1958 Green Bay Packers season

The 1958 Green Bay Packers season was their 40th season overall and their 38th season in the National Football League. The team finished with a 1–10–1 record under first-year head coach Ray McLean for a last-place finish in the league in 1958 and the worst record ever posted by a Packers team.

1958 Green Bay Packers season
OwnerDominic Olejniczak
(President)
Head coachRay McLean
General managerVerne Lewellen
Home fieldCity Stadium
Milwaukee County Stadium
Results
Record1–10–1
Division place6th NFL Western
Playoff finishDid not qualify

In the immortal words of New York sportswriter and Green Bay native Red Smith: "they overwhelmed one opponent, under-whelmed ten, and whelmed one." [1] The tie came in week two and the three-point win in week five; during the seven-game losing streak to end the season the Packers lost by an average margin of over 22 points and got no closer than ten. The Packers finished 1958 allowing a league-worst 382 points in the 12-game season (31.8 points per game).

McLean was the top assistant on the coaching staff in 1957 and was given a one-year contract as head coach after Lisle Blackbourn was fired in early January 1958 with a year remaining ($25,000) on a five-year contract.[2][3][4] Following the final game of the 1958 season, McLean resigned on December 17,[5][6] which paved the way for the historic hiring of Vince Lombardi in January 1959.[7][8]

The underachieving 1958 team was loaded with talent, with future hall of famers Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, Forrest Gregg, and Jerry Kramer, as well as future All-Pros Ron Kramer, Max McGee, Bill Forester, and Dan Currie.

Offseason

NFL Draft
Main article: 1958 NFL draft

The first four rounds of the 1958 Draft were conducted in early December 1957, when Blackbourn was head coach. The remaining 26 rounds were selected in late January. This draft by the Packers is regarded as among the best in NFL history.[9]

Round Pick Player Position School
13Dan CurrieLinebackerMichigan State
215Jim TaylorFullbackLSU
327Dick ChristyBackNorth Carolina State
336Ray NitschkeLinebackerIllinois
439Jerry KramerGuardIdaho
551Joe FrancisQuarterbackOregon State
662Ken GrayTackleHoward Payne
775Doug MaisonBackHillsdale
886Mike BillCenterSyracuse
999Norm JarockBackSt. Norbert
10110Carl JohnsonTackleIllinois
11123Harry HortonEndWichita State
12134Wayne MillerEndBaylor
13147Gene CookEndToledo
13153Don HerndonBackTampa
14158Harry HauffeTackleSouth Dakota
15171Tom NewellBackDrake
16182Arley FinleyTackleGeorgia Tech
17195Joe ReeseEndArkansas Tech
18206Chuck StridGuardSyracuse
20230John DuBoseBackTrinity (TX)
21243Jerry KershnerTackleOregon
22264Franklin MerlinoBackFlorida State
23267Jack AshtonGuardSouth Carolina
24278John JereckTackleDetroit
25291Larry PlentyBackBoston College
26302Esker HarrisGuardUCLA
27315Neil HabigCenterPurdue
28326Dave CrowellGuardWashington State
29339Bob HaynesTackleSam Houston State
30350John PetersTackleHouston

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 28 Chicago Bears L 34–20 0–1–0 City Stadium
32,150
2 October 5 Detroit Lions T 13–13 0–1–1 City Stadium
32,053
3 October 12 Baltimore Colts L 24–17 0–2–1 Milwaukee County Stadium
24,553
4 October 19 at Washington Redskins L 37–21 0–3–1 Griffith Stadium
25,228
5 October 26 Philadelphia Eagles W 38–35 1–3–1 City Stadium
31,043
6 November 2 at Baltimore Colts L 56–0 1–4–1 Memorial Stadium
51,333
7 November 9 at Chicago Bears L 24–10 1–5–1 Wrigley Field
48,424
8 November 16 Los Angeles Rams L 20–7 1–6–1 City Stadium
28,051
9 November 23 San Francisco 49ers L 33–12 1–7–1 Milwaukee County Stadium
19,786
10 November 27 at Detroit Lions L 24–14 1–8–1 Briggs Stadium
50,971
11 December 7 at San Francisco 49ers L 48–21 1–9–1 Kezar Stadium
50,793
12 December 14 at Los Angeles Rams L 34–20 1–10–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
54,634

Standings
NFL Western Conference
W L T PCT CONF PF PA STK
Baltimore Colts 9 3 0 .750 8–2 381 203 L2
Los Angeles Rams 8 4 0 .667 7–3 344 278 W3
Chicago Bears 8 4 0 .667 7–3 298 230 W2
San Francisco 49ers 6 6 0 .500 4–6 257 324 W2
Detroit Lions 4 7 1 .364 3–6–1 261 276 L2
Green Bay Packers 1 10 1 .091 0–9–1 193 382 L7

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Roster
Green Bay Packers roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

 Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Rookies and first-year players in italics

Awards, records, and honors

Milestones
  • Worst regular season record in franchise history

References
  1. Maraniss, David (September 14, 1999). "In throes of winter, a team in disarray is reborn". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. book excerpt. p. 1A.
  2. "Blackbourn is fired; McLean new coach". Milwaukee Journal. January 7, 1958. p. 13, part 2.
  3. Lea, Bud (January 8, 1958). "McLean popular choice of fans and players alike". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 4, part 2.
  4. "McLean is named new Packer coach". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. January 7, 1958. p. 17.
  5. "Packers shake up front office; McLean quits, Detroit Lions next?". Milwaukee Journal. December 17, 1958. p. 18, part 2.
  6. "McLean quits, joins Lions staff". Milwaukee Sentinel. December 18, 1958. p. 8, part 2.
  7. Johnson, Chuck (January 29, 1959). "Packers name Vince Lombardi head coach, general manager". Milwaukee Journal. p. 11, part 2.
  8. Johnson, Chuck (February 3, 1959). "Lombardi reception warm, despite cold". Milwaukee Journal. p. 14, part 2.
  9. Wolf, Bob (May 3, 1979). "Packers' 1958 draft may have been greatest ever". Milwaukee Journal. p. 3, part 3.
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