the league made on the sale of television rights. The largest item of expenses (salaries, wages and player expenses) was about the same in the two years. Last fall, these items totaled $300,147 as compared to $298,959 in 1950 - an increase of $1,188. William J. Servotte, the corporation finance committee chairman who later was elected secretary-treasurer by the board of directors, read over the assets and liabilities of the club and pointed out that "the $100,000 we obtained in the stock drive is still in the sock." He gave out the stock figure as $99,619 and "we now have it in government bonds." The Packers' total assets are $150,747. Current assets amount to $119,227; the fixed assets amount to $14,340; and other assets are valued at $17,180...EXPAND BOARD OF DIRECTORS: The stockholders voted to expand the board of directors from 30 to 36 members and elected six new directors - Bill Sullivan of Green Bay; former Packer immortal Don Hutson of Racine; and the following from Milwaukee: C.E. Kohlhepp, president of the Wisconsin Public Service corporation; attorney Herb L. Mount, past potentate of Tripoli temple and chairman of the Shrine game in Milwaukee; Frank V. Birch, executive of the Klau-Van Pietersom-Dunlap advertising associates; and J.J. (Joe) Krueger, Milwaukee city treasurer and one of the outstanding sports leaders in the midwest. Mount and Kohlhepp were named for the three years; Hutson and Krueger for two; and Birch for one. Reelected to the board of directors for three-year terms were Fred L. Cobb, Emil R. Fischer, Edward Fritsch, Lslie J. Kelly, Fred Leicht, Verne C. Lewellen, L.E. Liebmann, Herbert J. Olson, Gene Ronzani and A.C. Witterborg, Sr. At the meeting of the board of directors which followed the stockholders' session, Servotte was elected to fill the vacancy created by the death of Frank J. Jonet, Sr., former secretary-treasurer...HOLD MEETING IN FEBRUARY: Reelected were Emil R. Fischer, president; Gene Ronzani, vice-president; Lee Joannes, chairman of the board of directors; and members of the executive committee - H.J. Bero, Russ Bogda, Emil R. Fischer, Lee Joannes, Fred Leicht, Verne C. Lewellen, Max Murphy, Gene Ronzani, William J. Servotte, John B. Torinus and Fred N. Trowbridge. Stockholders voted to hold the annual meeting on the first Monday in February to avoid conflict with the annual National league meeting; amended the articles of incorporation to provide for an assistant secretary; an assistant treasurer and two vice-presidents; and to enlarge the board of directors from 30 to 36 members.
PARILLI MAY PLAY IN 1952
JAN 22 (Green Bay) - Packer Head Coach Gene Ronzani spoke of Babe Parilli, the Cleveland Browns and the recent player draft in a brief address before stockholders at their annual meeting in the courthouse Monday night. "I think Parilli will be a happy young man in Green Bay," Ronzani said in reporting on his No. 1 draft choice - the All-America quarterback from the University of Kentucky. Naturally, Gene couldn't be be certain that Parilli would wear a Packer uniform next fall, what with the service draft, but Ronzani said "it's possible Parilli could play a year of pro ball before going into the Army." The Kentucky star is a member of the university ROTC unit. Mentioning the powerful Cleveland Browns, who lost their first championship last fall to the Los Angeles Rams, Ronzani stated that "we'd welcome the opportunity to play the Browns in a league or non-conference game." He said that the Packers may play the Browns this year. However, he pointed out that the schedule hasn't been announced by Commissioner Bert Bell yet. Ronzani indicated that the 1952 league card may start two weeks earlier than a year ago - in other words, around the middle of September. Thus, the season could end early in December with the Packers possibly playing their last two or three dates in Dallas, San Francisco and/or Los Angeles. Regarding the draft, Ronzani said he was "pleased with our selections", but none of the clubs were perfectly satisfied. He explained that every club lost one or two boys that they had planned to select, including the Packers. The Packer mentor, starting his third season as head coach, praised the efforts of his assistants in making the draft a successful one...PLAY IN ALL STAR GAME: Ronzani said that six or seven of the Packer choices would get calls to play in the College All Star game in Chicago. The first three, Parilli, end-defensive back Bil Howton of Rice and defensive back Bobby Dillon of the University of Texas, are automatic all star selections, he said. Also expected to be called into the game are Packer choices Dave Hanner, Arkansas tackle; Tom Johnson, Michigan tackle; Bill Reichardt, Iowa fullback; Darrel Teteak, the Wisconsin linebacker who hails from Oshkosh; and Chuck Boerio, linebacker from Illinois. Ronzani indicated that several tackles drafted a year ago may play this year. One or two of these tried their hand at high school coaching in their first year out of college. He said an outstanding tackle at Xavier, O., university, Tito Carinci, was placed on the reserve list last fall and will be available for pro duty next season. Carinci was one of the most sought-after tackles in the country. Several clubs made an effort to draft him in New York last week but the Packers already had him.
