Future Pro Football Hall of Famer Herb Adderley the No. 1 pick in stress-filled draft

Cliff Christl

Third in a seven-part series of "best of" drafts in Packers history.

Several of the NFL's top receivers in the 1960s regarded Herb Adderley as the best cornerback in the game. Arguably, he or safety Willie Wood excelled at their positions as well as anyone if not better on a defensive unit that never ranked lower than third in the NFL in the six years they started together during the Vince Lombardi era.

Based largely on the fact that Adderley, almost undisputedly, ranks as one of the Packers' top five maybe top three first-rounders ever, the 1961 draft gets the nod as Lombardi's best draft by a slim margin over 1963.

That drafted yielded another first-round, future Hall of Famer and maybe the NFL's best outside linebacker of the 1960s, Dave Robinson. The '63 draft also included future starters on three NFL championship teams safety Tom Brown (second round), defensive end Lionel Aldridge (fourth round) and tight end Marv Fleming (11th round) and a 12th-round quarterback, Daryle Lamonica, who signed in the American Football League and was its only two-time MVP.

Oddly, the 1961 draft also might have been conducted under the most stressful conditions in Packers history.

As background, Lombardi was hired too late to participate even in the second phase of the 1959 draft, but he called the shots from 1960-68. Moreover, he was still general manager at the time of the 1969 draft but was in the process of taking the coaching job in Washington and let Packers head coach Phil Bengtson pick his own players.

Jack Vainisi assisted Lombardi with the 1960 draft. While Vainisi retained the title of talent scout, Lombardi had promoted him to business manager and compared his new position to a "traveling secretary of a baseball team."

As a result, Vainisi became Lombardi's closest confidant within the organization but spent even less time on the road scouting.

Meanwhile, Lombardi gave Verne Lewellen, the general manager he replaced, the title of administrative assistant and had him scout college games on weekends, along with assisting Vainisi in compiling and organizing the scouting reports that were being mailed in by college coaches and Packers alumni.

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Lombardi also had his assistant coaches scout college games on Saturdays before heading to the city where the Packers were playing the following day. For home games, they'd return to Green Bay or Milwaukee on Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

Here's where things became even more harrowing.

A month before the 1961 draft, Vainisi died suddenly of heart failure. On top of that, the draft was scheduled to be held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia starting on Dec. 27, 1960, the day after the Packers would play the Philadelphia Eagles at Franklin Field for the NFL World Championship.

Thus, Lombardi, Lewellen and the assistant coaches worked late into the evening on Friday, Dec. 23, to prepare for the draft after wrapping up a week of practices in near zero weather in Green Bay. The team departed Green Bay at noon the next day, following a brief workout, and arrived at roughly 5 p.m. at Philadelphia's Sheraton Hotel. Once settled in, Lombardi and his staff met late into what was now Christmas Eve, again going over the available draft prospects.

Christmas Day fell on Sunday in "The City of Brotherly Love," and the Packers went through another light workout before having Christmas dinner together at the team hotel.

Kickoff for the game on Monday, Dec. 26, was at noon Philadelphia time. While officials and coaches for the other NFL teams had another day to do more prep work for the draft, the Packers were suffering a 17-13 loss to the Eagles that wasn't decided until the final play.

Tuesday morning, the draft started at 10 a.m.

Sitting with Lombardi at the Packers' table in the Warwick's grand ballroom was Lewellen, who had taken on Vainisi's personnel work following his death, plus assistant coaches Phil Bengtson and Bill Austin.

For the record, Lombardi would hire Dick Voris a month later as director of player personnel and assistant coach, and name Lewellen, business manager. Voris assisted Lombardi with the 1962 and '63 drafts before being replaced by Pat Peppler.

Meanwhile, Bengtson and Austin stuck around for only part of the draft's first day. Once the Packers started making their picks, they were dispatched to go find the players on their college campuses or wherever and sign them.

The selection process alone was an ordeal.

The AFL had held its draft in late November, which meant its teams had a month's head start on signing their choices. Despite having only 14 teams at that point, the NFL's first round took 4 hours, 58 minutes as team reps, before turning in their picks, tried to contact players to see if they had signed contracts yet with an AFL team.

Nine rounds were completed that first day, but it took 14 hours, extending beyond midnight. The final 11 rounds were held the next day.

