Team of the Decades-1969 Green Bay Packers

in the very stadium in which we first saw him play we now say goodbye to captain willie i davis just like to say that it's been a great time for me the last 10 years playing here for the green bay practice i'm sure they indebted to my teammate the packer organization but most of all to you the fans i would just like to say it's been more than a game it's been a way of life thank you vivid memories are not easily erased and willy davis did not forget for willie davis had helped make the green bay packers the team of the decades willy davis remembered these years the many good ones the few lean ones and he remembered his final season 1969. he remembered that coach phil benson and the packers and at the last year the decade with hope [Applause] bart starr was back to lend 12 years of pressure in experience to a 58 lifetime completion average the legendary quarterback would be throwing his accurate passes to carol dale and boyd duller two receivers who like star rely as much on their knowledge of the game as their talent defensively there was the equally legendary ray nichty number 66 has lost some hair since 1960 but remains one of the game's great middle linebackers the wisdom of age and the boldness of youth number 25 dave hampton is one of the many young performers who will lead green bay into the new decade on more than a promise and a [Applause] prayer [Applause] hampton and villanova's rich moore both saw a lot of action in their rookie season almost unheard of on past packer teams but the green and gold were in transition and it was this delicate blend of youth and age that entered the 1969 season willie davis remembered he remembered that the oldest rivalry in pro football's 50 years awaited the packers in their opening game from the opening whistle it was the packers not the bears that attacked and ravaged their opponent fullback jim grabowski led the running attack with his best day of the year while travis williams was on the receiving end of bart starr's first touchdown a nothing shutout over the chicago bear [Music] green bay's fortune continued to rocky against the 49ers however the game was a struggle in fact a scoreless struggle for 30 minutes [Music] the second half would be different dave hampton took the opening kickoff 87 yards later it was seven nothing [Music] retaliation was just as swift 20 seconds had passed and the game was tied [Music] bart starr relied on travis williams and williams led a controlled drive [Music] downfield [Music] when grabowski bounced over with star's short flip it was again up to the defense to preserve the 14-7 lead and again it was the secondary that responded loudest to the call her battley's last minute goal line of deception gave the packers a two-game winning streak and title hopes in title town were kindled [Music] [Laughter] one week later in minnesota the packers learned that their hopes were indeed premature the offensive line suffered a severe breakdown and bart starr was buried alive by the purple gang the pigskin too seemed to attract the viking defenders and the nfl champions walked away with a 19-7 victory but in detroit the packers regrouped and in what has always been a bitter central division rivalry were able to tame the lions 28-17 fartstar hit on 65 of his passes seven of which went to carol dale and two of those for touchdown [Music] the packer defense continued to uphold its legacy allowing only three touchdowns in their last two games now three and one and co-leaders of their division it seemed that the pact would indeed be back willie davis remembered it was the defense long the pride of the packers that had kept them in contention through the early part of the year willie davis bob brown rich moore lionel aldridge the front four castelnik was gone and jordan injured but the tradition of the packer pass rush did not die more aldridge browned in next year's number one draft choice mike mccoy will inherit their legacy [Music] carr kathy the linebackers personify the heritage of packer defense their weapons are strength range is to hit and hit some more hit and pursue again until you've reduced your enemy to impotence [Applause] through the decade they have earned a well-deserved reputation as pro football's finest linebackers and in 1969 they did nothing to harm [Music] the packers sky patrol too has become legend a study in teamwork and together at one corner was herb adelaide whose aerobatics made him an all-pro for many years at the other corner is bob jeter equally adept at stealing footballs from the air doug hart was the new regular in the backfield hart had a big year and was indeed a game saver and free safety willie wood roamed the secondary like a center fielder and lent guidance to a foursome that really needed little if any at all though sometimes showing signs of age and attrition the packer defense basically remained a fortress that through the decade has brought five world championships to green bay [Music] willie davis remembered he remembered the drums tolling for the packers and their defense in the season's fifth game against the rams amidst a mass of fumbles and confusion the pack gave up 34 points and at one point trailed by 20. enter a new face 13 was his number and don horne his name in his debut horn led the packers to their final touchdown of the game don horn is another of the young greats on which the burden of the seven days will fall unlike the teacher he understudies don horn till now has relied more on his physical attributes than on his ability to read defenses he has a lot to learn and a long time to learn it but in three short years don horne has already given evidence that he can be a championship quarterback [Music] willie davis remembered he remembered the season's sixth game against atlanta in which don horn did not play but this was again a day for the defense they sacked the quarterback six times while her battley's interception an 80-yard touchdown return made him the all-time leader in this category the defense and a 240-yard effort by green bay runners produced a 28-10 victory over the falcons the falcon game marked the first extended appearance of another young packer donnie anderson and he responded with the best day of his career 114 yards and a touchdown anderson has only been a pro for four years but due to the immense publicity that preceded him it seems like he's been around for a decade destined to replace the golden boy anderson style is that of an um bridal thoroughbred leg's a kimbo hips flailing anderson is talented and versatile but like most runners he needs man in front to pave his way gillingham bowman heims pay luke and greg these were the men who led anderson through and around the enemy the men who allowed green bay's backs to run to daylight there was one man however who rarely needed interference he is the road runner the mighty burner the 6-2 sprinter with 9-3 speed seemingly shot from a cannon he is