1959 Green Bay Packers season


The 1959 Green Bay Packers season was their 39th season in the National Football League and 41st overall. The club posted a 7–5 record in the season under first-year coach Vince Lombardi to earn a third-place finish in the Western Conference.
It was the Packers' first winning season in a dozen years, the last was a 6–5–1 mark in 1947. Green Bay had just one victory during the previous season in 1958 with the worst record in the 12-team league, and were 3–9 in 1957, tied for worst.

Offseason

NFL Draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionSchool/Club Team
11Randy DuncanQuarterbackIowa
213Alex HawkinsBackSouth Carolina
325Boyd DowlerWide ReceiverColorado
555Andy CverckoGuardNorthwestern
661Willie TaylorCenterFlorida A&M
773Bobby JacksonBackAlabama
783Gary RaidTackleWillamette
885Buddy MayfieldEndSouth Carolina
895Bob LarabaBackTexas Western
997George DixonBackBridgeport
10109Sam TuccioTackleSouthern Miss
11121Bob WebbBackSt. Ambrose
12133Larry HallGuardMissouri Valley
13145Jim HurdBackAlbion
14157Ken KerrGuardArizona State
15169Dick TeteakGuardWisconsin
16181Dan EdgingtonEndFlorida
17193Tom SeculesBackWilliam & Mary
18205Dick NearentsTackleEastern Washington
19217Bill ButlerSafetyChattanooga
20229Charley SampleBackArkansas
21241Dave SmithBackRipon
22253Charlie AndersonEndDrake
23265Ben LawverTackleLewis & Clark
24277Joe HergertCenterFlorida
25289Leroy HardeeBackFlorida A&M
26301Ken HigginbothamEndTrinity
27313Timothy BrownRunning BackBall State
28325Jerry EppsGuardWest Texas State
29337Jack FlaraBackPittsburgh
30349Dick EmerichTackleWest Chester

On February 4, 1959, Vince Lombardi seized his opportunity and began building his football dynasty in Green Bay. He arrived after both phases of the draft, and started by trading away the Packers' best receiver of the decade, Billy Howton, to the Cleveland Browns. To bring some much-needed leadership to the defensive backfield, Lombardi obtained future Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell from the New York Giants. He also acquired Fuzzy Thurston from the Baltimore Colts and defensive tackle Henry Jordan from Cleveland by the start of training camp. In all, 16 veterans from the previous season were sent packing as Lombardi installed a new attitude in the Packers' locker room.

Training camp

Lombardi borrowed from the Giants model — the players had to feel like champions. The team traveled first class under the philosophy that "you can't be a winner unless you feel like one." The change in culture was pronounced. Lombardi had to find a quarterback, and he was resistant to making Bart Starr the quarterback. Starr was in his fourth year in the league and hadn't won a game in which he'd played four quarters. "Did Bart tell you how bad he was?" a player was to later quip to biographer John Eisenberg. Former Razorback Lamar McHan beat out Starr, while veteran Babe Parilli was cut in mid-September, along with rookie running back Alex Hawkins, the thirteenth overall selection in the

Master plan

Through his now legendary coaching style, Lombardi whipped the underachieving Packers into instant winners. He set his plan immediately into action at his very first team meeting. "I have never been on a losing team, gentlemen, and I do not intend to start now!"

Dramatic improvement

The results of Lombardi's approach were dramatic. In the season opener against the Chicago Bears, the Packers held on to win 9–6 and celebrated the victory by carrying their new head coach off the field. In his first year on the sidelines, the Packers posted their first winning record since 1947. The team's quick turnaround netted Lombardi unanimous honors as NFL coach of the year.

Schedule

Preseason

Regular Season

Lombardi's first regular season game as Packers coach was on September 27. In front of 32,150 fans, the Packers won the game. In the final seven minutes, the Packers put up nine points to win the game by a score of 9–6. Jim Taylor scored a touchdown to put the Packers on the scoreboard. Max McGee would have a sixty-one-yard punt which would land on the Bears 2-yard line. The punt set up the final score of the game. Hawg Hanner scored a safety on Bears quarterback Ed Brown. After the game, Jim Ringo grabbed the game ball and gave it to Lombardi.
WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
1September 27Chicago BearsW 9–61–0City Stadium
32,150
2October 4Detroit LionsW 28–102–0City Stadium
32,150
3October 11San Francisco 49ersW 21–203–0City Stadium
32,150
4October 18Los Angeles RamsL 45–63–1Milwaukee County Stadium
36,194
5October 25at Baltimore ColtsL 38–213–2Memorial Stadium
57,557
6November 1at New York GiantsL 20–33–3Yankee Stadium
68,837
7November 8at Chicago BearsL 28–173–4Wrigley Field
46,205
8November 15Baltimore ColtsL 28–243–5Milwaukee County Stadium
25,521
9November 22Washington RedskinsW 21–04–5City Stadium
31,853
10November 26at Detroit LionsW 24–175–5Briggs Stadium
49,221
11December 6at Los Angeles RamsW 38–206–5Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
61,044
12December 13at San Francisco 49ersW 36–147–5Kezar Stadium
55,997

Regular Season

Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears

Standings

Roster

Awards, records, and honors