Bart Starr enjoyed a Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers, playing 16 seasons with the team. He went from obscure 17th-round draft pick to league MVP. Starr also led the Packers to five championships in seven seasons between 1961 and 1967. But there was one game that convinced Vince Lombardi that Starr was the man to lead his football team. Today, we remember the game that established Bart Starr as the Packers starting quarterback.
The Game that Established Bart Starr as the Packers Starting Quarterback: The Buildup
When Lombardi took over as head coach of the Packers in 1959, he was unsure who his starting quarterback would be. Initially, he went with veteran Lamar McHan who he had acquired in a trade with the Cardinals before the 1959 season. But McHan never fully secured the starting job, and Lombardi went back and forth between McHan and Starr at various times during the 1959 and 1960 campaigns.
In 1960, Starr started in the season opener which the Packers lost. He was replaced by McHan who never put up good statistics but led the team to three straight victories.
The 3-1 Packers entered their fifth game against the 2-2-1 Steelers who had beaten the Cardinals and tied the Redskins in their previous two games.
McHan got the start again for the Packers who traveled to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh needing a win to continue to stay in contention in the Western Division. The Packers entered the game tied for first place with the Bears.
The Packers Start Quickly
The Packers moved the ball early in the game but had trouble finishing their drives. In the first quarter, McHan led the team downfield consistently with fullback Jim Taylor providing most of the offense. He finished the game with 105 yards rushing on 25 bruising carries.
In the first quarter, the Packers had three strong drives but failed to reach the end zone. Paul Hornung kicked field goals of 35, 35, and 45 yards. McHan wasn’t throwing well, but he did have two potential touchdown passes dropped by his receivers including one by Hornung.
In the second quarter, the Packers extended their lead to 12-0 on another Hornung field goal, this time from 17 yards out.
But future Hall of Famer Bobby Layne led the Steelers back. The Packers had seen plenty of Layne during his time with the Lions. Before the half, Layne connected with Tom Tracy for a 37-yard touchdown. The teams went into the locker room at halftime with the Packers ahead 12-7.
The Game that Established Bart Starr as the Packers Starting Quarterback: The Steelers Pull Ahead
The third quarter was scoreless. With seven minutes remaining in the third, Lombardi decided to replace McHan with Starr. McHan had completed just 4-of-16 passes for 51 yards.
The Packers lost their lead early in the fourth quarter. Layne threw deep for receiver Buddy Dial. Packers defensive back Hank Gremminger slipped, and Dial caught the ball for a 48-yard touchdown. The extra point was no good and the Steelers held a 13-12 lead.
The Packers defense played a strong game. They forced six fumbles and recovered five of them. The Packers got another chance midway through the fourth quarter when Henry Jordan recovered his second fumble of the game at the Green Bay 35.
Starr went to work. He hit Gary Knafelc for 19 yards to start the job. A pass to halfback Tom Moore gained nine more yards and brought the ball to the Pittsburgh 37. The Packers faced a 3rd-and-8 on the first play after the two-minute warning. Starr kept the drive alive by finding Boyd Dowler who stretched out and made the catch at the Steelers 15. After two incomplete passes, Starr again came up big on third down. He found Dowler who caught the ball at the Pittsburgh one.
The Steelers stopped Taylor on the next play. Then Starr gave the ball to Taylor again on the 11th and final play of the drive. He followed strong blocks by Jerry Kramer and Forrrest Gregg and reached the end zone. The Packers had the lead 19-13.
The win was clinched when Gremminger recovered a lateral to give the Packers back the ball in the closing seconds. A fight broke out between Gremminger and Layne which was quickly broken up. The Packers held for the win.
The Aftermath
Starr finished the game 11-of-18 passing for 150 yards. He also led the team on the game-winning drive. Immediately after the game, Lombardi wouldn’t say who his quarterback would be. “I don’t know who I’ll start at quarterback,” he told reporters. “That will be decided later in the week.”
McHan didn’t do himself any favors later that week. At a team meal with the coaches, he reportedly had a little too much to drink and confronted Lombardi loudly in front of the team. He even used an ethnic slur in the confrontation.
Starr took over as the quarterback the following week and never relinquished the job for the rest of Lombardi’s tenure. McHan was benched. He never started another game for the Packers and only made three brief appearances as the backup. The following season, he was traded to the Colts.
Lombardi addressed the situation years later, saying, “Your quarterback has to be stable…and Bart Starrt is that.”
Years later, Hornung recalled that game. “That’s the day I made Bart Starr,” he said tongue in cheek as described in the book, “America’s Quarterback,” by Keith Dunnavant. “I still kid Bart: ‘You owe me, baby!’ If I hadn’t dropped that pass, Lamar starts the second half and maybe he becomes the quarterback who leads us to all those titles.”
The Packers won the game and took over first place in the division after the Bears lost. And Bart Starr established himself as the Packers quarterback and leader.
Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
Click here for more great Packers coverage
Check out our YouTube channel here
