The Packers Greatest player - Don Hutson?

[KYPack]

"Who were the two Packers who earned consensus All Pro honors a club record 5 times?" KYPack


consensus All Pro honors ? Not sure what that means KYPack but. . .

Note: In 1931, the NFL picked its first All-League Team

**HOFer DE/Dt Reggie White "The Minister of Defense" was elected to 13 straight Pro Bowls. . .Named All-Pro 13 of 15 seasons including 10 as first-team selection. Recorded more sacks (124) than games played (121) in eight seasons with Eagles. . .Became Packers’ all-time sack leader with 68.5. . .Recorded 12 seasons with 10-plus sacks. . . NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1987, 1998. . In 1993,White became the first big name free agent to switch teams. He joined the Green Bay Packers and instantly helped turn the fortunes of the once-proud franchise.

The team steadily improved and in 1996 returned to glory with White leading the NFL's top ranked defense to playoff and Super Bowl victories. In Super Bowl XXXI he recorded a record three sacks.


** HOFer Don Hutson 1935-45, was All-NFL 9 years and league MVP on two ocassions 1941 and 1942. NFL's first "super end". . .Also placekicked, played safety. . . NFL receiving champ eight years. . .Topped scorers five times. He wound up with 99 career touchdown receptions, a record that stood for more than four decades. When Hutson retired in 1945 after 11 superb seasons, he held 18 NFL records, including 488 career receptions.

That was 200 more than his closest competitor.


** No offensive lineman was more decorated than HOFer T Forrest Gregg in the 1960s. He played in nine Pro Bowls (1960-65, 1967-69) and was All-Pro eight straight years (1960-67). In 1965, he was named All-Pro at both tackle and guard, where he filled in for an ailing Jerry Kramer.


** HOFer safety Willie Wood 1960-71 was recognized as a premier free safety in the NFL. He became a starter in his sophomore 1961 season and held that job for more than a decade until his retirement following the 1971 campaign.

Willie played in eight Pro Bowls (1962, 1964-70) he won first - or second - team All-NFL honors nine times in a nine-year stretch from 1962 through the 1970 season. Willie Wood was All-NFL six times and played in six NFL championships,and Super Bowls I, II.


** During his final two years in Green Bay, HOFer WR James Lofton broke two of the Packers' most enduring receiving records. In 1985, he surpassed Don Hutson's career receiving yardage (7,991). A year later, he bettered Hutson's standard for most passes caught (488).

A seven-time Pro Bowler with the Packers, Lofton was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders after the 1986 season, played with three other teams and retired in 1993.


** During his career 1953-63, HOFer C Jim Ringo played in seven Pro Bowls (1958-64). He was named All-Pro six times.


**HOFer DB Herb Adderley played in five Pro Bowls (1964-68).


** HOFer DE Willie Davis 1960-69 never missed a game in his career and played in five Pro Bowls (1964-68).

WB,

Selection to the Pro Bowl and consensus All-Pro are two different things (BTW, this ain't to argue, it's a confusing deal)

The Pro Bowl is an All Star game. Although some participants claim All Pro status, that is reserved for consensus All Pro's.

Consensus All Pro's are players that are named to the All Pro Team by 3 out of the 5 top News sources (eg AP, UPI, Sporting News, Pro Football Writers of America, etc.)



My office Packer calendar is wrong again.

the answer to the trivia question i posted is listed as Don Hutson & Jim Ringo.

Don Hutson was a Consensus All Pro 11 TIMES!

[woodbuck27]

WB,

"Selection to the Pro Bowl and consensus All-Pro are two different things (BTW, this ain't to argue, it's a confusing deal)

The Pro Bowl is an All Star game. Although some participants claim All Pro status, that is reserved for consensus All Pro's.

Consensus All Pro's are players that are named to the All Pro Team by 3 out of the 5 top News sources (eg AP, UPI, Sporting News, Pro Football Writers of America, etc.)

My office Packer calendar is wrong again.

the answer to the trivia question i posted is listed as Don Hutson & Jim Ringo.

Don Hutson was a Consensus All Pro 11 TIMES!" KYPack

Got ya.

