A Look Back at 1941

The 1941 season concluded on Pearl Harbor Sunday, the last NFL season before World War II. The Packers had completed their schedule with a 10-1 record on November 30, so the entire Packer team travelled to Chicago on December 7 to scout the 9-1 Bears in their season finale against the crosstown Cardinals. The Bears prevailed 34-24 to set up a playoff match on December 14 at Wrigley Field between two teams that had only lost to each other.

Although Green Bay was second in the league in scoring and points allowed, the one-sided playoff game demonstrated that the 30-point-a-game Bear T formation was a machine that rolled over everything in its path. Green Bay had eked out a 16-14 win over Chicago at the beginning of November when Curly Lambeau installed a seven-man line, but that was an aberration. In the playoff, the Packers took an early lead of 7-0 after recovering a fumble on the opening kickoff at the Chicago 18 and driving in for the score. However, the Bears scored the next 30 points in the game, including 24 in the second quarter, to turn the match into a rout.

For the regular season, the Packers were 5-1 at home and 5-0 on the road. They were 7-0 against teams with losing records and 3-2 against those with winning ones. Veteran star Arnie Herber was cut before the season, so Cecil Isbell took full charge of the offense. Isbell led the NFL in pass attempts, completions, yards (1,479) and touchdowns (15). Hal Van Every was second in passing yards for the Pack with 195.

Clarke Hinkle led the team in rushing yards with 393 and was trailed by Isbell’s 317 and Andy Uram’s 258. Uram also had a punt return touchdown of 90 yards. Don Hutson led the NFL in catches (58), receiving yards (738) and TD receptions (10). Lou Brock, a halfback that Lambeau liked to split wide as a flanker, was second on the squad with 22 receptions. All the ends aside from Hutson combined for just 20 catches.

Hutson also led the league with 95 points scored. Hinkle was second on the team with 56 points. Van Every led the team with three interceptions. Hurson also won the Joe Carr Trophy as the NFL’s most valuable player for ’41.

Isbell, Hutson, Hinkle and tackle Baby Ray were all named All-Pro, with center George Svendsen, guard Pete Tinsley and end Ray Riddick receiving second team notice. Tony Canadeo and George Paskvan were the top rookies.

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A Card for Everyone: Leotis Harris

Born on June 28, 1955 in Little Rock, Arkansas, guard Leotis Harris starred for the Razorbacks in his home state before being drafted in the sixth round in 1978 by the Packers. A year later when starting right guard Mel Jackson was lost to injury, Leotis moved into the starting lineup and stayed there for five years as a fairly solid performer.

In 1983, Harris was trying to fend off Tim Huffman in the starting lineup when he suffered a knee injury on October 9 against the Lions. Leotis missed the rest of ’83 and spent 1984 on the injured reserve list under new coach Forrest Gregg. Harris tried to revive his career in ’85, but was cut in August, ending his time in the NFL.

Harris returned to his home state, where he was elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

All custom cards except for 1980 are colorized.

A Look Back at 1940

One of the major points of my book Pioneer Coaches of the NFL is that 1940 was the year that pro football began on the trajectory that would first overtake the college game and eventually baseball as the nation’s sport of choice. The reason being that 1940 was the year the Bears went all in on the modern T formation that would open up the game. Soon both the pros and colleges would follow that same path. Curly Lambeau’s career had hit its peak, and the defending champion Packers were no longer the best team in football. After going 11-12-1 against the Bears in the 1930s, the Packers would be routed by a 4-16-1 mark against their chief rivals in the ‘40s.

Green Bay was still a good club that finished second in the West with a 6-4-1 mark and second in scoring with 238 points. They stayed in the race until the final week of the season. They were 4-2 at home and 2-2-1 on the season closing five-game road trip. Strikingly, though, the Pack was 5-0-1 against losing teams, but just 1-4 against all others.

Cecil Isbell led the team with 1,037 yards passing, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He was followed by Arnie Herber’s 560 yards for six scores and seven picks and rookie Hal Van Every’s 199 yards, four TDs and six interceptions.

Clarke Hinkle led in rushing with 383 yards, followed by Isbell and Andy Uram with 270 apiece. Don Hutson, of course, led the team with 45 catches for 664 yards and a league-leading seven touchdown receptions. Carl Mulleneaux was second with 16 catches and six scores. Hutson also led the team and the league with six interceptions (trailed by Lou Brock with five and Dick Weisgerber with four) and 57 points (followed by Hinkle’s 48 and Mulleneaux’s 42).

