Verne Lewellen



Legendary punter and all-around halfback, was one of the first stars of the Green Bay Packers.

At the University of Nebraska, he captained the 1923 football team as an All-Conference halfback and was also an outstanding pitcher on the baseball team.

Lewellen played nine years and 102 games for the Packers 1924-to-32 and earned all-league first team honors from 1926-29.

The 6'1", 180-pound halfback was a leading member of the Green Bay squad that won three straight NFL championships in 1929-30-31.

In addition to his booming punts, slashing runs, and all-around offensive play, he was regarded as one of Green Bay's best defensive players.

Although official statistics were not kept during his career, reconstruction of all but two of his games from play-by- play accounts in newspapers show that he rushed 708 times for 2,410 yards and 37 touchdowns, modest figures by today's standards but outstanding for his time.

His 83 pass receptions for 12 more TDs are also excellent for the period. And, although he was never the Packers' main passer, he nonetheless gained 2,076 yards via the air.

His 307 points scored ranked him first among Packers for ten years after his retirement.

Old-timers credit Lewellen with numerous 60 and 70-yard punts.

George Calhoun, who covered the Packers for the Green Bay Press-Gazette during these years, described a 1929 kick at the Polo Grounds as the greatest he ever saw: with the line of scrimmage the Packers' 12-yard-line, Lewellen booted the ball out of bounds at the New York six.

While playing with the Packers, Lewellen passed the bar. In 1928, he ran successfully for Brown County district attorney against teammate Lavvie Dilweg.

Re-elected in 1930, he was swept out of office in the Democratic landslide of 1932. He continued his law practice after his retirement.

In 1950, he rejoined the Packers as a member of the executive committee. He was general manager from 1954-60 and business manager from 1961-67.