Consensus All Pro's are players that are named to the All Pro Team by 3 out of the 5 top News sources (eg AP, UPI, Sporting News, Pro Football Writers of America, etc.)

[bbbffl66]

Hutson and Sharpe are by far the 2 greatest Packer receivers. My pick for all time Packer though is #66. Ray was by far the most dominant defenseman on a great defensive team. 1962? title game MVP. HOF. Heart of Lombardi's defense.

[woodbuck27]

Hutson and Sharpe are by far the 2 greatest Packer receivers. My pick for all time Packer though is #66. Ray was by far the most dominant defenseman on a great defensive team. 1962? title game MVP. HOF. Heart of Lombardi's defense.

Don't forget James Lofton . . . but my All-Time favourite Packer on "D" was easily that Ray fella. . . with the funny Irish name.

[Fritz]

I would take Bill Schroeder over Hutson anyday. I mean, Schroeder is 6'4" and runs the 40 in 4.2 seconds. Too bad, Schroeder played in a different era. Hutson played in a era where there wasn't a lot, if any, black CBs.

You're a funny guy, Tank. Hah hah.

Hutson was hands down best ever. Look at his numbers extrapolated over 16 games. 108 catches? 25 touchdowns? And I bet he didn't get nearly as many passes thrown his way as a T.O. or a Randy Moss would.

[Harlan Huckleby]

I would take Bill Schroeder over Hutson anyday. I mean, Schroeder is 6'4" and runs the 40 in 4.2 seconds.

I would take Darren Charles over Bill Schroeder. DC is a warrior!

[Anti-Polar Bear]

I would take Bill Schroeder over Hutson anyday. I mean, Schroeder is 6'4" and runs the 40 in 4.2 seconds.

I would take Darren Charles over Bill Schroeder. DC is a warrior!

Charles is 6'6" and runs the 4o in 6.7 seconds. Charles can't even make the team with the Titans, which has Drew Benett and Tyrone Calico starting. Benett and Calico??? WTF!

Schroeder played 7 years in the NFL, including 5 with the Packers, and managed to start 78 of 111 possible games. If Schroeder was playing in the Hutson era, he would have tore that league apart. We all know a WR is not a good WR until he excells against black CBs. Schroeder excelled.

[woodbuck27]

"If Schroeder was playing in the Hutson era, he would have tore that league apart. We all know a WR is not a good WR until he excells against black CBs. Schroeder excelled." APB

Nope on this one, APB. Hint below.

During his final two years in Green Bay, HOFer WR James Lofton broke two of the Packers' most enduring receiving records. In 1985, he surpassed Don Hutson's career receiving yardage (7,991). A year later, he bettered Hutson's standard for most passes caught (488).

note: Don Hutson retired as a Packer in 1945. His Packer records stood for 40 fricken years.

Oh, I'll toss this in there.

Like everyone in the days before free substitution, Hutson was a 60-minute player who spent most of his career as a very fine safety on defense. In his final six seasons, he swiped 30 opposing quarterbacks’ passes. Often after scoring a touchdown, he would kick the extra point. In one quarter of a 1945 game, he caught four touchdown passes and kicked five PATs for an amazing 29 points.

When Sterling Sharpe was laying claim to being the finest Packer WR ever, James lofton said more or less. . ."NO, maybe the third best, and the BEST ever Packer WR, was Don Hutson."

Current and former Packer executives, such as Bob Harlan and Ron Wolf have traditionally referred to Hutson as the greatest player the game has known.

Oh . . and did Bill Schroeder have a street or building named after him? Did he ever have his number retired?

Hutson has been honored in a variety of ways. Don Hutson Street in Green Bay is named for him, his #14 was the first number retired by the Packers, he is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, and in 1994 the Packers named their new state-of-the-art indoor practice facility across the street from Lambeau Field the "Don Hutson Center".

For a story on one of his #14 jerseys that now is in the Packers HOF. Link below:

http://www.packers.com/news/releases/2005/09/02/1/

Tank, it's well supported that Hutson isn't just a Packer Great at WR but arguably the Greatest Footbal player in NFL History.