Hutson, Hinkle and center Charley Brock all were named first team All-Pro, while Isbell and Mulleneaux received second team notice. Hinkle passed Cliff Battles to become the NFL’s All-Time leading rusher during this season.

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Ed Jankowski

Born in Milwaukee on June 23, 1913, Ed Jankowski was a schoolboy star at Milwaukee East who enrolled at the University of Wisconsin in 1933. Wisconsin was just 7-17 in Jankowski’s three varsity years, so things did not always go smoothly. In 1934, he briefly left the team in September after altercations with Badger Coach Doc Spears, but returned to work his way into the starting lineup for the struggling team that season. Like something out of 1930s B-movie, a September 1936 Capital Times headline read “Await Report on Ed Jankowski’s Exam Today.” Eddie had failed a Political Science class and was trying to make it up before the start of his senior year under new coach Harry Stuhldreher. Fortunately, he passed and got to play one last year in Madison.

Curly Lambeau made Jankowski the Packers top draft choice in 1937, and he had his best season as a rookie, backing up Clarke Hinkle at fullback/linebacker and finishing second on the team in rushing. As a rookie, Eddie scored touchdowns on runs of 46 and 36 yards as well as on an interception return of 27 yards against the Bears. He finished off that pick-six by crashing headfirst into the brick wall in the Wrigley Field end zone. The Green Bay Press Gazette noted, “The collision would have killed any man who wasn’t raised on concrete hash.” In the season finale that year against Washington, though, Jankowski was whipsawed by two Redskin blockers and suffered what may have been a skull fracture.

Eddie spent his entire five-year career behind the All-Pro Hinkle and then enlisted in the Navy following Pearl Harbor. After getting out of the service, he coached Whitefish Bay High School from 1947-51 and led the team to three Milwaukee Suburban Conference championships before suddenly resigning in 1952. Jankowski worked in the beverage industry for years, although he also served as a part-time assistant line coach for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1961. He passed away on July 20, 1996 in Madison.

All custom cards are colorized.

Summing Up the 1930s

The 1930s was Curtly Lambeau’s best decade. Not only did the Packers win four NFL titles, but also went to a championship game in a fifth and lost another title due to ties in a sixth season. Here are the overall standings of the league in that decade:

Chicago Bears (2)                           85-28-11               .730

Green Bay Packers (4)                   86-35-4                 .704

New York Giants (2)                       80-39-8                 .661

Detroit Lions (1)                              73-39-9                 .640

Washington Redskins (1)              46-36-8                 .556

Brooklyn Dodgers                           40-67-9                 .384

Chicago Cardinals                           35-67-9                 .356

Cleveland Rams                               10-22-1                 .318

Pittsburgh Pirates                            22-55-3                 .294

Philadelphia Eagles                         18-55-3                 .257

 

Arnie Herber was the league’s leading passer of the decade by a wide margin, throwing for 6,472 yards and 63 touchdowns (and 83 interceptions). Those totals nearly doubled those of Ed Danowski of the Giants who was the decade’s second leading passer. Sammy Baugh and Sid Luckman came too late in the ‘30s to challenge Herber’s numbers. Bob Monnett was the second leading Packer passer of the time with 2,227 yards, 28 TDs and 26 interceptions.

On the ground Clarke Hinkle led the franchise with 3,082 yards rushing. He trailed Washington Cliff Battles for the decade lead, but would pass Battles in 1941 to become the NFL’s All-Time leading rusher until Steve Van Buren, in turn, would pass him in 1949. Second to Hinkle in Green Bay was Monnett again with 1,488 yards and then Joe Laws with 1,239.

Don Hutson, of course, was the league’s leader in catches (159), receiving yards (2,902) and touchdown catches (36). Washington Charley Malone caught 114 passes in the period. Second on the Packers was Johnny Blood with 102 catches and 30 touchdowns. Reliable Milt Gantenbein snagged 80 passes for 1,348 yards.

Hinkle led the team with 275 points, followed by Hutson’s 236 and Blood’s 194. Blood led the team in interceptions with 21, followed by Hinkle’s 18 and 15 by Laws and Hank Bruder.

24 Packers were named to a first or second team All-Pro team during the ‘30s. Leading the way was Hinkle with five firsts and three seconds. Those with at least two first team appearances were: Hinkle (5-3) Hutson (4-1), Mike Michalske (4-0), Cal Hubbard (3-0), Lavie Dilweg (2-2), Nate Barrager (2-2), Tom Nash (2-1), Lon Evans (2-1) and Herber (2-0).

