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GREEN BAY PACKERS; THE "GORY YEARS"
Starr said farewell to football at the end of 1971. After slipping into the playoffs in 1972 with Scott Hunter calling signals, then Packers Head Coach Dan Devine struggled with guys like Nebraska star Jerry Tagge, and Jim Del Gaizo at quarterback.
In 1974, the Packers were off to a 2 & 2 start, with wins over the Colts and Lions, but losses to the Vikings and Bills. Buffalo crushed the Pack 27 – 7 at Lambeau Field.
Tagge wasn’t cutting it. Former Bears QB Jack Concannon was on the bench.
Devine came close to making history. In late October of ’74, he almost got a 25-year-old benched quarterback in a trade with the New Orleans Saints, until their starter, Bobby Scott, went down that weekend against Atlanta with a knee injury. So the Saints had to call off the deal with Green Bay, and kept the benched QB. His name was Archie Manning. Hall of Fame. Sons Peyton and Eli.
After talks with several other teams went nowhere, the now desperate Devine picked up the phone, called the Los Angeles Rams GM Don Glosterman, and made the deal that will kill the Packers for the next 3 to 5 years. Killed them.
He traded for John Hadl.
Hadl, 34, had made his name at quarterback in the 1960’s with the San Diego Chargers. He would later move to the Rams. Incredibly, he had been benched by Rams Head Coach Chuck Knox at Milwaukee County Stadium just 3 weeks before Devine called them for the trade. Hadl was 6 for 16 for 59 yards in the Rams 17 to 6 loss to the Packers. Knox replaced Hadl with James Harris, one of the league’s first African American QB’s.
The Packers ventured into the mid 70’s with Hadl. The Rams went on with James Harris, who went to the Pro Bowl, former USC star Pat Hayden, and Ron Jaworski, who later took the Eagles to a Super Bowl.
Full story: http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2004/10/10/local_sports/iq_3146532.txt
Starr said farewell to football at the end of 1971. After slipping into the playoffs in 1972 with Scott Hunter calling signals, then Packers Head Coach Dan Devine struggled with guys like Nebraska star Jerry Tagge, and Jim Del Gaizo at quarterback.
In 1974, the Packers were off to a 2 & 2 start, with wins over the Colts and Lions, but losses to the Vikings and Bills. Buffalo crushed the Pack 27 – 7 at Lambeau Field.
Tagge wasn’t cutting it. Former Bears QB Jack Concannon was on the bench.
Devine came close to making history. In late October of ’74, he almost got a 25-year-old benched quarterback in a trade with the New Orleans Saints, until their starter, Bobby Scott, went down that weekend against Atlanta with a knee injury. So the Saints had to call off the deal with Green Bay, and kept the benched QB. His name was Archie Manning. Hall of Fame. Sons Peyton and Eli.
After talks with several other teams went nowhere, the now desperate Devine picked up the phone, called the Los Angeles Rams GM Don Glosterman, and made the deal that will kill the Packers for the next 3 to 5 years. Killed them.
He traded for John Hadl.
Hadl, 34, had made his name at quarterback in the 1960’s with the San Diego Chargers. He would later move to the Rams. Incredibly, he had been benched by Rams Head Coach Chuck Knox at Milwaukee County Stadium just 3 weeks before Devine called them for the trade. Hadl was 6 for 16 for 59 yards in the Rams 17 to 6 loss to the Packers. Knox replaced Hadl with James Harris, one of the league’s first African American QB’s.
The Packers ventured into the mid 70’s with Hadl. The Rams went on with James Harris, who went to the Pro Bowl, former USC star Pat Hayden, and Ron Jaworski, who later took the Eagles to a Super Bowl.
Full story: http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2004/10/10/local_sports/iq_3146532.txt