You really do LOVE Bill Schroeder though. Your a stand by your man - sorta guy Tank.

Hang in there Big guy. You are. . .'the Man'.

[Harlan Huckleby]

tank, i was just yanking your chain, taking note of your history w/ Darrin Charles.

[woodbuck27]

I would take Bill Schroeder over Hutson anyday. I mean, Schroeder is 6'4" and runs the 40 in 4.2 seconds.

I would take Darren Charles over Bill Schroeder. DC is a warrior!

Darren Charles?! mmmm Doesn't he make his living as a singer HH?

[Harlan Huckleby]

Actually, Darrin Charles has movie star looks, maybe he is a singer too.

But his real claim to fame is that he kicked Tank's ass in highschool football when Tank was a cornerback with a peanut-shaped helmet. Darrin got a UW scholarship, Tank did not.

[woodbuck27]

Here is a good Article on Don Hutson:

Hutson was first modern receiver
By David Whitley
Special to ESPN.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Before there was Jerry Rice, before there was Steve Largent, before there were even pass patterns, there was Don Hutson.
He was a receiver ahead of his time by a half-century. That's how long it took for the National Football League to catch up with the "Alabama Antelope." Hutson didn't merely catch more passes and score more touchdowns than anybody imagined possible. He changed the way football was played.

Few teams threw the ball in 1935 unless they were desperate or wanted to surprise the opponent. Hutson was football's Copernicus, proving that the universe did not revolve around the run.

By the time he retired in 1945, passing was part of the game. As for the receiving part, nobody played the game like Hutson. Statistically, his only rivals weren't born when Hutson left the game.

He led the NFL in touchdowns eight times. More than 50 years later, nobody else has led the league more than three times.

He also led the league in catches a record eight times, including 1942, when he had a then-astonishing 74 receptions. His nearest rival caught 27 passes that season.

In nine seasons he was the top touchdown receiver in the league (Rice is second all-time with six). Amazingly, not only is Hutson listed first for most consecutive years (five) leading the NFL in touchdown catches, he also is second with four.

Hutson finished his career with 99 touchdown receptions, an astounding 62 TDs ahead of his closest competitor. Largent finally broke Hutson's record 44 years later. Largent, Rice and other modern-day receivers simply traced the footsteps that Hutson blazed.

He began setting records when the NFL had nine teams and little offensive imagination. It was single-platoon football, and Hutson had 23 interceptions in his final four seasons as a defensive back. He also scored 193 career points as a place-kicker.

Hutson retired with 488 receptions and 7,991 yards. The second-place receiver had 190 catches and 3,309 yards. Hutson played in an era of 10- to 12-game seasons, so his records might have stood forever if he had the 16-game opportunities enjoyed today. As it was, Hutson was still an obvious choice to be a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

"I love to see my records broken, I really do," he said in 1989. "You get a chance to relive a part of your life, the whole experience."

Hutson was born on Jan. 31, 1913, in Pine Bluff, Ark. As a Boy Scout he played with snakes. He said that's where he got his quickness and agility. While he didn't start for Pine Bluff's high school football team until his senior year, he was a star in baseball.

He came to the University of Alabama on a partial baseball scholarship and was an outstanding centerfielder. He also ran track. But it was on the gridiron that Hutson made his most lasting impression. A walk-on, he became an All-American end in 1934.

In the 1935 Rose Bowl, he caught six passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in Alabama's 29-13 victory over Stanford.

"Don had the most fluid motion you had ever seen when he was running," said the other end on that Alabama team, some player named Bear Bryant. "It looked like he was going just as fast as possible when all of a sudden he would put on an extra burst of speed and be gone."

Hutson was 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds when he showed up in Green Bay in 1935, and people wondered if he could take the pounding of pro football. Defenders weren't limited to a five-yard zone in which they could legally hit a receiver back then. It turned out, the pounders were the ones in trouble.

The only reason he was in Green Bay was because most of the other coaches in the league thought he was too fragile. The Chicago Bears were the first team to change their mind, in the Packers' second game of 1935.

