critical, on New Year's Eve, 1972. While he was undergoing the blood filtering, family members were tested to determine whether they could donate an organ. In Canadeo's case, brothers and sons had matching tissue and blood types. "I was really fortunate in this," he said. "Usually, it's very difficult to get a family donor. That's why this donor card thing is so important (the Kidney Foundation enrolls people between the ages of 10 and 55 in the Uniform Anatomical Gift program). People who sign the donor card aren't obligated, they don't know you, there's no pressure. You can't really 'expect' this from your family - there's no way you can really ask for a kidney, it has to be given with love. I was very fortunate, because any one of my boys would have given it to me." Canadeo said he was also fortunate because he had a good hospitalization policy, plus veterans benefits, to pay for the kidney machine treatments. The treatments cost an exorbitant amount of money. "You know how you cuss when you're in the service," he said, "Well, I'm not cussing anymore." This month, Canadeo is honorary chairman of the state Kidney Foundation's fund drive. He was in Appleton last Wednesday to take part in the signing ceremony for Mayor James Sutherland's proclamation of March as kidney month. Since the transplant operation, Canadeo has worked on his own to help other kidney patients, and to raise money for kidney research and treatment. He said the 1,000 Yard Club gave him a $5,000 donation, and he received other donations from the Packer Alumni club, from Mrs. Marie Lombardi, and from several companies. He believes most people are ignorant of the disease, because only in recent years has it been studied and treated. A case of strep throat he can't even remember probably caused his illness, he said. One man being treated in Milwaukee had contracted the disease from using old prescription medicine, he said. He said he never misses an opportunity now to visit and reassure other kidney disease patients. "Just seeing me feeling good after the transplant makes them feel good, too," he said. "Maybe God says that's your job, maybe that's why it happened to you."

DEVINE CITES PACKER LOYALTY - BROWN FONDLY RECALLS VINCE

MAR 5 (Milwaukee) - Larry Brown was the funniest speaker of the Wisconsin Pro Football Writers fifth annual awards banquet Sunday, but most of his humor was on the square. "I must offer you my apologies for being late tonight, and I know if Vince was here, he would have run me right out of here," Brown told more than 800 listeners. Brown, a Washington Redskins back who led the National Football Conference in rushing last season, referred to the late Vince Lombardi, a former Green Bay and Washington coach. It was Lombardi who, as Redskin coach in 1969, recognized the latent talents of Brown, then an unheralded rookie from Kansas State. Brown thought enough of his former tutor to spend several hours at a fogged-in Washington airport Sunday, waiting for a plane to Milwaukee so he could receive the writers' Lombardi dedication award. "I remember Coach Lombardi very well," he said. "I can still see that smile, those teeth, that old baseball cap and those grey warmup pants he used to wear to practice. He was a sharp dresser as well as a great coach." "I remember when Otto Graham drafted me for the Redskins, and I got on the airplane and picked up the paper and read that Lombardi was going to coach the Redskins," he continued: "I said, 'Oh My God.' I immediately went to the store and got Jerry Kramer's book," he said. Brown was serious too. Glancing at Lombardi's widow, Marie, who helped present the award to Brown, he said: "I'm sorry cancer robbed me of the opportunity of getting to know him like Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor and the guys with the Packers who knew him. He made me a better man." Dan Devine, Packer coach, also alluded to the team's past glories, but emphasized the present. He referred to the bitter disappointment of losing to Brown and the Redskins in an NFL playoff Christmas eve. "Had this award been made earlier, I would have been tied up in bitter frustration. But as time goes on, you realize how much these guys did put out and what our staff did last season," Devine said. "One of the things that impressed me when I came to Green Bay was the loyalty that the people who were part of the 60s showed to me, Bart Starr, Ray Nitschke, Bob Skoronski, and many others," he said. "The Packers always had class guys, and our aim is to put it together again," Devine said. "Last year's team gave me the greatest thrills I've ever had in football," he said. The writers honored five players who contributed to the Packers 10-4 season in 1972. Tackle Bob Brown and running back MacArthur Lane were cited as defensive and offensive players of the year. Kicker Chester Marcol and cornerback Willie Buchanon were named rookies of the year. Linebacker Nitschke received the Starr Award for meritorious service to the club. Don Shula, coach of the Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins, got a distinguished service citation. Larry Little, Dolphins' all-pro guard, got a Forrest Gregg award, given annually to an outstanding lineman. Kramer, Packer all-pro guard of the 1960s, was toastmaster.

