I see that today is Stu Voigt's birthday. Has me wondering, in 1970 we drafted Rich McGeorge 16th in the first round. Voigt was the last guy taken in the 10th round. Am I mistaken in remembering they had similar pro careers? If so, how do you account for Voigt sliding to the 260th player taken? This gets irritating given Voigt played his college ball at Wisconsin, right under everyone's noses. Or is my memory way off here?

Late addition: anyone looking for a database of NFL players by birthdates can find it at: http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerbdays.htm

Not terribly useful, but gets you thinking about some of those guys.

MuddyMask:

I see that today is Stu Voigt's birthday. Has me wondering, in 1970 we drafted Rich McGeorge 16th in the first round. Voigt was the last guy taken in the 10th round. Am I mistaken in remembering they had similar pro careers? If so, how do you account for Voigt sliding to the 260th player taken? This gets irritating given Voigt played his college ball at Wisconsin, right under everyone's noses. Or is my memory way off here?

Late addition: anyone looking for a database of NFL players by birthdates can find it at: http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerbdays.htm

Not terribly useful, but gets you thinking about some of those guys.

Muddy:

Where I think Voigt suffered in his draft status was the fact that he played on some of the worst UW teams ever to take the field. John Coatta was HC during Voigt's varsity career and between '67-'69 they failed to win 23 consecutive games.  They were 3-7 during Voigt's senior year.  Voigt may have been right underneath everyone's nose at Wisconsin, but the stench wafting up from that program would have made him easier to ignore.

Aug. of 1963 Packers LOSE to the college all-stars 20-17. Who QB'ed the all-stars? Hint: it softened the blow.

CheeseCityFan:

MuddyMask:

I see that today is Stu Voigt's birthday. Has me wondering, in 1970 we drafted Rich McGeorge 16th in the first round. Voigt was the last guy taken in the 10th round. Am I mistaken in remembering they had similar pro careers? If so, how do you account for Voigt sliding to the 260th player taken? This gets irritating given Voigt played his college ball at Wisconsin, right under everyone's noses. Or is my memory way off here?

Late addition: anyone looking for a database of NFL players by birthdates can find it at: http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerbdays.htm

Not terribly useful, but gets you thinking about some of those guys.

Muddy:

Where I think Voigt suffered in his draft status was the fact that he played on some of the worst UW teams ever to take the field. John Coatta was HC during Voigt's varsity career and between '67-'69 they failed to win 23 consecutive games.  They were 3-7 during Voigt's senior year.  Voigt may have been right underneath everyone's nose at Wisconsin, but the stench wafting up from that program would have made him easier to ignore.

I was a student at the Iowa game when the streak was broken at Camp Randall. We stormed the field and my glasses were knocked off in the crowd. Voight appeared out of nowhere, spread his arms and legs and let me bend down to pick them up. We played some intramural basketball together and he was a gentle giant, as well as a gentleman.

JBlood24:

CheeseCityFan:

MuddyMask:

I see that today is Stu Voigt's birthday. Has me wondering, in 1970 we drafted Rich McGeorge 16th in the first round. Voigt was the last guy taken in the 10th round. Am I mistaken in remembering they had similar pro careers? If so, how do you account for Voigt sliding to the 260th player taken? This gets irritating given Voigt played his college ball at Wisconsin, right under everyone's noses. Or is my memory way off here?

Late addition: anyone looking for a database of NFL players by birthdates can find it at: http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerbdays.htm

Not terribly useful, but gets you thinking about some of those guys.

Muddy:

Where I think Voigt suffered in his draft status was the fact that he played on some of the worst UW teams ever to take the field. John Coatta was HC during Voigt's varsity career and between '67-'69 they failed to win 23 consecutive games.  They were 3-7 during Voigt's senior year.  Voigt may have been right underneath everyone's nose at Wisconsin, but the stench wafting up from that program would have made him easier to ignore.

I was a student at the Iowa game when the streak was broken at Camp Randall. We stormed the field and my glasses were knocked off in the crowd. Voight appeared out of nowhere, spread his arms and legs and let me bend down to pick them up. We played some intramural basketball together and he was a gentle giant, as well as a gentleman.

Call me a sap if you will, but I love those personal anecdotes JB.

BTW, Bucky wore the red helmets with the white Bucky at that time, correct?

JBlood24:

Aug. of 1963 Packers LOSE to the college all-stars 20-17. Who QB'ed the all-stars? Hint: it softened the blow.

 

Didn't John Hadl QB the All-Star team?

JBlood24:

Aug. of 1963 Packers LOSE to the college all-stars 20-17. Who QB'ed the all-stars? Hint: it softened the blow.

 

 

Good memory, JB.  But that All Star game was played on July 23, 1963.  Two things softened that loss for Packer fans.1.  GB native and former UW (& Rose Bowl hero in a loss) Ron VanderKelen QB'ed the victorious College All Stars to a rare win over the NFL Pro's2.  All Star Dave Robinson saw the results of the 1963 all-star game from both sides. The Penn State defender was a part of the college team that beat the Packers, but he also already was signed to play for Green Bay as its first-round pick. Robinson said Lombardi showed film of the all-star game on the first day of training camp for the 1963 season. "He started showing the film, and he's really chewing guys out," Robinson said. "There was a play where Tom Moore was the running back, and I read it just right. I jammed (tight end) Ron Kramer and got by him, and took on Tom Moore and threw him for a 2-yard loss. "So I'm sitting there thinking I'm about to get my first compliment from Vince Lombardi, a nice pat on the back. And he says, 'Kramer, that rookie just shed you like you weren't even there. That kid probably won't even make the team he's going to.' Lombardi didn't even know it was me. I felt about 2 inches high. Willie Wood leaned over and said, 'Don't buy a house.' "

 

JBlood24:

Aug. of 1963 Packers LOSE to the college all-stars 20-17. Who QB'ed the all-stars? Hint: it softened the blow.

