1961 NFL Championship Game

Lore & Background

This was the first NFL championship game held in Green Bay. The Packers' only other championship home game was in 1939 at State Fair Park in West Allis. Both teams sought to shed the 'runner-up' label: the Giants had lost the 1958 and 1959 title games to the Baltimore Colts, and the Packers had lost the 1960 title game to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants' last league title was in 1956, the Packers' in 1944. Temperature at game time was 20 °F (−7 °C); the field had been covered with a tarp and a foot of hay. All Packers players used cleats; about half the Giants, led by head coach Allie Sherman, chose sneakers. Green Bay had defeated the Giants 20–17 four weeks earlier at County Stadium in Milwaukee to clinch the Western title. Packers right guard Jerry Kramer was sidelined for the season; Forrest Gregg moved to guard and Norm Masters started at right tackle.

In Their Own Story

The wind howled off the Hudson River, gnawing at exposed faces as players huddled on Yankee Stadium's frozen turf. On the Giants' sideline, the usual bravado evaporated into a stunned silence as the scoreline mounted against them. Bart Starr, a statue of calm amidst the chaos, signaled play after play with sharp, decisive nods. The crowd, initially hopeful for their hosts, slowly fell into a state of disbelief as the Packers marched downfield with mechanical efficiency. By the fourth quarter, the contest had dissolved into a procession of Green Bay dominance, sealing a legacy that would echo through decades.

Reader's Guide

The Packers scored 24 points in the second quarter to take a 24–0 halftime lead. Paul Hornung scored a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter, added three field goals (17, 22, and 19 yards), and kicked four extra points, totaling 19 points—the most ever in a championship game at the time. Bart Starr threw three touchdown passes: a 13-yarder to Boyd Dowler, and two to Ron Kramer (14 yards and a third in the left corner of the end zone). The Giants committed four interceptions (three by Y. A. Tittle, one by Charley Conerly) and lost a fumble. The Packers had no turnovers and only 16 yards in penalties. The final score was 37–0.

Did You Know?

• Paul Hornung scored 19 points (a touchdown, three field goals, and four extra points) and was named MVP, awarded a 1962 Chevrolet Corvette from Sport magazine.
• The game generated over $1 million in revenue, the first NFL Championship to do so, with 40,000 tickets sold at $10 each and $615,000 in TV revenue.
• Packers Ray Nitschke, Boyd Dowler, and Paul Hornung were on leave from the U.S. Army.
• The Packers were given five downs on their first possession of the third quarter due to an illegal procedure penalty that negated a fumble.
• This was the fifth shutout in NFL Championship game history and Vince Lombardi's first of five titles in seven seasons.