SMITH RUNNING DELAY PATTERN

MAR 11 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - So you're wondering when Barry Smith is going to sign...That, unfortunately, is a long story. How much longer it will be is a matter of conjecture at this point, Smith, the Packers' No. 1 draft choice from Florida State, has placed his financial future in the hands of a high powered agent, a maneuver which has caused negotiations to decelerate dramatically. But the heralded wide receiver is not the only one who has been dragging his contractual feet, unilaterally or by direction. Packer Coach Dan Devine took note of this in a discussion of the personnel situation, reporting, "We aren't signing our rookies quite as fast as we had hoped. We're not concerned about it - we're negotiating, but we haven't reached terms with as many people as we would have liked to have at this point. In most cases, the delay apparently is attributable to the involvement of an agent, a comparatively recent addition to the pro football scene. This is particularly true in the case of Smith. whose apparent aloofness is ascribed to a lack of communication from Bob Wolff, the Boston attorney who is representing Barry. "Several weeks ago, right after the draft, Lloyd Eaton [Packer personnel director) called Wolff and asked him to set up a time when they could sit down and talk contract," Bob Harlan, Packer assistant general manager, reported. "This was on a Wednesday and Wolff assured Lloyd he would get back to him by the following Monday, but he has not yet done so. And that was some time ago. They don't seem to be overly anxious to discuss it. "No figure, in fact, has been mentioned between the two parties as yet. There has been very little discussion between the Packers and Wolff thus far." Eaton, also immersed in overseeing the scouting of collegiate spring football camps at this point, reported, "Wolff said he and the boy would get together and see what their likes and dislikes would be in respect to the contract, and that he would get back to us. But I'm still waiting to hear." The former University of Wyoming coach is not overly surprised at this turn of events. "Kids are more sophisticated today," he said. "It's not unusual for even the late choices of other clubs as well as our own to have agents these days." Wolff, among the most celebrated of these high priced intermediaries, is the same citizen who promised to make Wisconsin-grown John Matuszak, property of the Houston Oilers and the first player chosen in the '73 draft, "the highest salary lineman in pro football history." On the subject of contracts, incidentally, Devine has affirmed his and the Packers position on the "no-cut" variety. Asked if any present Packer players have been so favored, he replied, "There is no one on our club who has a no-cut contract. I don't personally believe in them. We have long-term contracts, like the one Jerry Tagge has, but they are not no-cut contracts, it would be the same as we have done with Willie Buchanon, John Brockington and Tagge in the last couple of years. In other words, they are subject to performance - making the team, which means the terms will be fulfilled only if the player in question makes our 40-man roster."...PACKER PATTER: Devine was noncommittal on the subject of Roman Gabriel, the disenchanted Rams quarterback who reportedly is about to be traded. "I have no comment on Gabriel," he said, "except my standard reply, which is that I would be interested in anyone who would help our football team." It would seem illogical, of course, or the Packer generalissimo to evince much interest in a quarterback whose passing remains suspect after a less than mediocre 1972 season which on occasion found him unable to make the kickoff because of miseries in his salary arm...At the moment, Devine and his aides are dividing their time between scouting collegiate spring camps and preparing for their own rookie camp, which will be held at Scottsdale, Ariz., April 12-15.