Before a crowd of 13,600 at City Stadium, on the first play from scrimmage, Green Bay quarterback Arnie Herber threw a pass deep downfield. Beattie Feathers, Chicago's defensive back, was sure it was out of everyone's reach. Then a rookie flew past him, caught the ball without breaking stride and scored the game's only touchdown in a 7-0 Packer win.

Defenses couldn't contain Hutson. He ran a 9.7 100-yard dash and could shift and shake. His precise routes were revolutionary. Defenses began double and triple-teaming him, concepts that were unheard of at the time.

"He would glide downfield," Packers coach Curly Lambeau said, "leaning forward as if to steady himself close to the ground. Then, as suddenly as you gulp or blink an eye, he would feint one way and go the other, reach up like a dancer, gracefully squeeze the ball and leave the scene of the accident -- the accident being the defensive backs who tangled their feet up and fell trying to cover him."

They kept falling over themselves for 11 seasons.

"Hutson Does It Again!"

"Don Paces Packers to World Title!"

"Amazing Hutson Can't Be Stopped!"

Those were the headlines Green Bay fans were treated to during the World War II era. Perhaps Hutson's greatest performance came on Oct. 7, 1945. He caught four touchdown passes and kicked five extra points -- in one quarter. The 29-point quarter is a record that may never be broken.

"He had all the moves," said teammate Tony Canadeo. "He invented the moves. And he had great hands and speed, deceptive speed. He could go get the long ones; run the hitch, the down-and-out. He'd go over the middle, too, and he was great at getting off the line because he always had people popping him."

In that era, sportswriters usually did not get comments from players. That was fine by Hutson, a humble man who liked to let his feats speak for themselves.

About his 29-point quarter, he later recalled, "Well, the wind was blowing hard and straight downfield, and you couldn't throw the ball 20 yards the other way. Those defenders just couldn't get that in their heads, that's all."

The weather always seemed to work in his favor. Like the afternoon he had 14 catches against the New York Giants, or 237 receiving yards against Brooklyn. Hutson caught passes in 50 straight games from 1941-45.

Twenty percent of all his receptions were touchdowns. He scored a total of 105 touchdowns in just 117 games. The Packers won three NFL championships (1936, `39 and '44). He retired with 19 NFL records, was named to the all-pro team in 8 of his 11 seasons and was NFL MVP in 1941 and '42.

Following his retirement as a player, Hutson was an assistant coach for the Packers under Lambeau for three seasons (1946-48). He served on the club's board of directors from1952-80, when he was elected a director emeritus.

When the Packers built their indoor practice facility in 1994, they needed a name. Despite the many great names that played for the storied franchise, there was never any doubt which athlete the place would honor.

It was christened the Don Hutson Center.

"I don't know if there is such a thing as royalty in professional football," said Packers general manager Ron Wolf as he stood next to Hutson at the dedication ceremony, "but this is the closest I've ever come to it."

The king of receivers died three years later, on June 26, 1997, at age 84. At the time, he still held 10 NFL records and 18 team marks.

"He most certainly was the greatest player in the history of this franchise," Wolf said. "In the era he played, he was the dominant player in the game."

[woodbuck27]

NFL Records that Don Hutson still owns:

SCORING

Most Seasons Leading League (tied)

5 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1940-44
Gino Cappelletti, Boston, 1961, 1963-66

Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League

5 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1940-44


Touchdowns

Most Seasons Leading League

8 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1935-38, 1941-44
3 Jim Brown, Cleveland, 1958-59, 1963
Lance Alworth, San Diego, 1964-66
Emmitt Smith, Dallas, 1992, 1994-95

Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League

4 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1935-38, 1941-44


PASS RECEIVING

Most Seasons Leading League

8 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1936-37, 1939, 1941-45

Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League

5 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1941-45


YARDS GAINED

Most Seasons Leading League

7 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1936, 1938-39, 1941-44

Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League

4 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1941-44

TOUCHDOWN

Most Seasons Leading League

9 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1935-38, 1940-44

6 Jerry Rice, San Francisco, 1986-87, 1989-1991, 1993

Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League

5 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1940-44

4 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1935-38


That is 10 - Individual NFL records that Don Hutson still owns.



Records where he is still in the ballpark.

