Green Bay Packers: 50 greatest players in franchise history

Greatest players in Green Bay Packers history: 13. Curly Lambeau

The Packers aren’t the organization they are today without the great leadership of one man nearly 100 years ago. Yes, of course, we are talking about Curly Lambeau. You know, the namesake of Lambeau Field. While you might remember that he was the first coach in Packers history, running the show from 1919 to 1949, he was actually a player/coach for the first 11 years of that stint.

Lambeau was a Green Bay native and played his college ball at Notre Dame as a halfback. He would return home and founded the Packers along with George Whitney Calhoun on August 11, 1919. On the field, Lambeau played halfback. He would both run and throw the ball out that position for the Packers.

The Packers would be off to a terrific start during their first two years in the league, accumulating a 19-2-1 record. However, it would take until his final season as a player for the Packers to win their first NFL championship in 1929. In total, Green Bay would win six NFL titles with Lambeau as the Packers head coach.

As a player, Lambeau was a three-time second team All-Pro. He made the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1920s as a player. Obviously, Lambeau is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame. In 1963, Lambeau would be inducted into the inaugural class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His Canton classmates include Earl Clark, Mel Hein, his former star split end Don Hutson and Bronko Nagurski.