Green Bay Packers Yearbook — 1961

Today we feature the Green Bay Packers Yearbook for 1961, with a muddy-faced Forrest Gregg on the cover. This year, the Packers would wind up the season by beating the New York Giants 37-0 in Green Bay for the NFL title — their first under Lombardi and the first since 1944.

Some of the articles featured in this year’s Yearbook are: “Title Defense”... “Meet Herb Adderley... First Choice”... “The Day Green Bay Won the Championship”...“More Seats, New Attendance Records, New Milwaukee Manager, Talent Scout”... “Hawg” (Dave Hanner)... A Large Section on the 1960 Championship Game in Philadelphia... “A Tribute to Green Bay” (from an Eagles fan)... “The Midwest Shrine Classic”... “Maxie the Taxi” (Max McGee)... “Katzenjammer Kids” (the defensive backfield — Jesse Whittenton, Hank Gremminger, and John Symank)... “Middleman in 6,257 Plays (Center Jim Ringo)... “Lombardi — Just Plain Hard Work”... “The Packers’ 1960 Story... in Statistics”... “Thunder and Lightning” (Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung”... “Curly Lambeau — The Fan”...

Green Bay Packers Yearbook — 1960

Today, we begin a series that will take some 47 days to complete, although we don’t necessarily plan to do it in 47 consecutive days. We plan to feature the cover of every Packers’ Yearbook and highlights of the contents from the initial issue in 1960 (today’s posting), to the 2007 version which we will obtain during our week at Training Camp at the end of July.

The Green Bay Packers Yearbook was started in 1960 by Art Daley (of the Green Bay Press-Gazette) and Jack Yuenger, and — like the Packers Hall of Fame — was not associated officially with the Packers until 2003 when the team purchased the publication. The 1960 Yearbook is the hardest to find for collectors, and therefore the most expensive when one does come across an issue. It is not uncommon to see the occasional copy going for anywhere between $500 and $1,100 (as of today) on eBay.

Some highlights from the 1960 issue: “Green Bay, the Sports Wonder of the World... The 11-Year Famine is Over — Packers Geared to Soar in 1960s... Coach of the Year (Lombardi) Defends His Title...Bobby Dillon Ends Career... City Stadium — The House that Green Bay Built... Meet Tom Moore — First Draft Choice... (Bart) Starr Is New Packer Starr...Emlen Tunnell — The Grand Old Man of Defense... (Gary) Knafelc’s Key Katches... Trades Boom Packer Fortunes... Rookie of ’59 Boyd Dowler Soph Sensation!... Number Five — (Paul) Hornung Kicks, Runs, Passes... A Fearsome Foursome — The League’s Best Linebackers (including Nitschke)... The Packer Family — 1,698 Assorted Men, Women Own Packers...The Dogfaces Up Front (Packers’ offensive line)... Thrillingest Victory and Toughest Loss... The Packers’ 1959 Story — In Statistics... League Section — Know Your Enemies... 1959 NFL Statistics...

McFarlane Reggie White

For today, we have a photo of the upcoming McFarlane figure of Green Bay Packers legend and Hall of Famer Reggie White. It will be available this football season for collectors, fans, and kids everywhere.

McFarlane, in our opinion the best at producing this incredibly detailed type of product, has previously produced several figures of Brett Favre, as well as single versions of Ahman Green and Ray Nitschke. Look for this fine product soon and add it to your Packers’ collection!

Lombardi in Philadelphia — 1960

The photo for today comes from the 1961 Green Bay Packers Yearbook, the second year that it was published. We see head coach Vince Lombardi deep in thought on the sideline, smoking a cigarette to release the nervous tension. Green Bay ended up losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 17-13. This was the Packers’ first championship game under Lombardi, and he would not lose another championship or even a playoff game while in Titletown.

From the 1961 yearbook, in an article by Art Daley of the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

“There wasn’t a diehard in Packerland who didn’t think the Bays would pull it out in the final seconds. (Bart) Starr moved the team 57 yards in the last seven plays, only to fall eight yards short. ‘If we could have added a couple more seconds at the end of each half, we would’ve been all right,’ Lombardi quipped when it was all over... the Bays were just seven yards from a TD when ‘time’ forced Hornung to try for his ill-fated field goal before the half as well... playing in the title (game) was a great tonic. They hope to taste it in Green Bay in 1961.”

