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The 1977 Green Bay Packers - 4-10 (4TH - Central Division)

Head Coach: Bart Starr

1977 PRE-SEASON RESULTS (2-4)

                                                                                                                                                               OFF     DEF

AUGUST (1-3)                              RESULT    RECORD    ATT RSH PSS RSH PSS STARTING QB         LEADING RUSHER           LEADING PASSER         LEADING RECEIVER

6  G-CINCINNATI BENGALS                  W 23-20    1- 0-0 51,178                 Lynn Dickey         Barty Smith (36)         Lynn Dickey (147)      John Brockington (5-26)

13 M-NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS                L  3-38    1- 1-0 53,244                 Lynn Dickey         Terdell Middleton (19)   Lynn Dickey (47)       Terdell Middleton (3-31)

20 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers               L  7-10    1- 2-0 49,045                 Lynn Dickey         Terdell Middleton (25)   Randy Johnson (70)     Willard Harrell (4-11)

27 M-WASHINGTON REDSKINS                 L  9-13    1- 3-0 55,021                 Lynn Dickey         Nate Simpson (38)        Lynn Dickey (91)       Nate Simpson (3-9)

SEPTEMBER (1-1)

3  G-CLEVELAND BROWNS                    L 14-19    1- 4-0 53,180                 Lynn Dickey         Terdell Middleton (19)   Lynn Dickey (153)      Steve Odom (3-61)

9  G-PHILADELPHIA EAGLES                 W 24-16    2- 4-0 32,217                 Lynn Dickey         John Brockington (40)    Lynn Dickey (119)      Ollie Smith (2-61)

1977 REGULAR SEASON RESULTS

SEPTEMBER (1-1)

18 at New Orleans Saints (0-0)           W 24-20    1- 0-0 56,250  81 123 153 162 Lynn Dickey         Eric Torkelson (27)      Lynn Dickey (142)      Ken Payne (3-71)

25 G-HOUSTON OILERS (1-0)                L 10-16    1- 1-0 55,071  95 184  90 137 Lynn Dickey         Eric Torkelson (55)      Lynn Dickey (193)      Barty Smith (7-66)

OCTOBER (1-4)

2  at Minnesota Vikings (1-1)            L  7-19    1- 2-0 47,143  81 127 194 131 Lynn Dickey         Eric Torkelson (34)      Lynn Dickey (143)      Randy Vataha (2-20)

9  M-CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-2)            L  7-17    1- 3-0 53,653 112 115 159 174 Lynn Dickey         Barty Smith (53)         Lynn Dickey (115)      Barty Smith (3-30)

16 at Detroit Lions (2-2)                L  6-10    1- 4-0 78,452  67  82 133 129 Lynn Dickey         Barty Smith (35)         Lynn Dickey (127)      Randy Vataha (2-36)

23 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)         W 13- 0    2- 4-0 47,635 125  93  75 113 Lynn Dickey         Eric Torkelson (73)      Lynn Dickey (115)      Eric Torkelson (3-23)

30 G-CHICAGO BEARS (2-4)                 L  0-26    2- 5-0 56,002 101  96 375  44 Lynn Dickey         Barty Smith (54)         Lynn Dickey (96)       Ollie Smith (3-57)

NOVEMBER (0-4)

6  at Kansas City Chiefs (1-6)           L 10-20    2- 6-0 62,687  84 115 177 124 Lynn Dickey         Terdell Middleton (49)   Lynn Dickey (139)      Steve Odom (6-80)

13 M-LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-3)              L  6-24    2- 7-0 52,948  93 246 190 146 Lynn Dickey         Terdell Middleton (36)   Lynn Dickey (276)      Willard Harrell (5-49)

21 at Washington Redskins (5-4)          L  9-10    2- 8-0 51,498  89 107 159  95 David Whitehurst    Nate Simpson (47)        David Whitehurst (140) Steve Odom (4-48)

