Man, thanks for starting this thread, A strong case can be made that Don Hutson was the greatest player of all-time. That sounds far-fetched to some, but Don actually goes beyond the realm of a great player. Like Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain, & a few others, Don actually changed the way his sport was played.

Pro Football in the mid 30's was a far different game than the one we know today. Both offense and defense were clustered around the ball. The ends played a few feet from the tackles. Running plays dominated. Passing plays were very rudimentary and routes as we know 'em didn't exist. Ends just ran several yards into the other teams secondary and turned to face the passer. Ends were usually big hulking guys with only average speed, because they had to play both offense and defense.

Hutson was 6'1" and 185 soaking wet when he started with the Pack. Curley Lambeau had to devise ways to get him in games. In Hutson's rookie year of 1935, Curley and the Pack got Don on the field. In the second game of the season against the Bears, Don & Curley got er done

Late in the first half, Don went in and split out much wider than was customary. At the same time, halfback Johnny Blood went in motion to the opposite side. With Halas screaming at them to do so, the Bears defenders shifted to cover Blood, who had burned them many times in the past.

At the snap, Hutson faked an out pattern, and sped down the far sideline. Passer Arnie Herber launched a high arching pass. The Bear defender looked at the ball and pulled up. It was hopelessly overthrown, he thought.

That defender, the Bears, Halas, and all the spectators were shocked at what they saw next. Hutson never paused, he shifted into his sprinter's gear and caught the 50 yard pass perfectly over his shoulder and sped 83 yards for the score.

it was the first time anyone had seen a reciever with world class speed drag in a perfectly thrown bomb. Halas was to talk about this play 'til the day he died.

Over the next few years, pro football evolved. Other teams copied the Packers pass routes, but Hutson was always one step ahead and developed new wrinkles to give the defense fits. Opposing defenses had to double cover Hutson and the new recievers that split out wide from the line. Pro football in 1940 looked nothing like the game that was played in 1935 BH. (Before Hutson)