The Green Bay Packers received a holiday gift when the Seattle Seahawks released defensive lineman Damon “Snacks” Harrison on Monday. The Packers claimed Harrison on waivers on Wednesday. Harrison was a player who the Packers have coveted for a while now.
The Packers wanted to bring in Harrison earlier this year, but he visited Seattle first and signed with the Seahawks. In six games, Harrison had nine tackles and forced a fumble for Seattle. But after not being active against the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, Harrison asked for and was given his release.
So why did Green Bay want the 6’3″, 350-pound Harrison? Because there are few defensive linemen who stop the run better than Snacks. Pro Football Focus did a piece on Harrison a year ago which described Snacks as an immovable force.
Although the Packers did a decent job of holding down the production of running back Derrick Henry last Sunday night when the Packers beat the Tennessee Titans 40-14, the run defense of the Packers is still the biggest weakness on that side of the ball. The Packers are currently ranked 14th in the NFL in stopping the run. In addition to that, the Pack is giving up 4.6 yards per carry to opposing running backs.
The Packers have also given up 15 rushing touchdowns, nine rushes of 20 yards or more and three rushes of 40 yards or more.
Harrison is now in Green Bay and will be practicing today, according to Olivia Reiner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Packers was quoted as saying, “He’ll be at practice today. He will potentially be suiting up Sunday, we’ll see.”
Plus, Matt Schneidman of TheAthletic.com quotes LaFleur saying this about Harrison, “Hopefully he can get acclimated pretty quickly. What we’ve seen and what we’ve heard is he’s a pretty intelligent guy. “I think he can give us a lot in terms of playing the nose.”
Time will tell whether of not Harrison will be able to play for the Packers in the final regular season game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday due to COVID-19 protocol, but Snacks will certainly be a welcome sight in the postseason.
All the Packers need to do is remember last year’s postseason. The Packers gave up 285 yards on the ground in the 2019 NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers. Plus, in the three losses that the Packers have suffered in 2020, the defense allowed an average of 157 yards per game on the ground.
You can beat the Packers by keeping Aaron Rodgers and company off the field. Running the ball and controlling the clock makes that easier.
By beating da Bears on Sunday, the Packers will assure themselves of a first round bye and homefield advantage in the NFC playoffs. And having Harrison on the defensive line on early downs will be a huge asset in the postseason. The run defense will be much improved with both Harrison and Kenny Clark on the defensive line.
Plus, the Packers have seen an improvement at the production at inside linebacker in stopping the run with the play of two rookies, Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin. The shoulder injury to Christian Kirksey in Week 3 have allowed the Packers to see what their talented rookies can do at inside linebacker.
They are also seeing better run defense on the edge with the play of Za’Darius Smith and Rashan Gary, who has seen his playing time increase at the expense of Preston Smith.
The play of safety Adrian Amos has also been a key in helping the Packers get better in run defense.
But when you can add a player like Harrison of your defensive line, especially on early downs, you have provided the defense with an anchor that is almost impossible to move.
By adding a player like Harrison to team with Clark, it reminds me of the 2010 season, when the Packers added Howard Green to their roster to team with B.J. Raji about midway through that season. That move definitely helped out the run defense for the Packers, plus it was Green who forced quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers into a poor throw in Super Bowl XLV, which led to a pick-6 by safety Nick Collins. The Packers ended up beating the Steelers 31-25 in that Super Bowl, as Rodgers was the MVP.
By adding a player like Harrison, the road to Super Bowl LV in Tampa just got a bit easier, as Rodgers will be able to be on the field more often than not in the NFC playoffs.
Going into their game today against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the Wisconsin Badgers have a record of 16-15 in bowl games. The bowl berth for the Badgers is their 19th straight, which is the longest current streak among Big Ten teams.
The Badgers are 4-1 in bowl games under head coach Paul Chryst. The only loss coming in the Rose Bowl last season.
Wake Forest is 9-5 in their bowl history and will be playing in their fifth straight bowl game.
Speaking of history, the calling card of the Badgers has always been their running game. Names like Alan Ameche, Ron Dayne, Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon and Jonathan Taylor come to mind. All of those backs have had big bowl games as well.
Probably the most famous back to ever come out of Wake Forest was Brian Piccolo. In his senior year in 1964, Piccolo rushed for 1,044 yards and scored 15 rushing touchdowns. Piccolo also caught two touchdown passes.