LOWER REVENUE SIGNAL FOR BIG PACKER SEASON TICKET SALE
JAN 23 (Green Bay) - The Green Bay Packer corporation has its work cut out for 1952, and it adds up to three words - Season Ticket Sales. The annual financial report made to stockholders the other night displayed an $18,672 splash of red ink - nothing serious, but still a loss. The largest share resulted from loss of revenue at the gate (tickets) at home games and the weatherman rightfully was handed full blame. The weather was miserable for practically every game but the traditional Chicago Bears event and that, ironically enough, was a sellout. While it's in the nature of a second guess, it can be opined that if the season ticket sale had been a "bit" larger last year the club might have broken even. Thus, you can bet there will be powerful efforts on the part of corporation officials and Packer fans in general to ride into the 1952 campaign with a big season ticket sale in Green Bay and Milwaukee. It's interesting to note that the STS in Green Bay last fall was slightly below normal in Milwaukee the same type of sale was virtually doubled. Which, of course, brings up the Milwaukee point. Five of the six directors added by the stockholders are from the Milwaukee area - Don Hutson of Racine and C.E. Kohlhepp, Herb Mount, Frank V. Birch and Joe Krueger of Milwaukee. They will join Milwaukee's Fred Miller in giving the Packers a new "life" in Milwaukee. Miller is one of the Packers' leading friends and he's vitally interested in professional football, the National league and its operation. The skid in season ticket sales for four games in Green Bay sharply points up the fact that the Packers need Milwaukee. But the Milwaukee fans must be educated and sold. That's chiefly why the citizens named above are now part of the Packer organization. They are all interested in the future of the Packers as a Green Bay team providing major league entertainment in Milwaukee two or three times a year. Max Murphy, the Green Bay sales expert who headed the season ticket sale in Milwaukee last fall, told stockholders the other night that "Milwaukee people must sell the Packers themselves; we can't go there as virtual strangers and do a successful job. But with a crew of interested directors down there Milwaukee fans can be sold by Milwaukee people." Next fall, Milwaukee will open its new stadium seating 35,000. It's located in an easy-to-get-to section of the city - unlike old bottle-necked State Fair park. The Packers will be the only major league attraction in that park. And Packer officials, with the cooperation of new friends in Milwaukee, hope to make the best of it. Packer officials, with the Milwaukee directors nailing down the groundwork, likely will go into Milwaukee next summer for a season ticket campaign and you can bet that more than 3,500 season tickets will be sold - the number peddled last summer. The previous year (1950) it hardly went over 1,000. With more backing there, the Packers may be able to hit 6,000 season tickets.
TEXAS DRIVERS! DALLAS '11' COULD BE SUCCESS RIGHT FROM THE START, VIEW
JAN 25 (Green Bay) - There aren't many fans around this part of the country who will drive 300 or 400 miles for a football game. But down in Texas where they (apparently) grow everybody big and strong, it's "not a bit unusual for a couple of thousand fans to drive 350 miles or so to Dallas for a football game." That's the word of Bill Rives, sports editor of the Dallas Morning Tribune, who reported via telephone today that "there's a good chance that the Rangers will be a success right from the start because of a natural interest in football." That's a far cry from New York where the Yanks (now the Rangers in Texas) had a hard time getting a "few" fans to ride the subway 20 minutes for one of their game in Yankee stadium...WEATHER PERFECT, OF COURSE: "Half of Amarillo comes up fro the big football games in Dallas and that's over 300 miles away. They also come down from Oklahoma. They take off the night before and drive all night or get out early in the morning. The road conditions are good and, of course, the weather is perfect," Rives said. By comparison, a check at the Packer ticket office showed that few tickets are sold in Superior, which is 313 miles from Green Bay. The Packers get pretty good patronage from fans in the Upper Peninsula but this old Badger must admit that "it ain't like Texas." Rives told a "very enthusiastic feeling on the part of the fans toward the city's new franchise in pro football." He said: "These people down here just love football, but, of course, they like a winner." The Texas scribe, and he sounded like a real Texan, suh, said that "the Millers (owners of the Rangers) are prepared for a couple of lean seasons; they'd be happy to come out of the first year with a 4-8 record on the field and a fair but enthusiastic attendance."