Ron Vanderkelen...nevermind. Good post, KYPack.

MuddyMask:

JBlood24:

Aug. of 1963 Packers LOSE to the college all-stars 20-17. Who QB'ed the all-stars? Hint: it softened the blow.

Ron Vanderkelen...nevermind. Good post, KYPack.

 

It's all good, Mud.

 You should have flamed me and threatened to beat me up for forgetting the OTHER Wisco hero that came up huge in the All Star's upset of the GBP... Pat Richter.

On a crucial third down from their 27 with less than 5 minutes remaining, Vanderkelen looked for Badgers teammate Pat Richter on a simple down and out. A Packers defensive back tried to jump the route. "He got there just a split second late," Vanderkelen said. "He went for the interception, and it was awfully close." Richter turned up field and had nothing but artificial turf (This is an error, there was no turf in those long ago days) in front of him. "I remember thinking that I hoped he was fast enough to make it," said Vanderkelen, who finished 9 of 11 for 141 yards and the TD. Richter did make it, and thus made the score 20-10 with 4:09 to play. Griffing recalled the catch and run as near miraculous. "Richter was not a fast guy, he was pretty tall," Griffing said. "(Hall of Fame defensive back) Willie Wood missed, then Herb Adderley (yet another Hall of Famer) came all the way across the field and missed. "I don't know how they missed him. It seemed like a few guys had a dead shot at him. There's no way those guys should have missed." The Packers got a late score on a short TD run by Taylor, but it came with six seconds remaining. It says something about how seriously Green Bay was taking things when you consider Taylor was still in the game with his team trailing by 10 points in the final minute.

More from Robby about what a "good loser" Vince was. 

Lombardi was not pleased with the loss, exhibition or not. "A guy I played with in college was a free agent at Green Bay, and he said it wasn't pleasant in the locker room," Vanderkelen said. "Lombardi was quite upset. He couldn't believe they had lost to a bunch of college kids." Robinson was the Packers' first-round pick. He already had signed with the club on Dec. 31. He told his all-star teammates he couldn't lose: If they won he said he'd party with them, and if the Packers won he said he'd party with the Pack. "There were three of us who were Packers draft picks, and we got invited over to the Drake Hotel because Vince had a buffet for his players after the game," Robinson said. "We walked into the banquet room and saw Vince, and he looked at us, turned his back and walked away.

"All of the players looked at us like we were lepers. Mrs. Lombardi was the only person who came over to greet us."

Poor Marie.  She always had to "clean up" after Vince.    

 

Muddy and Ky, great posts. Geez, you guys are walking encyclopedias. I remember how upset I was watching that all-star game, but really have no recollection of the specifics. About the only game I even closely remember is the perfect game that Harvey Haddix lost in the 13th, I believe. I remember sitting on our screened porch with my Dad and listening to Earl Gilespie do the play by play as if it were yesterday. Doesn't even seem that long ago.

I didn't happen often, but the NFL champs did lose an occasional College All-Star game.  The Lions, I think, were the worst losers, going down 35-19 in 1958.  The Browns also lost one in the 50's.

We lost another one in the '30's as well.

CheeseCityFan:

I didn't happen often, but the NFL champs did lose an occasional College All-Star game.  The Lions, I think, were the worst losers, going down 35-19 in 1958.  The Browns also lost one in the 50's.

Those College All-Star games were a guilty pleasure. Got to see all that college talent on one team going against seasoned pros. Great fun until someone went down, injured. Then you were left thinking, "This is nuts." And it was.

Reg Dunlop:

JBlood24:

CheeseCityFan:

MuddyMask:

I see that today is Stu Voigt's birthday. Has me wondering, in 1970 we drafted Rich McGeorge 16th in the first round. Voigt was the last guy taken in the 10th round. Am I mistaken in remembering they had similar pro careers? If so, how do you account for Voigt sliding to the 260th player taken? This gets irritating given Voigt played his college ball at Wisconsin, right under everyone's noses. Or is my memory way off here?

Late addition: anyone looking for a database of NFL players by birthdates can find it at: http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerbdays.htm

Not terribly useful, but gets you thinking about some of those guys.

Muddy:

Where I think Voigt suffered in his draft status was the fact that he played on some of the worst UW teams ever to take the field. John Coatta was HC during Voigt's varsity career and between '67-'69 they failed to win 23 consecutive games.  They were 3-7 during Voigt's senior year.  Voigt may have been right underneath everyone's nose at Wisconsin, but the stench wafting up from that program would have made him easier to ignore.

I was a student at the Iowa game when the streak was broken at Camp Randall. We stormed the field and my glasses were knocked off in the crowd. Voight appeared out of nowhere, spread his arms and legs and let me bend down to pick them up. We played some intramural basketball together and he was a gentle giant, as well as a gentleman.

Call me a sap if you will, but I love those personal anecdotes JB.

BTW, Bucky wore the red helmets with the white Bucky at that time, correct?

You're right about the anecdotes, Reg. Great stuff, JB and anyone else posting them.

MuddyMask:

CheeseCityFan:

I didn't happen often, but the NFL champs did lose an occasional College All-Star game.  The Lions, I think, were the worst losers, going down 35-19 in 1958.  The Browns also lost one in the 50's.

Those College All-Star games were a guilty pleasure. Got to see all that college talent on one team going against seasoned pros. Great fun until someone went down, injured. Then you were left thinking, "This is nuts." And it was.

Like Pat McInally did in '75, breaking his leg.