The 1959 Green Bay Packers season was their 39th season in the National Football League and 41st overall. The team finished with a 7–5 record in the season under first-year coach Vince Lombardi to earn a third-place finish in the Western Conference.
It was the Packers' first winning season in a dozen years, the last being a 6–5–1 mark in 1947. Green Bay had just one victory during the previous season in 1958 with the worst record in the twelve-team league, and were 3–9 in 1957, tied for worst. Hired in early February, Lombardi was previously the offensive coach (coordinator) for the New York Giants under head coach Jim Lee Howell.
Offseason NFL draft
Round Pick Player Position School/Club team11Randy DuncanQuarterbackIowa213Alex HawkinsBackSouth Carolina325Boyd DowlerWide receiverColorado555Andy CverckoGuardNorthwestern661Willie TaylorCenterFlorida A&M773Bobby JacksonBackAlabama783Gary RaidTackleWillamette885Buddy MayfieldEndSouth Carolina895Bob LarabaBackTexas Western997George DixonBackBridgeport10109Sam TuccioTackleSouthern Miss11121Bob WebbBackSt. Ambrose12133Larry HallGuardMissouri Valley13145Jim HurdBackAlbion14157Ken KerrGuardArizona State15169Dick TeteakGuardWisconsin16181Dan EdgingtonEndFlorida17193Tom SeculesBackWilliam & Mary18205Dick NearentsTackleEastern Washington19217Bill ButlerSafetyChattanooga20229Charley SampleBackArkansas21241Dave SmithBackRipon (WI)22253Charlie AndersonEndDrake23265Ben LawverTackleLewis & Clark24277Joe HergertCenterFlorida25289Leroy HardeeBackFlorida A&M26301Ken HigginbothamEndTrinity (TX)27313Timothy BrownRunning backBall State28325Jerry EppsGuardWest Texas State29337Jack FlaraBackPittsburgh30349Dick EmerichTackleWest Chester Yellow indicates a future Pro Bowl selection
The Lombardi Era begins
On February 4, 1959, Vince Lombardi seized his opportunity and began building his football dynasty in Green Bay. He arrived after both phases of the draft (December 1 and January 21), and started by trading away the Packers' best receiver of the decade, Billy Howton, to the Cleveland Browns. To bring some much-needed leadership to the defensive backfield, Lombardi obtained future Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell from the New York Giants. He also acquired Fuzzy Thurston from the Baltimore Colts and defensive tackle Henry Jordan from Cleveland by the start of training camp. In all, 16 veterans from the previous season were sent packing as Lombardi installed a new attitude in the Packers' locker room.
Training camp Lombardi borrowed from the Giants model — the players had to feel like champions. The team traveled first class under the philosophy that "you can't be a winner unless you feel like one." The change in culture was pronounced. Lombardi had to find a quarterback, and he was resistant to making Bart Starr the quarterback. Starr was in his fourth year in the league and had not won a game in which he had played four quarters. "Did Bart tell you how bad he was?" a player was to later quip to biographer John Eisenberg. Former Razorback Lamar McHan beat out Starr, while veteran Babe Parilli was cut in mid-September, along with rookie running back Alex Hawkins, the thirteenth overall selection in the
Master plan Through his coaching style, Lombardi changed the Packers into winners. He put his plan into effect at his first team meeting. "I have never been on a losing team, gentlemen, and I do not intend to start now!"
Dramatic improvement The results of Lombardi's approach were dramatic. In the season opener against the Chicago Bears, the Packers held on to win 9–6 and celebrated the victory by carrying their new head coach off the field. In his first year on the sidelines, the Packers posted their first winning record since 1947. The team's quick turnaround netted Lombardi unanimous honors as NFL coach of the year.
Schedule Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Venue Attendance Sources 1 August 15 Chicago Bears L 16–19 Milwaukee County Stadium 28,286 2 August 23 at San Francisco 49ers W 24–17 Kezar Stadium 18,916 3 August 29 vs. Philadelphia Eagles W 45–28 Portland, OR 25,456 4 September 5 vs. New York Giants L 0–14 Bangor, ME 20,000 5 September 12 vs. Washington Redskins W 20–13 Winston-Salem, NC 15,000 6 September 20 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers W 13–10 Minneapolis, MN 18,081
Regular season
Lombardi's first regular season game as Packers coach was on September 27, against the rival Chicago Bears;When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p. 225, Simon & Schuster, 1999, before 32,150 in Green Bay, they upset the Bears. In the final seven minutes, the previously scoreless Packers put up nine points to win 9–6. After Chicago fumbled a punt return, fullback Jim Taylor scored a touchdown, and Paul Hornung's extra point gave them a 7–6 lead. Max McGee's sixty-one-yard punt landed on the Bears' two-yard line and set up the final score of the game; Hawg Hanner scored a safety by tackling Chicago quarterback Ed Brown in the end zone.When Pride Still Mattered, David Maraniss, p. 226, Simon & Schuster, 1999, After the game, center Jim Ringo grabbed the game ball and gave it to Lombardi. Game Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance Recap Sources 1 September 27 Chicago Bears W 9–6 1–0 City Stadium 32,150 Recap 2 October 4 Detroit Lions W 28–10 2–0 City Stadium 32,150 Recap 3 October 11 San Francisco 49ers W 21–20 3–0 City Stadium 32,150 Recap 4 October 18 Los Angeles Rams L 6–45 3–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 36,194 Recap 5 October 25 at Baltimore Colts L 21–38 3–2 Memorial Stadium 57,557 Recap 6 November 1 at New York Giants L 3–20 3–3 Yankee Stadium 68,837 Recap 7 November 8 at Chicago Bears L 17–28 3–4 Wrigley Field 46,205 Recap 8 November 15 Baltimore Colts L 24–28 3–5 Milwaukee County Stadium 25,521 Recap 9 November 22 Washington Redskins W 21–0 4–5 City Stadium 31,853 Recap 10 November 26 at Detroit Lions W 24–17 5–5 Briggs Stadium 49,221 Recap 11 December 6 at Los Angeles Rams W 38–20 6–5 L.A. Memorial Coliseum 61,044 Recap 12 December 13 at San Francisco 49ers W 36–14 7–5 Kezar Stadium 55,997 Recap Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text. Thanksgiving: Nov. 26.
Game summaries
Regular season
Week 1: vs. Chicago Bears
Standings
Roster 1959 Green Bay Packers final roster Quarterbacks Joe Francis Lamar McHan Bart Starr
Running backs Bill Butler Lew Carpenter Paul Hornung K Don McIlhenny Jim Taylor
Receivers Boyd Dowler Gary Knafelc Ron Kramer Max McGee P A. D. Williams Offensive linemen John Dittrich G Forrest Gregg T Jerry Kramer G Norm Masters T Jim Ringo C Bob Skoronski T Fuzzy Thurston G
Defensive linemen Ken Beck DT Nate Borden DE Dave Hanner DT Henry Jordan DT Bill Quinlan DE Jim Temp DE Linebackers Tom Bettis MLB Dan Currie OLB Bill Forester OLB Ray Nitschke OLB
Defensive backs Bobby Dillon S Bobby Freeman CB Hank Gremminger CB John Symank S Emlen Tunnell S Jesse Whittenton CB Reserve list Andy Cvercko G (IR) Steve Meilinger WR (IR)
Rookies in italics
Awards, records, and honors
Vince Lombardi, Coach of the Year David Maraniss, When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999; p. 228.
References