1962 Green Bay Packers season

The 1962 Green Bay Packers season was their 44th season overall and their 42nd season in the National Football League. The team finished with a 13–1 record under coach Vince Lombardi, earning them a first-place finish in the Western Conference. The Packers ended the season by defeating the New York Giants 16–7 in the NFL Championship Game, the Packers second consecutive defeat of the Giants in the championship game. This marked the Packers' eighth NFL World Championship.

1962 Green Bay Packers season
Head coach	Vince Lombardi
General manager	Vince Lombardi
Home field	City Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record	13–1
Division place	1st NFL Western
Playoff finish	Won NFL Championship Game (at Giants) 16–7

In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1962 Packers as the fifth-greatest defense in NFL history,[1] noting, "The great 1962 Packers had a rock-solid defense front to back, with five Hall of Famers: defensive linemen Willie Davis and Henry Jordan, linebacker Ray Nitschke, cornerback Herb Adderley, and safety Willie Wood. (They also had 1962 All-Pro linebackers Dan Currie and Bill Forester.) Green Bay gave up just 10.8 points per game, shutting out opponents three times. The Packers held opposing QBs to a 43.5 rating, due, in part, to Wood's league-leading nine interceptions. The Packers' defense allowed the Giants 291 yards in the NFL championship game, but held the Giants offense scoreless as the Packers won, 16–7 (New York scored on a blocked punt)."

The Packers' +267 point differential (points scored vs. points against) in 1962 is the best total of any NFL team in the 1960s.[2] Cold Hard Football Facts says that the 1962 Packers "may have been the best rushing team in the history of football. And that team etched in historic stone the image of Lombardi's three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust Packers that is still so powerful today."[3]

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	School
1	14	Earl Gros	Running Back	LSU
2	28	Ed Blaine	Guard	Missouri
3	41	Gary Barnes	Wide Receiver	Clemson
4	56	Ron Gassert	Defensive Tackle	Virginia
5	65	Chuck Morris	Back	Ole Miss
5	70	Jon Schopf	Guard	Michigan
6	79	John Sutro	Tackle	San Jose State
6	84	Oscar Donahue	End	San Jose State
7	98	Gary Cutsinger	Tackle	Oklahoma State
8	112	Jim Tullis	Back	Florida A&M
9	126	Peter Schenck	Back	Washington State
10	140	Gale Weidner	Quarterback	Colorado
11	154	Jim Thrush	Tackle	Xavier
12	158	Joe Thorne	Back	South Dakota State
12	168	Tom Pennington	Back	Georgia
13	182	Tom Kepner	Tackle	Villanova
14	196	Ernie Green	Back	Louisville
15	210	Roger Holdinsky	Back	West Virginia
16	224	Jimmy Field	Back	LSU
17	238	Buck Buchanan	Tackle	Grambling
18	252	Bob Joiner	Quarterback	Presbyterian
19	266	Jerry Scattini	Halfback	California
20	280	Mike Snodgrass	Center	Western Michigan

• Yellow indicates a future Pro Bowl selection

Personnel

Staff

1962 Green Bay Packers staff

	Front office President – Dominic Olejniczak Director of Player Personnel – Dick Voris Head coaches Head Coach – Vince Lombardi Offensive coaches Offensive Backs – Red Cochran Offensive Ends – Tom Fears Ends – Dick Voris Offensive Line – Bill Austin			Defensive coaches Defensive Line – Phil Bengtson Defensive Backs – Norb Hecker

[4]

Roster

1962 Green Bay Packers final roster

	Quarterbacks 10 John Roach 15 Bart Starr Running backs 33 Lew Carpenter  5 Paul Hornung 25 Tom Moore 22 Elijah Pitts 31 Jim Taylor 40 Earl Gros Wide receivers 80 Gary Barnes 86 Boyd Dowler 85 Max McGee Tight ends 84 Gary Knafelc 88 Ron Kramer		Offensive linemen 75 Forrest Gregg T 64 Jerry Kramer G 51 Jim Ringo C 76 Bob Skoronski T 63 Fuzzy Thurston G Defensive linemen 87 Willie Davis DE 74 Henry Jordan DT 83 Bill Quinlan DE		Linebackers 58 Dan Currie 71 Bill Forester 66 Ray Nitschke MLB Defensive backs 26 Herb Adderley CB 46 Hank Gremminger 47 Jesse Whittenton 24 Willie Wood SS/PR Special teams		Reserve lists Practice squad Rookies in italics

Preseason

Date

Opponent

Site

Result

Score'

Regular season

The team was 7–0 at home and 6–1 on the road. It was the first time since 1944 that the club went undefeated at home.[5]

