Cecil Isbell

Last updated

Cecil Isbell
No. 17
Cecil Isbell.jpg
circa 1937
Born:(1915-07-11)July 11, 1915
Houston, Texas
Died:June 23, 1985(1985-06-23) (aged 69)
Hammond, Indiana
Career information
Position(s) Tailback
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight190 lb (86 kg)
College Purdue
NFL draft 1938 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Drafted by Green Bay Packers
Career history
As coach
1943 Purdue (assistant)
1944–1946Purdue
1947–1949 Baltimore Colts
1950–1951 Chicago Cardinals (OC/QB/RB)
1952 Dallas Texans (backfield)
1953 LSU (backfield)
As player
1938–1942 Green Bay Packers
Career highlights and awards
Career stats
Games played54
TD–INT 61–52
Passing yards5,945
Passer rating 72.6
Rushing attempts422
Rushing yards1,522

Cecil Frank Isbell (July 11, 1915 – June 23, 1985) was an American football quarterback and coach. He played five years in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers, leading them to the NFL Championship in 1939. He retired after the 1942 season to become an assistant coach at his alma mater, Purdue University, and the following year became its head coach for three seasons. [1] [2]

Contents

Isbell was the head coach of the Baltimore Colts of the All-America Football Conference from 1947 to 1949, resigning after four winless games. [3] He then became an assistant under former head coach Curly Lambeau, now with the Chicago Cardinals. When Lambeau resigned late in the 1951 season, Isbell was the interim head coach for the final two games, which they split. Isbell's pro head coaching record was 10–23–1. He was hired as an assistant coach with the Dallas Texans of the NFL in 1952. Isbell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1967.

Early life and college playing career

Born in Houston, Texas, Isbell was the second son of Adger and Sarah Isbell. His older brother Cody was also a football player for Purdue and his two younger brothers also played college football: William Adger "Dub" Isbell Jr. at Rice Institute and Larry Isbell at Baylor University.

Isbell attended Sam Houston High School in Houston, then went to Purdue, where played from 1935 through 1937. He was voted the Boilermakers' most valuable player for the 1937 season. In the summer of 1938, he led the College All-Stars to victory over the defending NFL champion Washington Redskins at Soldier Field in Chicago. Isbell was named the game's MVP as the All-Stars prevailed, 28–16. [4]

NFL playing career

Isbell was selected in the first round of the 1938 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers, the seventh overall pick. When he arrived in Green Bay, the Packers already had an All-Pro tailback, Arnie Herber. who had led the Packers to the NFL championship in 1936. Coach Curly Lambeau alternated Isbell and Herber and occasionally used them in the same backfield, with Isbell at halfback. This "platooning" allowed Isbell to learn Lambeau's offense, the Notre Dame Box. Isbell was a very accurate passer and a good runner and he led the Packers in rushing and passing in his rookie year. The Packers came in first in the West and faced the New York Giants in the championship game at the Polo Grounds. Isbell rushed 11 times for 20 yards and was 3 of 5 passing for 91 yards, but the Giants prevailed, 23–17. In 1939, the Packers used the same attack and again Isbell led the team in rushing while catching 9 passes as well. The Packers again won the Western division and faced New York in a rematch from the year before. This time the game was played in Milwaukee and Green Bay crushed the Giants, 27–0, with Isbell throwing a 27-yard touchdown pass.

From 1940 to 1942, the Packers finished second in the West to the Chicago Bears each year. Isbell became a more accomplished passer during this time, connecting regularly with Don Hutson in record-setting frequency. In 1941, Isbell set an NFL record for yards passing with 1,479 and led the league in completion percentage (56.8%) and touchdown passes with 15 (10 to Hutson). [5] The Packers finished the season tied with Chicago, but lost to the Bears in a divisional tiebreaker playoff, 33–14. In 1942, Isbell surpassed his own record with 2,021 yards passing and set a new record with 24 touchdown passes. Hutson also set NFL records with 74 receptions, 1,211 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns (Hutson's touchdown mark was matched by Elroy Hirsch in 1951 and stood until 1984). Still, the Packers finished second to Chicago, who were 11–0 in the regular season.

After the 1942 season, Isbell quit the NFL after just 5 years, [6] He finished with 5,945 yards passing, 61 touchdowns, and 52 interceptions. According to Isbell, he retired because he'd been offered a coaching job and he thought it was too good an offer to pass up. He later admitted that accepting the coaching job was a mistake, saying, "If it means anything to anyone, I should've kept playing."

Former NFL & Green Bay Packers record

The Professional Football Researchers Association named Isbell to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2008 [11] Isbell is one of ten players that were named to the National Football League 1930s All-Decade Team that have not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Coaching career

Isbell started out at Purdue as an assistant coach in 1943 and took over as head coach in 1944. He coached there for three years with a 14–14–1 record. In 1947, he became a pro coach for the Baltimore Colts in the All-America Football Conference. [12] He lasted for 2⅔ seasons, resigning prior to the fifth game in 1949. [3] His one claim to fame from those years in the AAFC was he was the first coach of Y. A. Tittle, who went on to great success in the NFL. After a few more years as an assistant coach in the NFL coaching the Chicago Cardinals under head coach Curly Lambeau, and later the Dallas Texans, Isbell quit football for business in the mid 1950s.

