Green Bay Packers NFL Draft history: Number one pick – 1940
Packers end Hal Van Every hands the ball to an official after scoring on a 10-yard pass from Cecil Isbell in the third quarter of a 33-14 loss to the Bears in the Western Division playoff game at Wrigley Field in Chicago on Dec. 14, 1941. Packers end Carl Mullineaux (19) is at left, next to the Bears’ George McAfee (5). Bears defensive end Hampton Pool (76) is at right. Photograph courtesy of packershistory.net.
Hal Van Every
For the second year in a row, the Green Bay Packers had a very poor draft, despite the fact that they had 20 kicks at the can in 1940 and 19 in 1939.
Like the year before, the Packers top pick in 1940, running back Hal Van Every, didn’t do much for the team on offense for the two years he was around.
In 1940 and 1941, Van Every didn’t carry the ball, but was used as a passer. He attempted 71 pass, completing just 23 of them (32.4 percent) for 394 yards and four touchdowns ( all of which came in his first season in 1940. He also threw eight interceptions over those two years – an 11.3 interception rate (what if Aaron Rodgers had that INT rate?).
Here are Van Every’s career stats …
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/19/2015.
What’s interesting is that the Packers second pick, Lou Brock (no, not the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder) had the better career in Green Bay.
Brock ended up playing six years for the Packers, from 1940-45, accumulating 804 yards rushing (3.2 yards per-carry) and another 761 yards receiving (12.9 yards per-reception).
His best year came in 1942 when he picked up 237 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while also pulling in 20 receptions for 139 yards.
Lou Brock’s career stats …
| Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pos | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Lng | R/G | Y/G | YScm | RRTD |
| 1940 | HB | 11 | 4 | 18 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 3.3 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 5 | 97 | 19.4 | 0 | 33 | 0.5 | 8.8 | 157 | 0 |
| 1941 | PR | 11 | 4 | 14 | 44 | 0 | 14 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 22 | 307 | 14.0 | 2 | 36 | 2.0 | 27.9 | 351 | 2 |
| 1942 | KR/P/PR | 11 | 4 | 95 | 237 | 2 | 24 | 2.5 | 21.5 | 8.6 | 20 | 139 | 7.0 | 1 | 29 | 1.8 | 12.6 | 376 | 3 |
| 1943 | HB/P | 10 | 8 | 45 | 67 | 2 | 9 | 1.5 | 6.7 | 4.5 | 4 | 57 | 14.3 | 1 | 32 | 0.4 | 5.7 | 124 | 3 |
| 1944 | HB/P | 5 | 5 | 36 | 200 | 3 | 42 | 5.6 | 40.0 | 7.2 | 4 | 74 | 18.5 | 2 | 52 | 0.8 | 14.8 | 274 | 5 |
| 1945 | b | 10 | 4 | 46 | 196 | 3 | 28 | 4.3 | 19.6 | 4.6 | 4 | 87 | 21.8 | 0 | 46 | 0.4 | 8.7 | 283 | 3 |
| Career | 58 | 29 | 254 | 804 | 10 | 42 | 3.2 | 13.9 | 4.4 | 59 | 761 | 12.9 | 6 | 52 | 1.0 | 13.1 | 1565 | 16 |
Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 2/19/2015.