27 G-MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-3)             L  6-13    2- 9-0 56,267 108  61 158  60 David Whitehurst    Eric Torkelson (53)      David Whitehurst (75)  Ollie Smith (2-27)

DECEMBER (2-1)

4  G-DETROIT LIONS (5-6)                 W 10- 9    3- 9-0 56,267 164  65 100  95 David Whitehurst    Nate Simpson (76)        David Whitehurst (65)  Steve Odom (3-46)

11 at Chicago Bears (7-5)                L 10-21    3-10-0 33,557 161 115 234 114 David Whitehurst    Barty Smith (86)         David Whitehurst (89)  Nate Simpson (3-22)

18 M-SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-8)           W 16-14    4-10-0 44,902 103 219 117 195 David Whitehurst    Eric Torkelson (35)      David Whitehurst (219) Barty Smith (5-63)

G - Green Bay  M - Milwaukee * - Overtime

1977 IN REVIEW

The Packers' offense in 1977 was a throwback to the low scoring early years of pro football. Green Bay ranked 27th in total yards and 27th in rushing yards. It scored an average of one touchdown per game. Its 134 points were the team's worst output since 1949. With such an unproductive attack, the team was fortunate to finish 4-10. The offensive woes could be traced to the preseason. New England manhandled the Packers 38-3 in a game in which Bart Starr accused Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks of running up the score. Tampa Bay, the doormat of the league, embarrassed Green Bay 10-7 on August 20th. During the regular season, the Packers struggled with injuries and continued to be among the worst teams in the NFL. QBs Lynn Dickey and David Whitehurst combined to throw 21 interceptions while connecting on just six touchdown passes.

LYNN DICKEY AND ALL THOSE INJURIES

To say Lynn Dickey never reached his full potential in the NFL due to injuries would be an understatement. Dickey's ailments combined to cost him more than three full seasons. And it started back in college. After a stellar career at Kansas State, Dickey was selected for the 1971 Senior Bowl. Trying to impress the scouts, he failed to warm up properly and began to throw hard. A sore arm sent him from a probable first-rounder to the third round, where the Oilers selected him after taking QB Dan Pastorini in the first round. After sitting on the bench his rookie year, Dickey had a chance to start in 1972, but, in a pre-season game against the Cardinals, he tried to scramble but was grabbed from behind by a Cardinal defender. Dickey's left hipbone popped out of its socket, breaking off a piece of the socket bone and tearing ligaments in the process. A hip specialist reattached the broken piece of socket bone with two screws, and he would return to the Oilers in 1973. He started for the Packers in 1976, until the 10th game when he separated his throwing shoulder and underwent surgery in which a screw was implanted in the joint. The operation itself was routine, but the incision became infected. The following season, Ram DT Larry Brooks crashed into him on the last play of a game on November 13.  Brooks's hit shattered the tibia and fibula in Dickey's left leg, leaving his left ankle pointed in at a 90-degree angle. Doctors operated, screwing a metal plate to the broken bones to secure them while they knitted. After several months the plate was removed, and Dickey tried to run again. He worked up to a mile a day, but the pain in his leg never slackened. There was nonunion of the bones. In effect, the leg was still broken. Dickey had to undergo yet another operation, one in which a metal rod was hammered like a railroad spike down through an opening just below his knee and into his tibia. The rod strengthened the bone, but it left Dickey with such acute tendinitis in his knee that he could barely jog. Dickey went so far as to interview for a job as a sporting-goods sales rep, but he quickly dropped the idea. After missing all but a few plays of 33 consecutive games, he hobbled back into the Packers' starting lineup in November of 1979. In 1980 the rod was removed from Dickey's leg—it was his seventh operation—and the tendinitis in his knee cleared up. After his return, Dickey's injuries became less severe, if not less painful. In 1980 he had tendinitis in his right shoulder, which at times prevented him from throwing in practice. In 1981 he missed three games after getting speared in the back by Detroit's William Gay. The following summer, the back acted up, and then came a massive migraine headache the week of the Houston game to open the 1983 season. All in all, Dickey showed perseverance and determination in putting together a decent NFL career. (SOURCE: Sports Illustrated)