In terms of the game today between the Badgers and the Demon Deacons, I’m passing along the preview of the game by NFL scout Chris Landry.
The Wisconsin Badgers will head on the road to Charlotte, North Carolina for a battle versus the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30.
Both teams had three games canceled due to coronavirus concerns. Wisconsin (3-3) needs a win to avoid its first losing season since 2001. On the other hand, Wake Forest will be playing just its third game since the end of October. Under head coach Paul Chryst, the Badgers are 4-1 in bowl games with their lone loss coming last year in the Rose Bowl against Oregon. Meanwhile, Wake Forest will be playing in its fifth consecutive bowl game under head coach Dave Clawson.
Can Wake Forest close out the season with a bowl game win over Wisconsin on Wednesday ?
Wisconsin vs Wake Forest: Duke’s Mayo Bowl Broadcast Date: Wednesday, December 30 Game Time: 12:00 ET Venue: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC Network: ESPN
In mid-November, both Wake Forest and Wisconsin had lofty bowl expectations. The Demon Deacons were 4-2 and had won four straight games. Midway through the third quarter of their game against North Carolina on Nov. 14, Wake held a 21-point lead. But at that point, things fell apart. The Tar Heels came back and won, then a couple of games in future weeks were lost due to COVID-19 issues, and four weeks after the Carolina loss, Dave Clawson’s unit fell to Louisville.
On that same Nov. 14, Wisconsin established itself as the Big Ten team most likely to challenge Ohio State. The Badgers had squashed Illinois in their season opener and after their own COVID-19 outbreak, destroyed Michigan to improve to 2-0. But three straight losses followed and Wisconsin fell out of the Big Ten West race. The skids by both Wake Forest and Wisconsin set up this Duke’s Mayo Bowl matchup.
Wisconsin has played football since 1892 and Wake Forest since 1888, but this will be the first time the two programs have ever met.
The Badgers enter this bowl game with question marks at quarterback. Wisconsin closed out the regular season with a 20-17 overtime victory at home against the Minnesota Golden Gophers to snap a three-game slide. Graham Mertz completed 12 of 20 passes for 132 yards while Garrett Groshek rushed for 154 yards and a score to help the Badgers finish the regular season with a 3-3 overall record.
Garrett Groshek
The Badgers got a little bit of bad news over the weekend, as quarterback Jack Coan entered the NCAA transfer portal. Coan entered the season as the presumed starter after making 18 starts between the 2018 and 2019 seasons but battled through an injured-riddled 2020 campaign. Coan threw for 2,717 yards with 18 touchdowns and only five interceptions as a junior while completing 69.6 percent of his passes. The 6-foot-3 senior injured his right foot during preseason practice and underwent surgery. He dressed for Wisconsin’s final three games but did not play a single down.
Coan was replaced by redshirt freshman Graham Mertz, who started each of Wisconsin’s six games. Mertz threw for 1,108 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions before getting hurt in the finale against the Golden Gophers. Sophomore Chase Wolf came in and completed 4-of-5 passes for 15 yards with one touchdown and one interception in relief of Mertz, who suffered an upper-body injury and did not return.
Defense has been the Badgers’ calling card this season. Wisconsin ranks among the nation leaders in scoring defense, total defense, and rushing defense this season. The Badgers have surrendered just 15.7 points (6th in FBS) and a nation-leading 263.5 yards of total offense per game. Opponents have also managed just 93.7 rushing yards per contest versus the Badgers’ defense, which ranks sixth in the country.
Wake Forest hoping to shake off rust following long layoff. Wake Forest had its final ACC regular-season game canceled due to coronavirus concerns on the Florida Seminoles roster. The last time the Demon Deacons took the field, they were throttled in a 45-21 loss on the road against Louisville. Wake Forest enters the Duke’s Mayo Bowl riding a two-game losing streak.
The Demon Deacons’ offense is led by quarterback Sam Hartman, who is hoping to cap off a strong sophomore campaign. The redshirt sophomore has thrown for 1,906 yards with 10 touchdowns and only one interceptions this season while adding two more scores on the ground. Hartman didn’t throw a pick until the final game of the regular season and only lost two games by double-digits. The 6-foot-1 sophomore leads an offense that is scoring 37.0 points and averaging 435.3 yards of total offense per game.