On the 27th, the New York Daily News reported, "Green Bay coach Vinnie Lombardi also was hounded by questions through the day as to whether or not he was heading back to the Giants." Lewis Atchison of the Washington Evening Star reported "there is no doubt that the Giants want Lombardi" to replace their retiring head coach Jim Lee Howell. Atchison also noted that Lombardi and his good friend, Giants vice president and co-owner Wellington Mara, left the draft room at the end "arm-in-arm."

Through this entire pressure-cooker, the Packers not only landed a future Hall of Famer but also Ron Kostelnik, a future fixture on their defensive line, in the second round.

In round 13, the Packers chose Elijah Pitts, one of the most memorable sleepers in NFL draft history and star halfback Paul Hornung's eventual replacement. Pitts was a product of Philander Smith, a historically Black college in Little Rock, Ark.

A round later, the Packers tabbed University of Wichita end Nelson Toburen, who as a rookie appeared to have a bright future, only to suffer a career-ending neck injury in his second season.

When Lombardi drafted Adderley (6-1, 198), he was hoping he had secured his own version of Lenny Moore, the Baltimore Colts' hybrid flanker-halfback and future Hall of Famer.

Lombardi (Green Bay Press-Gazette, Dec. 29, 1960):"We would play Adderley at right halfback or slot, and he could be used on reverses and sweeps, which we can't do now."

Lombardi also told the Press-Gazette's Art Daley that even though he had switched to a three-end system late in his first season, he still preferred the three-back system and "now we could have both systems."

A year later, when he was working on his book, "Run to Daylight," Lombardi confessed that Adderley's career might have turned out much differently if it had not been for a tip from veteran safety Emlen Tunnell.

In time, Adderley blossomed into a big-play, shutdown corner; five-time Associated Press All-Pro; and 1980 Hall of Fame inductee.

Adderley was a product of college football's one-platoon era, which was in effect from 1953-64 when the rules limited substitutions and forced players to play both offense and defense. Thus, he had led Michigan State in rushing and receiving as a senior while also playing safety on defense.

For 10 games as a rookie, Adderley showed breakaway speed, averaging 26.6 yards on kickoff returns, but otherwise languished on the bench as a reserve flanker. Then opportunity beckoned when left cornerback Hank Gremminger sustained an injury in the 11th game at Detroit and Adderley replaced him.

" when I think of what he is and what he may become in our defensive backfield it scares me to remember how I almost mishandled him," Lombardi wrote in "Run to Daylight." "For a whole half season, I had been so stubborn that I had been trying the impossible, to make something of a boy that he did not want to be."

Lombardi had learned in a private conversation with Tunnell that Adderley wanted to play defense.

Packers backfield coach Red Cochran (Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, May 18, 1959):"Runs hard. Not real reckless hitting in line when no hole is open. Can catch ball OK. Reacts on defense OK, though there was no action at him on runs nor pass when I watched him."

Packers offensive line coach Bill Austin (Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, Oct. 2, 1960):"Offensive Ability: Has good speed. Did not seem to cut well. Can catch ball very well. Ran hard did not block well when used as a close wing. Defensive Ability: Played middle safety on zone. Four or five balls caught in front of him and he waited for ball carrier to come to him. Did not go to ball when in the air. Has the speed."

Michigan State assistant coach and former Packers guard Henry Bullough (Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, Nov. 16, 1960):"Good tackler. Pass Receiving: Outstanding. Intelligence: Good football mind. Character: Good kid. Coachable: Yes. Probable Pro Position: Slot or flanker back. Great hands. Will catch ball any place. In sophomore and junior years was outstanding. Tailed off senior year. Good punt and kickoff return man. Best potential athlete we have ever had here. Better prospect than Clarence Peaks (seventh overall pick in 1957 by Philadelphia) because of speed and hands. A blue-chip prospect!"

Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty (Green Bay Packers Yearbook, 1961):"(Adderley) has great speed, is an outstanding pass receiver, a good blocker and a top-notch defensive man. He can play pro ball at several positions."

Adderley permanently replaced Gremminger in 1962 the latter moved to left safety and made AP All-Pro in his first season as a defensive starter.

Highly instinctive, Adderley was both a gambler and a ball hawk, picking off 39 passes with the Packers and returning seven for what was then an NFL record for touchdowns off interceptions. At the same time, he was physical against the run and a sure tackler.

Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula (Green Bay Press-Gazette, Jan. 27, 1980):"I coached 'Night Train' (Lane) as an assistant at Detroit, and he was a great corner, and Adderley reminded me of 'Night Train.' They were great hitters, smart and played the ball well."