They would indeed.

Lambeau Under Construction

Today’s image is a shot of City Stadium construction efforts underway in November of 1956. According to the book “Lambeau Field: Green Bay’s National Treasure:” “City of Green Bay workers are using graders to begin shaping the bowl for the new stadium. This photo looks North toward Highland Avenue (now Lombardi Avenue). The West side of the stadium was built into the hillside along Ridge Road.”

“The surveying for the new facility had begun on October 11, 1956. The city had purchased 48 acres of farmland from Victor and Florence Vannieuwenhoven for $73,305 and annexed it to the city. By the end of the year, the city approved plans for the new stadium submitted by John Sommerville, a local architect. George M. Hougard & Sons were hired as the general contractor. Despite sometimes uncooperative weather and brief strikes by carpenters and plumbers, the new City Stadium was ready for use for the 1957 season opener against the Chicago Bears on September 29, 1957.”

This year will mark the 50th anniversary of Lambeau Field.

Jim Taylor Soars for a Touchdown

Jim Taylor (#31) played for ten NFL seasons, from 1958-1967. He was a running back for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1966, and for the New Orleans Saints in 1967. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, inducted in the summer of 1976.

Taylor played college football at LSU, and was drafted in the second round, the 15th overall pick. He holds many Packers' records, including career rushing yards, touchdowns, single-season touchdowns. His 1962 single-season yardage mark (1,474) was not surpassed by a Packer, until Ahman Green ran for 1,883 yards in 2003. At retirement, Taylor's 83 career rushing touchdowns placed him behind only Jim Brown.

Taylor was a member of four NFL championship teams (1961,1962,1965, and 1966), where he was teamed in the backfield with halfback Paul Hornung. In the Packers 1962 16-7 championship win over the New York Giants, Taylor set a championship record with 31 carries, good for 85 yards and Green Bay's only touchdown of the game. In Green Bay's 1965 championship win, he rushed for 97 yards. In January 1967, Taylor and the Packers played in Super Bowl I, in which they easily defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. Taylor was the top rusher of the game with 56 rushing yards and a touchdown (with his score being the first rushing touchdown in Super Bowl history).

Although not exceptional in size (6 ft., 214 lb.), Taylor was a physical fullback who often won legendary duels with linebacker Sam Huff. Taylor was selected to five consecutive Pro Bowls from 1960-1964. He fumbled only 34 times in the 2,173 times he handled the ball (1.56% of his touches).

After a season with the expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967, Jim Taylor retired from pro football. He finished his career with 8,597 yards and 83 rushing touchdowns, highlighted by his five straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons from 1960 to 1964. He also caught 225 passes for 1,756 yards and 10 touchdowns, and returned 7 kickoffs for 185 yards, giving him a total of 10,539 net yards and 93 touchdowns.

Bench Scene — 1962

Our photo for today is a fine shot from a home game during the 1962 season. In it, we see — from left to right — halfback Paul Hornung (#5), fullback Jim Taylor (#31), receiver Max McGee (#85), and of course, quarterback Bart Starr (#15). They’re taking a “breather” from the action while the Green Bay defense is on the field.

Judging from the attire of both the players and the fans behind them, it appears to be during an early season game — probably one of the three City Stadium games at the beginning of the year against Minnesota (September 16th), Chicago (September 30th), or Detroit (October 7th). One other home game was played in that stretch, but it was played in Milwaukee’s County Stadium on September 23rd against the St. Louis Cardinals.

It also appears that the game has just recently started, as the running backs’ pants are relatively free from grass stains or dirt. Bart Starr appears to be unhappy with something, with Taylor listening attentively. Max McGee, on the other hand, is as relaxed as usual. It would be interesting to show this photo to the former players now and see if it rings any bells about the situation. The one other thing that is notable in this photograph is the Catholic priest standing behind the bench, who was probably there as a result of a connection with coach Lombardi, who attended Mass every morning.

Adderley and Wood after the game

Today, we have a photo of Packer defensive backfield greats Herb Adderley (#26) and Willie Wood following what could be a championship game at Lambeau Field. They are being interviewed by former CBS announcer Ray Scott, who used to do all of the Green Bay games in that era.