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A Look Back at 1939

After the disappointing loss in the 1938 championship game, the Packers made amends a year later. Although the team was just third in scoring and fourth in points allowed, Green Bay posted a 9-2 mark, with both losses by just three points and both resulting from fourth quarter comebacks by the opposition. The Pack was 5-1 at home and 4-1 on their season-closing road trip that stretched from Halloween on. They were 4-0 against losing teams and 5-2 against all others.

As I wrote in Pioneer Coaches of the NFL:

In a rematch [with Steve Owen’s Giants] in Milwaukeee on December 10, 1939, an effective passing game was again key in a 27-0 Packer blowout. It was the largest title game point differential in history until the Bears beat Washington 73-0 the following year. Lambeau’s attack this time, though, was to rely more on a power running game. On a very windy Wisconsin day, the Packers ran the ball 49 times for 138 yards and threw the ball just ten times, completing seven for 96 yards, with three interceptions. The Giants ran 34 times for 72 yards and threw 25 passes, but completed just eight for 94 yards and had six passes intercepted. Don Hutson was held to just two receptions for 21 yards, but his first catch for 15 yards set up a touchdown pass from Herber to Milt Gantenbein two plays later, with Hutson acting as a decoy.

Leading just 7-0 at the half, Green Bay took control in the third quarter, scoring ten points, including a 31-yard touchdown pass from Cecil Isbell to Joe Laws to make the score 17-0 and making the fourth quarter a time of desperation for New York. The Packers intercepted two more passes and scored 10 more points to complete their win.

Arnie Herber led Green Bay’s two-armed passing attack by throwing for 1,107 yard, eight touchdowns and nine interceptions. Second-year-man Cecil Isbell added 749 yards, six TDs and five interceptions. Isbell also led the team in rushing with 407 yards and caught nine passes. Clarke Hinkle gained 381 yards on the ground. Andy Uram set a team record with a 97-yard touchdown run against the Cardinals. Don Hutson led the league in catches (34), yards receiving (846) and yards per catch (24.9) and led the team in touchdown catches with 6 and points with 38. Hinkle chipped in 35 points, while guard Tiny Engebretsen added 30 points with his foot. Rookie center Charlie Brock led the team with seven interceptions and Joe Laws added three.

An eight-man rookie class made the Packers, led by Brock and versatile Larry Craig. Craig played blocking back on offense and end on defense, allowing the slender Hutson to move to the defensive backfield where he was much better suited.

Hutson, Craig, tackle Baby Ray and guard Buckets Goldenberg all were named first team All-Pros, while Hinkle, Isbell and guard Russ Letlow made the second team.

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Josh Sitton Turns 34

The beginnings of another dynamic guard tandem in Green Bay were sown when Central Florida’s Josh Sitton was selected in the fourth round of the 2008 draft. Within a few years, Sitton would team with T.J. Lang to give the Packers perhaps the best set of guards in the NFL.

Sitton looked to be headed to the starting right guard position as a rookie, but a preseason knee injury limited his play in 2008. Josh took over as full time starter in 2009 and was a starter and a star from then on despite shifting from the right to the left side in 2013. He was voted the Offensive Lineman of the Year by the NFL Alumni Association in 2010, was named to the Pro Bowl in 2012, ’14, ’15 and ‘16 and drew All-Pro notice for five of six years from 2010-15.

6’3” 320 pounds and tough, Sitton has missed only two starts in the seven years. He had the power and explosiveness to drive block and the strength and agility to protect he passer, allowing only very few sacks as a starter. His nasty, aggressive attitude made him a leader on the Packers’ offensive line, and he was impossible to intimidate.

The finances of the sport caused the Packers to let Sitton leave as a free agent in 2016, and he spent two years as a starter with the Bears before ending his career with one game with the Dolphins in 2018.

(adapted from Green Bay Gold)

Custom Card in Topps style.

A Look Back at 1938…

Once again, the Packers got off to a sluggish start in 1938, losing two of their first five games at home, but the team rallied for a five-game winning streak that placed them in first place with an 8-2 mark going into their season finale against the Giants in New York. Green Bay out gained the Giants that day, but the New Yorkers picked off five Packer passes, and Mel Hein returned one for a 55-yard score to cinch the 15-3 Giant triumph.