Johnny Morris, former Chicago Bears flanker and NFL's leading receiver in 1964 with 93 catches in 14 games (Milwaukee Sentinel, Jan. 28, 1980):"I played against all of them. Jimmy Johnson was a great defensive back. So was Night Train Lane. I could do things against them. Herb was in a class by himself. I don't have to think about it he was the best."

Pro Football Hall of Fame flanker Tommy McDonald (Reading Eagle, June 7, 2000):"Herb Adderley simply wouldn't let me get to the outside. He'd just beat me up, force me to turn underneath routes all the time. That made it very difficult for me to do my job. Other guys tried the same tactic, but he was the only one tough enough and fast enough to get it done."

In addition to Adderley, the Packers also snared two other future Packers Hall of Famers in Kostelnik (6-4, 238), a defensive tackle, and Pitts (6-1, 197). Toburen (6-4, 230) was a two-way end in college but projected to be a linebacker.

After selecting the 20-year-old Kostelnik with the anticipation that he would soon weigh in the neighborhood of 260 pounds, Lombardi dubbed him, "The Mad Russian." He added, "He's so big they had to spoon feed him with a steam shovel. And he's still a baby yet. Wait'll he grows up."

University of Cincinnati head coach George Blackburn(Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, April 28, 1960):"Best prospect at Cincinnati. Held out as freshman because of injury. Good pass rusher. Strong and agile. Should play end on defense."

University of Cincinnati assistant coach Glenn Sample (Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, Nov. 14, 1960): "Offensive Ability: Gets the job done in college, but is only a defensive prospect for pro ball. Defensive Ability: Agility for a big man. Excellent pursuit on plays away from him. Hard to block and contain. Excellent pass rusher. Good overall strength, including hand and arm strength. Might be injury prone but looks alright now. Works hard. Great morale. Well liked. Should get bigger. Has not reached his potential."

Packers scout Wally Cruice(Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, Oct. 25, 1960): "Should get bigger. (Cincinnati backfield) coach Jack Delaney says the boy has real good pro potential. Has been having knee trouble."

Pitts was a classic sleeper of yesteryear, an obscure player from a small school who was an unknown even to other NFL teams. In fact, legend has it that when the Packers selected him, one wag in the draft room asked: "Is that Philander Smith from Elijah Pitts or Elijah Pitts from Philander Smith?"

Although Pitts was selected to the all-Gulf Coast Conference team as a senior, the league consisted of mostly small Black colleges that no longer field football teams. When Pitts played, Philander Smith had an enrollment of 685.

Tunnell, Packers safety and offseason scout (Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, April 20, 1960): "Pitts has no family. He is a well-conditioned athlete, both physically and mentally. His best time in 100-yard dash is 9.7 (a track man). For a man his size he has the best possible ability and reflexes. He is easy to coach because of his tremendous desire. Pitts can catch passes and return punts exceptionally well. His defense is very good also. Saw him run track at Grambling. Can really fly."

Voris, based on Pitts' first training camp (Christl interview, March 30, 1978):"I liked his speed. He had all the athletic ability. Plus, he had that good size, and Vince liked good-sized backs. He could block. He was tough. He was intense."

Herman Ball, former Washington head coach and line coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1961 (Christl interview, circa early 1980s):"I don't think anybody knew about (Pitts). He didn't register with me. From there out, scouts were out on the road looking under rocks and behind trees, wherever guys hide."

Pitts (Christl interview, Jan. 9, 1979):"They teased me all the time about that: whether it was Philander Smith from Elijah Pitts or Elijah Pitts from Philander Smith. I think that was more or less a commentator's story. But I'm sure (other teams) asked, 'Who?,' when I was drafted."

Toburen played as a senior at Wichita for coach Hank Foldberg. Foldberg had been an All-American end when he played at Army in 1946 with backs Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard. More than likely, with Lombardi's connection to West Point, where he served as an assistant from 1949-53, he and Foldberg knew each other.

Austin(Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, Spring 1960): "Very good hands. Good blocker on in-line blocking. Very good on defense probably his best position. Needs a kick in the butt once in awhile but can do the job."

Foldberg on Toburen (Green Bay Packers Player Talent Report, Dec. 19, 1960): "Defense best. Will probably weigh 235 or 240. Very quick. Good pass rush. Good as Leo Sugar (a seventh-year defensive end with the St. Louis Cardinals). Outstanding lineman voted by team. Strong. Tough."

With the NFL in competition with the year-old American Football League, the Packers had to outbid the New York Titans for Adderley's services and Buffalo to sign Kostelnik.

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