Adderley was drafted by the Packers in the first round in 1961 as the 12th draft pick, and was projected to be a halfback or flanker, but soon saw that his playing opportunities would be limited on offense behind veteran Packer stars Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor. He was first moved to cornerback to replace an injured teammate. In 1962 the move became permanent and Adderley went on to become an all-NFL selection five times in the 1960s. Packers coach Vince Lombardi remarked, "I was too stubborn to switch him to defense until I had to. Now when I think of what Adderley means to our defense, it scares me to think of how I almost mishandled him."

Adderley seemed to be a natural at his new position, recording 39 interceptions in his nine seasons with the Packers. He holds the Green Bay records for interceptions returned for touchdowns in a career (seven, record tied with Darren Sharper), and interceptions returned for touchdowns in one season (three, in 1965).

Adderley starred for the Packers from 1961-69, then played three seasons (1970-72) with the Dallas Cowboys. While with the Packers, he won rings in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II. Adderley was a major factor in the Packers' Super Bowl II win over the Oakland Raiders, intercepting a pass in the fourth quarter and returning it 60 yards for a touchdown to put the game away. After joining the Cowboys, Adderley became a vital cog in Dallas' "Doomsday Defense," assisting the Cowboys to a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl V and a championship win in Super Bowl VI.

Along with two former Packer teammates — Fuzzy Thurston and Forrest Gregg — Adderley is one of only three players in pro football history to play on six World Championship teams. However, in Distant Replay, a memoir by former Packer teammate Jerry Kramer, Adderley is quoted as saying, “I'm the only man with a Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl ring who doesn't wear it. I'm a Green Bay Packer.”

In his 12 NFL seasons, Adderley recorded 48 interceptions, which he returned for 1,046 yards and seven touchdowns, an average of 21.8 yards per return. He also recovered 14 fumbles (returning them for 65 yards) and returned 120 kickoffs for 3,080 yards and two scores. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1999, Adderley was ranked number 45 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

Out of the University of Southern California, Willie Wood was not drafted by any National Football League team. He had to tryout before the Packers signed him as a free agent in 1960. He was recast as a free safety, and was a starter in his 1961 season. He started until his retirement in 1971. Wood won All-NFL honors nine times in a nine-year stretch from 1962 through the 1971 season, participated in the Pro Bowl eight times, and played in six NFL championship games, winning all except the first one in 1960.

Willie was the starting free safety for the Packers in Super Bowl I against the Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl II against the Oakland Raiders. In Super Bowl I, he recorded a key interception that helped the Packers put the game away in the second half. In Super Bowl II, he returned five punts for 35 yards, including a 31-yard return that would stand as the record for longest punt return in a Super Bowl until Darrell Green's 34-yard return in Super Bowl XVIII. He won the NFL interception title in 1962 and the league punt return championship.

Wood finished his 12 NFL seasons with 48 interceptions, which he returned for 699 yards and two touchdowns. He also gained 1,391 yards and scored 2 touchdowns on 187 punt returns. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

In 1973 (just two years removed from his days as a player), Willie was named the head coach of the Philadelphi Bell of the WFL. This made him the first African-American head coach in professional football of the modern era. Willie was also a head coach in the Canadian Football League.

Training Camp Schedule Released

Today’s posting is about the release of the official Training Camp schedule for 2007. For those of us who have made Packers’ Training Camp part of the family vacation since 1988, the release of the schedule means it’s time to get on the phone and make the hotel reservations.

“Packerville, U.S.A.” will be at Training Camp from Saturday, July 28th through Thursday, August 2nd, and will provide daily updates and photographs from our temporary headquarters at the Best Western Midway Hotel, one block from the practice field (Clarke Hinkle Field along Oneida Street).

Training Camp is a wonderful time to be in Green Bay, as it means that there will be football news daily from then on through early February. And, it’s a time of optimism about the coming season — and a time to stock up on all the new souvenirs and trinkets to add to “the collection.”

If you’ve never been to Training Camp, and you live within driving distance, you’d better think about it if you want to see Brett Favre before he retires. Of course, we’ve been saying that for the last three or four years. Anyway, if you’re a true Packer fan, experiencing Training Camp should be something to treat yourself with at least once.

