By Gene Kemmeter

Columnist

Continued from previous segment

Stevens Point’s decision to host the summer training camp of the Green Bay Packers in 1954 involved a complex plan based on services available.

The Stevens Point Chamber of Commerce spearheaded the proposal after Gene Ronzani had resigned his position as head coach with two games left in the 1953 season, and the Packers had recently let the head coach decide where to conduct summer training for the team.

“We’re trying to get the Packers,” stated a headline in the Feb. 9, 1954, News Bulletin of the Chamber of Commerce. “Tom Leech (Whiting-Plover Paper Co.) and Al Mayer (WSPT) are heading a committee which is working to get the Green Bay Packers to train in Stevens Point.”

The entry relates that a change in the coaching regime and a new general manager in charge usually signaled a switch in training sites, with a decision expected soon. “If the Packers decide on ‘elsewhere,’ Stevens Point will make a concerted bid.”

The Packers hired Verne Lewellen, a star Packer player from 1924-1932 and a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, who was a businessman and an attorney, as the team’s general manager; and Lisle Blackbourn, head coach at Marquette University in Milwaukee, as the new head coach.

Leech and Mayer coordinated Stevens Point’s bid to become the training site, working with officials from the city of Stevens Point, Central State College and the Stevens Point Board of Education.

The city offered a tightly-grouped complex for the Packers’ facility. Delzell and Nelson Halls on the CSC campus, within a block of each other, would be the headquarters for the team during their training period. The players would live at Delzell and eat at Nelson, but the team had the option of moving into Nelson after the summer session ended.

Practice facilities would be available at Schmeeckle Field, the college field behind Delzell (the University Center hadn’t expanded yet). Other practice facilities would be available at Goerke Park, three short blocks east of Delzell. Later, Bukolt Park along the Wisconsin River, about a mile west of the campus, was added to practice sites and a bus was made available for transporting the players.

Lewellen and Blackbourn visited Stevens Point on Feb. 26, and the Chamber newsletter on March 11, 1954, said they “seemed pleased with what they saw and the accommodations offered.”

Less than a month later, the decision was made, and on Tuesday, April 6, 1954, Lewellen was back in town to sign a one-year agreement for the Packers to train in Stevens Point beginning July 25, until late in the week of Aug. 22-28, and possibly return for a few days in the week of Aug. 29-Sept. 4.

The Stevens Point Journal of April 7, 1954, reported that Lewellen stated that he and Blackbourn, who would be starting his first year as head coach of the club, “were impressed from the start, not only with the facilities available in Stevens Point, but also with the enthusiasm shown here.”

The Journal reported that Lewellen added that one of the points that tipped the scale in favor of Stevens Point was the fine facilities for staging the intra-squad game at Goerke Park. He mentioned that Ripon had excellent practice and housing facilities and that Two Rivers also had more than adequate areas for staging drills, but neither city had a comparable stadium available.

St. Norbert College in De Pere, closer to Green Bay, was also considered, but was unavailable that year because of summer school and other college activities that involved use of the dormitory and dining areas until the middle of August.

The Packers arrived in two buses during that noon hour on Saturday, July 25, 1954, and were met by a police escort at the south city limits on Church Street, just north of the McDill Pond bridge.

The players proceeded in convertibles up Church and Division streets to Clark Street, then went west on Clark to Second Street, north on Second to Main Street and then east on Main to the CSC campus where a rally was held, and team members were introduced to the public.

Babe Ruth League and Little League ballplayers were present at the rally in uniform.

After the rally, the 60-plus members of the team moved into their new quarters, although some would be housed in the Hotel Whiting until the end of summer school the following week when they would move into the vacated residence hall rooms.

Sunday was picture day for the team, with the players posing for newspaper photographers. Monday was the first day of practice, and all practices were free and open to the public.

There apparently were no fears about other teams spying on the players while they were practicing, as was rumored in Grand Rapids, MN, previously.

“The History Nook” column by the Itasca County Historical Society reported in the Grand Rapids (Minn.) Herald Review July 18, 2018, that the Packers believed they were being spied on while practicing at the field in Grand Rapids. “Spies lurking in the woods, behind barns, wherever…so they took a look at moving training camp to the Coleraine field.”

Of course, the players were the reason the people wanted the Packers to train in Stevens Point. However, the team was in a period of rebuilding after Earl “Curly” Lambeau resigned in 1949 after leading the team to 212 wins and 106 losses since 1921. His replacement, Gene Ronzani, was 14-31 in four years and Blackbourn was just starting.

The roster wasn’t bare of stars, and there were several All-Pros, including center-linebacker Clay Tonnemaker, end Bill Howton, and defensive back Bobby Dillon. Other familiar names to fans included Tobin Rote, Vito “Babe” Parilli, Fred Cone, Howie Ferguson, Al Carmichael, Bob Mann, Jim Ringo, Roger Zatkoff, John Martinkovic, Dick Afflis (better known in later years as wrestler Dick the Bruiser), Val Joe Walker, Bill Forester, Dave “Hog” Hanner and Daryl Teteak.

Six rookies were on the College All-Star Squad and wouldn’t report to the Packers until after the game on Aug. 13. They were tackle Art Hunter, halfback Veryl Switzer, guard George Timberlake, fullback Tom Allman, end Hosea Sims and end Ken Hall. One of the rookies in camp was end Max McGee.

The Saturday welcome for players also included a poster contest conducted by the Chamber of Commerce. A poster submitted by the city playground department won the $10 first prize. Terry Toepel’s entry won the second prize and other prizes went to Jim Menzel, Mary Ann Mayek, Joey Zei, Ann Zelinski and George Hanson.

The highlight of the training period for local fans was the Intra-Squad game Saturday, Aug. 7, 1954, when the team was divided into two squads, Green and Gold. Line coach Lou Rymkna and talent scout Jack Vainisi coached the Gold squad. Offensive coach Ray “Scooter” McLean and defensive coach Tom “Red” Hearden coached the Green squad.

More than 5,000 spectators watched the game at Goerke Field as the Gold defeated the Green, 13-7, on the margin of Fred Cone’s two field goals. The Gold got on the scoreboard first on a 15-yard pass from Rote to Howton early in the first quarter. The Green matched the score early in the second quarter when Max McGee caught a 10-yard pass from quarterback Elry Falkenstein.

The Gold came right back on a 45-yard run by Al Carmichael and then a 30-yard pass from Rote to Carmichael before the Green defense held. Cone then kicked a 21-yard field goal.

Fumbles and interceptions ended other drives by both teams, and Cone ended the scoring early in the fourth quarter by kicking a 50-yard field goal, the longest of his career.

The following Saturday, Aug. 13, the Packers faced the Chicago Cardinals in Minneapolis, the first of six exhibition games before the Sept. 26 matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Green Bay.

The Packers finally broke camp here on Friday, Sept. 3, and headed to Oshkosh to fly to Harrisburg, PA, for a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Hershey, PA. Then they went to Raleigh, N.C., for a week before a game against Washington, returning to Green Bay for a final Sept.18 exhibition game against the New York Giants in Milwaukee.

Fans in Stevens Point would have to wait until after the New Year to see if they would host the Packers again in 1955.