Here are the 1966 Green Bay Packers, winners of the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game (later renamed Super Bowl I).
Vince Lombardi’s Packers won it all in ’61, ’62, and ’65, and would do so for the next 2 seasons as well. In 1966 they posted a 12-2 record, their only losses being a 1-point loss to the 49ers and a 3-point loss to the Vikings. They had a 1-point win over the Browns, but pretty much rolled over the other teams, including a 56-3 bulldozing of the expansion Falcons.
The Paul Hornung card is a recent issue by RetroCards. They made 2 dozen other 1966 Packers cards, which I will post another time, but I needed one card to avoid a white hole in the picture below.
Of the rest, I’ve had the Willie Wood card since the 1960s, and it’s probably the 2nd worst football card I have. (You’ll see the worst one in the next post.) Back in the day, I felt the need to correct his position from “halfback” to “FS”.
Bart Starr – The Packers selected Starr in the 17th round in 1956. After starting just 1 game as a rookie, he started 11 of 12 games in 1957. Starr split the starts with others from 1958-60, but was the Packers’ full-time starting QB from 1961-67, and 1970. Although a 4-time Pro Bowler, he never led the league in yards, attempts, completions, or TD passes. (I guess because the Packers had a ball-control offense.) Starr was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
Paul Hornung was the first overall pick in the 1957 draft. He played fullback for his first 2 seasons, then Lombardi moved him to halfback in 1959. From 1959-61 he started all but 1 game, made 2 Pro Bowls, and was named first-team All-Pro twice.
He missed a few games in ’62, and was suspended for the entire 1963 season.
Hornung returned to start every game in 1964, but missed several games in ’65 and ’66 (including Super Bowl I) due to injuries. He was selected by the Saints in the expansion draft, but missed the entire 1967 season due to lingering injuries from 1966. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986.
Jim Taylor – The Packers’ 2nd pick in 1958, Taylor only started 2 games as a rookie, but was the starting fullback from 1959-66. He started all but one game from 1960-66, and led the NFL with 1474 rushing yards in 1962 (the only year Jim Brown didn’t lead the league.) Taylor was a Pro Bowl selection every season from 1960-64, and a first-team All-Pro in 1962. He finished his career in 1967, starting every game for the expansion Saints. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976.
Tom Moore was the Packers’ 1st-round pick in 1960, and was primarily the backup halfback from 1960-65. He started 6 games in 1962 filling in for Hornung, and was named to the Pro Bowl. He also started 12 games in 1963 due to Hornung’s suspension. Moore was the Rams’ starting halfback in 1966 and the Falcons’ starting fullback in 1967.
Boyd Dowler was the Packers’ 3rd-round pick in 1959, and their starting flanker every season from 1959-69. He retired after the 1969 season, but returned for one season (1971) with the Redskins. Dowler made the Pro Bowl in ‘65 and ’67. His injury in the opening minutes of Super Bowl I paved the way for Max McGee to have a field day against the Chiefs.
Forrest Gregg – The Packers’ 2nd-round pick in 1956, Gregg was a backup in ’56 and ’58 (missing 1957 for military service). With the arrival of Lombardi in 1959, Gregg was installed at right tackle and started every game there for the next 11 seasons (except for playing left guard in 1965). A 9-time Pro Bowler and 6-time first-team All-Pro, he was a backup tackle during his last season with the Packers (1970), then finished his career with the Cowboys in 1971. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
Don Chandler was drafted by the Giants in 1956. He was their punter from 1956-64 and their kicker from 1962-64. He was the Packers’ kicker for his final 3 seasons (1965-67) and punter for ’65 and ’66.
Willie Davis was drafted by the Browns in 1956, but did not play until 1958. After 2 seasons as a backup with Cleveland, Davis joined the Packers in 1960 and played every game at left defensive end for the remainder of his career (10 seasons), starting them all except for one game in his final season. He was a 5-time Pro Bowler and 5-time first-team All-Pro, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.
Ray Nitschke – The Packers’ 3rd pick in 1958, Nitschke was an outside linebacker for 3 seasons, then moved to the middle in 1961, where he was the starter through the 1970 season. He made the Pro Bowl in 1964 and was a 2-time first-team All-Pro selection. He spent his final 2 seasons as a backup, then retired after 1972. Nitschke was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978.
Lee Roy Caffey was drafted by the Eagles in 1963. After one season, he came to the Packers in the Jim Ringo trade, and was the starting right linebacker for the next 6 seasons. Caffey made the Pro Bowl in 1965 and was first-team All-Pro in 1966. He started every game for the Bears in 1970, then played for the Cowboys in ’71 and Chargers in ’72.
Herb Adderley was the Packers’ 1st-round pick in 1961. After a season on the bench, he was the starting left cornerback from 1962-69, and was a 5-time first-team All-Pro selection and made 5 Pro Bowls. He started for the Cowboys in his final 3 seasons (1970-72), and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1980.
Willie Wood – An undrafted free agent, Wood played his entire career (1960-71) for the Packers, never missing a game. A backup in his rookie season, he was the staring free safety every season except for playing strong safety in ’65 and '66. He led the NFL with 9 interceptions in 1962, and made 8 Pro Bowls along with 4 first-team All-Pro selections. Wood was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989. He’s one of three undrafted free agents to make the Hall of Fame that I’m aware of (Larry Little and Mick Tingelhoff are the others).
Hall of Famers – 8
Next: Wrapping up the original 1966 set