Remember John Roach?

Probably not many people remember the subject of today’s posting... and if they do, they may be like us folks who only know of him from reading books or watching old highlight films. He is #10 in your game program — John Roach, backup quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1961 to 1963. Roach came to the Packers after playing for the Chicago (now Arizona) Cardinals in 1956, and again in 1959 and 1960. His numbers in Chicago for 1960 apparently made someone in the Packers’ front office take note. He played in 12 games, completing 87 out of 188 passes for 1,423 yards — including 17 touchdowns and 19 interceptions.

The Packers were in the market for a backup to new starter Bart Starr, whose backups in 1960 were Lamar McHan and Paul Hornung. McHan was let go, and John Roach brought over from Chicago in 1961. Hornung did still remain a backup quarterback in 1961 as well.

In his three seasons in Green Bay, Roach won NFL Championship rings for the 1961 and 1962 seasons with the team, even though he played very sparingly. His stats for the three years in the green and gold are: 45 passes completed out of 96 attempts for 1,002 yards — including 5 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Roach went on to play for one more season in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys in 1964.

Father’s Day in Green Bay

Today’s posting is a short one in commemoration of Father’s Day... from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

“Brett Favre's youngest daughter, Breleigh, shares a relaxing moment with her dad on Father's Day during Favre's annual charity softball event, which raises money for quarterback's Fourward Foundation.”

Remember Don Horn?

Today’s posting features a forgotten quarterback of the 1960’s Green Bay Packers teams. Don Horn, who wore jersey number 13, was the Packers’ first round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft (25th pick overall). Hailing from South Gate, California, this All-American out of San Diego State University was drafted by Vince Lombardi as a possible future star for the green and gold (the “Aaron Rodgers” of that time) — probably to take the place of Green Bay legend Bart Starr eventually. Because of the limited time he was able to play under Starr and with his successive teams, he threw for only 3,369 yards and 20 touchdowns, despite playing eight years in the NFL. After leaving the Packers following the 1970 season, he suited up for the Denver Broncos in 1971-1972, the Cleveland Browns in 1973, and the San Diego Chargers in 1974.

Bart Starr in 1960

After missing yesterday’s posting, today we have an image of quarterback Bart Starr from the 1960 Green Bay Packers yearbook. 1960 would be Starr’s fourth year with the team at the professional level. He would not be the solid starter until later in the season, with Lamar McHan also playing the position that year. For the season, Starr finished with 172 passes attempted and 98 completions for 1,358 yards — with four touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also had seven rushing attempts for 12 yards.

The Forgotten Man

Most Packer fans know the big names of Green Bay football administrative history — Curly Lambeau, Vince Lombardi, Ron Wolf, etc. — but few recognize the name of the man who was integral to building the championship teams of the 1960’s... Jack Vanisi. He is shown here in this image with coach Lombardi.

According to Packers’ Historian Lee Remmel: “Vanisi was a former Notre Dame lineman who came to Green Bay in 1950 with Gene Ronzani, then becoming the Packers vice president, head coach and general manager. (Ronzani, while playing halfback with the Bears, had become friendly with the teen-aged Vainisi because the latter's parents owned a grocery store near Chicago's Wrigley Field, and Jack used to hang around the team).”

“Employed in a variety of roles by the Packers as a scout and administrative aide, Vanisi was to become highly regarded as a talent scout, particularly after the 1958 NFL draft, which many consider the most productive in Packers’ history (it netted LB Dan Currrie, first round, fullback Jim Taylor, second round, linebacker Ray Nitschke, third round and guard Jerry Kramer, fourth round).”

“Unfortunately for both Jack and the Packers, his pro football career was to be brief. Having developed rheumatic fever while playing service football in Japan in the late 1940’s, Vanisi died suddenly of a heart attack at home in late November of 1960 at the age of 33.”

Lombardi on the Sideline

For today’s image, we have a nervous coach Vince Lombardi walking the sideline during a time out in New York’s Yankee Stadium on November 1, 1959. The Packers were in town to play the Giants, and from the looks of the final score, Lombardi had plenty on his mind to worry about that Sunday. Green Bay lost to New York 20-3 in front of 68,837 fans in the stadium that was the home of that era’s elite baseball team.

