Donny Anderson, [read "" on Dan Devine ;)]

[motife]

WHAT HAPPENED TO....

Donny Anderson?

Drafted by the Packers in the first round as a red-shirt junior in 1965, Anderson played his senior year at Texas Tech and signed with the Packers following the season for what was reported to be the largest contract in pro football history. The Packers won a bidding war against the Houston Oilers of the rival American Football League by giving Anderson a $711,000 contract over three years. Anderson played six years with the Packers and led the team in rushing in both 1968 and '70. He also was the team's punter for five years. Anderson still ranks 10th in career rushing for the Packers with 3,165 yards. He was traded by coach Dan Devine following the 1971 season to the St. Louis Cardinals for running back MacArthur Lane. Anderson played three more years in St. Louis.

"I wasn't the kind of player that he liked," Anderson said of Devine. "He wanted a power runner. That's why he traded for MacArthur Lane. I was in between a running back with speed and a wide receiver. And I made a smart a-- remark over in the Philippines that didn't help. I was on a USO tour in January, February of '72 and somebody said, 'Who you all going to draft in the first round?' I said, 'I don't know. We don't get involved and they don't ask what we think. But I think they'll be looking for a new coach.' I was traded about a month later. But I didn't care if I went back because Devine was such a poor excuse for a human being."

Anderson, 63, lives in Dallas, Texas, and runs the Winners for Life Foundation, which supports at-risk kids.

HIGH FIVE

John Anderson ranks the best quarterbacks he played against during his 12 seasons with the Packers. Anderson played linebacker from 1978-'89.

1 - Dan Marino
2 - Dan Fouts
3 - Joe Montana
4 - John Elway
5 - Danny White

[ahaha]

I was on a USO tour in January, February of '72 and somebody said, 'Who you all going to draft in the first round?' I said, 'I don't know. We don't get involved and they don't ask what we think. But I think they'll be looking for a new coach.' I was traded about a month later. But I didn't care if I went back because Devine was such a poor excuse for a human being."

That's some funny shit. The Devine era was a bit before my time, so when I hear his name I always think of him as the guy that didn't want Rudy to play. Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy!

[oregonpackfan]

I always admired Donny Anderson as a player. Had he more quality players around him, he would have been recognized as a top NFL player.

As a running back, he had far more athletic ability than Paul Hornung. The difference between the two is that Hornung had the advantage of playing during the Lombardi glory years when the Packers' roster was filled with talented players.

Hornung also played under a quality coach. Anderson had to play under the pathetic Dan Devine.

OPF

[motife]

Donny Anderson's best years with the Pack were 68, 70 and 71.

I saw him play in 1971, Devine's first, vs. the Vikes at Metropolitan stadium, the outdoors one in Bloomington. Our tickets were in the most rudimentary bleachers set up on the baseball part of the outfield, but the view was magnificent, almost right on top of the action, at least when they were on our side of the field.

Seeing John Brockington and Donny Anderson lined up in the same backfield, with Gale Gillingham playing guard was unforgettable. Zeke Bratkowski was QB.

It happened to be John Brockington's best day as a pro, he gained 142 yards, and the Packer Defense was outstanding, limiting the Vikes to less than 100 yards. (Yet the Packers lost the game, 3-0!).

Despite what Donny says, McArthur Lane and he were somewhat similar in that they were both outstaning receivers. Both were exciting backs and good complements to Brockington.

I remember seeing a picture of McArthur Lane in the paper when the Pack made the trade, where he was in the locker room without his shirt. His build was incredible. He would give Ahman Green a run for his money.

Here are Donny's rushing stats. I'd put in the receiving, but I hate the formatting problems that make tables unreadable.

Green Bay
Year | Att Yards Y/A TD
1966 | 25 104 4.2 2
1967 | 97 402 4.1 6
1968 | 170 761 4.5 5
1969 | 87 288 3.3 1
1970 | 222 853 3.8 5
1971 | 186 757 4.1 5

St. Louis Cardinals
1972 | 153 536 3.5 4
1973 | 167 679 4.1 10
1974 | 90 316 3.5 3
+----------+-----+----------------
TOTAL| 1197 4696 3.9 41


however, for great bit of trivia, here are his punting stats :
Green Bay
1966 44.5
1967 36.6
1968 40.0
1969 40.2
1970 40.8
1971 40.4

St. Louis
1972 39.5

[Badgerinmaine]

Thanks for the post on ol' #44. I remember him fondly from my earliest days following the Pack. A couple things:
1. The article offers fresh confirmation of what a jerk Dan Devine was. I've almost never read any comment from any Packer who played for him who had anything good to say about him.

2. That said, MacArthur Lane WAS a great complement to John Brockington, especially in the division winning 1972 season.

3. I'd forgotten Donny Anderson was a punter, too. Thanks for posting that.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Thanks for the post on ol' #44. I remember him fondly from my earliest days following the Pack. A couple things:
1. The article offers fresh confirmation of what a jerk Dan Devine was. I've almost never read any comment from any Packer who played for him who had anything good to say about him.

2. That said, MacArthur Lane WAS a great complement to John Brockington, especially in the division winning 1972 season.

3. I'd forgotten Donny Anderson was a punter, too. Thanks for posting that.

I believe Brockington blamed the trade of Lane for the decline in the running game.

[Patler]

MacArthur Lane was a tremendous blocker, in addition to being a good runner. Anderson was not even close to Lane in blocking ability.

[KYPack]

I was on a USO tour in January, February of '72 and somebody said, 'Who you all going to draft in the first round?' I said, 'I don't know. We don't get involved and they don't ask what we think. But I think they'll be looking for a new coach.' I was traded about a month later. But I didn't care if I went back because Devine was such a poor excuse for a human being."

That's some funny shit. The Devine era was a bit before my time, so when I hear his name I always think of him as the guy that didn't want Rudy to play. Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy, Ru-dy!

Not to ruin the flick for you, but the scene in that movie with all the starters turning in their jersies if Rudy didn't make the home roster is pure, 100% hollywood bullshit.

The guy did get in the game and make a sack, but most of the rest of that movie is made up stuff. A 12th stringer getting in during garbage time and getting a sack isn't enough to make a flick, so the writers spiced up the script with some additional stuff that never happened.

I've always liked it that the actor that played Devine also played the prick coach in Hoosiers. That outta get him in the Indiana HOF or something.