The Green Bay Packers have had many outstanding offensive players over the course of their history. Hall of Famers like Jim Taylor, Paul Hornung, and James Lofton and stars like Ahman Green, Sterling Sharpe, and Aaron Jones have all enjoyed spectacular individual performances during their time in Green and Gold. But nobody gained more total yards in a single game than running back and return specialist Travis Williams who gained 314 combined yards. He accomplished this in a wild game that featured seven lead changes and nine turnovers.
The Greatest Total Yards Performance in Packers History: The Leadup to the Game
On November 2, 1969, the Green Bay Packers traveled to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers at Pitt Stadium. Phil Bengtson had his team off to a 4-2 start while rookie head coach Chuck Noll’s club was 1-5.
Bart Starr had a sore arm and would not start the game for the Packers. Instead, Don Horn would be the starting quarterback. Former Notre Dame star Terry Hanratty was the starter for Pittsburgh.
Even though they were the road team, the Packers were 10-point favorites against the struggling Steelers.
A Rough Start for the Packers
The Packers struggled early, and the Steelers jumped ahead 10-0 after one quarter. After a 19-yard field goal by Gene Mingo, Hanratty tossed a 38-yard touchdown pass to receiver Roy Jefferson.
The Packers pulled to within a field goal when Horn scored on a two-yard run. The Steelers got the ball back and went three-and-out. It was then that Williams started his incredible day.
Bobby Walden punted, and Williams returned the ball 83 yards for a touchdown. The Packers now led 14-10.
The Steelers responded with a touchdown drive that culminated with a three-yard touchdown pass from Hanratty to Dick Hoak. The Pack trailed 17-14 at halftime while Williams had already gained 134 all-purpose yards.
The Greatest Total Yards Performance in Packers History: A Wild Second Half
Horn continued to struggle in the third quarter. He threw his third interception of the game which led to another Pittsburgh score on a six-yard pass to Erwin Williams. The Packers trailed 24-14.
On the ensuing kickoff, Williams struck again. He ran the ball back 96 yards for another touchdown, his second return for a score of the day. The Packers were within three points.
Starr replaced the struggling Horn in the third and led the Packers downfield on a drive that ended on a 15-yard field goal by Mike Mercer. The game was tied 24-24.
Early in the fourth quarter, Williams scored his third touchdown of the game on a one-yard run. The score was set up by two Starr passes, one a 51-yard screen pass to running back Donny Anderson and then 26-yard toss to Carroll Dale. The Pack led 31-24.
A Fantastic Finish
Although the Steelers were not a good team, they didn’t quit. Dick Shiner replaced Hanratty and found Jefferson on another long touchdown pass, this one from 53-yards out. Then, Mingo put Pittsburgh ahead 34-31 when he kicked a 32-yard field goal with 10 minutes left.
Later in the fourth quarter, Williams gained 31 yards on a handoff. One play later, Starr threw long for Dale and connected with him on a 43-yard touchdown pass. The Packers led 38-34.
“I was afraid I couldn’t get it to him,” the sore arm Starr admitted after the game. But he did and the Packers had the lead.
Williams had 299 all-purpose yards by then, well past the previous franchise mark of 257 set by Billy Howton 13 years earlier. Williams helped the Packers run out the clock by gaining two yards on a rush and then 13 more yards on a third down run that put the game away just after the two-minute warning.
The Packers clinched the win, 38-34 and improved to 5-2 on the season. They finished the season with an 8-6 record, their only winning season under Bengtson.
The Greatest Total Yards Performance in Packers History: The Aftermath
The record Williams set still stands 55 years later. In fact, it remains the only time in Packers history that a player had more than 300 combined yards in a game.
Williams finished with 48 yards rushing (on five carries), 19 receiving yards (on one catch), 83 yards on his only punt return of the game, and 164 yards on four kick returns. That gave him a total of 314 yards for the game. He also scored three touchdowns.
Unfortunately, Williams life after football was difficult. He developed an addiction to alcohol and was homeless at times. He passed away of heart failure in 1991 at the age of 45.
But “The Roadrunner” remains one of the greatest return specialists in Packers history and still holds the franchise record for most combined yards gained in a game.
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