That day, Lamar McHan was the starting quarterback, and he would be yet for one more game the following week, a 28-17 loss to the Chicago Bears at Wrigley Field. After that, Bart Starr took over as the starter for the rest of the season, winning four of the last five games. For that season — Lombardi’s first — they ended up with a 7-5-0 record, good enough for a third place tie in the Western Conference.

Lombardi’s First Victory

O.K... yesterday was too nice of a day to be inside, and then by the time I was inside I was too tired to update the ol' Blog.

Anyway, for today’s posting, we have a photo of the spontaneous celebration immediately after coach Vince Lombardi’s first victory — defeating the Chicago Bears 9-6 — on September 27, 1959. Why was everyone so excited? Did they know that Lombardi would eventually lead them to be the “Team of the Decade” and that this victory was the start of it all? Were they anticipating the five World Championships in nine years? Probably not.

The season before, with Ray “Scooter” McLean as head coach, the Green Bay fellows posted a record of one win, ten losses, and no ties — that’s 1-10-0, folks. According to one reporter, “the Packers overwhelmed one, were overwhelmed ten times, and whelmed none.” I think that in this first game of 1959, the fans and players were just happy to win one at all.

Seen in the photo around Lombardi are #85 Max McGee, #44 Bobby Dillon, #83 Bill Quinlan, #33 Lew Carpenter, #42 Don McIlhenny, and #5 Paul Hornung. The player actually carrying Lombardi cannot be confirmed exactly.

Another Lambeau Aerial Photo

Today’s image is another aerial photograph, but much older than yesterday’s stadium view. This view is from a game day in the 1959 season — Lombardi’s first year as coach and “City Stadium’s” third full season of use. This photo appeared in the 1960 edition of the Green Bay Packers yearbook. At the time this photo was taken, City Stadium’s capacity as 32, 150 — a far cry from the post-renovation capacity of 60,890 that we have today. 1960 was also the first year that the tickets were sold out on a season basis, which continues until today. At last count, the season ticket waiting list was over 72,000 names.

The 440th Airlift Wing over Lambeau Field

Today we have a great image of a C-130 Hercules transport from the 440th Airlift Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, flying over Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The 440th is Wisconsin's only Air Force Reserve unit and is based in Milwaukee. The wing has 1,400 members who primarily live and work in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

A great airplane... and a great aerial view of the refurbished Lambeau Field as well.

(Courtesy of www.genmitchell.afrc.af.mil)

The Cheesehead

The world-famous “Cheesehead” was born from the rivalry between Wisconsin and Illinois sports fans. Riding high from their only Super Bowl victory, fans of Chicago sports began ridiculing citizens of the Dairy State by calling them “Cheeseheads.” Little did they know that one Wisconsinite would take this “insult” and make the best of it. Ralph Bruno carved up his family's sofa to create the first hat, which he proudly wore as a testament to his love for his state.

The original display of a "cheesehead" hat was at a Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago White Sox game in 1987 when the Brewers started the season 13-0. It was handmade out of foam, painted yellow. Bruno, the wearer of the original hat, then had the idea of starting a business to sell them as novelties. The “Cheesehead” trademark is owned by Foamation, Inc. of St. Francis, Wisconsin, which began manufacture of the wearable, foam cheesehead in 1987. The company also offers a plethora of other foam products, such as: many different types of hats, neck ties, pins, keychains, magnets, cup-holders, coasters, footballs, and even brassieres. Cheeseheads have become more commonly associated with Green Bay Packers fans since mass production of the original hat began.

Snowy Lambeau Field

As we approach the hot days of a long summer, we thought it’d be good to take a look back at a photo of pre-renovation Lambeau Field (back when its exterior was green sheet metal rather than retro-looking red bricks) on a snowy game day. Now don’t get us wrong, we simply love the “new” Lambeau and its many, many ammenities, but some small part of us longs for the days when we would trudge towards the stadium wearing many layers of winter clothing and heavy boots on a snowy December or January day in the modern “glory years” of the Ron Wolf/Mike Holmgren era. Back when Brett Favre was young and going to seemingly play forever. Warm memories of a wonderful era.