...TWO GAMES WITH PACKERS: But Rives is of the optimistic opinion that "the Rangers could be a success right from the start; we had a good draft and the Yanks weren't so bad last fall. Add that up with all the football interest down here and maybe they'll click right away." Writers in Dallas and nearby cities, especially Fort Worth, which is 35 miles away, are busy piling up information on National league clubs. Rives said that "we've always given pro football a good play," adding that "we even run the statistics during the regular season." Green Bay has a particular interest in Dallas because the Packers and Rangers will be in the same division, making it possible for a home and home series. The Packers played the Yanks two-game series in 1950 and 1951, and all four games were thrillers. Rives said that there is a general feeling in Dallas that Jimmy Phelan should return as head coach. Phelan was named coach of the Yanks just after training camp started last summer...LAMBEAU NOT MENTIONED: Rives had just returned from a press conference with the Millers, at which a number of coaching and general manager prospects were named. Phelan appeared to be the leading candidate for coach, and Frank Fitzgerald was mentioned often for the general managership. Frank, a son-in-law of former Yanks owner Ted Collins, managed the Yanks for the last two years. Rives stated that Curly Lambeau, the former Packer and Chicago Cardinal mentor, was not mentioned for the coaching or managership jobs...Talking about football interest in Texas, a total of 57 players (out of 360) were drafted from Texas schools during the NFL's selection party last week in New York. The state has six major universities and scores of small colleges. The major schools are Rice, University of Texas, Baylor, Southern Methodist, Texas Christian and Texas A and M. The National league finished the 1950 season with 36 Texas players listed on the rosters of the clubs. The Packers' long-throwing quarterback, Tobin Rote, and guard Ham Nichols were the only Texans to play with the Bays last year. Both are Rice grads. In the recent draft, Packer head coach Gene Ronzani came up with eight players from Texas schools - Bill Howton of Rice, Bobby Dillon of the University of Texas, Billy Burkhalter of Rice, Bill Wilson of the University of Texas, Bobby Jack Floyd of TCU, Howie Tisdale of Stephen F. Austin State, Herb Zimmerman of TCU and I.D. Russell of SMU.
PACKERS TO BATTLE GIANTS IN MILWAUKEE
JAN 26 (Green Bay) - The Green Bay Packers will meet the New York Giants in a non-conference football game in Milwaukee's new county stadium next August, it was revealed today by Jerome Dretzka, secretary of the Milwaukee county park commission. The game may be played Aug. 17. The contest, the third annual Shrine game, will mark the opening of football action in the new stadium which will be completed some time next summer. The Packers last played the Giants in 1950 in a non-loop game in Boston, Green Bay winning, 10-0.
INTERCEPTION SKID BRINGS ON DEFENSIVE BACK PICKS IN DRAFT
JAN 26 (Green Bay) - Most of the clubs in the NFL, including conference champions Cleveland and Los Angeles, suffered reverses last fall in the pass interception department. The entire league intercepted 288 passes and returned only 12 of them for touchdowns in 1951. In 1950, league clubs chalked up 343 interceptions and counted twice as many touchdowns, 24. Only five of the dozen clubs, Bears, Cardinals, Giants, Steelers and Forty Niners, bettered their interception figures of 1950. The Giants did exceptionally well last fall, grabbing off 41 enemy throws compared to 27 the year before. Both the Rams and Browns skidded in the ID, though it apparently didn’t hurt them because they repeated for the playoff rights. The Rams intercepted 31 in ’50 but got only 19 last fall. The Browns dropped from 30 in ’50 to 22 last campaign. The Packers intercepted 27 passes in 1950, but dropped to 22 last year – not bad when you consider that the Packers’ four defensive backs were virtually all rookies in that phase. Rebel Steiner was a second-year man; Harper Davis didn’t play much defense until he came here from the Bears; Ace Loomis was a first-year man; and Jug Girard was used mostly on offense until last year. The dropoff in interceptions and generally fault defensive play around the league was reflected in the pro draft in New York recently. All of the clubs stocked up on defensive backs. The Bears picked outfielders on the first two rounds – Jim Dooley of Miami and Ed Macon, the Negro ace from College of Pacific. The Packers selected defensive stars on their second and third rounds – Bill Howton of Rice and Bobby Dillon of the University of Texas. In the 10th round (on the choice the Bears owed the Packers), Coach Gene Ronzani nailed Bill Roffler of Washington State. Bill had a fine reputation as an offensive back but in the recent East-West game he was pressed into service on defense. Ray McLean, Bay backfield coach who saw the game, was highly impressed by his reaction on defense considering the fact that he rarely played the position. These three Packer prospects average nearly six feet, two inches in height and are built light enough for speed. Howton packs 185 pounds, Dillon 182 and Roffler 186. Every club in the league drafted at least two defensive prospects. The draft showed a need for tackles around the league. A total of 79 big T’s were picked, topping any other individual position. The coaches grabbed off 59 ends, 42 guards and 30 centers. The remaining 150 players (making a total of 360) were backs who actually play three different positions – quarterback, halfbacks and fullbacks. The Bays picked six tackles, 13 backs, four guards, three centers and four ends.
STRATTON FIRST SMALL COLLEGE FB TO MAKE PACK SINCE TED?