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Venue	Attendance
1	September 16	Minnesota Vikings	W 34–7	City Stadium	38,669
2	September 23	St. Louis Cardinals	W 17–0	Milwaukee County Stadium	44,885
3	September 30	Chicago Bears	W 49–0	City Stadium	38,669
4	October 7	Detroit Lions	W   9–7	City Stadium	38,669
5	October 14	at Minnesota Vikings	W 48–21	Metropolitan Stadium	41,475
6	October 21	San Francisco 49ers	W 31–13	Milwaukee County Stadium	46,010
7	October 28	at Baltimore Colts	W 17–6	Memorial Stadium	57,966
8	November 4	at Chicago Bears	W 38–7	Wrigley Field	48,753
9	November 11	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 49–0	Franklin Field	60,671
10	November 18	Baltimore Colts	W 17–13	City Stadium	38,669
11	November 22	at Detroit Lions	L  14–26	Tiger Stadium	57,598
12	December 2	Los Angeles Rams	W 41–10	Milwaukee County Stadium	46,833
13	December 9	at San Francisco 49ers	W 31–21	Kezar Stadium	53,769
14	December 16	at Los Angeles Rams	W 20–17	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	60,353

• November 22 was Thursday (Thanksgiving)

Week 4 vs. Lions

Detroit Lions (3–0) at Green Bay Packers (3–0)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Lions	0	7	0	0	7
Packers	3	0	3	3	9

at City Stadium • Green Bay, Wisconsin

• Date: October 7
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C) • Wind 8
• Game attendance: 38,669
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Lions Milt Plum 11/26, 107 Yds, INT 7 Rush, 58 Yds Jim Gibbons 3 Rec, 41 Yds Packers Bart Starr 18/26, 198 Yds Jim Taylor 20 Rush, 95 Yds Max McGee 5 Rec, 69 Yds

Scoring summary
Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP DET GB 1 Packers 13-yard field goal by Hornung 0 3 2 Lions Lewis 6-yard touchdown run, Walker kick good 7 3 3 Packers 15-yard field goal by Hornung 7 6 4 Packers 26-yard field goal by Hornung 7 9 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 9

Week 11 vs. Lions

Green Bay Packers (10–0) at Detroit Lions (8–2)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	0	0	0	14	14
Lions	7	16	3	0	26

at Tiger Stadium • Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 22
• Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C) • Wind 15
• Game attendance: 57,598
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information
Packers Bart Starr 11/19, 142 Yds, 2 INT Jim Taylor 13 Rush, 47 Yds Ron Kramer 4 Rec, 62 Yds Lions Milt Plum 8/16, 137 Yds, 2 TD, 2 INT Ken Webb 11 Rush, 62 Yds Gail Cogdill 3 Rec, 79 Yds, 2 TD

Thanksgiving Day game

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP GB DET 1 Lions Cogdill 33-yard touchdown reception from Plum, Walker kick good 0 7 2 Lions Cogdill 27-yard touchdown reception from Plum, Walker kick good 0 14 2 Lions Fumble recovery returned 6 yards for touchdown by Williams, Walker kick good 0 21 2 Lions Starr tackled in end zone for a safety by Brown 0 23 3 Lions 47-yard field goal by Plum 0 26 4 Packers Fumble recovery in end zone for touchdown by Davis, Kramer kick good 7 26 4 Packers Taylor 4-yard touchdown run, Kramer kick good 14 26 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 14 26

Playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent	Result	Score	Game site	TV	Radio	Time	Attendance
NFL Championship	December 30, 1962	at New York Giants	W	16–7	Yankee Stadium	NBC	NBC	1:00 PM CST	64,892

All times are CENTRAL time

Game summary

1962 NFL Championship Game at New York

1 2 3 4 Total • Packers 3 7 3 3 16 Giants 0 0 7 0 7 Date: December 30 Location: Yankee Stadium • Bronx, New York Game weather: 25 °F (−4 °C), wind 27 mph (43 km/h)

Scoring summary 1 GB Jerry Kramer 26-yard field goal Packers 3–0 2 GB Jim Taylor 7-yard run (Jerry Kramer kick) Packers 10–0 3 NYG Jim Collier recovered fumble in end zone (Don Chandler kick) Packers 10–7 3 GB Jerry Kramer 29-yard field goal Packers 13–7 4 GB Jerry Kramer 30-yard field goal Packers 16–7

Source:[6]

Standings

NFL Western Conference
	W	L	T	PCT	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Green Bay Packers	13	1	0	.929	11–1	415	148	W3
Detroit Lions	11	3	0	.786	10–2	315	177	L1
Chicago Bears	9	5	0	.643	8–4	321	287	W2
Baltimore Colts	7	7	0	.500	5–7	293	288	W2
San Francisco 49ers	6	8	0	.429	5–7	282	331	L2
Minnesota Vikings	2	11	1	.154	1–10–1	254	410	L3
Los Angeles Rams	1	12	1	.077	1–10–1	220	334	L3

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Awards and records

• Led NFL, Points Scored, 415
• Bart Starr, NFL Leader, Passing Yards, (2,438 yards)
• Jim Taylor, NFL Rushing Leader, (1,474 yards)
• Willie Wood, NFL Leader, Interceptions (9)
• Ray Nitschke, MVP of 1962 NFL Championship Game

References

1. The List: Best NFL defense of all-time, 2007
2. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1960 to 1969, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points Differential.
3. "Cold Hard Football Facts: 40 and Fabulous: in praise of passer rating". Archived from the original on 2012-08-17. Retrieved 2012-08-24.
4. "All Time Coaches Database". Packers.com. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
5. NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 266
6. Pro-Football-Reference.com

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