Packer Great Ray Nitschke

Today we have a great practice field pose of Green Bay legend Ray Nitschke. He was selected, at age 20, in the third round of the 1958 NFL draft, the 36th overall pick. This draft, held on December 2, 1957, included two other significant Packers of the 1960s: fullback Jim Taylor and right guard Jerry Kramer. The Packers team in their rookie season in 1958 was dismal, recording just one win (and one tie); finishing with the worst record in the 12 team league. Lombardi was hired after this season.

Nitschke became a full time starter in 1962, the anchor of a disciplined defense that helped win five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls in the 1960s. He was the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship game, accepting the prize of a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette. In the game, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted. The Packers won the game, 16-7.

In Super Bowl I Nitschke contributed six tackles and a sack, while in Super Bowl II Nitschke lead Green Bay's defense with nine tackles. Although Nitschke was known for his hard hitting, he was a good all-around linebacker who also intercepted 25 passes over his career. He was an All-Pro three consecutive seasons (1964-66), and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

He died of a heart attack while visiting family and friends in Venice, Florida at the age of 61 in 1998.

Vince Lombardi — Author

For today’s posting, we have a fine image of Green Bay head coach Vince Lombardi in his home library looking through a copy of his book “Run to Daylight.” In 1962, author W.C. Heinz partnered with the soon-to-be legendary football genius to prepare a book about a week in the life of the Packers as coached by Lombardi. Who could explain the story of this book better than Packers’ team historian, Lee Remmel:

“Heinz, a boxing writer by trade, was spending much of 1962's training camp and early season shadowing Vince Lombardi in preparation for writing the book. The focus, it turned out, was on the practice week leading up to the Lions contest (Oct. 7, 1962) and how the relentless Lombardi readied his team for a game — both physically and psychologically.

“ ‘Run to Daylight’ was indeed a logical choice for the title, since Lombardi had quickly turned the long-dormant Packers into world champions in just three years, having done so largely via repetitious emphasis on his offensive credo. Once described as an offense of "complex simplicity," it was centered around Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung getting to whatever hole might be available — with all possible haste — and through it as soon as possible, with, of course, the considerable assistance of Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Thurston, among others, blocking up front.”

“In retrospect, the ‘Run to Daylight’ scenario was made to order for the 1962 game, which became the focal point of the book. Both teams entered that fourth week of the season with 3-0 records — and soaring hopes. As the third quarter of a taut defensive struggle ended, the Lions were out front, 7-6, having scored the only touchdown of the game in the second period, courtesy of Alex Karras, who recovered a Bart Starr fumble at the Green Bay 34-yard line to set up the score. The Packers, meanwhile, had found it necessary to settle for a pair of routine Hornung field goals, both 15-yard efforts.”

“The fourth quarter was to mark the ‘big play’ emergence of the Packers' Herb Adderley, a second-year cornerback from Michigan State who had been Green Bay's first round draft choice a year earlier. He abruptly turned the tide late in that final period, leaping in front of intended receiver Terry Barr to intercept a Milt Plum pass and sprint 40 yards down the west sideline to the Detroit 18 before being grounded. After Hornung picked up 2 yards on first down and Taylor 3 on the next play, only 36 seconds remained, dictating a Green Bay timeout. The versatile Hornung again was called upon and he delivered a decisive, 21-yard field goal. Following Pat Studstill's return of the succeeding kickoff to the Detroit 26, the Packers weathered four desperation Plum passes, all incomplete, to carry the day, 9-7.”

“The victory, however, came with an eventual ‘price.’ The Lions, sullenly nursing their wounds in the interim, exacted revenge in their Thanksgiving Day rematch at Detroit, sacking Starr 11 times on the way to a 26-14 victory that blighted the Packers' 10-0 record. Yet, in 1962's final accounting, it was the Green and Gold who prevailed. The Packers rebounded from that Motor City misadventure to sweep their last three regular-season games and forge a glittering 13-1 record — the best in their history. They proceeded from there to claim a second consecutive NFL championship with a 16-7 victory over the Giants in New York's hallowed Yankee Stadium, beset that day by a minus-47 degrees wind chill.”

Source: Packers.com