The Green Bay Packers have had many great quarterbacks in their history including Hall of Famers like Arnie Herber, Bart Starr, and Brett Favre and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers. But the first Packers quarterback to throw for 400 yards in a game was Don Horn who accomplished the feat in the final game of the 1969 NFL season. Horn threw for 410 yards and five touchdowns in 45-28 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Here is a look back at Don Horn and the first 400-yard passing game in Packers history.
Don Horn and the First 400-Yard Passing Game in Packers History: The Lead Up
The 1969 season was the second year as head coach for Phil Bengtson. He took over for Vince Lombardi who retired as coach after the Packers won Super Bowl II. The Packers entered this game with a 7-6 mark and could finish the season with a winning record if they could defeat the 4-8-1 Cardinals at Lambeau Field.
Horn was selected by the Packers in the first round of the 1967 NFL Draft. The San Diego State alum was considered the heir apparent to Starr. He started four games in 1969 when Starr was injured and won three of those four contests. He got the nod for the season finale against the Cardinals.
The teams had to overcome cold and windy conditions. The game-time temperature was 17 degrees with a wind chill of four degrees above zero.
A Tough First Quarter
The Packers took the lead early on a seven-yard touchdown pass from Horn to Boyd Dowler. But the 7-0 advantage didn’t last very long.
Cardinals quarterback Charley Johnson evened the score later in the first with an 18-yard touchdown pass to wideout John Gilliam.
The Packers were driving deep into Cardinals territory to retake the lead later in the first quarter when disaster struck. Running back Perry Williams fumbled and future Hall of Fame safety Larry Wilson picked up the ball and ran 88 yards for a touchdown. The Packers trailed 14-7.
“I remember chasing Larry [Wilson],” Horn recalled. “For every step I took he took a step and a half.”
Don Horn and the First 400-Yard Passing Game in Packers History: The Packers Break the Game Open
The Packers responded with 24 unanswered points in the second quarter. Horn found Dowler for another score, this one from 43 yards out to tie the game at 14-14. Running back Dave Hampton scored on a five-yard run to give the Packers a lead they would never relinquish.
Horn followed that up with a 12-yard touchdown toss to running back Travis Williams. Booth Lusteg kicked a 28-yard field goal before the half to five the Packers a 31-14 lead at halftime.
“It was just one of those afternoons where everything seemed to click,” Horn recalled. “One of those Sundays where everything goes right. I had some [games] where nothing goes right.”
The Packers honored defensive end Willie Davis who was playing the final game of his NFL career. The defensive captain went on to a successful business career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.
The Second Half
Another big play got the Cardinals back in the game. Gilliam fielded the second half kickoff at his own goal line and returned it 100 yards for a St. Louis touchdown. That cut the Green Bay lead to 31-21.
But Horn wasn’t done. He threw two more touchdown passes with Carroll Dale catching both. In the third quarter, he connected with Dale from 34 yards out. In the fourth quarter, he thew a 10-yard pass to Dale for another touchdown.
The Packers then took him out of the game, much to his chagrin. “They took me out in the fourth quarter,” Horn said. “They put in a kid named Billy Stevens who had been there all year and hadn’t played, so they got him some playing time. Who knows what could have happened? Everything was clicking. Heck, I was just so happy. It was just a great day for everybody.”
A late touchdown by the Cardinals made the final score 45-28 Green Bay.
Don Horn and the First 400-Yard Passing Game in Packers History: The Aftermath
Horn finished the game by completing 22-of-31 passes for 410 yards and five touchdowns. The old Packers record for passing yards in a game was 335 set by Tobin Rote in a 1951 game against the Rams. The 410-yard mark stood as the Packers record until Lynn Dickey broke it in 1980.
Horn was quick to credit his coaches. “Bob Schnelker had a great game plan,” he said. “Back then, you called your own plays. Everything just worked. I would call the right plays at just the right time. Great game plan by Schnelker. Great execution by the offense. I was on cloud nine. Everything was clicking and we were on all cylinders. Everything fell into place.”
Horn started just one game for the Packers in 1970. He was traded to the Denver Broncos by Dan Devine before the 1971 draft in a deal that allowed the Packers to select John Brockington. Horn later played for the Broncos, Browns, and Chargers before finishing his football career with a brief stint in the WFL.
Horn may not have had a Hall of Fame career, but he had a career-best performance that landed him in the Packers record books in the final game of the 1969 season.
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