Don Hutson

Bio

Fluid in motion, wondrously elusive with the fake, inventive in his patterns and at ease when catching the ball, Don Hutson set the standard for pass receivers. Hutson and fellow Hall of Famer Millard "Dixie" Howell became one of football's most celebrated passing combination. Tall, willowy and blessed with deceptive speed, Hutson was the first to perfect the techniques of catching the ball in traffic. He made the end-around a devastating threat and shifting speeds a must. When Hutson grabbed six passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the Crimson Tide's 29-13 victory over Stanford in the Rose Bowl, West Coast writers hailed him as "the greatest pass-catching speed merchant end". Hutson made consensus All-America at Alabama in 1934. He scored the winning touchdown on a nine-yard, end-around play as Alabama beat Tennessee 13-6. He caught six passes, two for touchdowns, against Clemson. Hutson, was at one end for Alabama. The other end was Bear Bryant, a future coaching great. Hutson also played centerfield for the baseball team and ran for the track team. He was timed in 9.8 seconds for the 100-yard dash. On one occasion he ran track, then donned a uniform and played a baseball game - all on the same day. After his Alabama days, Hutson played 11 years with the Green Bay Packers, 1935-45. He was all-pro nine times, led the league in pass receptions eight times, led the league in scoring five times, and twice was named Most Valuable Player. He finished his pro career with 488 pass receptions. The next best player at that time had 188. Hutson was named to the all-time college football team in 1969, the all-time pro team in 1996

Career Highlights

• 1934 All-Conference
• 1934 Consensus All-America