Don Hutson Calls it Quits or Does He?
"Don Hutson Calls it Quits or Does He?"
July 22, 1943 - Our Newspapers.com Football History Headline of the Day is from an article found in that day's edition of the Harrisburg Telegraph in Pennsylvania.
Don Hutson Will Quit Pro Football Ranks
The article stated that Green Bay Packers star receiver Don Hutson confirmed he would not be returning to the NFL to play in the upcoming season, having set 16 different records the previous year. It was speculated that Hutson made his decision to retire after quarterback Cecil Isbell announced his departure from the pro circuit to coach at Purdue. Hutson refuted these claims, stating that his decision to leave the playing field was made long before Isbell's. Despite these reports, the Alabama Antelope played through the 1945 season. We will assume that the war effort limited the number of pro players available, and the persuasive manner of one Coach Curly Lambeau could have helped sway Hutson to return to the Packers.
- HASHTAGS: #July22 #DonHutson #HutsonDon
- EVENTDAY: July 22
- FOOTBALL NAME: Don Hutson, Hutson Don
"Nixon Makes the News & We Tell His Ties to the Gridiron"
He did not play much, but he was on the football team at Whittier College in California. In old photos, he was seen wearing jersey numbers 12 and 23. Later, when he became POTUS, he is credited with signing legislation to force the NFL to televise all playoff games in all markets, much to the chagrin of then-NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle.
So, though "Tricky Dick" may have been a "crook" despite his claims that he was not, he did force the NFL to put playoff games on TV for all of us to watch for free in our homes.