Vernon Vanoy’s Big Day

On October 1, 1972, the 2-0 defending Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys came to Milwaukee to face the 1-1 Packers, who were coming off a tough loss to the Raiders. What ensued was a hard-hitting 16-13 contest that was decided primarily by turnovers and the stout Packers’ defense. Two Chester Marcol field goals were set up by Al Matthews interceptions, and the Packer touchdown followed a Willie Buchanon fumble recovery at the Dallas 26. A 22-yard burst by John Brockington then led to John’s 2-yard TD plunge. The Packers also delivered a brilliant goal line stand at the close of the half that limited the Cowboys to only a field goal.

The most remarkable star of the day, though, was 6’8” Packer defensive tackle Vernon Vanoy, starting in the place of the injured Mike McCoy. Vanoy recorded three sacks of Cowboy quarterback Craig Morton for 30 yards, all on tackle twists in which fellow defensive tackle Bob Brown took out the interior of the Cowboys interior line and allowed Vanoy to loop around and nail Morton. Vanoy had also recorded one sack on opening day against the Browns.

Vanoy had played both basketball and football at Kansas and was drafted in the third round of the 1969 draft by the Giants. Instead, he began his career with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL that year, but appeared in six games for the Giants in 1971. Acquired on waivers by the Packers, Vanoy appeared in 13 games for Green Bay in 1972 and then was traded to Oakland for Carleton Oats in the offseason. Vernon didn’t make the Raiders squad. He played in one final NFL game for the Oilers in 1973 and then spent the 1974 season with the Jacksonville Sharks of the WFL before fading from view. Those four sacks as a Packer were the only ones of his career.

 

 

Posed Vanoy and Matthews action custom cards are colorized.