End/Defensive
Back, Green Bay
Age: 29
8th
season in pro football & with Packers
College: Alabama
Height: 6’1” Weight: 185
Prelude:
Coming out of
college, where he had been an All-American at Alabama, there were questions as
to whether Hutson was suited to the pro game. He quickly allayed such concerns
as a rookie in 1935, catching 18 passes for 420 yards (23.3 avg.) and 6 TDs (he
led the league with a total of 7). The numbers improved dramatically as he
became the top receiver in the NFL, leading the league in receptions (34),
yards (536), and TDs (8) in 1936 and receptions (41) and TDs (7) in ’37. Fast
and innovative in the maneuvers he utilized and routes he ran, Hutson became
the first deep threat and caused defenses to utilize new strategies, such as
double- and triple-teaming, to contain him. He led the NFL in receiving yards
(548) as well as TDs (9) in 1938 and in receptions (34), yards (849), and yards
per catch (24.9) in ’39. While he didn’t lead the league in receptions in 1940,
he still had a then-career high with 45, and in 1941 he was first awarded the
Joe F. Carr trophy as league MVP after tying the NFL record for catches (58)
and also leading in yards (738), scoring (95 points), and touchdowns (12, tied
with George McAfee of the Bears).
1942 Season Summary
Appeared in all
11 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 74
[1]
Most
receptions, game – 14 (for 134 yds.) at NY Giants 11/22
Yards – 1211 [1]
Most yards,
game - 209 (on 13 catches) vs. Cleveland 10/18
Average gain
– 16.4 [9]
TDs – 17 [1]
200-yard
receiving games – 2
100-yard
receiving games – 6
Rushing
Attempts – 3
Yards – 4
Average gain
– 1.3
TDs – 0
Kicking
Field goals –
1 [9, tied with five others]
Field goal
attempts – 4 [10, tied with Augie Lio]
Percentage – .250
PATs – 33 [1]
PAT attempts
– 34 [1]
Longest field
goal – 20 yards vs. Pittsburgh 12/6
Interceptions
Interceptions
– 7 [2]
Return yards
– 71 [8]
TDs – 0
All-Purpose
yards – 1286 [2]
Scoring
TDs – 17 [1]
FG – 1
PATs – 33
Points – 138 [1]
Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: Joe
F. Carr Trophy
1st
team All-NFL: League, AP, INS, NY Daily News
NFL All-Star
Game
Packers went 8-2-1
to finish second in the NFL Western Division while leading the league in
passing yards (2407) on offense and interceptions (33, tied with the Bears) on
defense.
Aftermath:
Taking
advantage of diluted competition during World War II, he continued to be the
NFL’s dominant pass receiver. He retired following the 1945 season as the
career leader in receptions (488), receiving yards (7991), TD receptions (99),
and overall TDs (105). Many of those records lasted for decades – the one for
TD receptions lasted until 1989. Used as a defensive back (rather than end) on
defense, he intercepted 30 passes in his last six seasons (individual
interceptions were first compiled in 1940). As a placekicker, he compiled 7
field goals and 172 extra points and his overall point total was 823, which
also was the NFL career record at the time. Hutson was a consensus first-team
All-Pro on eight occasions. The Packers retired his #14 and he was inducted into
the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Charter Member in 1963.
--
MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or
Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or
USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football
Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press
International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league
itself).
