Curly Lambeau

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Curly Lambeau
CurlyLambeauNotreDame.jpg
Lambeau during his college career at Notre Dame in 1918
Date of birth April 9, 1898
Place of birth Green Bay, WI
Date of death June 1 1965 (aged 67)
Position(s) Head Coach
College Notre Dame
Honors NFL 1920s All-Decade Team
Green Bay Packers HOF
Pro Football HOF
Wisconsin Athletic HOF
Records Green Bay Packers
Career Wins (209)
Career Record 229-134-22
Championships
      Won
1929 NFL Championship
1930 NFL Championship
1931 NFL Championship
1936 NFL Championship
1939 NFL Championship
1944 NFL Championship
Coaching Stats Pro Football Reference
Coaching Stats DatabaseFootball
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1919-1949
1950-1951
1952-1953
Green Bay Packers
Chicago Cardinals
Washington Redskins
Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1963

Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau (April 9, 1898 – June 1, 1965) was the founder, a player, and the first coach of the Green Bay Packers professional football team. As a standout player from 1919*-1929 he pioneered the forward pass in professional football.

Lambeau led the Packers to six world championships as head coach and is one of just five coaches in NFL history to record 200 wins (others are Don Shula, George Halas, Tom Landry and Chuck Noll).

Lambeau's career coaching record with the Packers was 212-106-21 (.656), including postseason (1921-49). He also coached the Chicago Cardinals (1950-51) and Washington Redskins (1952-53).

Early years

Lambeau had been an outstanding athlete at Green Bay East High School and after enrolling at the University of Notre Dame and making varsity as a freshman under Knute Rockne, Lambeau was back in Green Bay by in 1919 after severe tonsillitis forced him to miss the spring semester.

Circa 1919 a young 22 year old went to his boss Frank Peck of Indian Packing and sought company sponsorship of a Green Bay 25. In their inaugural season the “backwoods” band went 10-1 and outscored their opponents 565 to 12. In 1921 Indian Packing was purchased by Acme Packing Company. Acme kept the same game plan the Acme Packers pounded their opponents. But circumstances turned out that Acme had college players laboring on the gridiron. This serious infraction led to franchise revocation. On August 22, 1922, the American Professional Football Association (APFA) newly renamed the National Football League reinstated Green Bay under the ownership auspices of E.L. Lambeau.

In January 1922 Green Bay briefly lost its NFL franchise. The Acme Packers had their franchise revoked for illegally using college players. In September the franchise was returned to Green Bay, but to a different ownership group. Lambeau tried to get the team's name changed to the "Big Bay Blues", but even though the Acme Packing Co. no longer had anything to do with the team - the name Packers stuck.

Lambeau coached the Packers as an NFL team from 1921-49. As the head coach, he led the Packers to six NFL championships (1929, 1930, 1931, 1936, 1939, 1944), including a record three straight. Lambeau's regular season record as head coach of the Packers was 209-104-21 (.626 winning percentage) with a playoff record of 3-2.

In 1946, Lambeau purchased Rockwood Lodge, creating the first self-contained training facility in professional football. The purchase was controversial among the Packers' board of directors, and Lambeau's deteriorating relationship with the board was one of the factors that would lead to his departure in early 1950.

After Lambeau's career with the Packers came to an end, he went on to coach the Chicago Cardinals for the 1950 season and most of the 1951 season. His record with the Cardinals was 7-15 (.318 winning percentage). After leaving the Cardinals, Lambeau went on to coach the last two years of his career with the Washington Redskins for the 1952 1953 seasons. His record in Washington was a disappointing 10-13-1 (.417).

Lambeau completed his 33 year coaching career with an overall record of 229-134-22 (.595 winning percentage). He was a member of the inaugural class inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

Family

Father: Marcel Lambeau Wife: Marguerite Van Kessel (m. 1919, div. 23-May-1934, one son) Son: John (b. 1920) Wife: Sue (former Miss California, m. 1935, div. 1940) Wife: Grace Nichols (m. 16-Jul-1945, div. 1955) Girlfriend: Mary Jane Sorgel (at time of his death)

Legacy

The Packers' stadium, Lambeau Field in Green Bay, is named after Curly Lambeau. The venue opened in 1957, called the new "City Stadium" for its first eight years. It was renamed "Lambeau Field" in September 1965, three months after Lambeau's death in June. Only two other pro sports stadiums in North America have been in use longer than Lambeau Field.

In 2003 research lead to the discovery of Curly Lambeau's birthplace home at 615 North Irwin Avenue. Further research proved that the home was not only the birthplace home of Curly Lambeau, but was also one of the oldest houses in Green Bay still standing on its original foundation with its original exterior walls. The home has now become one of Green Bay's Historical Landmarks.[1]

Notes

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Further Reading

  • Names, Larry D. 1987. The History of the Green Bay Packers, Book I: The Lambeau Years, Part One. Wautoma, WI: Angel Press of WI. ISBN 093999500X
  • Names, Larry D. 1989. The history of the Green Bay Packers, book II: the Lambeau years, part two. Wautoma, WI: Angel Press of WI. ISBN 0939995018
  • Names, Larry D. 1990. The history of the Green Bay Packers, book III: the Lambeau years, part three. Wautoma, WI: Angel Press of WI. ISBN 0939995026
  • Stotts, Stuart. 2007. Curly Lambeau: Building the Green Bay Packers. Badger biographies. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Historical Society Press. ISBN 9780870203893
  • Zimmerman, David. 2003. Lambeau: The Man Behind the Mystique. Hales Corners, WI: Eagle Books. ISBN 188298708X

External links

Preceded by:
First coach
Green Bay Packers Head Coaches
1919–1949
Succeeded by:
Gene Ronzani
Preceded by:
Buddy Parker
Chicago Cardinals Head Coaches
1950–1951
Succeeded by:
Phil Handler
Preceded by:
Dick Todd
Washington Redskins Head Coaches
1952–1953
Succeeded by:
Joe Kuharich


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