JIM CARTER EYES HOCKEY PACT

MAR 13 (Milwaukee) - Jim Carter. the Green Bay Packers' middle linebacker and once an outstanding hockey player at the University of Minnesota, says he may leave professional football to sign with a World Hockey Association club. "I talked to a WHA team last week and they offered me something tike $10.000 more each year than the Packers are giving me. a no-cut contract plus a bonus to sign right now." Carter said Monday. "I think I may do it unless Green Bay gives me a little raise," he said. Carter. 25, did not identify the WHA team, although he was drafted by the Minnesota Fighting Saints last year. He said the team with which he is negotiating is aware he has not played competitive hockey in "four or five years." "They also figure they need someone who's got a name, is big and can hit - and is a drawing card." Carter said. insisting he is not using the offer as a lever to obtain a raise from the Packers However. he said, "I'm going to call Green Bay this week and tell them: 'listen. it's ridiculous for these people to be offering me all this money and you people sit there and not offer me anything." Carter signed a multi-year contract with the National Football League club three years ago, but said contract renegotiation "is going on all the time. all over the league." "I renegotiated my first contract with Green Bay two years ago," he said. Dan Devine. Green Bay coach and general manager, conceded the WHA club had offered Carter "a pretty good contract." "Of course, he would lose out on his pension plan and all that stuff. too, if he switched to hockey." Devine said. "Jim has already established himself as an outstanding member of a good. young team. Just remember. all that glitters is not gold." Devine said.

PERSONALITY PARADE (JIM CARTER)

MAR 14 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Jim Carter can't be serious...or can he? The suspicion here is that he is not likely to desert the Packers for pro hockey, for rather obvious reasons, although little in this fast changing world is certain. One thing already is quite clear, however, the Packers' incumbent middle linebacker, currently occupied as an off-season restauranteur at the Eau Claire Left Guard, did little to ingratiate himself with his football boss by his approach to the subject. "I certainly don't need that sort of thing," 'Dan Devine asserted Tuesday in discussing Carter's report he is weighing a substantial offer to join the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association. "I'm disappointed that he would have taken this avenue of approach (in the public prints)," Devine said. "It's time consuming for me. All I did yesterday afternoon and evening and so far today (it was then 1:45 p.m.) is answer questions about this thing. Every radio station, television station and newspaper around has been calling me about it.". DD is presently immersed in daily, exploratory trade discussions with other clubs (quite possibly for a linebacker in the wake of Dave Robinson's exit) and the planning for next month's rookie camp in Arizona. He indicated there is little likelihood Carter will achieve his specific objective - renegotiation of his 1973 contract, which actually represents the first year of a multi-year pact. Not, certainly, without some concessions on his part. "My position is that we do not renegotiate contracts," Devine said, "just as it is that we do not give no-cut contracts. In certain cases, we will renegotiate, but this only is in a particular kind of situation. For example, if a player is in the last year of a multi-year contract at this point, we might renegotiate his '73 contract if he also would sign for 1974 and '75. But we're not going to renegotiate for any particular year." At this point, the Packers have title to Carter's services for 1974, under the option clause, as well as for 1973. In hockey, he is the property of the Fighting Saints, who drafted him last year. An all-state selection as a high school senior in his native South St. Paul, Minn., he continued in hockey during his first two years at the University of Minnesota before devoting himself exclusively to football. An obvious consideration in any discussions between the Packers and Carter is the validity of the WHA opportunity from the latter's standpoint. The fact that the former Gopher fullback has been away from "the world's fastest sport for five years" would seem to cloud his chances of making the pro hockey grade. The next move apparently is up to Carter, since Devine said he has no plans to call Ray Nitschke's oft-outspoken successor. "He was in about two weeks ago to discuss his contract and I had him talk to Bob Harlan (Packer assistant general manager)," Devine revealed. "I don't intend to call him, no. He told Bob he would be back in to talk with him again, and that's the way we've left it. We have the type of relationship that, if he said he is coming back to talk, that is what we assume he'll do." Harlan, who said he has heard nothing further on the subject, indicated Carter made no mention at that point of the alleged hockey offer, which he since has described as "something like $10,000 more each year than the Packers are giving me, a no-cut contract, plus a bonus to sign right now." Carter did, however, ask to renegotiate his contract, Harlan said. "I told him, 'I'll only renegotiate your contract if you will sign for 1974 and '75.' and I made him an offer for each vear. "But," Carter said, "I'll have to think about it. I hadn't thought that far ahead." He said when he left that he would get back to me. That's where we left it." "I made him a pretty darned good offer, with some darned good clauses," Harlan said. "He knows what our figures are. He knows what we're thinking about. "I think what happened is that Jim surprised even himself the way he's come on at middle linebacker since he signed his multi-year contract two years ago. And he probably figures he should have more money. I told him I'd be willing to renegotiate if he would do something for us in return - sign for two additional years. We have a lot of people on multi-year contracts. But it looks like he'd want to renegotiate every year."

