1958 Green Bay Packers season
| 1958 Green Bay Packers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Ray McLean |
| General manager | Verne Lewellen |
| Owner |
Dominic Olejniczak (President) |
| Home field |
City Stadium Milwaukee County Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 1–10–1 |
| Division place | 6th NFL Western |
| Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1958 Green Bay Packers season was their 39th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 1–10–1 record under first-year head coach Ray McLean for a last-place finish in the league in 1958 and the worst record ever posted by a Packers team.
In the immortal words of New York sportswriter and Green Bay native Red Smith: "they overwhelmed one opponent, under-whelmed ten, and whelmed one." The tie came in week two and the three-point win in week five; during the seven-game losing streak to end the season the Packers lost by an average margin of over 22 points and got no closer than ten.
McLean was the top assistant on the coaching staff in 1957 and was given a one-year contract as head coach after Lisle Blackbourn was fired in early January 1958 with a year remaining ($25,000) on a five-year contract. Following the final game of the 1958 season, McLean resigned on December 17, which paved the way for the historic hiring of Vince Lombardi in January 1959.
The underachieving 1958 team was loaded with talent, with future hall of famers Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke, Jim Ringo, and Forrest Gregg, as well as future All-Pros Jerry Kramer, Ron Kramer, Max McGee, Bill Forester, and Dan Currie.
The first four rounds of the 1958 Draft were conducted in early December 1957, when Blackbourn was head coach. The remaining 26 rounds were selected in late January. This draft by the Packers is among the best in NFL history.
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