NAME                NO  POS  HGT WGT COLLEGE         YR PR AG  G HOW ACQUIRED

Bert Askson         88   TE 6- 2 225 Texas Southern   3  5 31 14 1975 FA-New Or (1973)

Bob Barber          70   DE 6- 3 240 Grambling        2  2 25 14 1976 Trade-Pittsburgh

David Beverly       11    P 6- 2 180 Auburn           3  4 27 14 1975 FA-Houston

John Brockington    42   RB 6- 1 225 Ohio State       7  7 28  1 1971 Draft-1st round

Willie Buchanon     28   CB 6- 0 190 San Diego State  6  6 26 14 1972 Draft-1st round

Mike Butler         77   DE 6- 5 265 Kansas           1  1 23 14 1977 Draft-1st round

Fred Carr           53   LB 6- 5 240 Texas-El Paso   10 10 31 14 1968 Draft-1st round

Jim Carter          50   LB 6- 3 245 Minnesota        7  7 28 14 1970 Draft-3rd round

Jim Culbreath       31   RB 6- 0 210 Oklahoma         1  1 24 13 1977 Draft-10th round

Lynn Dickey         10   QB 6- 4 210 Kansas State     2  6 26  9 1976 Trade-Houston

Brian Dowling       12   QB 6- 2 200 Yale             1  3 30  5 1977 FA-New E (1973)

Derrel Gofourth     57    C 6- 3 260 Oklahoma State   1  1 22 14 1977 Draft-7th round

Johnnie Gray        24    S 5-11 185 Cal St-Fullerton 3  3 23 14 1975 FA

Jim Gueno           51   LB 6- 2 220 Tulane           2  2 23 14 1976 Draft-9th round

Don Hansen          58   LB 6- 2 228 Illinois         2 11 33 13 1976 Trade-Seattle

Willard Harrell     40   RB 5- 9 182 Pacific          3  3 24 13 1975 Draft-3rd round

Keith Hartwig       82   WR 6- 0 186 Arizona          1  1 23  7 1977 FA

Dennis Havig        62    G 6- 3 255 Colorado         1  6 28  9 1977 FA-Hou (1976)

Dick Himes          72    T 6- 4 260 Ohio State      10 10 31 13 1968 Draft-3rd round

Mel Jackson         71    G 6- 1 267 USC              2  2 23 13 1976 Draft-12th round

Ezra Johnson     90-78   DE 6- 4 240 Morris Brown     1  1 21 14 1977 Draft-1st round

Steve Knutson       60    T 6- 3 254 USC              2  2 25 13 1976 FA

Greg Koch           68    T 6- 4 265 Arkansas         1  1 22 14 1977 Draft-2nd round

Mark Koncar         79    T 6- 5 268 Colorado         2  2 24 13 1976 Draft-1st round

Bob Kowalkowski     67    G 6- 3 245 Virginia         1 12 33  9 1977 FA-Det (1976)

Steve Luke          46   DB 6- 2 205 Ohio State       3  3 23 14 1975 Draft-4th round

Chester Marcol      13    K 6- 0 190 Hillsdale        6  6 27 14 1972 Draft-2nd round

Larry McCarren      54    C 6- 3 248 Illinois         5  5 25 14 1973 Draft-12th round

Mike C. McCoy       29   CB 5-11 183 Colorado         2  2 24 14 1976 Draft-3rd round

Rich McGeorge       81   TE 6- 4 230 Elon             8  8 28 14 1970 Draft-1st round

Herb McMath         61   DT 6- 4 250 Morningside      1  2 22  9 1977 Trade-Oakland

Terdell Middleton   37   HB 6- 0 195 Memphis State    1  1 22 14 1977 Draft-3rd round

