On This Date in Sports November 1, 1942: The First Big Game Receiver
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Don Hutson of the Green Bay Packers records over 200 receiving yards for the second time in three games, leading the Packers to a 55-24 win over the Chicago Cardinals with 207 yards on five catches at Green Bay’s City Stadium. At the time, Don Hutson is the only receiver in the history of the NFL to break 200 yards in a single game. Two weeks earlier set the record with 209 yards against the Cleveland Rams.
Don Hutson was born on January 31, 1913, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. At Alabama, Hutson played end alongside Paul “Bear” Bryant. In a day when passes were rare, the end position was the precursor to the modern wide receiver. Initially, Don Hutson did not plan to play professional football but agreed to sign with the Green Bay Packers after coach Curley Lambeau promised him $300 a game.
In a day when passing was rare in football, Don Hutson was decades ahead of his time as he led the league in receiving yards in seven of his 11 NFL seasons. He led the league in receiving touchdowns in nine seasons and led the NFL in scoring five times, as he also was one of the top placekickers. In addition, Don Hutson won back-to-back MVP awards in 1941 and 1942.
Don Hutson first top 200 receiving yards on October 18, 1942, in a 45-28 win over the Cleveland Rams at City Stadium. In that game, Hutson made 13 catches for 209 yards, with two touchdowns from Packers quarterback Cecil Isbell. Two weeks later, Hutson nearly topped the record with five catches for 207 yards with three touchdowns as the Packers slammed the Chicago Cardinals. In the same game won by Green Bay 55-24, Andy Uram nearly matched Hutson with four catches for 174, accounting for three touchdowns. Don Hutson would post the first 1,000-yard season in NFL history in 1942, with 1,211 yards on 74 catches and scoring a record 17 touchdowns.
When Don Hutson retired in 1945, he held numerous single-game, season, and career records for receiving. Hutson had the career record with 488 receptions for 26 years before Bobby Howton topped it. His record of 7,991 yards also lasted over two decades before Raymond Berry topped it. However, the most significant achievement, 99 receiving touchdowns, stood as the NFL milestone for 44 years until Steve Largent topped it in 1989.
Don Hutson was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame when it opened in 1963, while today’s modern Packers work out at the Don Hutson Center, the team’s state-of-the-art indoor practice facility across the street from Lambeau Field that opened in 1994. The opening was attended by Don Hutson, who some have called the “Ty Cobb of the gridiron” for the number of records he held in the pre-modern era.