JAN 28 (Green Bay) - Bill Stratton could be the first small-college fullback to make the Packers since Ted Fritsch turned the trick in 1942. The 202-pound pile-driver from Lewis college has witnessed a lot of professional football, being a native of Chicago. Of what Bill has seen in Wrigley field and Comiskey park, Stratton feels that: “I have a good chance to make the club.” Packer draftee Stratton was in Green Bay and De Pere over the weekend with the Lewis college basketball team. He visited with Packer head coach Gene Ronzani in the afternoon and received the Midlands conference football championship trophy between halves of the St. Nortbert-Lewis game at Van Dyke gymnasium Saturday night…’TOUGH FOR US PLAYERS’: The trophy ceremony had a real pro grid slant. Presenting the award to Stratton, who accepted in behalf of the Lewis team, was Pat Smithwick, St. Norbert college’s excellent end who represented the defending Midlands champion. Smithwich is also a pro draftee, having been selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jack Yuenger, St.Norbert publicity chief, was the MC. Cornered later, Stratton said that he was “proud to be selected by the Packers” and that “you can count on me doing my best to make the squad.” Bill said he realized that “it’s tough for us players from the small colleges to make the grade but I know that a lot of them do stick in the big leagues.” Stratton was recommended for the draft by his former coach and present Packer backfield mentor, Ray McLean. McLean coached Stratton as a sophomore and junior at Lewis. Stratton said he’ll play at around 202 pounds which, incidentally, is three pounds under Fritsch’s weight when he started his career and about five pounds over Fred Cone’s weight in his rookie year. Fritsch played at Central Teachers in Stevens Point…BEST YEAR AS SENIOR: Stratton finished four years of college competition with a 6.5-yard rushing average on 1,637 yards in 250 attempts. He scored 193 points on 31 touchdowns and seven extra points. He won the “all-conference” selection every year with the exception of the 1949 season when he received honorable mention. An honor student, single and a member of the Phi Theta Kappa national scholastic fraternity, Stratton led the Badger-Illini conference in net yards gained and total points in 1948, averaging 8.2 and scoring seven TDs. In 1949, he again led the conference in total points with 60 and an average of 7.2 yards. When Lewis moved into the competitive class of the Midlands conference in 1950, Stratton was sidelined for most of the season with an injury but managed to average 6.3 yards and count three TDs. Bill enjoyed his best year as a senior. In seven games, he gained 575 yards in 94 attempts for an average of 6.1. For the championship season, he racked up 73 points, 30 of them in conference play. Stratton attended Georgia Military academy and graduated from Chicago Austin High in 1947. He worked a year before entering Lewis. At Austin, Stratton played defensive end and fullback.
ED WITHERS, PACKER DRAFTEE, SAVES LIFE OF WISCONSIN STUDENT
JAN 28 (Madison) – Eddie Withers, 25, University of Wisconsin football player, saved another student from possibly bleeding to death by applying a tourniquet to his arm today. Robert Gehrig, 26, fell near his trailer home, was knocked unconscious and suffered a bad cut. Withers, passing by, noticed Gehrig lying unconscious and bleeding. He applied a tourniquet and a police ambulance rushed Gehrig to the campus infirmary. Both men are Madison residents. (Withers has been drafted by the Green Bay Packers.)
THE DEEDS OF PELFREY! IS NERVOUS RAY ANOTHER BLOOD?
JAN 31 (Green Bay) - The deeds of one Ray Pelfery has been tormenting this writer for some time. So, for better or worse, here goes: Ray (He’s the Packer end-halfback) was playing with Auburn a couple of years ago against a traditional rival. His coach had kept him on the bench for 59 minutes of the game as a sort of punishment for some minor disobedience of the previous week. Came the last minute of the big game. Auburn went behind by five points, 12-7, and the coach fumed on the bench as the teams prepared to line up for the kickoff. Calling Pelfrey, the coach told him to get the kickoff, go up the right side of the field and run out of bounds to stop the clock. Pelfrey got the kickoff, okay, but he ran up the left side – all the way for a touchdown to win the game. Ray somehow left Auburn after the school year and enrolled at East Kentucky State Teachers for his senior year. The swift kid burned up the Teachers’ league enough to get plenty of feelers from the pros, including the Packers…Coach Gene Ronzani selected him on the 17th round a year ago this month in Chicago. Pelfrey received the congratulatory wire from the Packers and a couple of days later Ray wrote back his “extreme happiness” at being chosen by the Packers. Pelfrey didn’t waste around; he trained all summer and was in terrific physical condition when he reported at Grand Rapids, Minn. He set the pace in the daily sprints and out-punted everybody including Jug Girard. Pelfery wasn’t taking any chances on not making the squad. While Ray was a physical marvel, the long period of instruction was something else. A couple of days before the non-conference opener with the Chicago Cardinals, backfield coach Ray McLean sat with head low in the coaches’ room. “That Pelfrey, I keep telling him but, but, but what’s the use,” Mc Lean moaned. Ronzani, Chuck Drulis, Tarz Taylor and Dick Plasman chuckled a bit and McLean finally smiled, “and he’s just the kind of guy that will win ball games for us, but what you gonna do with him?”