1980 Green Bay Packers season
The 1980 Green Bay Packers season was their 62nd season overall and their 60th in the National Football League. The team posted a 5–10–1 record under coach Bart Starr, earning them a fifth-place finish in the NFC Central division.
| 1980 Green Bay Packers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Bart Starr |
| Home field | Lambeau Field Milwaukee County Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–10–1 |
| Division place | 5th NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
Before the 1980 season even began, first-round draft pick Bruce Clark bolted directly for the Canadian Football League, never playing a down for the Packers. He forced a trade to the New Orleans Saints upon returning to the United States. Green Bay regrouped and started strong by outlasting the Chicago Bears in an overtime thriller in the season opener. But with 27 players on injured reserved during the course of the year, the team was unable to replenish its roster and Green Bay suffered their 7th losing season in 8 years.
Exactly three months after the opener at Lambeau Field, The Packers would rematch with the Bears. However, Chicago exacted revenge by embarrassing the Packers 7–61 at Soldier Field, causing the Packers to be eliminated from the playoffs for the 8th straight season.
Offseason
NFL Draft
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Bruce Clark | DT | Penn State |
| 1 | 26 | George Cumby | LB | Oklahoma |
| 2 | 34 | Mark Lee | CB | Washington |
| 3 | 61 | Syd Kitson | G | Wake Forest |
| 4 | 87 | Fred Nixon | WR | Oklahoma |
| 6 | 143 | Karl Swanke | OT | Boston College |
| 7 | 169 | Buddy Aydelette | OT | Alabama |
| 8 | 199 | Tim Smith | DB | Oregon State |
| 9 | 195 | Kelly Saalfeld | C | Nebraska |
| 10 | 253 | Jafus White | DB | Texas A&I |
| 12 | 310 | James Stewart | DB | Memphis |
Players highlighted in yellow indicate players selected to the Pro Bowl during their NFL career.
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Murphy | Safety | West Liberty State |
Personnel
Staff
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
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Roster
Regular season
Schedule
Standings
| NFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Minnesota Vikings(3) | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 8–4 | 317 | 308 | L1 |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 5–3 | 9–5 | 334 | 272 | W2 |
| Chicago Bears | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 5–3 | 7–5 | 304 | 264 | W1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 1–6–1 | 4–7–1 | 271 | 341 | L3 |
| Green Bay Packers | 5 | 10 | 1 | .344 | 3–4–1 | 4–7–1 | 231 | 371 | L4 |
Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Date: September 7, 1980
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, 65 °F (18 °C)
- TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Sonny Jurgensen
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: vs. Detroit Lions
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lions | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Packers | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Date: September 14, 1980
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, 64 °F (18 °C)
- TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Roger Staubach
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Week 4: vs. Dallas Cowboys
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Packers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Date: September 28, 1980
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Overcast, 55 °F (13 °C)
- TV announcers (CBS): Lindsey Nelson and Sonny Jurgensen
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Awards and records
Hall of Famers
In 1980 Packer great Herb Adderley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
References
- "All Time Coaches Database". Packers.com. Retrieved February 22, 2011.