Records & History - NFL.com

DON HUTSONCOMMUNITYADMIN. &COACHESVETERANSDRAFT &FREE AGENTS2012 REVIEWHUTSONLAMBEAUFIELDMISC.Credited with inventing pass patterns, Don Hutson wasn’tjust the best receiver of his era, he’s on the short list for greatestreceiver of all time and is arguably the most outstanding player inGreen Bay Packers history.After a collegiate career at Alabama, Hutson came to the Packersin 1935 and began what would be an 11-season career. In that span,Hutson caught 99 touchdown passes, which was an NFL recorduntil Steve Largent caught his 100th TD in 1989.But if many of the 18 NFL records Hutson held at the time of hisretirement have been rewritten since, over 60 years after he hungup his cleats and more than 40 years following his induction intothe Pro Football Hall of Fame, several of his NFL-leading standardsremain intact.Hutson led the league in receptions eight times, including fiveconsecutive seasons (1936-37, 1939, 1941-45). He led the leaguein receiving yards seven times, including four consecutive seasons(1936, 1938-39, 1941-44). He led the league in touchdown receptionsnine times, including five consecutive seasons (1935-38,1940-44). All of those achievements remain NFL records.Meanwhile, Hutson’s four 200-yard receivinggames are second only to Lance Alworth’s five.And Hutson’s two 200-yard games in one season,accomplished in 1942, is an achievement betteredby only Charley Hennigan (three in 1961).In terms of the Packers’ record book, Hutsonnot only holds the standard for receptions in a game(14, against the New York Giants, Nov. 22, 1942),he’s also runner-up on that list (13, against theCleveland Rams, Oct. 18, 1942).And Hutson’s four-touchdown receiving effortagainst the Detroit Lions, Oct. 7, 1945, is a feattwice matched by Sterling Sharpe, but never bettered.Nor is any Packers player close to Hutson’scollection of six three-touchdown receiving games.Hutson, who also kicked seven career field goalsand 172 extra points, even remained the Packers’all-time leader with 823 points until Ryan Longwellsurpassed him in 2003.SDONALD MONTGOMERY HUTSONtanding 6-foot-1 and weighing 183 pounds,Hutson twice earned the NFL’s Joe F. CarrTrophy as its most outstanding player, doingso in 1941 and 1942 (The Associated Press MVPaward didn’t come into existence until 1957).Hutson was a consensus All-Pro five times (1939,1941-44).But he wasn’t just an offensive player. In additionto his receiving and kicking duties, like mostplayers of that era Hutson also played defense.A member of three NFL title teams (1936, 1939,1944) in the first half of his career, Hutson wasa favorite target of Arnie Herber, who was takingCurly Lambeau’s passing game to new heights.Cecil Isbell and Irv Comp also enjoyed seasonsthrowing to Hutson.But Hutson was dangerously close to spending his career awayfrom the pass-happy Packers. Coming out of Alabama, Hutsonactually agreed to contracts both with the Packers and the BrooklynDodgers, a run-oriented club. Both teams claimed Hutson as theirown, but NFL President Joe Carr awarded Hutson to the Packers on520the grounds that theircontract with the speedyreceiver was postmarked17 minutes earlier.As a rookie, Hutsonreceived a weekly gamecheck of $300. GreenBay had only two banksat the time, and with thenation hit hard by theGreat Depression, bothbanks had to write him aweekly check of $150 tocover the salary.It didn’t take longfor Hutson to make animpact. Making his firststart in the second gameof his career, Hutson’sHUTSON AT A GLANCE• Changed the course of Packers history and, arguably,carried more influence than any playeron how professional football is played.• After seven weeks of dogged persistence, CurlyLambeau finally got the All-America receiverfrom Alabama to sign with Green Bay (one yearbefore the first NFL Draft). However, Hutsonalso signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers, andboth contracts were filed at the office of NFLPresident Joe Carr.• Carr settled the hairy dispute with commonsense. He awarded Hutson to the Packersbecause their contract had an earlier postmark.Without that providential decision, Green Bay’shistory would read much differently.• Regarded as the greatest player of the 20thcentury by several experts, he owned worldclassspeed (9.5 in the 100-yard dash).• George Halas devised several defensesspecifically to corral Hutson. Halas generallyconceded Hutson two touchdowns per game.• Over 60 years after his retirement, still holds10 NFL records: most seasons leading leaguein scoring (5); most points in one quarter (29);most seasons leading league in overall TDs(8); most consecutive seasons leading leaguein overall TDs (4, twice); most seasons leadingleague in receptions (8); most consecutiveseasons leading league in receptions (5); mostseasons leading league in receiving yards (7);most consecutive seasons leading league in receivingyards (4); most seasons leading leaguein receiving TDs (9); and most consecutiveseasons leading league in receiving TDs (5).first career reception went foran 83-yard touchdown fromHerber on the first play ofthe game in a 7-0 win overthe Chicago Bears (Sept. 22,1935).Hutson’s legacy was preservedover a series of events.First, in 1951, Hutson’s uniformnumber 14 became thefirst to be officially retired bythe Packers. In 1970, Hutsonwas named to the NFL’s All-50-Year Team. And in 1994,he was named to the NFL’sAll-Time Two-Way Team and75th Anniversary Team.Also in 1994, the Packersdedicated their state-of-theartindoor practice facilityin Hutson’s name (July 18,1994). Hutson was on handfor the dedication of the $4.7million facility that includes 70- and 60-yard fields with 10-yardend zones.Donald Montgomery Hutson, born Jan. 31, 1913, in Pine Bluff,Ark., died June 26, 1997, at the age of 84.DON HUTSON’S PRO STATISTICS RECEIVING RUSHING INTERCEPTIONS TotalYear Team GP No Yds Avg LG TD No Yds Avg TD No Yds TD TD1935 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . . .9 18 420 23.3 83t *6 6 22 3.7 0 - - 0 *71936 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .12 *34 *536 15.8 58t *8 1 -3 -3.0 0 - - 0 *91937 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .11 *41 552 13.5 78t *7 14 26 1.9 0 - - 0 *71938 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .10 32 *548 17.1 54 *9 3 -1 -0.3 0 - - 0 *91939 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .11 *34 *846 24.9 92t 6 5 26 5.2 0 - - 0 61940 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .11 45 664 14.8 36t *7 0 0 0.0 0 *6 24 0 71941 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .11 *58 *738 12.7 45t *10 4 22 5.5 2 1 32 0 *121942 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .11 *74 *1,211 16.4 73t *17 3 4 1.3 0 7 71 0 *171943 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .10 *47 *776 16.5 79t *11 6 41 6.8 0 8 *197 1 *121944 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .10 *58 *866 14.9 55t *9 12 87 7.3 0 4 50 0 *91945 Green Bay. . . . . . . . . .10 *47 834 17.7 75t 9 8 60 7.5 1 4 15 0 10Totals (11 years). . . . . . . 116 488 7,991 16.4 92t 99 62 284 4.6 3 30 389 1 105*Led NFLCompleted 1 of 11 passes (9.1 percent) for 38 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT; Returned 5 kickoffs for 45 yards; Scored 823 points (including 7for 17 on FG attempts and 172 for 183 on PAT attempts).