PACK WON'T REPLACE STARR

MAR 18 (Green Bay) - Quarterback, unquestionably, is the most sensitive position on the Packer roster at this point in time. Yet the Packers will not have a quarterback coach, per se, in 1973. A contradiction?... Not necessarily. Granted, it may seem like a surprising departure, considering the redoubtable Bart Starr occupied this coaching chair en route to the National Football Conference's Central Division championship last season. And also of course considering that special tutoring would seem indicated in the cases of Scott Hunter, the youthful incumbent, and (1972 rookie) Jerry Tagge, the home grown challenger, if one subscribes to the theory that experience under the center and artistic success ordinarily go hand-in-hand. But the quarterback situation is hardly being neglected, despite the absence of a successor to Starr, for which Dan Devine has his reasons. Both Hunter and Tagge already are immersed in a regular, supervised off-season program decreed by Devine, the first such regimen in Packer history. "Jerry is coming in five days a week and Scott three days a week," DD disclosed while discoursing on this subject over the weekend, "although they are more or less on their own. "They have both a physical and a mental program. But I might explain, because their situations are so structured during training camp and throughout the season that during this period, we've written out what we want them to do but how they do it is pretty much up to them. "Jerry's film study is a little different than Scott's, too. For example, it wouldn't do Jerry as much good to study the games Scott played in as it would to study those in which he appeared. "However, both of them are studying both Chicago, Detroit and Minnesota. games of last season enthusiastically. Some times they look at personnel, some times they look at coverages. "They're looking at some of our film, they're looking at film strips our coaches have put together, they're looking at the slides Bart put together for us on the various pass patterns. Jerry has put in a tremendous amount of time looking at film. "At this point, we have them working separately. They'll be working together constantly during the season, so we feel it's better for them to be working separately now. "The physical program is just as important as the mental, I might add. Scott and Jerry are working on general conditioning, but also on other things, like agility and quickness. Both have been given a program of punching the big bag and the little bag, for example, as an aid to agility. And Scott is working on strengthening his arm. We're experimenting slightly with a little change in delivery by Scott. This is the time to experiment, not in July." With Starr now a member of the business community, Devine will personally oversee the quarterbacks, he indicated, with the assistance of John Polonchek and Red Cochran. "I'll be working with them a lot more in the fall," he said, "and so will John because of the passing game and Red Cochran because of the running game. Johnny and Red know my coaching approach - Red has been with me for two years and Johnny has known me for over 20. He was a member of my staff when I was at Michigan State back in 1951." This knowledge was one of the considerations which influenced his decision not to replace Starr, Devine explained. "It has always been my coaching philosophy that whoever works with the quarterbacks needs to have the same philosophy of football as the head coach has. You shouldn't have to sell your coach on your philosophy. "Bart, I might say, fitted the bill so perfectly. First of all, we had such a great personal relationship. Secondly, his intense knowledge of the game. "Thirdly, inherently, his football philosophy is the same as mine.

