Verne Lewellen

 

Verne Lewellen was born on September 29, 1901, in Garland, Nebraska. A four-sport high school athlete at Lincoln High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. Lewellen attended University of Nebraska, where he captained and quarterbacked the Cornhuskers to a 14–7 defeat of a Notre Dame squad in 1923.^[1] Also a pitcher, the Pittsburgh Pirates were ready to sign him until an injury from a train wreck affected his pitching arm.

Jim Crowley - who played against Lewellen in the 1923 Nebraska-Notre Dame matchup - recommended Lewellen to Green Bay Packers coach Curly Lambeau.^[2] Lewellen signed with the team and played most of his nine-year career with the Packers. Lewellen played in 102 games for the Packers from 1924 to 1932 (in 1927, the team "lent" him to the New York Yankees for three end-of-season games) and earned all-league first-team honors from 1926–29.^[2] He also was a pivotal part of the Packers three straight league championships in 1929, 1930, and 1931. Lewellen is considered by some football historians as one of the top football players of his era not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Because games in the early era of professional football were such so low scoring, punters were considered the most valuable players on teams due to their ability to control field position. Verne Lewellen was considered by most around the league to be the premier player at the leagues most important position, consistently flipping field position on opponents. In addition to his elite punting ability, his 35 total touchdowns in the 1920s decade was the most of any player in the entire NFL.^[3] His career total of 50 touchdowns remained an NFL record until 1941 when he was passed by Don Hutson. Lewellen's former teammate Charlie Mathys once said that “if he doesn’t get in the Hall of Fame, it’s a joke.” When Lewellen was not announced as one of the 11 players included in the inaugural Hall of Fame class of 1963, his former teammate Johnny “Blood” McNally, who was a member of the inaugural class, claimed that Verne “should have been in there in front of me and Cal Hubbard.” ^[4] Despite playing in an era of extremely low scoring football, Lewellen still sits fifth on the Packers list of all-time rushing touchdown leaders.^[5]

In 1950, he joined the Packers as a member of the executive committee, served as the Packers' general manager from 1954 through 1958 and business manager from 1959 to 1967.^[2] As General Manager of the Packers, Lewellen helped the team draft many notable stars that would eventually help coach Vince Lombardi win the franchise five NFL Titles, such as Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Ray Nitschke, Forrest Gregg, Jim Taylor, Jerry Kramer, Ron Kramer, and Max McGee.^[6]

Completing a law degree from University of Nebraska during his professional football career,^[1] he ran successfully for Brown County (WI) District Attorney in 1928 against Packer teammate LaVern Dilweg and was re-elected in 1930. He lost the seat in the 1932 election and practiced law until his retirement.^[2]

Lewellen died on April 16, 1980, at the age of 78.^[4]

He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1967 and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1970.^[4] The Professional Football Researchers Association named Lewellen to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2009.^[7] Lewellen was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame centennial class of 2020.^[8]