Getting stops on defense has been an entirely different challenge for the Demon Deacons, who had an up-and-down campaign on that side of the ball in 2020. Wake Forest surrendered 31.6 points per game and 456.9 yards of total offense per contest. The Demon Deacons were particularly vulnerable on the ground, allowing 191 rushing yards per game, which ranks 92nd in the country. The front-seven will be tested in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against a Badgers’ offense that ranks 59th in the country with 171.7 rushing yards per contest.
Wisconsin’s offense has been injured, inept, and inconsistent after an amazing start, but the defense is No. 1 in the nation overall, No. 1 on third downs, and the team is No. 1 in time of possession.
Wake Forest has a fun, creative attack that doesn’t care a lick about controlling the clock, moves quickly, and doesn’t get a whole lot out of the lines.
The two teams know how to do bowl games right. Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson is 3-1 in bowls with the program, only losing last year in a good fight against Michigan State in the Pinstripe.
Wisconsin lost to Justin Herbert and Oregon in a thriller of a Rose Bowl last season, but head coach Paul Chryst is 4-1 with the Badgers in bowls.
The quarterbacks are going to be the story. Wisconsin doesn’t have an elite running back, but Graham Mertz is the highest-ranked quarterback recruit in the program’s history. He’s working through the rough patches of a tough season – the receiving corps has been leveled by injuries – but he’s a talent. Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman is a fun veteran who threw ten touchdown passes and just one interception.
Wisconsin’s offense hasn’t been anything special, and it certainly isn’t the dominant force it’s been over the last two-plus decades when it comes to running the ball, but there are still parts that work like they’re supposed to. Converting on third downs has been like pulling teeth, but the pace and tempo are still at Wisconsin’s level – the team dominates the time of possession battle, keeping the ball for a nation’s high 36:45 per game. Wake Forest will never seem like it has the offense on the field – it averages just over 28 minutes in the time of possession battle.
The Wisconsin offense really hasn’t been anything special, but the Wake Forest defense could be the cure for that. The Demon Deacon secondary has been toasted for most of the year, and the D as a whole can’t come up with stops. It’s bad on third downs, awful against the run, and it’s too easy to power on the front line. The Badger passing game – even without a slew of top receives – should be able to move the chains.
The Badger D really is that good. It hasn’t seen any help from the offensive side for stretches, but it has yet to allow more than 340 yards, hasn’t given up 150 yards on the ground, and it’s a brick wall on third downs, allowing a nation-fewest 25% conversion rate. The Wake Forest offense can move, but the O line gives up way too many plays behind the line. The Badgers don’t have a high-end pass rush, but they’ll have their moments.
Wake Forest takes the ball away, and Wisconsin gives the ball away. The Demon Deacons might not do much defensively, but they’re great at forcing mistakes with 16 takeaways on the year, a +13 turnover margin, and three or more takeaways in four games. It’s this simple – Wake Forest is 4-0 when it comes up multiple takeaways, and 0-4 when it doesn’t. Wisconsin is 0-3 when turning the ball over multiple times, and 3-0 when it doesn’t.
Graham Mertz will hit a few third down throws, but with a banged up receiving corps, there aren’t enough big things happening down the field for a passing game averaging fewer than 200 yards per game. On the flip side, Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman- who has thrown ten touchdown passes and just one pick – has to get and stay hot.
The Demon Deacons can’t power the ball, and they don’t own the ball and the time of possession, but they don’t get hit with a lot of penalties – that’s a Badger thing. They always score in the red zone, the special teams are fine, and again, they own the turnover battle. Wisconsin isn’t good enough to not win all the relatively unnoticed stats.
When Wake Forest Has the Ball
For much of the season, the Demon Deacons had a two-headed monster at running back. The combination of Kenneth Walker III and Christian Beal-Smith had combined for more than 1,200 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. But 13 of those scores came from Walker, who decided to opt out before the final regular-season game against Louisville. That leaves the running up to Beal-Smith, who had a solid season before being held in check by the Cardinals. Freshman Justice Ellison was RB2 in the Louisville game and will be on Wednesday as well.