…Came the Cardinal game and Pelfrey made a few token appearances. Somewhere in the fourth quarter, Pelfrey winked at Father Taylor, “I’ll bet you a quarter I’ll score a touchdown if they let me in there.” Pelfrey got in and was promptly thrown for a seven-yard loss. On the very next play, the Ohio boy with the Virginia drawl raced behind Card defender Bob Nussbaumer, took Tobin Rote’s long pass and ran for a game-tying TD. The play covered 74 yards and Taylor was in debt by twenty-five cents. Ronzani used Pelfrey sparingly against the Eagles in Milwaukee the next Sunday and during most of the training season. Gene just explained at the time, with a twinkle in his eye, “he’s my secret weapon.” But out in Minneapolis against the Forty Niners, Pelfrey put on a burst of his famous speed and unpredictable running. The two clubs battled on a buttery field and the Packers weren’t as sharp as Ronzani had hoped they’d be for this first exhibition in Minneapolis. The game was on a Wednesday night and the Bays had just played the previous Sunday…The Packers didn’t score a point as the San Francisco club got 20, but the Minneapolis fans had something to yell about – Packerwise. “It” was Pelfrey, who turned in the darndest run you’d ever want to see. On fourth down and eight to go, Ray went back to his own 38. He momentarily juggled the ball (as per plan) and took off like a scared rabbit to the Forty Niner 30 where he started to zig zag from one side of the field to the other, finally winding up on the FN 19. The whole business covered at least 150 yards. Pelfrey seldom follows his interference and rarely runs the right pattern on pass plays. He had a bad habit of running back and around opposing tacklers – something that he got away with in college ball. Installed at end or halfback in Ronzani’s spread formations, Pelfrey constituted a serious problem for opposing teams because of his speed and ability to catch the ball. After every game, the opposing coach would whistle, “that Pelfrey! Where did he ever come from!”…In the Bear opener here, Pelfrey tried one of those runs off a fake punt, with about 25 yards to go late in the game. He zigged and zagged for 26 yards, enough for a first down at midfield but three Bears started close in on him and Ray backpedaled, hoping to get around them and go the distance. They nailed him and his gain was reduced to 23 yards, the Packers losing the ball on downs. The surprising rookie with the glue fingers gradually became a threat with his pass catching, but Ronzani and his staff developed more grey hair. Against the Eagles, Pelfrey was supposed to be decoying to the left for a pass to Tony Canadeo at the right. You guessed it! Pelfrey grabbed the ball out of Tony’s hands – away over on the right side of the field. A few minutes later, Pelfrey caught a short pass from Rote, but, seeing that he couldn’t gain, tossed it right back at Rote, who ran 16 yards. It was the first time a Packer passer had ever caught his own pass, and probably the first time the Packers ever had a guy like Pelfrey…Out in Detroit, Pelfrey had one of his best and also his most “trying” afternoons. He set up two touchdowns and scored one himself by making a circus catch out of the hands of Don Doll, one of the league’s top defensive backs. But along about the third quarter with the Packers threatening he “dood” it again. The Packers had third down and two to go on the Detroit 48. Pelfrey took a pass from Rote for an eight-yard gain (six yards more than needed for a first down) but, for some unexplainable reason, he ran backwards and finally wound up losing six yards, Girard has to punt and Jack Christiansen returned the boot 89 yards for a touchdown. Ray actually was afraid to go off the field after that “seven point” error. When he reached the sidelines, some of the players lit after him but order was quickly restored. At the Detroit airport after the game, poor Pelfrey was all but blacklisted. Finally, he came up to the writer and said: “Well, I suppose you want to chew me out, too.”…I told him that the deed already was done but “if I had been on the sidelines with a typewriter I’d probably have hit him over the head with it.” I went on to explain the seriousness of the “runback” because first the Packers would have been in a good position to score and second Christiansen wouldn’t have received a chance for his touchdown run. Pelfrey really felt bad about the whole thing but added: “I’m learning more and more every Sunday.” After the game, Detroit coach Buddy Parker said Pelfrey drove his team “nuts”. Buddy drawled, “most of the fast guys will run a pattern but not this kid; you don’t know what he’ll do. He was behind our defense most of the afternoon – one way or another.”…Pelfrey, who dabbles in art “because, as you know, I’m a nervous person”, is making the Packer coaches nervous people. But as long as Packer opponents remain jittery, they don’t care. Pelfrey, 24, married and father of a son, finished 1951 as the National league’s leading rookie pass receiver, finishing seventh ahead of Leon Hart and Pete Pihos and just behind Dante Lavelli and Dan Edwards. He caught 37 for 442 yards and four TDs. My goodness, could Mr. Pelfrey be another Johnny Blood?