Most Games, 200 or More Yards Pass Receiving, Career

5 Lance Alworth, San Diego, 1962-1970; Dallas, 1971-72

4 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1935-45
Charley Hennigan, Houston, 1960-66
Jerry Rice, San Francisco, 1985-2000; Oakland, 2001-04; Seattle, 2004

Most Games, 200 or More Yards Pass Receiving, Season

3 Charley Hennigan, Houston, 1961

2 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1942
Gene Roberts, N.Y. Giants, 1949
Lance Alworth, San Diego, 1963
Don Maynard, N.Y. Jets, 1968

Most Touchdowns, Season

22 Jerry Rice, San Francisco, 1987

18 Mark Clayton, Miami, 1984
Sterling Sharpe, Green Bay, 1994

17 Don Hutson, Green Bay, 1942
Elroy (Crazylegs) Hirsch, Los Angeles, 1951
Bill Groman, Houston, 1961
Jerry Rice, San Francisco, 1989
Cris Carter, Minnesota, 1995
Carl Pickens, Cincinnati, 1995
Randy Moss, Minnesota, 1998
Randy Moss, Minnesota, 2003

[KYPack]

There are a couple things I wanted to add to this thread. Any thread about Don Hutson is worth responding to. Most of the stories about Don have become lore to Packer fans. Here is a lesser known story about the great Don Hutson and his exploits for the Green Bay Packers.

Most Hutson bio’s tell of Don’s rookie year (1935) and his debut against the Bears. All the Packers (& Pro Football, for that matter) were awed by Don’s catch of an 83 yard bomb for his first Green Bay catch. However, many of the old Packers will tell you that Don’s SECOND Bear game in ’35 was even more amazing. The rest of the ’35 season, George Halas was complaining about Hutson and the Bear’s fluke (according to Halas) loss to GB in September. Halas felt Hutson was a gimmick player, a part timer that couldn’t stay on the field for 60 minutes. Halas also railed at the Bears that they had to beat the Packers in the ’35 rematch in Chicago. The other thing that Halas demanded was that the Bears stop Don Hutson.

Halas’s orders were followed to a “T”, for 57 & ½ minutes. The Bears mauled both the Pack and Hutson all game long. With 2 minutes and 30 seconds to go, the Bears were in control 14 -3. When Hutson went in for a final series, Halas and the Bears bench were screaming at the defense to stop Hutson and maim him if they could. Don was triple teamed and couldn’t even get off the line. Then, on third down, Herber brought Hutson from one side to the other and threw Don a quick strike in the flat. The whole Bear defense converged on Hutson. Don ducked, faked , made full pivots and eluded tackler after tackler. Don finally worked his way into the Bear secondary, faked to the middle, and cut to the sideline alone. There, he went into his sprinter gear, and out-ran the entire Bear team to make it 14 - 10. Accounts of the game stated that all 11 Bear defenders had shots at Hutson, but nobody could tackle the “Alabama Antelope”.

The Packers kicked to the Bears who proceeded to run out the clock. On the second plunge into the line, the Bears fumbled the ball. It was GB’s ball, deep in Bear territory, with only seconds to go. Wrigley field was now a madhouse as the fans and the Bear bench were screaming at their players to stop the Pack. Arnie Herber was at his finest as he had Hutson slant over the middle. As half the Bear D converged on Don, he swiftly pivoted and ran the equivalent of the “fade” pattern to the back corner of the end zone. Observers estimated Herber had a window about a foot in which to put the ball. Arnie threw it in there and Don dove and made his usual "once in a lifetime" catch for the Packer victory. The Packer players would always talk about that victory & how great it was to run off the field to total silence!

That game raised Don’s status from a good rookie to a respected player, one you could count on in the clutch. All the veterans realized that they had to protect Don, because he could make them all a lot of money.

[Bretsky]

Actually, Darrin Charles has movie star looks, maybe he is a singer too.

But his real claim to fame is that he kicked Tank's ass in highschool football when Tank was a cornerback with a peanut-shaped helmet. Darrin got a UW scholarship, Tank did not.

Rumor has it Tank was so traumatized after getting his ass kicked rather than face what occured he turned to drugs and has never since recovered