American · Pine Bluff, Arkansas, USA · Born 31 January 1913 · Died 1997-06-26Don Hutson revolutionized the wide receiver position with the Green Bay Packers in the 1930s and 1940s, leading the NFL in receiving a record eight times and winning three NFL championships.
Don Hutson retired in 1945 holding 18 NFL records, including a touchdown mark of 99 catches that stood for more than four decades, having invented many of the pass routes still run in football today — the first receiver so fast and precise that defences had to develop double and triple coverage specifically to deal with him.. Before his arrival, defenses had never needed double or triple coverage; Hutson's speed and precise route running made such tactics necessary for the first time. Over his 11-year career, entirely with Green Bay, Hutson led the NFL in receiving in eight seasons and in scoring for five consecutive years (1940-44), winning the league MVP award in both 1941 and 1942. When he retired in 1945, he held 18 NFL records, including 488 career receptions, 7,991 receiving yards and 99 touchdown catches — a touchdown mark that stood for more than four decades. Hutson helped the Packers win three NFL championships (1936, 1939, 1944) and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 as a member of its inaugural class. He was later named to the NFL's 50th, 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, and the Packers retired his No. 14, making him the first player in franchise history to receive the honor. He died on 26 June 1997 at age 84.
Pioneering Green Bay Packers wide receiver widely considered the first great NFL pass-catcher
How They Played
Exceptional speed and precise, innovative route running that defined the receiver position
Lasting Impact
Widely regarded as the first great wide receiver and the prototype for the modern position
Career Honours
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1963, charter class)
- 3x NFL champion
- NFL MVP (1941, 1942)
- 9x First-team All-Pro
American Athletes