HIRSCH, HOWTON ONLY TWO ENDS IN ALL GRID TO AVERAGE 20 YARDS PER CATCH
FEB 1 (Green Bay) - Only two offensive ends in major college and professional football averaged over 20 yards per pass reception last fall – Elroy Hirsch and Bill Howton. Hirsch, of course, is the kingpin in the Los Angeles Rams’ famed air attack. Howton is the flashy end and defensive back from Rice Institute who was drafted by the Packers. And, strange as it may seem, Hirsch and Howton came up with identical pass catching averages. Over-the-shoulder Elroy snagged 66 passes for 1,495 yards for an average of 22.6 per while Howton picked off 33 for 747 stripes for a 22.6 average. Figure it out! For purposes of comparison, the No. 2 pass catcher in the NFL, Gordy Soltau of San Francisco, averaged a mere 14 yards on his 59 snatches for 826 yards. The nation’s leading college receiver, McConnell of Wyoming, averaged 15.4 with 725 yards on 47 receptions. Naturally, Hirsch and Hotwon can't be rightfully compared since Hirsch is an "old pro" who has cut the buck in the toughest football in the land. But this conclusion can be drawn: Both are long-distance guys; they go in for the "far" throws. Their long averages prove it! Hirsch scored against just about every opponent (17 TDs) with his 60 or 70-yard run and catch plays. Howton caught seven for TDs for a club that passed very little...HEAD-AND-SHOULDER FAKER: The observers down in Texas claim that Howton can get behind any defender in college football because of his tremendous speed and ability to cut and fake. Howton, who is a 4F because of an eye defect, made just about every All-American team - some of them as a defensive back. A six-foot-two-inch, 180-pounder, Howton was known among jittery Southwest defensive backs as a great head-and-shoulder faker. In a postgame report to the coaches, an Arkansas player wrote: "He'd jigger around until he got you going the wrong way; then he'd take off and leave you. He's tremendously fast on the getaway." Defensively, Howton was a clawing, scrambling performer who always managed to stay on the outside of the play. Bill also was adept at dropping off the Rice front line to defend that flat zone in pass situations. He never asked for relief and seldom got any. "I had a lazy man's job anyway," Bill told the Collier's board of coaches who selected him to the magazine's All-America team. "An end ought to be able to play 60 minutes easier than any other man on the line. On defense, especially, he sort of camps out there a step across the scrimmage line and if the play isn't coming his way he can relax a little." But, regardless of Howton's own estimate of the demands of his position, take the word of his coach, Jess Neely, nobody ever caught Bill relaxing. Howton scored the first touchdown in Rice's new swank stadium in 1950 with a 65-yard pass play. Against SMU last fall - a week after the Mustangs upset Notre Dame, Howton caught only three passes but all three went for TDs in Rice's big victory. He rolled up136 yards on the three catches - an average of 45.3 per catch. Particularly anxious to hook up with Howton is Tobin Rote, the Packers' long-pitching quarterback. Howton was a sophomore at Rice when Rote played as a senior there. Rote likes to throw 'em far and Howton can get down fast. Down in Texas the pro fans are howling about a "Rote to Howton" passing threat. Coach Gene Ronzani expects Howton to make the Packer pass catching corps extremely tough what with Bob Mann, Ray Pelfrey, Val Jansante and Stretch Elliott due to return. What's more, Howton may turn up as a valuable assistant on defense. Howton, at the moment, is concentrating on track - with an eye on the Olympics. He does the high hurdles in 14.3 seconds, and his track coach, Emmett Brunson, who helped coach the Olympic team in 1948, thinks Howton has a chance to make it if a bone chip in his foot has healed. The injury, incidentally, doesn't interfere with his normal running - as in football...WEDDING BELLS: One Packers and a possible Packer will wed a week from Saturday. Howton takes a bride in Houston, while Jack Vainisi, the Packer scout, will marry Jackie McGinnis at St. Patrick's chiurch here. Vainisi will be attended by two former Notre Dame teammates - now pro grid rivals. Jerry Groom, the Cardinal center and linebacker, will be best man and Bob Williams, Bear quarterback, will be an usher...PRO HASH: In Green Bay on business a couple of days this week was Pat Harder, the big Detroit Lion fullback. Harder is with the Solar Steel company of Cleveland. He'll stop here about once a month...The 1952 NFL schedule may out in a couple of weeks. Most fans are wondering if the Packers will play the Cleveland Browns this year. The two clubs have never met in a league game...After Commissioner Bert Bell and Giles Miller signed the papers completing the shift of the Yanks to Dallas, Miller was asked if he planned to dress the Texans in the vivid colors displayed by some Texas college teams or in even more conservative attire. Miller's wide, Betty Jane, supplied the answer: "What do you think we'd do in a town where the women sport blue jeans and mink coats?"
BRIGHT PRO FUTURE FOR JOHNSON WITH PACKERS?
