1958 Green Bay Packers season


The 1958 Green Bay Packers season was their 40th season overall and their 38th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 1–10–1 record under first-year head coach Ray McLean for a last-place finish in the league in and the worst record ever posted by a Packers team.
In the immortal words of New York sportswriter and Green Bay native Red Smith: "they overwhelmed one opponent, under-whelmed ten, and whelmed one." The tie came in week two and the three-point win in week five; during the seven-game losing streak to end the season the Packers lost by an average margin of over 22 points and got no closer than ten. The Packers finished 1958 allowing a league-worst 382 points in the 12-game season.
McLean was the top assistant on the coaching staff in 1957 and was given a one-year contract as head coach after Lisle Blackbourn was fired in early January 1958 with a year remaining on a five-year contract. Following the final game of the 1958 season, McLean resigned on December 17, which paved the way for the historic hiring of Vince Lombardi in January 1959.
The underachieving 1958 team was loaded with talent, with future hall of famers Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, Forrest Gregg, and Jerry Kramer, as well as future All-Pros Ron Kramer, Max McGee, Bill Forester, and Dan Currie.

Offseason

NFL Draft

The first four rounds of the 1958 Draft were conducted in early December 1957, when Blackbourn was head coach. The remaining 26 rounds were selected in late January. This draft by the Packers is regarded as among the best in NFL history.
RoundPickPlayerPositionSchool
13Dan CurrieLinebackerMichigan State
215Jim TaylorFullbackLSU
327Dick ChristyBackNorth Carolina State
336Ray NitschkeLinebackerIllinois
439Jerry KramerGuardIdaho
551Joe FrancisQuarterbackOregon State
662Ken GrayTackleHoward Payne
775Doug MaisonBackHillsdale
886Mike BillCenterSyracuse
999Norm JarockBackSt. Norbert
10110Carl JohnsonTackleIllinois
11123Harry HortonEndWichita State
12134Wayne MillerEndBaylor
13147Gene CookEndToledo
13153Don HerndonBackTampa
14158Harry HauffeTackleSouth Dakota
15171Tom NewellBackDrake
16182Arley FinleyTackleGeorgia Tech
17195Joe ReeseEndArkansas Tech
18206Chuck StridGuardSyracuse
20230John DuBoseBackTrinity
21243Jerry KershnerTackleOregon
22264Franklin MerlinoBackFlorida State
23267Jack AshtonGuardSouth Carolina
24278John JereckTackleDetroit
25291Larry PlentyBackBoston College
26302Esker HarrisGuardUCLA
27315Neil HabigCenterPurdue
28326Dave CrowellGuardWashington State
29339Bob HaynesTackleSam Houston State
30350John PetersTackleHouston

Schedule

Standings

Roster

Awards, records, and honors

Milestones