PERSONALITY PARADE

MAR 23 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - Dan Devine's glittering record in the trade market, which has yielded such gems as MacArthur Lane for Donny Anderson and Jim Hill for Lionel Aldridge in the past year has been well documented. That, it should be noted. is not to mention the Ron Widby-Ike Thomas parlay for a second round draft choice. And there are those who already are putting the Aaron Brown-for-Francis Peay exchange in the same category on the basis of Brown's imposing credentials, even though he has yet to wear Packer threads. Yet, the maneuvers Devine did not make could loom as large in the total picture as these transactions, all of which figured in the Packer's acquisition of the National Football Conference Central Division title last season. One that comes immediately to mind occurred in the 1971 draft when he resisted the powerful temptation to draft Joe Moore, who had been his wheelhorse while at the University of Missouri, and traded draft positions with Denver to gain title to John Brockington. Moore, partially because of injuries, has yet to become a major force with the Bears, who drafted him. There is little need, of course, to dwell upon Brockington's contributions to the Packer cause. Another, more recent example came in the John Hadl case. Although he prizes experience as much as any coach, particularly at quarterback, Devine foreclosed an early opportunity to acquire Hadl from the Chargers. The Packer headmaster, who has been rebuilding his team with typically meticulous care and deliberation, deemed the price too high (Gale Gillingham, Rich McGeorge and a No. 1 draft choice) and elected to go with a strong supporting cast for the youthful Scott Hunter and Jerry Tagge at quarterback, a decision which generally has since been applauded by the Packer faithful. The jury is still out on another such decision, but it begins to look as though he may well have scored again in electing to bypass the talented but incorrigible Johnny Rodgers, available when the Packers made Barry Smith their first round choice, despite an oft-expressed need for a "long ball" wide receiver of Rodgers' precise talents. The University of Nebraska's all-everything flanker, twice arrested during his collegiate career, again has made himself unpopular with Cornhusker loyalists, according to a recent story in the Kansas City Times. Sportswriter Fritz Kreisler, noting Rodgers "is in hot water again." made this report: "The most recent of the football star's off-field misadventures center on a trail of bent and broken contracts, disappointed fans and threatened legal action against a touring basketball team-called the Johnny Rodgers All-Stars. The team was made up of Rodgers and some of his Nebraska football buddies, and a series of 40 games against a team called the Harlem Thrillers was arranged in Nebraska and southwestern Iowa by Leon Diggs, an Omaha promoter. First sign of trouble came when the All-Stars and Thrillers parted company in early February and local promoters, usually school administrators, were asked to come up with an opposing team. That wasn't too much of a problem but soon attempts were made to squeeze more money out of the local promoters when Diggs would telephone on the morning of the day of the game and demand a larger guarantee by threatening not to show. Beatrice, Columbus, Gretna, Schulyer. York and Fort Calhoun were among the Nebraska towns that all encountered trouble." Kreisler wrote. "Omaha Northwest High School was forced to cancel at the last minute because it couldn't meet the sudden demands. The low point was finally reached Feb. 14 when the All-Stars failed to appear in Pawnee City, Neb. "They didn't even call if off," said Max Martin, the athletic director at
Pawnee City. "If they told us they weren't going to show, we at least could have sent word home with the kids. We had a full gym of about 600 people at $2 a ticket, so we made arrangements with the bank to make most of the refunds that night. We incurred some expenses and gave Diggs a $125 guarantee." A telling point in all this was made by Kreisler, who noted, "Even more than the money is the loss of goodwill for Rodgers. Nebraskans largely have stuck with him in his troubles with police the last two years, but this most recent episode has altered many opinions."