FEB 4 (Green Bay) - Tom Johnson was the University of Michigan's best tackle in 1950 and 1951. Packer Head Coach Gene Ronzani thinks the bruising Negro star from Muskegon, Mich., can become one of the best tackles in pro football. The Packers' No. 6 draft choice, Johnson is rated by veteran Michigan coaches as "without doubt one of the best and probably one of the most underrated tackles in the country." Johnson, 21, weighs 227 pound and stands six feet, two inches tall. One of those players who is always in top condition, Johnson is amazingly strong and possesses a cat-like quickness and ability to recover and change direction to a remarkable degree. A 60-minute player any time he needs to be, Johnson was fast enough to play an important part in Michigan's split-second offense and few defensive players could match him at this phase of the game. Quiet and soft-spoken off the field, Johnson is a "ball player's ball player" once the whistle blows. Johnson led Michigan to the Big Ten and Rose bowl championships during the 1950 season and played an important part in Michigan's comeback campaign last fall. He was the club's most valuable player...ONLY NEGRO PICKED IN DRAFT: Johnson was one of six tackles drafted by Ronzani and the only Negro selected in the draft last month. Other "T" picks were Dave Hanner of Arkansas, Jack Morgan of Michigan State, Howie Tisdale of Stephen F. Austin State college in Texas, Chuck Lapradd of the University of Florida and Jack Fulkerson of Mississippi Southern. These six if they are willing and able to play (barring military calls) will be out to unseat such Packer veterans as Dick Wildung, Ed Ecker, Howie Ruetz, Joe Spencer and Leon Manley. Johnson has a 2A classification in the service draft, which means that he is deferred while in school. It is hoped that he will be able to play a season or part of one before going into the service...PRO HASH: Veteran end Bob Mann is getting a little exercise this winter at the Caberfae winter sports are near Cadillac, Mich. Just be careful, Robert!...The Packers drafted 27 of their 30 college stars from major schools. The composite record of those schools for 1951 was 121 victories, 75 losses and six tied for a percentage of .617. Three of the schools went unbeaten - Michigan State (Morgan) with 9-0; Illinois (linebacker Chuck Boerio) with 8-0-1; and Tennessee (center Chuck Stokes) with 10-0.
REICHARDT NETS 737 YARDS BEHIND POOR LINE
FEB 5 (Green Bay) - Outside of the midwest, Iowa fullback Bill Reichardt doesn't have the reputation of Ollie Matson, Mighty Moe Modzelewski, Frank Gifford or Hugh McElhenny. But around these parts 195-pound Bill, who went from mascot to record holder in a dozen years, is considered one tough cookie who could cut the buck in professional football. At least the Packers, who drafted him on the seventh round, hope so. Reichardt practically duplicated the feats of Matson, Mighty Moe, Gifford and McElhenny behind a mediocre line the last two years. Matso, Moe and McElhenny operated behind tremendous forward walls. But the Iowa star, who was selected as the Big Ten's most valuable player, ripped off 737 yards in 178 carries for an average of 4.14 per try. He worked under rather discouraging circumstances which added up to two wins, five losses and two ties...FULLBACK FOURTH-HIGH NEED: A fullback was the Packers' fourth-high need in the draft and coach Gene Ronzani feels that he was lucky that Reichardt was still loose when the seventh round came up. The Packers went first for a quarterback (Babe Parilli), defensive backs in Bill Howton and Bobby Dillon and then tackles (Dave Hanner and Tom Johnson of Michigan) before going for a battering ram to compete with Fred Cone and Jack Cloud. Reichardt had been an Iowa football fan and follower from the time he was a seven-year old grade schooler. He missed only one home Iowa game - that the result of broken ribs and a collapsed lung sustained in a high school game. By the time he was eight, Reichardt had advanced from a plain fan to mascot of the University of Iowa. Now he has completed his Hawkeye career as the holder of five Iowa records and such other honors as: (1) Winner of the Chicago Tribune award as the most valuable Big Ten player in 1951; (2) member of six all-conference and all-western honor teams; (3) member of the players' All-America second offensive team; and (4) maker of 1,691 yards in 27 games for a 4.2 average. Powerful and consistent, Reichardt made 737 of Iowa's 1,692 yards by rushing last fall for a new Iowa modern record...31 TRIPS AGAINST GOPHERS: Bill enjoyed the best day of his career in the 20-20 game with Minnesota last fall, carrying 31 times, an Iowa single-game record, for 166 yards. He gained 152 yards against Michigan in 25 carries, seven more yards than the rushing total of the entire Michigan backfield that afternoon as Iowa lost 21-0. In addition, Reichardt picked up 88 yards against champion Illinois; 86 against Purdue; 73 against Notre Dame; and 72 against Ohio State. His team lost three of these games but tied Notre Dame 20-up. Reichardt can also catch passes. He was the leading Iowa receiver in number in 1950 and in 1951 grabbed 11 for 115 yards. The 21-year old Iowan, a member of the Army Air force reserve, was a point after touchdown specialist, kicking 18 out of 22 last fall. He has a three-year mark of 51 out of 63 PATs. Against Purdue last fall, Reichardt booted a 35-yard field goal. Ronzani saw Reichardt in action in both the Blue-Gray and the Senior bowl games. And Gene liked what he saw.