Tim Moresco         84   WR 5-10 176 Syracuse         1  1 22 14 1977 Draft-6th round

Steve Odom          84   WR 5- 8 174 Utah             4  4 24 14 1974 Draft-5th round

Ken Payne           85   WR 6- 1 185 Langston         4  4 26  4 1974 Draft-6th round

Dave Pureifory      75   DE 6- 1 255 E. Michigan      6  6 28 12 1972 Draft-6th round

NAME                NO  POS  HGT WGT COLLEGE         YR PR AG  G HOW ACQUIRED

Terry Randolph      23   CB 6- 0 184 American Int     1  1 22 14 1977 Draft-11th round

Dave Roller         74   DT 6- 2 270 Kentucky         3  4 27 13 1975 FA-S. Cal (WFL)

Nate Simpson        48   RB 5-11 190 Tennessee State  1  1 22 12 1977 Draft-5th round

Barty Smith         33   FB 6- 3 240 Richmond         4  4 25 14 1974 Draft-1st round

Blane Smith         56    G 6- 3 238 Purdue           1  1 24  1 1977 FA

Ollie Smith         89   WR 6- 3 200 Tennessee State  2  4 28 12 1976 Trade-Oakland

Aundra Thompson     43   WR 6- 0 186 E. Texas State   1  1 24 14 1976 Draft-5th round

Tom Toner           59   LB 6- 3 235 Idaho State      4  4 27 11 1973 Draft-6th round

Eric Torkelson      26   RB 6- 2 194 Connecticut      4  4 25 14 1974 Draft-11th round

Randy Vataha        18   WR 5-10 170 Stanford         1  7 28  6 1977 FA-New E (1976)

Steve Wagner        21    S 6- 2 208 Wisconsin        2  2 23 14 1976 FA

Gary Weaver         52   LB 6- 1 225 Fresno State     3  5 28  5 1975 FA-Oak (1974)

David Whitehurst    17   QB 6- 2 204 Furman           1  1 22  7 1977 Draft-8th round

Clarence Williams   83   DE 6- 5 255 Prairie View     8  8 30 13 1970 Trade-Dallas

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

1977 PACKERS DRAFT (May 3-4, 1977)

RND-PCK NAME                POS COLLEGE       NOTES

1a     9 Mike Butler        DE Kansas                  

1b    28 Ezra Johnson       DE Morris Brown   A 

2     39 Greg Koch          OT Arkansas

3a    66 Traded to Houston in Lynn Dickey trade (1976)

3b    74 Rick Scribner      OG Idaho State    B        

3c    80 Terdell Middleton  RB Memphis St     C 

4     94 Traded to Pittsburgh for DE Bob Barber (1976)

5    122 Nate Simpson       RB Tennessee St 

6    149 Tim Moresco        DB Syracuse 

7a   172 Derrel Gofourth     C Oklahoma St    D 

7b   176 Rell Tipton        OG Baylor 

8    206 David Whitehurst   QB Furman 

9    233 Joel Mullins       OT Arkansas State 

10   260 Jim Culbreath      RB Oklahoma 

11   290 Terry Randolph     DB American International 

A-From Oakland as compensation for Ted Hendricks (1975) B-From Denver for Bill Bain (1976) C-From St. Louis for DB Perry Smith (1977) D-From New York Giants for K Joe Danelo (1976)

Anchor 1

1977 PACKER TRADES - TRANSACTIONS

MAY 5 - Traded DB Perry Smith to ST. LOUIS for a a 1977 3rd-round draft choice

SEPTEMBER 6 - Traded DE Alden Roche to BALTIMORE for an undisclosed draft choice

SEPTEMBER 12 - Traded DT Mike P. McCoy to OAKLAND for DL Herb McMath, a 1978 1st-round draft choice (LB John Anderson) and a 1979 4th-round selection (later sent to Washington)

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