Today’s photo of Packers’ great WR Don Hutson is from the 1943 season, when the world was engulfed in World War II. But Americans needed football to take their mind off the dire situation, and to provide an entertainment alternative to the long hours of work in Wisconsin’s war factories. In ’43, the Packers finished with a 7-2-1 record for second place in the Western Division. Hutson caught 47 passes for 776 yards and 11 touchdowns. His longest was a 79-yard scoring play. Because players played “both ways” in those days, he also intercepted 8 balls with 197 yards of returns, including one for an 84-yard touchdown. Green Bay would win it all the next year, and Hutson would retire at the end of the 1945 season.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Football During Wartime
Today’s photo of Packers’ great WR Don Hutson is from the 1943 season, when the world was engulfed in World War II. But Americans needed football to take their mind off the dire situation, and to provide an entertainment alternative to the long hours of work in Wisconsin’s war factories. In ’43, the Packers finished with a 7-2-1 record for second place in the Western Division. Hutson caught 47 passes for 776 yards and 11 touchdowns. His longest was a 79-yard scoring play. Because players played “both ways” in those days, he also intercepted 8 balls with 197 yards of returns, including one for an 84-yard touchdown. Green Bay would win it all the next year, and Hutson would retire at the end of the 1945 season.