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Originally posted by Fritz
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It's not a question of either/or. It's a question of Grailism. -
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)Comment
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Mary Anne."There's a lot of interest in the draft. It's great. But quite frankly, most of the people that are commenting on it don't know anything about what they are talking about."--Ted ThompsonComment
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I remember reading a story about Don Hutson once hooking his wrist around a goal post (back in the day when they were located on the front line of the end zone and were shaped like an "H") to make a 90 degree turn and haul in a touchdown pass.
I sure wish there was old film to watch. I'd love to see him in action."The Devine era is actually worse than you remember if you go back and look at it."
KYPackComment
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The best part of that heart warming story is that the big play killed the Bears. I will be telling it to my kids at bedtime tonight.Comment
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Mary Ann.Comment
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Scott, I thought you would've been the first to say 'both dammit, and Mrs. Howe for good measure.' What's three more, really?--
Imagine for a moment a world without hypothetical situations...Comment
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I remember my Dad telling me he was at the game where Don Hutson set an NFL record for catching 4 touchdown passes in a QUARTER!
After the second TD, the other team(it might be the Browns--I am not sure) assigned two cornerbacks to Hutson. One lined up directly across Hutson at the line of scrimmage. His sole job was to either hold up Hutson at the line or knock him off his route. The second cornerback was to actually cover Hutson if he got past the cornerback.
Needless to say, Hutson got past both of them to catch 2 more TD's that quarter and caught half a dozen more passes for the rest of the game.
OregonpackfanComment
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It was against the Lions. The Browns didn't exist in '45. They didn't start their NFL run until 1950.Originally posted by oregonpackfan
On October 7, 1945 in Milwaukee, Hutson and the Pack went ape shit on the Lions. The Pack scored 41 points in a single quarter. Don lead the way with 29 points. Don scored 4 touchdowns and kicked 5 extra points.
Don caught all 4 td's from the same QB. You are a Pack trivia meister if you can name him.Comment
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Roy McKay?Comment
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Correct me if I'm wrong here but wasn't Lambeau already atop the NFL in the passing game before Hutson. Didn't LAmbeau really innovate the aerial game back when he had Cal Hubbard and Clarke Hinkle. I was under the impression that after Hubbard, Lambeau specifically targeted and coached up Arnie Herber for the sole purpose of being a gifted passer. Don Hutson, well he simply made them completely unstoppable. They were 15 to 20 years ahead of the game. Can you imagine what that would look like today."For a fan base that so gratefully took to success, it bothers me how easily some fans are resigned to failure."
No Mo Moss 9.14.06
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KY,Originally posted by KYPack
Was it Arnie Herber?
OregonpackfanComment
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Na, he plays Center Forward for Bayern Munich Soccer team. Dutch guy, face full of zit scars. Earn 4 million a year.Originally posted by Scott Campbell
They just won the national championship today.Comment
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Yeah Scott, it was Roy McKay.Originally posted by Scott Campbell
Where do we mail the trivia-meister trophy?Comment
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[quote="oregonpackfan"]No Arnie Herber retired after the '40 season.Originally posted by KYPack
It was Roy Mckay (See the posts above)Comment
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