, the club's fourth draft pick from Utah State University, will be entering his fourth season for the Packers. The 6-1, 245 pounder is a defensive end.
PACKER HONEYMOON OVER...PRACTICE STARTS THURSDAY
JUL 13 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The honeymoon, all too soon, is over. The Packers, who have had six months to happily reflect upon their ninth NFL title, acquired in snow-draped Lambeau Field last Jan. 2, tonight begin facing up to the formidable prospect of defending their present eminence against what looms as the most challenging field in NFL history. Twenty-six members of that championship cast and 23 rookies, including Eli Strand, Allan Brown, Bill Symons and Wally Mahle off last year's taxi squad, are scheduled to report at Sensenbrenner Hall on the picturesque St. Norbert College campus for the baptismal team dinner at 6 p.m., which will officially launch the Pack's 48th season. Following that pleasant assignment, they will undergo physical and dental examinations in Van Dyke gymnasium, after which they will be briefed by Coach Vince Lombardi at the first squad meeting of the season. Tonight's reporting veterans will include all offensive and defensive backs, plus linebackers and receivers. Offensive guard and tackles and defensive ends and tackles are not due until Saturday night, although some may be reporting ahead of schedule. Three heralded rookies, the celebrated Donny Anderson of Texas Tech and Illinois fullback Jim Grabowski, along with tackle Gale Gillingham of Minnesota, will be among the missing. All are in training with the College All-Stars art Evanston, Ill., and will oppose their future teammates in Soldier Field Aug. 5 before joining the Pack the following day. The Packers will launch two-a-day drills (9 a.m. and 3 p.m.) Thursday morning, a regiment that is expected to prevail until just before the intra-squad game, scheduled Thursday night, July 28. The annual "Picture Day" will be held Sunday, beginning at 9 a.m....The oldest Packer in point of service, one William M. McGee, has agreed to terms for an 11th season, Lombardi announced today. The 33-year-old McGee, who joined the Pack off the Tulane campus in 1954, four times (1958, '60, '61 and '62) has been the team's leading receiver. Lombardi also announced that Bull Curry, talented center-linebacker from Georgia Tech, has signed his '66 pact.