The odd thing was that the Packer finale occurred before Thanksgiving on November 20. At that point, all Lambeau and company could do was watch as the second place Lions beat the Bears on Turkey Day and then hosted the 4-6 Eagles on December 4. Fortunately Philadelphia sprung an upset and clinched the Western title for Green Bay. They would face the Giants and their NFL-best defense again in New York on December 11 for the championship. As I wrote in Pioneer Coaches of the NFL:

Four years later, the Packers were a 7-5 favorite with the bookies in the NFL title game, even though the New York had whipped Green Bay 15-3 just three weeks prior. The opportunistic Giants allowed the fewest points in the league and intercepted the most passes. The Packers were big and talented with an exciting passing game, but mistakes were their downfall. The subtitle to Rud Rennie’s game story in the New York Herald Tribune was, “Brilliant Green Bay Passing Attack Futile as N.Y. Capitalizes on Blocked Kicks, Boners, Penalty.”

Statistically, Green Bay dominated: 164 to 115 in rushing yards, 214 to 94 in passing yards, 378 to 209 in total yards, but Steve Owen’s smart kicking teams blocked two punts deep in Packer territory, and both led to easy Giants’ touchdowns. The Packers fought back to take a 17-16 lead in the third quarter, but a Danowski-to-Soar touchdown pass of 23 yards later in the period was the final score of the game as the Giants’ defense held firm.

For the year, Green Bay was 4-2 at home–with both losses coming in City Stadium–and 4-1 on the road. They were 5-0 against losing teams and 3-3 in the rest of their schedule. The Packers scored the most points in the league while yielding the third lowest total.

Top draft pick Cecil Isbell led the team in both passing (659) and rushing yards (445) while throwing for eight scores and 10 interceptions. Bob Monnett was second in passing yards with 465 and threw nine TD passes, while Arnie Herber dropped to 336 yards passing and just three touchdowns. On the ground, Isbell was followed by Clarke Hinkle’s 299 yards and Joe Laws’ 253. Hinkle led the team in points with 58 and Laws in interceptions with 6.

Don Hutson had some injury problems but still led the team with 32 catches and the league with 548 receiving yards and 9 touchdown catches. Milt Gantenbein was second on the club with 12 receptions. Hutson was second on the team in points with 57. Hinkle, Hutson and guard Russ Letlow were all first team All-Pro, while Isbell and Gantenbein were named to the second team.

Isbell led a bumper crop of rookies that included long-time starters at tackle, Baby Ray; guard, Pete Tinsley; end Carl Mulleneaux; and halfback, Andy Uram.

Custom cards all colorized.

A Look Back at 1937

The defending champion Packers had an odd year in 1937. The team was beaten by the College All-Stars on September 1 and then lost its first two games at home, won seven in a row and then lost its last two games on the road to finish 7-4, tied for second in the West with Detroit. The College All-Star Game was just the fourth of the series and the second win for the collegians. The winning score in the 6-0 game was a first quarter 47-yard touchdown pass from Sammy Baugh to Gaynell Tinsley. Baugh would lead the Redskins to the NFL title as a rookie, while Tinsley would pace the league in receiving yards.

Green Bay led the league in points with 220, but scored just 15 in its four losses, while averaging nearly 30 per game in its seven wins. The Pack were 4-2 at home (2-0 in Milwaukee) and 3-2 on the road. While they were 3-0 against losing teams, they were just 4-4 against the rest of a tough schedule. Green Bay trailed the Bears all year and were never able to overcome Chicago, which lost to the Redskins in the title game hat year.

Arnie Herber again led the team in passing with 684 yards, but versatile tailback Bob Monnett completed half his passes and threw for 580 yards. Herber tossed seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while Monnett threw eight of each.

Clarke Hinkle led the team with 552 yards rushing, and rookie fullback Eddie Jankowski followed with 324 yards on the ground. Hutson, of course, led the team and the league with 41 catches and seven TD receptions. He also led the team with 552 yards through the air. Milt Gantenbein was second with 12 catches. Joe Laws was third in rushing with 310 yards and third in receptions with 10.

Hinkle also led the team with four interceptions and 57 points; Hutson was second with 44 points. Hinkle, Hutson and guard Lon Evans were named first team All-Pro, while tackles Ernie Smith and Lou Gordon, guard Russ Letlow and Gantenbein were all named to the second team. A midseason exchange of tackles with the Brooklyn Dodgers brought Bill Lee to Green Bay for Av Daniell. Lee was a six-year starter for the Packers, while Daniell played just five games for the Dodgers.

As the cards below indicate, Green Bay unveiled a new look in 1937 with blue jerseys that featured a gold shoulder panel.

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If They Played Today, Continued…

  Packers unveil new “Safety First” defensive scheme.

  Herb Adderley penalized for Social Distancing violation.

  Henry Jordan flagged for grabbing the face mask.

Fuzzy Thurston ejected for not washing hands.

Offsetting penalties for illegal large gathering.