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 Game (Giants) 37-0

The 1961 Green Bay Packers season was their 43rd season overall and their 41st 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 and ending a fifteen-year playoff drought. 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

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultScoreGame siteTVTimeRecordAttendance
1August 11, 1961@ Dallas CowboysW30–7Cotton Bowl9:00 PM CDT1–030,000
2August 18, 1961@ St. Louis CardinalsW31–10Sportsman's Park8:30 PM CDT2–031,056
3August 26, 1961Chicago BearsW24–14Milwaukee County Stadium8:00 PM CDT3–042,560
4September 4, 1961New York GiantsW20–17City Stadium8:00 PM CDT4–033,452
5September 9, 1961vs. Washington Redskins
(at Columbus, Georgia)		W31–24A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium8:00 PM CDT5–018,000

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 Department of Defense activated thousands of reservists. Two dozen football players were activated, including Paul Hornung, Boyd Dowler, and Ray Nitschke.[3][4] On November 14, Hornung was to report to Fort Riley in north central Kansas.[5] Wisconsin residents were so upset that Republican senator Alexander Wiley and Democratic congressman Clement Zablocki requested deferments for the players.[6] On October 18, the final word was that the players had to serve. Hornung missed the November 19 game in Green Bay against the Rams, but was flown from Fort Riley to Detroit for the November 23 Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions at Tiger Stadium.[7] Hornung kicked a field goal and two extra points in the 17–9 victory.[8][9]

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultScoreGame siteTVTimeRecordAttendance
1September 17Detroit LionsL13–17Milwaukee County StadiumCBS12:30 PM CDT0–144,307
2September 24San Francisco 49ersW30–10City StadiumCBS1:00 PM CDT1–138,669
3October 1Chicago BearsW24–0City StadiumCBS1:00 PM CDT2–138,669
4October 8Baltimore ColtsW45–7City StadiumCBS1:00 PM CDT3–138,669
5October 15at Cleveland BrownsW49–17Cleveland StadiumCBS1:00 PM CDT4–175,042
6October 22at Minnesota VikingsW33–7Metropolitan StadiumCBS1:30 PM CDT5–142,007
7October 29Minnesota VikingsW28–10Milwaukee County StadiumCBS1:00 PM CST6–144,112
8November 5at Baltimore ColtsL21–45Memorial StadiumCBS1:00 PM CST6–257,641
9November 12at Chicago BearsW31–28Wrigley FieldCBS1:00 PM CST7–249,711
10November 19Los Angeles RamsW35–17City StadiumCBS1:00 PM CST8–238,669
11November 23at Detroit LionsW17–9Tiger StadiumCBS11:00 AM CST9–255,662
12December 3New York GiantsW20–17Milwaukee County StadiumCBS1:00 PM CST10–247,012
13December 10at San Francisco 49ersL21–22Kezar StadiumCBS3:30 PM CST10–355,722
14December 17at Los Angeles RamsW24–17Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumCBS3:30 PM CST11–349,169

All times are CENTRAL time

Season summary

Week 1: vs. Detroit

1 234Total
• Lions 7 703 17
Packers 7 303 13

[10]

Week 11: at Detroit

1 234Total
• Packers 0 7010 17
Lions 3 330 9

[11]

Playoffs

RoundDateOpponentResultScoreGame siteTVRadioTimeAttendance
NFL ChampionshipDecember 31, 1961New York GiantsW37–0City StadiumNBCNBC1:00 PM CST39,029

All times are CENTRAL time

Game summary

1961 NFL Championship Game vs. New York

1 234Total
Giants 0 000 0
• Packers 0 24103 37

[12]

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 TurnoversPassingRushing

Awards and records

References

  1. ↑ Gridiron Uniform Database: Green Bay Packers
  2. ↑ "All Time Coaches Database". Packers.com. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Paul Hornung to enter Army". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 4, 1961. p. 2.
  4. ↑ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 284, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  5. ↑ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 286, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  6. ↑ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 285, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  7. ↑ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 287, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  8. ↑ When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss,p. 288, Simon & Schuster, 1999, ISBN 978-0-684-84418-3
  9. ↑ "Green Bay tops Lions 17-9 to take commanding lead". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. November 24, 1961. p. 16.
  10. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  11. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com Retrieved August 20, 2015.
  12. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-06-19. Retrieved 2010-06-28.
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