PACKERS' TRADE MARKET CLOSED FOR TIME BEING

MAR 25 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - The Packers somewhat suddenly, are long on offensive and defensive linemen. And, sans Dave Robinson. short on linebackers. No special powers of deduction are required to conclude that such a combination offers a variety of trade possibilities in the former to shore up the latter. But Packerphiles are not advised to hold their collective breath. Not, at least, at this point. No such transactions apparently are imminent, for a highly logical reason. Dan Devine and his board of strategy first want to appraise their current linebacking talent at next month's spring rookie camp in Arizona before making any definitive personnel judgments, particularly the kind involving trades. All are eager for a first hand look at Tom MacLeod, the No. 3 pick from the University of Minnesota, and Tom Toner, the sixth round choice from Idaho State, both of whom are considered to have good credentials. Also scheduled to be under scrutiny, although he long since has been carefully assessed, is Larry Hefner, the 1972 rookie who presently is considered the heir apparent at the strong side position vacated by the trade of Robinson to the Washington Redskins for a second round draft choice. How he and the yearlings impress presumably will go a long way toward determining what overtures, if any, Devine makes in the trade market, although there also is uncertainty about the return of 36-year-old Ray Nitschke, 1972's defensive co-captain, and Tommy Joe Crutcher to the linebacking corps. The coaching staff is privately convinced Hefner has all the required tools to do the major league job but seeing, as always, is believing. If the trade route should be indicated, however, Devine will be in a much better position to deal than he was just a few months ago. The addition of Aaron Brown and Carleton Oats to the front four in post-season transactions with Kansas City and Oakland have made it possible to consider parting with a defensive lineman, something which would have been unthinkable earlier. They, of course, will be joining incumbents Clarence Williams, Mike McCoy, Bob Brown and Alden Roche, plus the rugged 1972 rookie, Dave Pureifory. The offensive line situation is even healthier. With the anticipated return of Co-Capt. Gale Gillingham to active status following knee surgery, that area is likely to be a trifle congested, although Rollie Dotsch will have no complaints about this prospect. Returning along with Gillingham, a genuine superstar who is virtually certain to be starting at right guard after a brief fling at defensive tackle in 1972, will be centers Ken Bowman and Cal Withrow. guards Bill Lueck, Malcolm Snider and Keith Wortman and tackles Bill Hayhoe. Dick Himes and Kevin Hunt. At this early point, it appears that Snider will be transferred to left tackle. there to contend for the starting assignment with 6-foot-8, 265-pound Bill Hayhoe, who last season unseated the now departed Francis Peay. Devine originally had been pondering transfer of Hayhoe to center, but that move reportedly is not now under consideration. Under current and tentative planning, Wortman well may be moved to center, where attrition is heavy these days because of the increasing defensive tendency to employ odd-man alignments, as well as because the combative Bowman and Withrow are not among the National Football League's larger middlemen. Hunt's exact role is uncertain at this point except that he is considered to have high promise, which will only make the ultimate decision up front even more difficult...PACKER PATTER: Devine and his staff will begin zeroing in on that Arizona camp next week. Most assistant coaches presently are scouting spring football practice at colleges and universities around the nation but all will be on deck Monday to begin a week-long series of staff meetings geared to completing preparations for the five-day operation in Scottsdale. The only exception will be Personnel Director Lloyd Eaton, presently on a tour of the Southwest, who will join the coaching staff in Arizona...Eaton and the Packers. incidentally, are still waiting for No. 1 draftee Barry Smith to quote a starting figure from which to negotiate. Since Smith's agent, Bob Wolff, has not yet contacted the Packers and Eaton will not return until after the camp, the possibility exists that Smith could report to Scottsdale without a contract. There seems little question about the Florida State flanker's intentions however. He already has asked for Packer Jersey No. 27, Al Randolph's old number, and also has been inquiring into the availability of certain courses at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.  Smith actually had asked for 22. his college number, but that presently is the property of Jon Staggers...Devine will precede his troops into Scottsdale. As general manager, he will represent the Packers at the NFL's annual meeting there, beginning Monday, April 2. Major item on the agenda will be selection of potential sites for the 1975 Super Bowl (the 1974 Super Bowl will be held in Houston) and a discussion of the status of possible expansion...Ken Bowman has scotched a rumor that he is retiring. "I'm always kidding around about it, saying 'I might go this year, or I might go next year," the nine-year veteran said, "because people are always kidding me about retiring. They think I've been around since the flood. But right now, I definitely have no plans to retire."...Barry Smith's uncle could be psychic. He sent the Packer rookie a pair of fur mittens for a Christmas present last December - one month before he was drafted by Green Bay. "You know," Smith said. "I've never even seen snow."...The Los Angeles Times' Bob Oates, commenting in the Sporting News on the Packers' acquisition of Aaron Brown, wrote: "Dan Devine did his Central division rivals no favor by getting Aaron Brown from Kansas City. If Brown plays like he did in several seasons for the Chiefs, the Packers should be markedly improved."