RONZANI WANTS MILLER TO 'GRUNT' FOR PACK IN '52; TISDALE FAST FOR SIZE
FEB 7 (Green Bay) - Packer head coach Gene Ronzani might take in a wrestling match in Chicago one of these nights. He'd like to see Bill Miller, the former Ohio State tackle and Big Ten heavyweight wrestling champion, who has taken up professional grunting as a means of earning his bread and butter. There seems to be a suspicion that Miller might like to try his hand at professional football - with the Packers, that is. Miller was drafted by Ronzani a year ago. Ronzani has a pretty good talking point - "Why not play professional football and wrestle, too." In separate seasons, of course! The Packer coach can point out to Leo Nomellini, former University of Minnesota tackle, who toils with the San Francisco Forty Niners during the swine-skin season, and then groans on the mat the rest of the time. Instead of just getting a wrestling check, Nomellini draws a slip of that coveted paper from Buck Shaw's organization. Nomellini has done well in both sports. As a sophomore last fall, he received all-National league honors. Out on the west coast, Nomellini is building himself quite a reputation as a rassler. He is known as "The Lion" and the big Minnesotan follows the rules and lets his opponents get away with murder - up to a point, that is. Joe Malcewicz, one of the big dealers in west coast rassling, thinks large Leo someday outdo the exploits of Bronko Nagurski, Joe Savoldi and Gus Sonnenberg - other gridmen who turned to the mat. Miller, who packs a solid 225 pounds on a six-foot, one-inch frame, came out of Big Ten competition an established wrestler compared to Nomellini. As a matter of fact, Miller cleaned up everything in the Big Ten, including Nomellini, as a junior to snare the crown...Speaking about tackles, Howie Tisdale, the 320-pounder from little Stephen F. Austin Junior college, Tex., was recommended to the Packers by, of all people, R.W. Parker, brother of Detroit head coach Buddy Parker. R.W., an assistant coach of the Texas school, feels that Tisdale can make the pros "with a little more seasoning." The Texan is fast for his size (he stands 6-3) and often plays defensive end in addition to offensive tackle. Tisdale was the Packers' 19th draft choice. Other tackles selected were Dave Hanner of Arkansas, Tom Johnson of Michigan, Jack Morgan of Michigan State, and Jack Fulkerson of Mississippi Southern.
175-POUND FB IN PRO BALL? PETERSON OF MICHIGAN, RACINE TO TRY HALFBACK
FEB 8 (Green Bay) - There aren't any 175-pound fullbacks in the NFL and there probably never will be. That's just not enough weight. All of which seems to be reason enough to believe that Don (Jiggs) Peterson, the University of Michigan's battering ram last fall, will never make the Packers - as a fullback. Coach Gene Ronzani didn't draft Peterson last month to play fullback. He wants to try versatile Don at both the halfback spots and possibly on defense. Peterson must be a good football player for the simple reason that he played three different positions in Michigan's tricky wing formation - both halfback and fullback. To prove his greatness, Peterson led the Michigans in yardage in 1950-51...AVERAGE 4.2 YARDS AT FB: Little Jiggs, who played prep ball at St. Catherine's in Racine, is the Doak Walker type in size and action. Both go 5-10, 175. Both are fast, carry a lot of drive and possess an inate sense of timing and natural running ability. Peterson, who already has a couple of years of Army service behind him, averaged 5.24 yards per try as a halfback on Michigan's Big Ten and Rose Bowl championship club in 1950. The handyman was switched to fullback lst fall and averaged 4.2 yards in 132 carries. His yardage total, 574, and trips topped the club. Peterson threw 13 passes in "spot" plays and completed six for 184 yards. He caught five for 20 yards. He can punt, too, getting off eight boots (mostly quick kicks) for an average of 44.5 yards per. As a senior, Don scored four touchdowns....BROTHER MEDICAL STUDENT: Often compared with Michigan's greatest all-around back, Wally Teninga, Jiggs is a brother of Tom Peterson, who ended his Michigan grid career in 1950. Don was groomed as Tom's successor at fullback until spring practice despite his success at RH in '50. However, in the preseason drills, Don flashed brilliance at left half. Shortly after the season started Don was shifted back to fullback when a shortage developed there. Tom, incidentally, is now a medical student at Michigan. Brother Don reportedly is interested in playing professional football. The Packers drafted four other "light" backs who specialize in offense - Billy Barrett, 5-9, 180, Notre Dame; Bill Burkhalter, 5-10, 180, Rice; Johnny Pont, 5-8, 170, Miami, O.; and Billy Hair, 6, 178, Clemson. Hair is a junior and likely won't be available for professional duty until the 1953 season.