Bama in the NFL: Green Bay Packers Don Hutson, Bart Starr Simply the Best

Although Starr played football as well as anyone, Hutson changed the game as many of his NFL receiving records still stand.

For most Alabama Crimson Tide fans, the name Bart Starr is synonymous with the Green Bay Packers. He's the only quarterback in NFL history to lead a team to three consecutive league titles, which occurred in 1965-67 before the Super Bowl, was the MVP of both Super Bowl I and II, and was the league MVP in 1966.

But Don Huston's legacy is just as strong, if not stronger. The Packers' indoor practice facility was named in his honor, and in 2012 the NFL Network named Hutson the greatest Green Bay Packer of all time.

If you're not overly familiar with Hutson, think Jerry Rice 50 years before Jerry Rice was Jerry Rice. The Crimson Tide legend (when Paul W. "Bear" Bryant was Alabama's "other" end) revolutionized receiving during an era when football was still almost exclusively a running sport.

Tall, skinny and having deceptive speed, Hutson was considered the pioneer of modern pass patterns, the first to perfect the techniques of catching a pass “in traffic,” and made the end-around a potent weapon.

“For every pass I caught in a game, I caught a thousand in practice,” Hutson once said.

He played 11 years with Green Bay, 1935-45, was All-Pro eight times, led the league in pass receptions eight times, led the league in scoring five times, and was twice named the NFL's most valuable player (1941-42). He finished his pro career with 488 pass receptions, more than 200 more than the next best player.

His 99 career touchdown receptions stood as an NFL record for more than four decades, and his 29 points in a game has yet to be broken. When he retired, Hutson held 18 NFL records, most of which still stand. 

He played both ways, as a safety on defense, and was credited with 30 interceptions during his final six seasons (no one kept track of the statistic until then) including eight in 10 games during the 1943 season. Hutson was also Green Bay's kicker. By making 172 of 183 extra points, and seven field goals, he scored a record 823 points. 

Hutson was inducted as a charter member of both the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, and Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

“I don’t know if there is such a thing as royalty in professional football, but this is the closest I’ve ever come to it,” Packers general manager Ron Wolf said at the dedication ceremony for the Don Huston Center in 1994. 

Bama in the NFL: Green Bay Packers

The Franchise

National Football Conference

North Division

Team Colors: Dark Green, Gold and White

Founded: 1919

Stadium: Lambeau Field (81,041)

Playing Surface: SISGrass 

Training Camp: St. Norbert College

All-Time Alabama Players

1. Buddy Aydelette, OT, 1980
2. Albert Bell, WR, 1988
3. Byron Braggs, DE, 1981 - 1983
4. Tony Brown, DB, 2018 - 2019
5. Jim Bowdoin, OG, 1928 - 1931
6. Paul Ott Carruth, RB, 1986 - 1988
7. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, DB, 2014 - 2018
8. Ted Cook, OE/DB, 1948 - 1950
9. Tiny Croft, T, 1942 - 1947
10. Quinton Dial, DE, 2017
11. Scott Hunter, QB, 1971 - 1973
12. Don Hutson, OE/DB, 1935 - 1945
13. Bruce Jones, OG, 1927 - 1928
14. Terry Jones, DT, 1978 - 1984
15. Eddie Lacy, RB, 2013 - 2016
16. Larry Lauer, C, 1956 - 1957
17. Bill Lee, OT, 1937 - 1942, 1946
18. Antonio London, LB, 1998
19. Brandon Miree, RB, 2006
20. Russ Mosley, RB, 1945 - 1946
21. Jarran Reed, DT, 2022
22. Charlie Peprah, DB, 2006 - 2008, 2010 - 2011
23. Claude Perry, OT/OG, 1927 - 1935
24. JK Scott, P, 2018 - 2020
25. Randy Scott, LB, 1981 - 1986
26. Ben Smith, OE/DE, 1933
27. Bart Starr, QB, 1956 - 1971
28. Rebel Steiner, DB, 1950 - 1951
29. George Teague, DB, 1993 - 1995
30. Tim Williams, LB, 2019
31. Rich Wingo, LB, 1979, 1981 - 1984
32. Bobby Wood, OT, 1940
33. Steve Wright, T, 1964 - 1967