The biggest surprise in the final regular-season game was how the Cardinals disrupted Wake quarterback Sam Hartman. After an efficient 2020 campaign that included no interceptions in the first seven games, Hartman completed only 41.5 percent of his passes versus Louisville and he threw his first interception. Per usual, his primary option was Jaquarii Roberson, who caught nine balls for 138 yards and a touchdown. Second-leading receiver Donavon Green missed the Louisville game with an injury but is expected to be ready for the bowl game.
Jim Leonhard
Wisconsin’s struggles this fall were not the result of the team’s defense. Coordinator Jim Leonhard’s crew finished atop the Big Ten in both rushing and passing defense after the regular season while giving up just 15.7 points per game. Iowa posted 338 yards of total offense in their 28-7 victory over the Badgers, which is the most the Badgers have given up to this point. Corner Rachad Wildgoose has opted out of the bowl game, but he only played two games this year and was battling a shoulder problem, so his departure should not be a major issue. The unit is led by Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn, two linebackers that each have been credited with 41 tackles through six games.
When Wisconsin Has the Ball
If Wisconsin had the Big Ten’s best defense and still finished 3-3, you know there were problems on offense. The Badgers scored 45 points in their opener against Illinois and followed that up with 49 versus Michigan, but managed a total of 40 points in their four other games. Quarterback Graham Mertz started off red hot with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in the first two games but the redshirt freshman has struggled mightily (TD, 5 INTs) since.
Needless to say, it’s not all Mertz’s fault. For the first time in what seems like forever, there is no bell-cow running back in Madison. Jalen Berger leads the team with 267 rushing yards and though he is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, he has just one touchdown. Also, there aren’t many dangerous threats out wide. Jake Ferguson and Jack Dunn caught 29 and 22 passes respectively, but neither averaged more than 9.4 yards per catch. Wisconsin has long been known for its dominant offensive line and while this is a fairly veteran unit, it is a group that still has something to prove.
The good news for the Badgers’ front is that they won’t have to deal with defensive end Carlos “Boogie” Basham Jr., as the Wake star has decided to skip the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft. So the two players to watch on the Demon Deacons’ defense are senior linebacker Ja’Cquez Williams and freshman safety Nick Anderson. Williams leads the team in tackles while Anderson is second in that department and had three interceptions (all in one game). Overall, this was a unit that finished the regular season ranked 13th in the ACC in total defense and had difficulties stopping both the run and the pass at times.
Team Trends
Wisconsin Badgers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS loss. Badgers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall. Badgers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. Demon Deacons are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game. Demon Deacons are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games as an underdog.
Wisconsin has some question marks at quarterback heading into the Dukes’ Mayo Bowl. Mertz is dealing with an upper-body injury and there has been no official word on his status for the contest. Since returning from a battle with COVID-19, the redshirt freshman has thrown for only three touchdowns and five interceptions. Meanwhile, Wolf has compiled six total D-I pass attempts, so it’s going to be tough to know what we’re getting from the Badgers’ offense in this game. Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman has been one of the nation’s most underrated signal callers this season, which should give Wake Forest the edge under center. Expect Wake Forest to stack the box and take the Demon Deacons to cover the spread in this postseason matchup on Wednesday.
Both Aaron Rodgers of the 11-3 Green Bay Packers and Patrick Mahomes of the 13-1 Kansas City Chiefs are having tremendous success in the 2020 NFL season. Both were named as starters in the 2021 Pro Bowl, plus both are the obvious frontrunners to become NFL MVP in 2020.
Rodgers has won that award twice, in both 2011 and 2014, while Mahomes won it in 2019. Both Rodgers and Mahomes have also won a Super Bowl and both were named the MVP of that game.
In his short four-year career in the NFL, Mahomes has the highest passer rating in the history of the NFL with a 109.4 mark. Over that time, Mahomes has thrown 112 touchdown passes compared to just 23 interceptions for 13,874 yards.
Meanwhile, Rodgers, who is in his 16th NFL season, has the second highest passer rating in NFL history with a 103.5 mark. Rodgers, who didn’t start at quarterback until his fourth year in the NFL, as he was backing up Brett Favre for three years, has thrown 404 career touchdown passes versus just 88 picks for 50,774 yards.
In 2020, although it’s not a given, it appears that either Rodgers or Mahomes will get another NFL MVP. A dark horse for the award is running back Derrick Henry, who has rushed for 1,679 and 15 touchdowns in 14 games for the 10-4 Tennessee Titans. The Packers and Titans will play Sunday night at Lambeau Field.