PERSONALITY PARADE

MAR 28 (Green Bay Press-Gazette) - "He probably could be starting somewhere else in the league," said the Packers' defense chief. This was an obvious allusion to the fact that Green Bay's 1972 secondary of Ken Ellis, Willie Buchanon, Jim Hill and Al Matthews. which permitted only seven touchdowns over the 14-game route to lead the NFL. was something of a closed corporation - particularly for a late-arriving newcomer. "Ike has good speed - he's a good athlete and has good hands," Hanner continued. "The thing that prevented him from playing a little more than he did was the fact that he came to us just before the regular season started Training camp was over by then of course. and he didn't have a really good chance to get adjusted. As far as keys are concerned. things are a little different when a defensive back moves from one team to another. so it takes some time for him to adjust. But, with being able to go through training camp this year. I think Ike is going to come along and help us an awful lot. As far as that game in Washington is concerned. I think he probably was unfairly criticized. As I said, he didn't get the work in camp that some of the others did. And when you're facing people like Charlie Taylor and Roy Jefferson, that puts pretty heavy pressure on a young defensive back. When you've got receivers like that to work against, you have to respect them deep. too. as well as long. "And there are not too many quarterbacks who can throw the kind of pass they were completing in his area like Bill Kilmer can. They were right on target every time, too. You always worry about the long gainer, particularly in a situation like that. so we'd rather give them the short one than take a chance on the long one. But, unfortunately," Hanner noted with a dry chuckle, "they didn't miss any. "Of course, we know almost all young defensive backs are going to get burned." Although the Packer "outfield" appears set at this early date. Hanner doesn't rule out Thomas as a starter. As far as our thinking right now is concerned, we probably will play him at corner and as a backup at safety. But Ike could break in there at safety." "Competition has never hurt anyone," Dave pointed out with some satisfaction. "And Ike is a good enough athlete to help us anywhere. He's just a handy guy to have around. I think we're fortunate to have the people we've got back there." The refreshingly consistent punting (and impromptu passing) of Ron Widby. the tall Tennesseean suddenly acquired in the wake of an unsettling. 31-10 misadventure with the Cardinals, provided an instant and welcome dividend from last September's Packer exchange with the Cowboys. Some. in fact, have considered these contributions - along with his availability as a No. 3 quarterback - sufficient compensation in themselves for a No. 2 draft choice. But the National Football League's official 1972 kickoff return figures, released today as part of the NFL's extensive and voluminous off-season statistical service, have documented another. And, Packer coordinator Dave Hanner indicated Tuesday, it should not be the last. The aforementioned figures disclosed that Ike Thomas. who accompanied Widby to Green Bay in that transaction, finished fifth in the National Football Conference and seventh overall in the league with 21 runbacks for 572 yards and a 27.2 average. One of these was an 89-yard excursion that helped spur the Packers past the Bears in their return match at Chicago last November. Though Thomas drew some unflattering "reviews" from the faithful after being summoned to replace the injured Ken Ellis in the fourth quarter of a 23-16 loss to the Redskins last November, Hanner is convinced the former Bishop's College performer also has a substantial future in the NFL as a defensive back.