Crimson Tide Drafted Players

Year	Player	Pos.	Round	Pick	Overall
1942	Noah Langdale	T	9	9	79
1944	Don Whitmire	T	9	6	82
1944	Bill Baughman	C	13	6	136
1949	Roy "Rebel" Steiner	E	12	3	114
1953	Bob Conway	B	21	6	247
1954	Bill Oliver	B	12	2	135
1954	John Smalley	T	25	2	291
1955	Ed Culpepper	T	9	4	101
1956	Curtis Lynch	T	16	7	188
1956	Bart Starr	QB	17	7	200
1959	Bobby Jackson	B	7	1	73
1964	Steve Wright	T	5	13	69
1971	Scott Hunter	QB	6	10	140
1972	David Bailey	WR	11	6	266
1978	Terry Jones	DT	11	6	284
1979	Rich Wingo	LB	7	9	184
1980	Buddy Aydeletter	T	7	4	169
1981	Byron Braggs	DT	5	6	117
1982	Thomas Boyd	LB	8	15	210
1993	George Teague	S	1	29	29
1995	Jay Barker	QB	5	26	160
2013	Eddie Lacy	RB	2	29	61
2014	Ha Ha Clinton-Dix	S	1	21	21
2018	JK Scott	P	5	35	172

Super Bowl Appearances

Bart Starr, Super Bowl I (Jan. 15, 1967) and II (Jan. 14, 1968) 

Starr was named MVP of both Super Bowl I and II. In the inaugural Super Bowl he was 16-for-23 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and one interception against the Kansas City Chiefs. In Super Bowl II he was 13-for-24 for 202 yards and one touchdown, plus also had a carry for 14 yards against the Oakland Raiders. The Packers dominated both games, 35-10, and 33-14, respectively. 

Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr during Super Bowl I at the Los Angeles Coliseum / Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK

Steve Wright, Super Bowl I

He was a tackle on the first Super Bowl champion.

Charlie Peprah, Super Bowl XLV (Feb. 6, 2011)

The safety led all players with 10 tackles, including nine solo, while Aaron Rodgers threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the Packers to a 31-25 victory over the Steelers. 

Major Honors/Awards

All-Pro

Don Hutson (8): 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945
Bart Starr (1): 1966

Pro Bowl 

Don Hutson (4); 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942
Bart Starr (4): 1960, 1961, 1962, 1966
Ha Ha Clinton Dix (1): 2016
Eddie Lacy (1): 2013
Bill Lee (1): 1939

Pro Football Hall of Fame

Don Hutson
Bart Starr

NFL Most Valuable Player

Don Hutson (2): 1941, 1942
Bart Starr (1): 1966

Super Bowl MVP

Bart Starr (2): Super Bowl I and II

Green Bay Packers Retired Jersey

No. 14 Don Hutson
No. 15 Bart Starr

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

Don Hutson
Bart Starr

Other Notable Don Hutson Honors

• NFL receiving touchdowns leader (9): 1935–1938, 1940–1944
• NFL receptions leader (8): 1936, 1937, 1939, 1941–1945
• NFL receiving yards leader (7): 1936, 1938, 1939, 1941–1944
• NFL scoring leader (5): 1940–1944
• NFL All-Star (4): 1939–1942
• NFL interceptions leader (1): 1940
• NFL 1930s All-Decade Team
• NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
• NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Other Notable Bart Starr Honors 

• NFL passer rating leader (5): 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969
• NFL completion percentage leader (4): 1962, 1966, 1968, 1969
• NFL 1960s All-Decade Team

In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 12th story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.

AFC

• Baltimore Ravens
• Buffalo Bills
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Cleveland Browns
• Denver Broncos

NFC

• Arizona Cardinals
• Atlanta Falcons
• Carolina Panthers
• Chicago Bears
• Dallas Cowboys
• Detroit Lions

See Also

Bama in the NFL: The Ultimate Crimson Tide Database
Bama in the NFL: Active Alabama Crimson Tide Players by Team