Curly Lambeau
| Curly Lambeau | |
|---|---|
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Positions: HB / FB , QB , HC |
Jersey number (s): 20 |
| born April 9, 1898 in Green Bay , Wisconsin | |
| died on June 1, 1965 in Sturgeon Bay , Wisconsin | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1919 - 1953 | |
| College : Notre Dame | |
| Teams | |
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as a player
as head coach
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| Career statistics | |
| Touchdowns | 12 |
| Games | 70 |
| as a starter | 50 |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Coaching stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau (* 9. April 1898 in Green Bay , Wisconsin ; † 1. June 1965 in Sturgeon Bay , Wisconsin) was an American American football players and coaches. He played and trained in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau is a co-founder of the Green Bay Packers .
college
Lambeau attended high school in his hometown and played American football there. After graduating from high school, he studied at the University of Notre Dame and played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish . As coach of the team Knute Rockne was committed in 1918 , who used Lambeau as a fullback . Lambeau managed the first touchdown for a team trained by Rockne. In 1918 he was recognized by his college for his athletic achievements, but then had to interrupt his studies due to an illness.
Founding of the Green Bay Packers
Lambeau returned to Green Bay and accepted a position as a shipping agent with the Indian Packing Corporation for a monthly salary of $ 250 (adjusted for inflation, about $ 3,689 today) . In 1919 Lambeau approached his employer and asked him for $ 500 to purchase equipment for a football team. The company invested the money and the Green Bay Packers were formed as a semi-professional football team by Lambeau and a business partner.
Player-coach
Lambeau was the team's player-coach and did not take up his studies. He played in different positions, which was so common at the time. The Packers played their first game on September 3, 1919 against a team from Menominee and won 53-0. Another nine wins against regional teams followed. A game against a team from Beloit was lost, the referee had not recognized three touchdowns by Lambeau due to alleged rule violations.
Shortly after the Packers' founding, the Indian Packing Corporation ran into financial distress and was taken over by the Acme Packing Company . With the loss of the sponsor , the fate of the Packers also seemed sealed. However, Lambeau managed to persuade the Acme Packing Company to continue supporting the team.
In 1920 the American Professional Football Association was founded, a league that was later renamed the National Football League (NFL). Due to the success of the Packers, a group of investors supported Lambeau in acquiring a franchise for the newly founded professional league. However, this franchise fell into disrepair as investors ultimately became unable to pay. Lambeau still managed to raise the money to purchase the franchise from other donors and for $ 300 (of which $ 50 came from his own coffers) the Packers were admitted to the league in 1921, but could not start playing until 1922.
Although the passing game was not widely used in the early days of professional football, Lambeau was one of the first players (coach) who tried to establish throwing the ball as an attacking play. Lambeau was active as a player-coach for the Packers until 1929. The early years of the Packers were not very successful. A title win did not succeed at first. In the course of the 1920s, Lambeau managed to commit numerous later selection players such as LaVern Dilweg , Mike Michalske , Clarke Hinkle or John McNally . The Packers grew into a top team in the NFL.
From 1927 Lambeau withdrew more and more to the coaching position and in 1929 he only played one game for the Packers. In his last year as player-coach, he won his first title with the team from Green Bay. The Packers were able to win 12 of their 13 games, a final did not take place at that time. Lambeau ended his playing career after this year and from then on only worked as a coach for the Packers. From 1930 he put on his player position, the future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Arnie Herber .
Trainer
In the 1930s Lambeau added other star players such as Charles Goldenberg , Russ Letlow and Don Hutson to his team . In 1930 and 1931 the Packers were able to win further championship titles. The fourth title followed in 1936. In the first ever NFL Championship Game , the Boston Redskins were beaten 21: 6. In 1939 the New York Giants were beaten 27-0 in the final, and in 1944 Lambeau won his sixth and final title. The Packers were able to prevail again against the Giants with 14: 7. In 1938 and 1941 the Packers lost the final.
After Lambeau left the Packers in 1949, he coached the Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins for two years each from 1950 to 1954, without success . After those four years, Lambeau retired. As a coach Lambeau was able to win 229 games, he lost with his teams 134 times, 22 of the games ended in a draw.
Honors
Lambeau was voted All-Pro three times . He is a member of the NFL 1920s All-Decade Team , the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame , the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame . Three months after his death, the Packers renamed their stadium Lambeau Field .
Off the field
Lambeau was married three times. He died of heart failure while mowing the lawn at a friend's house. He lived in Green Bay until his death and is buried there in the Allouez Catholic Cemetery .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1929
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1930
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1931
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1936
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1939
- ↑ Annual statistics of the Packers 1944
- ↑ Endgame statistics 1944
- ↑ Lambeau's Tomb in the Find a Grave database
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lambeau, Curly |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lambeau, Earl Louis (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and coach |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 9, 1898 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Green Bay , Wisconsin , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 1, 1965 |
| Place of death | Sturgeon Bay , Wisconsin , United States |