1961 Green Bay Packers season

1961 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach Vince Lombardi
General manager Vince Lombardi
Home field City Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record 11–3
Division place 1st NFL Western
Playoff finish Won NFL Championship

The 1961 Green Bay Packers season was their 42nd season in the National Football League. The club posted an 11–3 record under coach Vince Lombardi, earning them a first-place finish in the Western Conference. The Packers ended the season by defeating the New York Giants 37–0 in the NFL Championship Game, the first title game ever played in Green Bay. This was the Packers 7th NFL league championship.

The 1961 season was the first in which the Packers wore their trademark capital "G" logo on their helmets.[1]

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round Pick Player Position School
112Herb AdderleyCornerbackMichigan State
226Ron KostelnikDefensive TackleCincinnati
340Phil NugentBackTulane
454Paul DudleyBackArkansas
456Joe LeSageGuardTulane
568Jack NovakGuardMiami (FL)
682Lee FolkinsTight EndWashington
796Lewis JohnsonBackFlorida A&M
9124Vester FlanaganTackleHumboldt State
10138Buck McLeodTackleBaylor
11152Val KeckinBackSouthern Miss
12166John DenvirTackleColorado
13180Elijah PittsHalfbackPhilander Smith
14194Nelson ToburenLinebackerWichita State
15208Ray LardaniTackleMiami (FL)
16222Clarence MasonEndBowling Green
17236Jim BrewingtonTackleNorth Carolina Central
18250Arthur SimsBackTexas A&M
19264Leland BondhusTackleSouth Dakota State
20278Ray RatkowskiBackNotre Dame

Personnel

Staff

1961 Green Bay Packers staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

[2]

Roster

1961 Green Bay Packers final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs


Wide receivers


Tight ends

Offensive linemen


Defensive linemen

Linebackers


Defensive backs


Special teams

Reserve lists



Practice squad



Rookies in italics
Active, Inactive, Practice squad

Depth chart

Defense
CB
Herb Adderley
CB
Jesse Whittenton
Offense
FL
Boyd Dowler
LT LG C RG RT
Bob Skoronski Fuzzy Thurston Jim Ringo Jerry Kramer Forrest Gregg
Norm Masters
TE
Ron Kramer
SE
Max McGee
QB
Bart Starr
RB
Paul Hornung
FB
Jim Taylor
Special Teams
PK Paul Hornung
P Boyd Dowler
KR Herb Adderley
PR Willie Wood

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Score Game site TV Time Record Attendance
1 August 11, 1961 @ Dallas Cowboys W 30–7 Cotton Bowl 9:00 PM CDT 1–0 30,000
2 August 18, 1961 @ St. Louis Cardinals W 31–10 Sportsman's Park 8:30 PM CDT 2–0 31,056
3 August 26, 1961 Chicago Bears W 24–14 Milwaukee County Stadium 8:00 PM CDT 3–0 42,560
4 September 4, 1961 New York Giants W 20–17 City Stadium 8:00 PM CDT 4–0 33,452
5 September 9, 1961 vs. Washington Redskins
(at Columbus, Georgia)
W 31–24 A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium 8:00 PM CDT 5–0 18,000

All times are CENTRAL time

Regular season

Despite being named NFL MVP, Paul Hornung was briefly lost to the military. In response to the construction of the Berlin Wall, the United States Department of Defense activated thousands of reservists. Two dozen football players were activated, including Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler and Ray Nitschke.[3] On November 14, Hornung was to report to Fort Riley in Kansas.[4] Wisconsin residents were so upset that Republican senator Alexander Wiley and Democratic congressman Clement Zablocki requested deferments for the players.[5] On October 18, the final word was that the players had to serve. Hornung missed the November 19 game against the Los Angeles Rams. He was flown from Fort Riley to Detroit for the November 23 Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions.[6] Hornung would score a field goal and two extra points in the 17–9 victory.[7]

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Score Game site TV Time Record Attendance
1 September 17, 1961 Detroit Lions L 13–17 Milwaukee County Stadium CBS 12:30 PM CDT 0–1 44,307
2 September 24, 1961 San Francisco 49ers W 30–10 City Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CDT 1–1 38,669
3 October 1, 1961 Chicago Bears W 24–0 City Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CDT 2–1 38,669
4 October 8, 1961 Baltimore Colts W 45–7 City Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CDT 3–1 38,669
5 October 15, 1961 at Cleveland Browns W 49–17 Cleveland Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CDT 4–1 75,042
6 October 22, 1961 at Minnesota Vikings W 33–7 Metropolitan Stadium CBS 1:30 PM CDT 5–1 42,007
7 October 29, 1961 Minnesota Vikings W 28–10 Milwaukee County Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CST 6–1 44,112
8 November 5, 1961 at Baltimore Colts L 21–45 Memorial Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CST 6–2 57,641
9 November 12, 1961 at Chicago Bears W 31–28 Wrigley Field CBS 1:00 PM CST 7–2 49,711
10 November 19, 1961 Los Angeles Rams W 35–17 City Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CST 8–2 38,669
11 November 23, 1961 at Detroit Lions W 17–9 Tiger Stadium CBS 11:00 AM CST 9–2 55,662
12 December 3, 1961 New York Giants W 20–17 Milwaukee County Stadium CBS 1:00 PM CST 10–2 47,012
13 December 10, 1961 at San Francisco 49ers L 21–22 Kezar Stadium CBS 3:30 PM CST 10–3 55,722
14 December 17, 1961 at Los Angeles Rams W 24–17 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum CBS 3:30 PM CST 11–3 49,169

All times are CENTRAL time

Season summary

Week 1: vs. Detroit

1 234Total
Lions 7 703 17
Packers 7 303 13

[8]

Week 11: at Detroit

1 234Total
Packers 0 7010 17
Lions 3 330 9

[9]

Playoffs

Round Date Opponent Result Score Game site TV Radio Time Attendance
NFL Championship December 31, 1961 New York Giants W 37–0 City Stadium NBC NBC 1:00 PM CST 39,029

All times are CENTRAL time

Game summary

1961 NFL Championship Game vs. New York

1 234Total
Giants 0 000 0
Packers 0 24103 37

[10]

Standings

NFL Western Conference
W L T PCT CONF PF PA STK
Green Bay Packers 11 3 0 .786 9–3 391 223 W1
Detroit Lions 8 5 1 .615 7–4–1 270 258 L1
Chicago Bears 8 6 0 .571 7–5 326 302 W2
Baltimore Colts 8 6 0 .571 6–6 302 307 W1
San Francisco 49ers 7 6 1 .538 6–5–1 346 272 L1
Los Angeles Rams 4 10 0 .286 3–9 263 333 L1
Minnesota Vikings 3 11 0 .214 3–9 285 407 L2

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Stats

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

Kicking

Punting

Kick Return

Punt Return

Interception

Team

Total Yards and Turnovers Passing Rushing

Awards and records

References

  1. Gridiron Uniform Database: Green Bay Packers
  2. "All Time Coaches Database". Packers.com. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
  3. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 284, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  4. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 286, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  5. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 285, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  6. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 287, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  7. When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 288, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  8. Pro-Football-Reference.com Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  9. Pro-Football-Reference.com Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  10. Pro-Football-Reference.com Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  11. http://www.maxwellfootballclub.org/content/awards/bell/past_bell.htm
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