off a flash of green and gone [Music] he is fluid grace and frenetic motion the classic speedster unattainable from behind he's number 23 the roadrunner he is travis williams willie davis remembered he remembered the season's seventh game in which travis williams almost alone kept the packers in what was to be an extremely narrow victory over the steelers [Music] the game was largely a duel between williams and the steelers roy jefferson jefferson's first touchdown helped pittsburgh to a three-point lead at the half the second half was a game of checkers outerly's interception set up the go-ahead touchdown [Music] the steelers counted with one of their [Music] own travis williams counted with one of his own to regain the league as he racked up over 250 yards in return the packers would finish the season as football's number one team in punts kickoffs and interceptions returned for touchdowns with the steelers controlling the ball for much of the game the defense spent a long day trying to contain hulk jefferson and hand wrath [Music] it was not until late in the game that they were able to do so [Music] they finally caught and passed the steelers in the fourth quarter fortunate to escape pitt stadium with a 38-34 victory and a five and two record [Music] willie davis remembered he remembered the faces of dejection as the second half of the season began disastrously the packers were unable to accomplish that which had been part of their heritage in the 60s they failed to win the big games in baltimore mike mercer's two field goals were their only offense the packers had not lost their desire but did lose the game 14-6 the following sunday against joe capp and the vikings the crucial game of the season was play it was a typical central division struggle fraught with a kind of defensive play that has made their division football's best in the first half bart starr's offense was unable to dent the norseman an anderson fumble ended their only threat but the packer defense was again outstanding they manage the game's only touchdown on another scoring return of an interception by doug hart they continually harassed joe capp and the powerful viking offensive machine and took a 7-3 lead into the second half cap watched gary cuazo play the final half while bart starr tried to increase his lead but mercer missed two field goals while fred cox made two and the vikings took a 9-7 lead late in the game for the final time star led the packers downfield using his favorite weapon the short pass to his setbacks at the viking 35 he went for all the money and came up empty the central division race was virtually over for the green and gold one week later both bart starr and the packers were eliminated from the race star was through for the season and he watched don horne try to beat the lions this touchdown would have been the margin of victory but fate had again dictated a different result now five and five the rest of the season would not be played for a prize but rather as a matter of packet tradition a matter of packer pride [Music] willie davis remembers he remembered the turnabout that occurred in the last part of the season the packers 11th game against new york was for a while a study in frustration a formula for victory however was slowly crystallizing don horn's passing was sparse but timely and accurate [Music] the defense not only took the tar out of tarkington they took the giant out of new york reducing their attack to a mere shadow most impressive of all however was number 23 travis williams [Applause] williams ran wild and the packers ran away from the giants 20 to 10. [Music] two weeks later in the season's 13th game the winning formula was repeated the defense was in high gear now pursuing and hitting like packer defenses before don horne called a perfect game throwing two touchdowns this one to marv fleming he relied heavily though on the packers strength their ground game rookie perry williams number 31 was impressive in his first extended appearance and dave hampton responded with his best game 97 yards and travis williams once again ran wild scoring twice once from scrimmage and once at a reception williams led the pack to a 21-3 victory over the bears [Applause] [Music] willie davis remembered most of all the last game of his career all right all for one or one for all yeah for the packages all right let's go now willy davis leaves many friends behind but most of all he leaves behind a tradition a tradition that young don horn will perpetuate in his final game horned threw for five scores tying an all-time packer record the great boy dollar playing his last game caught two touchdowns as did carol dale horn's fifth and final touchdown pass went to travis williams in a 45-28 victory over the cardinals the old had indeed given way to be young near the game's end willie davis and the retiring forest greg talked about their team you know it's really hard to believe this is the last game i know you know it's just like you're standing here waiting for this season to end to start another one it seemed like to me it hadn't been long since we started you know what 13 years ago and a lot of huddles and a lot of good times isn't it people you meet man that's right the people you play with people you're involved with really have made it a wonderful experience you know what's really something too is to think that a new guy like horn starting his first year would come in and break records and you know it's kind of like this game moves on you know no no one person or one group of people are bigger than the game it moves on yeah next year somebody else will step in and do a job you know it's that kind of game i guess y'all hey well you know you know you know you and i have been lucky we played all this years and and we've never really had anybody to come in and and run us out of a job you know that yeah a lot of guys have been running out of the job before their time is over and i'm really thankful for that i'll tell you that much right now we'll miss you doctor i'm gonna miss you you gotta carve your own niche now but i just hope that you know and i think everybody got enough people here to meet the challenge carve your own niche travis williams packers of the past already had men like jerry cramer dave hannah bob scaronsky fuzzy thurston max mcgee jim taylor paul horn carve your own niche dave hampton don horne dick hymes fred carr gayle gillingham men like star nicky robinson and wood are still carving theirs the legacy of victory thus passes to the young the packers kick off the seventies with the hope that ten years from now people may once again say that the green bay packers were the team of the decade [Music] you

Channel: Grey Beard

Views: 5,325

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: NFL Films, Steve Sabol, Ed Sabol, Green Bay Packers, Bart Starr, Phil Bengtson

Id: VryezaWeYEc

Length: 24min 5sec (1445 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 25 2020