So far in 2020, Rodgers has been magnificent. In 14 games, No. 12 had thrown 40 touchdown passes compared to just four interceptions for 3,828 yards. That adds up to a NFL-leading 118.0 passer rating.
Mahomes has been fabulous as well. In 14 games, No. 15 has thrown 36 touchdown passes versus just 5 picks for 4,462 yards. That adds up to a passer rating of 110.6.
Rodgers has completed 52 passes of 20 yards or more and 13 passes of 40 yards or more.
Mahomes has completed 63 passes of 20 yards of more and eight passes of 40 yards or more.
Rodgers, who is 37, has rushed for 126 yards in 2020 and scored three touchdowns
Mahomes, who is 25, has rushed for 287 yards in 2020 and two scores.
Rodgers has four offensive teammates who were also named to the 2021 Pro Bowl team. They are running back Aaron Jones, wide receiver Davante Adams, left tackle David Bakhtiari and left guard/center Elgton Jenkins.
Mahomes has three offensive teammates who were named to the 2021 Pro Bowl team. They are wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tight end Travis Kelce and left tackle Eric Fisher.
The Packers finish out the season by hosting the Titans at Lambeau Field and then finish the season versus da Bears in Chicago at Soldier Field.
The Chiefs finish out the season by hosting the Atlanta Falcons and the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.
Both the Packers and the Chiefs are currently the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences and that is a big factor, as only the top seed in both the NFC and AFC will get a bye.
Speaking of the postseason, Mahomes has the highest passer rating in postseason history, with a 106.6 mark. Right behind Mahomes is Bart Starr of the Packers with a 104.8 mark. Rodgers is fifth all time in the postseason with a mark of 100.0.
It would be apropos, if both Rodgers and Mahomes would meet in Super Bowl LV in Tampa, which is the 54th Super Bowl since the original Super Bowl in which the Packers and Chiefs met in 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
If that happens, odds are that the 2020 NFL MVP will be facing the runner-up for that honor in that game. Plus, the odds also favor that Rodgers would be the MVP of Super Bowl LV if the Packers won or that Mahomes would be MVP of Super Bowl LV if the Chiefs win.
There is no doubt in my mind that both defensive back Charles Woodson and quarterback Peyton Manning are locks to become part of the Class of 2021 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s very apropos, as they both came into the NFL together in 1998. Plus, it came down to those two as to who would win the 1997 Heisman Trophy. And it was Woodson who won the biggest individual award in college football, even though he predominantly played defense.
Both Woodson and Manning are in their first year of eligibility in terms of being inducted in Canton. So are wide receiver Calvin Johnson and defensive end Jared Allen. I believe Johnson has a good chance to get in as well in 2021, but he is not a lock like Woodson and Manning are in my opinion. I also think Allen will eventually get in, but not in 2021.
Woodson and Manning are part of a group of 25 semifinalists vying for a spot among the best of the best. The other players being considered are cornerback Eric Allen, offensive tackle Willie Anderson, cornerback Ronde Barber, linebacker Cornelius Bennett, tackle Tony Boselli, safety LeRoy Butler, guard Alan Faneca, safety Rodney Harrison, wide receiver Torry Holt, safety John Lynch, linebacker Clay Matthews Jr., linebacker Sam Mills, defensive lineman Richard Seymour, wide receiver/special-teamer Steve Tasker, running back Fred Taylor, linebacker Zach Thomas, wide receiver Hines Ward, wide receiver Reggie Wayne, linebacker Patrick Willis, safety Darren Woodson and defensive tackle Bryant Young.
This group of 25 will be pared down to 15 finalists in the near future. As many as five of these players will be named to the Class of 2021 the Saturday before Super Bowl LV in Tampa. Again, I believe two of the spots will definitely be manned by Woodson and Manning. That means three spots open for the modern era.
I’ll be promoting the causes of both Butler and Matthews.
There are three other finalists. Tom Flores is a finalist from the Hall coach’s committee, Bill Nunn is a finalist as a contributor, and Drew Pearson is a finalist from the seniors committee. If all three make it in, there will be eight members of the Class of 2021.
Woodson played 18 years in the NFL. The former Michigan Wolverine played 11 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and seven with the Green Bay Packers. But there is no doubt that the years Woodson spent in Titletown were the best years of his career.
