The Green Bay Packers are one of the most storied franchises in the history of sports. Dozens of the NFL’s all-time greats, at one time or another, called Green Bay home as they donned the Green and Gold (or Navy and Gold) with the sole purpose of bringing championships to the small city that would become known as Titletown.
Indeed, one has to go back over 100 years to find the first of these legends of the Frozen Tundra. One of the things that make the Packers organization so special is how well they have documented, preserved, and chosen to remember their history. It is the kind of pride that can only be found in a team that is based in its community.
When looking at this history, one finds that numerous early Packers players influenced the modern game in ways that many have forgotten. One of these is Don Hutson, the Hall of Fame wide receiver (left end) who was born on this day in 1917.
Green Bay Packers Legend Don Hutson Was Born on January 31, 1917
Don Hutson was the first of the NFL’s great wide receivers. Curly Lambeau’s forward passing attack was somewhat of a revolutionary concept. However, it was a concept that came naturally to Hutson after his College Football Hall of Fame career at Alabama.
As a rookie in 1935, Hutson led the NFL with six touchdown receptions. It was the first of nine seasons in which he would led the league in that statistic. He played for 11 years.
In 1942, Hutson had 1,211 receiving yards. While that total may be impressive today, it is far from unusual for a wide receiver to reach that total. However, at the time it was the first 1,000 yard receiving season in NFL history.
While Hutson’s prowess as a pass catcher are well known, not many know that he was also an elite defensive player. In 1940, he led the NFL in interceptions with six. In 1943, he had eight interceptions while leading the league in interception return yards with 197. He also had a pick six that season.
Upon his retirement, Hutson had a then record 7,991 receiving yards. His 99 career touchdowns are still the most in Packers history.
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.
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