With the official kickoff of the 2013 NFL Regular Season only five weeks away, I thought I would take the time to bring you 36 days of football trivia, knowledge and in-depth story-telling to build some excitement for the season. Day six goes back in time as we briefly look at the storied history of the Green Bay Packers and the true mayor of Title Town.
When 6-foot-1, 205-pound Herb Adderley first arrived in Green Bay, he had the unfortunate realization that he was going to have to compete against future Hall-of-Famers Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor for a spot in the Packers offensive backfield.
Yet that didn’t stop the Michigan State star running back from making the team, or the starting lineup. Legendary Head Coach Vince Lombardi saw Adderley’s raw talent and knew he needed to have it – that much was evident when he picked the Philadelphia, Pa. native with the 12th overall selection in the 1961 draft. In college, Adderley not only led his team in rushing in 1959, but he also led his team in receptions – from the running back position!
With excellent speed and strong hands, Adderley’s athleticism was on full display early in the 1961 season as he started fourteen games and picked off his first pass of his storied career. The very next year – after fully adapting to the position and the speed of the pro game – Adderley showed what he could do. He picked off a career-high seven passes and returned one for a touchdown.
According to packers.com, Lombardi once said, “I was too stubborn to switch him to defense until I had to. Now when I think of what Adderley means to our defense, it scares me to think of how I almost mishandled him.”
Adderley also excelled in returning kicks, averaging nearly 28 yards per return in his second season. Over the course of nine seasons, he racked up 3,080 career kickoff return yards, which is still the third best total in team history, behind only Steve Odom (4,124) and Al Carmichael (3,907). Packers.com also states, “His career average of 25.67 yards per return is also among the upper echelon of Packers greats, as is his 103-yard kickoff return against the Baltimore Colts in 1962.”
In his fifth season in the green and gold, Adderley collected six interceptions returning three for scores – a career best. Two years later, he added to his resume by intercepting a pass from Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl II before returning it 60 yards for a touchdown to seal the win.
In 1970, just two years after he helped the Packers seal their second Super Bowl victory and third-straight NFL Title, Adderley packed his bags and went to play for the Cowboys.
Following the 1972 season with the Cowboys, Adderley retired. In his career, he played in five NFL title games and two NFC title games, winning all seven. His only Super Bowl loss in four tries was with the Cowboys in Super Bowl V.
For ten straight seasons, Adderley intercepted at least three touchdown passes and finished his career with 39 total picks. In all, he attended five Pro Bowls (1963-67) and earned Associated Press All-Pro honors ('62-67, 69) seven times. He was a consensus All-Pro in 1965 and in 1966.
For his efforts, Adderley is thought of by many as the best cover corner of the 1960s. With six championship rings choked around his fingers, even the naïve football fan can admit that Adderley was simply a winner – a winner in the true sense of the word.
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