For example, Woodson played in 154 games with the Raiders and picked off 27 passes for 398 yards and two touchdowns. Now compare that to his time in Green Bay. Woodson only played in 100 games with the Packers, but picked off 38 passes for 568 yards and nine touchdowns.
How about passes defensed? Woodson defended 84 passes in 11 years in Oakland and defended 99 in seven years in Green Bay.
Like Butler was in Green Bay before him, Woodson was also a very effective blitzer. In Oakland in 11 seasons, Woodson had 8.5 sacks. In Green Bay in just seven seasons, Woodson had 11.5.
You could go on and on looking at the other stats as well. Woodson forced 18 fumbles in Oakland, while in four fewer years in Green Bay, he forced 15. Woodson also recovered 12 fumbles (one for a touchdown) in Oakland and six (one for a touchdown) in Green Bay.
Plus there are the awards.
In Oakland, Woodson was named 1998 NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. Woodson was also on the 1998 NFL All-Rookie Team. He was also named First-Team All-Pro in 1999. In addition, Woodson went to five Pro Bowls with the Raiders in 11 years.
In Green Bay, Woodson was named 2009 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named First-Team All-Pro twice (2009 & 2011). Woodson also went to four Pro Bowls with the Packers in seven years.
Woodson was honored for his play with both the Raiders and Packers by being named to NFL All-Decade Team of 2000s.
Woodson played in two Super Bowls.
Woodson lost in his first Super Bowl when he was with the Raiders, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Raiders 48-21 in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Woodson won in his second try in the Big Dance when he was with the Packers, as Green Bay beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV.
Woodson wore No. 24 with the Raiders and No. 21 with the Packers.
The bottom line is that Woodson had a magnificent 18-year career in the NFL.
The stats don’t lie. 65 career interceptions for 966 yards. 11 of those picks were returned for a touchdown. 183 career passes defensed. 33 career forced fumbles. 18 career fumble recoveries (two for touchdowns). 20 career sacks. 1,220 career tackles.
Plus, Woodson was named to nine Pro Bowls squads. Not to mention, being named First-Team All-Pro three times. Or being named the 1998 NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. And finally being named 2009 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year.
Woodson also was a Super Bowl winner, even though he only was able to play for less than half of that game due to a broken clavicle.
Reggie White will always be remembered in the City Of Brotherly Love for what he did in his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. But it was his six years in Green Bay which elevated his standing in the NFL, as he was finally able to win a Super Bowl.
The same thing can be said about Charles Woodson. The years he spent in Oakland, both prior to and after his time in Green Bay were great. But Woodson’s seven-year career with the Packers is what truly lifted up his status in the NFL as being one of the very best players who ever played in the league.
It was also in Green Bay when Woodson did another type of lifting, as the soon to be Hall of Famer was able to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy after his team was victorious in Super Bowl XLV.
Woodson would become the 27th member of the Green Bay Packers to have a bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The most recent member of the Packers to get one was Bobby Dillon, when he was inducted in 2020. Two years before that, in 2018, I was honored to be in attendance in Canton when Jerry Kramer was enshrined.
The Green Bay Packers of the 1960s under head coach Vince Lombardi always seemed to have a great set of linebackers on the field. Under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Phil Bengtson, the linebackers for the Packers were always good, no matter who they were. Just take a look…
Ray Nitschke was named to one Pro Bowl squad and was a two-time First-Team All-Pro. Also named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1960s. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
Dan Currie was named to one Pro Bowl squad and was a First-Team All-Pro once.
Bill Forester was named to four Pro Bowl squads and was a three-time First-Team All-Pro.
Dave Robinson was named to three Pro Bowl squads and was a First-Team All-Pro once. Also named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 1960s. Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
Lee Roy Caffey was named to one Pro Bowl squad and was a First-Team All-Pro once.
There was another linebacker who played for the Packers for just a brief period who had the potential to be as good, if not better, than any of the linebackers named above.
I’m talking about Nelson Toburen. The Packers selected Toburen in 14th round in the 1961 NFL draft out of the University of Wichita. The draft took place a month after super scout Jack Vainisi had passed away. In the ’61 draft, the Packers also selected Herb Adderley in Round 1, plus also selected Ron Kostelnik in the second round, Lee Folkins in the fifth round and Elijah Pitts in the 13th round.
