There are few things Wisconsin people love more than their football, and this is why Green Bay Packers are held to such regard in the Great Lake state.
If you’re from Wisconsin, you can skip this article because you probably already know everything we have to write about the Packers, but everyone else is welcome to learn about the history of the team and some interesting facts we thought you might like.
Early History
The Green Bay Packers are the third-oldest team in the National Football League (NFL) to still play, with the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears taking first and second place, respectively. They are the oldest NFL team to play at the same city, Green Bay, WI, since their inception.
The Packers were established as a team on August 11, 1919. The team was founded by two former football rivals, players Earl “Curly” Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. The club got its name from the Indian Packing Company where Curly was employed, because the company paid for their uniforms and equipment.
In 1921, two years after the Packers became a team, they joined the American Professional Football Association which changed its name to the National Football League the next year.
Lambeau and Calhoun were very passionate about their team, but that didn’t help them pay the bills. Sadly, just as they entered the NFL, the Green Bay Packers disbanded. Still, that didn’t stop Curly from pursuing his dreams. He went ahead and found four Wisconsin businessmen willing to support the team and together they formed the famed Hungry Five.
The Hungry Five (Earl Curly Lambeau, Andrew B. Turnbull, Gerald Francis Clifford, Dr. W. Webber Kelly and Lee Joannes) established the Green Bay Football Corporation which was used to raise funds for the team, sell stocks and invest, essentially saving the team. The Hungry Five made the Packers a community-owned non-profit organization which it is until today, making it the only NFL team with that structure; there are over half a million stock-holders nowadays!
Turnbull served as the first club president and he also published the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Joannes followed him as president and did a lot of magic during the Great Depression to keep the club afloat.
Kelly was also the president at one point, as well as being the team physician, while Clifford was part of the Executive Committee. Curly was everything, including a player and coach, along with being the only one from the Hungry Five to be paid a salary.
The Hungry Five was likely coined in reference to the five men “begging” for money to keep their team in the league. Despite its derogatory tone, the term now denotes the dedication and love these five men had for their team which is unmatched in the history of the NFL.
Home Fields
The Green Bay Packers might have never left their first home, unlike other NFL teams, but they did change stadiums a lot.
The Pack played their first two NFL seasons at Hagemeister Park, but the stadium was torn down in 1923, so the team had to move to Bellevue Park where they played in 1923 and 1924. When the Packers became more popular, they decided to move to City Park as it had better facilities and location. City Park was their home field between 1925 and 1956.
The Green Bay Packers would sometimes also play at other stadiums during this period. For example, they would play a few home games every season at Marquette Stadium in Milwaukee, as well as Milwaukee County Stadium and Wisconsin State Fair Park.
After suffering from success, the Pack decided to move yet again, this time at their very own stadium built for that purpose. The stadium bared the name City Stadium, replacing the original City Stadium as their new home field. The stadium was opened in 1957 and it continues to be the Packers’ home ground.
In 1965, after the passing of founder Curly Lambeau, it was decided that the stadium would be renamed to Lambeau Stadium in his honor.
Awards
The Green Bay Packers are among the most successful NFL teams in terms of titles. They won their first NFL championship title undefeated in 1929 under the leadership of Curly. The Pack went on to repeat this in 1930 and 1931.
As a result of this impressive feat, the team recorded 32 consecutive wins which is yet to be bested in the NFL. Some of the notable players of that era include Arnie Herbet, Mike Michalske, Cal Hubbard and Johnny McNally.
The team continued to reap success, but it arguably reached its peak under the helm of Vince Lombardi. Lombardi became the head coach and manager in 1959 and he led his team to seven championship wins. Under him, the Packers became the first NFL team to win the newly-created Super Bowl and the first team to win it twice in a row. Lombardi spent only 8 years at Green Bay, but what eight years!
Some of the best players under the Lombardi’s Pack include Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr, Carroll Dale, Willie Davis and Dave Robinson.
Overall, the Green Bay Packers have won 13 NFL championships (pre-1970 merger), 4 Super Bowls, 9 Conference championships, and 26 Division championships.
Hall of Famers
Here is a list of all Green Bay Packers (players and staff) inducted in the Football Hall of Fame (by date of induction):
- Earl “Curly” Lambeau
- Johnny “Blood” McNally
- Cal Hubbard
- Don Hutson
- Mike Michalaske
- Clarke Hinkle
- Vince Lombardi
- Arnie Herber
- Tony Canadeo
- Jim Taylor
- Forrest Gregg
- Bart Starr
- Ray Nitschke
- Herb Adderley
- Willie Davis
- Jim Ringo
- Paul Hornung
- Willie Wood
- Ted Hendricks
- Henry Jordan
- James Lofton
- Reggie White
- Dave Robinson
- Ron Wolf
- Jerry Kramer
- Bobby Dillon
- Charles Woodson
- LeRoy Butler