Another rookie made the team in 1961 as well. I’m talking about defensive lineman Ben Davidson, who Lombardi had acquired from the New York Giants. The G-Men had selected Davidson in the fourth round of the ’61 NFL draft.
That’s six rookies who made the first team which won a NFL title for Lombardi in 1961.
I had a chance to talk with Toburen earlier this week and I asked him about his expectations regarding the NFL draft.
“Bob, I had no concept about playing pro football,” Toburen said. “Nobody contacted you prior to the draft like they do now. I was told by the coach that I had been drafted.”
Like a lot of players back in college football then, Toburen played both ways. He was both an offensive end and a defensive end. But Toburen knew what side of the ball he would be playing in the NFL.
“There was absolutely no question that I was going to play defense in my own mind and I’m sure in theirs too,” Toburen said. “That was my forte.”
In the 1961 season, the year the Packers became Titletown, Toburen played in all 14 games and was a special teams demon.
Before the 1962 season started, Toburen went face to face across the desk with Coach Lombardi (who was also general manager) to talk about his contract for 1962.
“You were just totally at Lombardi’s mercy,” Toburen said. “We had no power. What he said was it. The only time I ever negotiated with him was after my rookie season. I kept telling him that I wanted to make five figures. Which was $10,000. Coach just grinned and said I’m giving you a big increase, which was from $7,500 to $9,000.
“From a percentage-wise outlook, that was a nice raise. But finally he agreed that if I started or played so many minutes that I would get a bonus of $1,000 which would take me to $10,000.”
In the 1962 season, the 6’3″, 235-pound Toburen was a terror on special teams for the Packers again and finally got a chance to start in Week 10 of the season when Currie couldn’t play. It was an exciting time for Toburen and his family.
“My wife was with all the Packer wives who got all dressed up with their high heels and fancy clothes for that game,” Toburen said. “My dad took his first airplane flight in his lifetime from Denver to Green Bay for that game. Plus, dad was on the sidelines, as Vince made sure he got him a sideline pass for the game.”
But all of that excitement and happiness turned into a very scary moment for Toburen and his family in the game against the Baltimore Colts and quarterback Johnny Unitas.
The Packers were undefeated going into the game against the Colts and were fortunate to get a win in the first game (and last game) that Toburen ever started. The Packers won 17-13, even though the team only had 116 total yards. Special teams and defense were the reason the Packers won that day. Adderley returned a kickoff for 103 yards for a score, plus picked off a pass. Toburen also caused a Unitas fumble on what turned out to be the last play of his NFL career.
Toburen talked to me about that play.
“I tell people the story about my career that has been told multiple times was not about my playing football, but about my injury,” Toburen said. “I believe it was mid-4th quarter and it was a close game. The Colts were across the 50 and Unitas went back to pass and then started to run. I’m thinking to myself that we have to stop this guy.
“I set out to make Unitas fumble. I was in the flat and Nitschke was more in the center of the field when Unitas started running. Quarterbacks in those days didn’t slide and I got to Unitas well ahead of Nitschke and I hit him hard enough to cause him to fumble, which Nitschke recovered.
“But at that moment, I was done. I just dropped to the ground and my arms were on fire. I hurt like nothing I could ever explain. Obviously the brachial plexus area, the nerves that run up to your neck were being pinched. So the trainer came out and saw me and said, ‘Pinch nerve, get him up.’
“But about that time, Dr. James Nellen arrived. I was conscious all this time. And Nellen said, ‘No, no no. Don’t touch him.’ So Dr. Nellen asked me what was going on and he held my head in what was a traction position. And that relieved the pain in my arms somewhat. Back then, they just had the old Army stretcher in those days, the two sticks with canvass, so they put me on the stretcher.
“They might have given me some pain medication. I can’t remember how they got that helmet off of me. I don’t remember that stuff. Maybe I passed out. I just have a vague memory of Dr. Nellen holding my head all the way to the hospital. They finally got me in traction in that same position to relieve that pain. They spent two or three days trying to figure out what happened. I was told later that they were trying to get an X-ray, but they needed to get in from the side, but my shoulder bones were in the way.
“The injury was in the fifth and sixth cervical vertebrae of my neck. Dr. Nellen told me later that that the fifth fractured in half and the sixth moved completely out of position. The only reason that my spinal cord wasn’t cut was because the break came out at an angle. That saved my bacon. And Dr. Nellen did as well. I credited him for saving my mobility. I’m sure had I been lifted up after my injury, that my spinal cord would have been cut or severely injured.”
The tackling form by Toburen on the play is what basically caused the injury. When making a tackle, players are coached to keep their head up when hitting an opposing ballplayer. That did not happen when Toburen hit Unitas.
“The top of my head hit the hip of Unitas,” Toburen said. “It hit a the most solvent point of Unitas’ body. It was a bad hit, no question.. Bad position hit, anyway.”
At one point, Toburen was going to be sent to the Cleveland Clinic to have a procedure done for his neck fracture, as the doctor goes in from the throat to do a bone graft to fix the issue.
I had the same procedure done in 2007 when I fractured my neck in an auto accident. But fortunately for Toburen, he didn’t need the procedure.
“My system was such that it started to heal and calcify on it’s own,’ Toburen said. “Thank goodness they didn’t have to do that. All the repair is what is called a closed reduction. They didn’t have to cut on me at all.”
It wasn’t easy for Toburen as he was recovering from his injury.
“I was in a body cast for a few weeks,” Toburen said. “My head was push way up in the air and the cast went down to my hips.”
While he laid in the hospital recovering from his injury in a body cast, Toburen got a visit from Lombardi.
“Vince and Marie came to visit me at the hospital,” Toburen said. “Lombardi saw me in that cast and immediately choked up and left the room.”
Still, Toburen planned to return to the Packers and play again in the NFL. That was until he heard from Dr. Nellen about six months after his injury in 1963 when he told him his playing career was over. That was devastating news for Toburen.
“Yes, up to that moment, I was optimistic that I was going to be coming back,” Toburen said. “That news just crushed me.”
Lombardi and the Packers paid Toburen his salary for the 1963 season, which they did not have to do.
Toburen stayed in Green Bay from the time of his injury in November of 1962 to May of 1964.
“It took me some time emotionally and physically to get back on my feet,” Toburen said. “It took me a while to get my emotional state back together. I was going to be a ballplayer and then I had to change course.”
After that, Toburen moved back to Topeka, Kansas where he went to law school and got a degree. Toburen then was invited to join a law firm in Pittsburg, Kansas where he practiced law for 20 years, mostly as a trial lawyer. Then Toburen was appointed to the bench to become a judge by the Governor of Kansas. Toburen then spent 15 years on the bench before he retired.
When I have talked to teammates (like Jerry Kramer) of Toburen who played with him with the Packers, they all have said Toburen was as talented as any linebacker on the team. There is no doubt that without having the career-ending injury, Toburen would have had a fabulous career in Green Bay at linebacker.
“If I hadn’t been hurt in that game, I would have been a starter for the rest of my time in Green Bay,” Toburen said. “There is no question in my mind. I had the position down. Both Forester and Currie were at the end of their careers.”
The Packers drafted Robinson in the first round of the 1963 NFL draft most likely due to the injury suffered by Toburen. The Packers then traded for Caffey in 1964, because the team was in need of additional help at outside linebacker.
“Yes, I have talked to Dave Robinson,” Toburen said. “And he told me that he probably wouldn’t have been drafted if I hadn’t been hurt.”
Toburen has some other memories of his time with the Packers.
“I also remember that everyone smoked cigarettes,” Toburen said. “The light from those old fashioned cameras had to get past that smoke. Everybody smoked it seemed. I remember Paul Hornung distributing Marlboros around the locker room.”
Toburen then reflected back on the beginning of his career in Green Bay.
“Although I never met Jack Vainisi, I read about about all the great players he helped draft for the Packers,” Toburen said. “He was quite a wizard at picking out good ballplayers. Not necessarily the best known players either. Like me for instance. He found players that weren’t All-Americans.”
A great example of that is Bart Starr, who was selected in the 17th round of the 1956 NFL draft after not playing much quarterback at all his senior year at Alabama. All told, Vainisi helped the Packers select eight players in the 1950s who later were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The bottom line is that Toburen’s time in Green Bay is something he will never forget.
“I tell people that it was the most exciting time of my life,” Toburen said. “I don’t think I ever had enjoyed anything more than that period of my life. You just can’t compare it to anything else. I just loved it!”
greenbaybobfox.wordpress.com 