Honors and death

Isbell was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967. On June 23, 1985, Isbell died in Hammond, Indiana. His tombstone gives his name as Cecil Fay Isbell.

Head coaching record

College

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten Conference)(1944–1946)
1944 Purdue 5–54–23rd
1945 Purdue 7–33–3T–4th
1946 Purdue 2–6–10–5–19th
Purdue:14–14–17–10–1
Total:14–14–1

Pro

TeamLeagueYearRegular SeasonPost Season
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
BCL AAFC 1947 2111.1544th in AAFC East––––
BCL AAFC 1948 770.500T–1st in AAFC East01.000Lost to Buffalo Bills in Division Playoff.
BCL AAFC 1949 040.0006th in AAFC––––
CRD NFL 1951 110.5006th in NFL––––
BCL Total9221.29001.000–
CRD Total110.500––––
Total [13] 10231.30301.000–

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Bay Packers</span> National Football League franchise in Green Bay, Wisconsin

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. It is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, dating back to 1919, and is the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team based in the United States. Home games have been played at Lambeau Field since 1957. They have the most wins of any NFL franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curly Lambeau</span> American football player, coach, and executive (1898–1965)

Earl Louis "Curly" Lambeau was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). Lambeau, along with his friend and fellow Green Bay, Wisconsin native George Whitney Calhoun, founded the Green Bay Packers in 1919, serving as team captain in the team's first year before becoming player-coach in 1920. As a player, Lambeau lined up as a halfback, which in the early years of the NFL was the premier position. He was the team's primary runner and passer, accounting for 35 touchdowns in 77 games. He won his only NFL championship as a player in 1929.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeau Field</span> Outdoor football stadium located in Green Bay, Wisconsin

Lambeau Field is an outdoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The home field of the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL), it opened 65 years ago in 1957 as City Stadium, replacing the original City Stadium at Green Bay East High School as the Packers' home field. Informally known as New City Stadium for its first eight seasons, it was renamed in August 1965 in memory of Packers founder, player, and long-time head coach, Curly Lambeau, who had died two months earlier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Hornung</span> American football player (1935–2020)

Paul Vernon Hornung, nicknamed "the Golden Boy", was an American professional football player who was a Hall of Fame running back for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1966. He played on teams that won four NFL titles and the first Super Bowl. He is the first Heisman Trophy winner to be selected as the first overall selection in the NFL Draft, play pro football, win the NFL most valuable player award, and be inducted into both the professional and college football halls of fame. Packers coach Vince Lombardi stated that Hornung was "the greatest player I ever coached."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Hutson</span> American football player and coach (1913–1997)

Donald Montgomery Hutson was an American professional football player and assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played as an end and spent his entire 11-year professional career with the Green Bay Packers. Under head coach Curly Lambeau, Hutson led the Packers to four NFL Championship Games, winning three: 1936, 1939, and 1944.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Canadeo</span> American football player (1919–2003)

Anthony Robert Canadeo was a professional American football player who played as a back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers from 1941 to 1952, having missed most of the 1944 season and the entire 1945 season while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he attended Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, played football for the Bulldogs, and earned the nickname "Gray Ghost of Gonzaga".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnie Herber</span> American football player (1910–1969)

Arnold Charles Herber was an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. During his Packers tenure from 1930 to 1940, he led the league in passing yards and touchdowns three times and won four NFL Championship Games. Herber retired after 11 seasons in Green Bay, but returned in 1944 with New York Giants, where he played his final two seasons. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clarke Hinkle</span> American football player (1909–1988)

William Clarke Hinkle was an American football player. He played on offense as a fullback, defense as a linebacker, and special teams as a kicker and punter. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its second class of inductees in 1964.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Green Bay Packers</span>

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team that has played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) since 1921. The team was founded in 1919 by Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, and for the next two years played against local teams in Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan. In 1921, the Packers joined the American Professional Football Association, the precursor to the NFL, with Curly Lambeau as their coach. After falling into financial trouble, the Green Bay Football Corporation, now known as Green Bay Packers, Inc., was formed in 1923. The Packers became a publicly owned football team run by a board of directors elected each year. The team went on to win six NFL championships from 1929 to 1944, including three straight (1929–1931). Along the way, Curly Lambeau, with the help of receiver Don Hutson, revolutionized football through the development and utilization of the forward pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre Dame Box</span>

The Notre Dame Box is a variation of the single-wing formation used in American football, with great success by Notre Dame in college football and the Green Bay Packers of the 1920s and 1930s in the NFL. Green Bay's coach, Curly Lambeau, learned the Notre Dame Box while playing for Knute Rockne in the late 1910s. Rockne learned it from Jesse Harper, who learned it from coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. It contained two ends, and four backs. The formation often featured an unbalanced line where the center was not strictly in the center of the line, but close to the weakside.

The 1989 Green Bay Packers season was their 71st overall and their 69th in the National Football League. The Packers finished with a 10–6 record, their best since 1972, but failed to make the playoffs. The team was often referred to as "The Cardiac Pack" due to several close-game wins. The 1989 Packers hold the NFL record for most one-point victories in a season with four. The team was coached by Lindy Infante and led by quarterback Don Majkowski, who attained his nickname "The Majik Man."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Green Bay Packers season</span> 48th NFL franchise season; first team to win Super Bowl

The 1966 Green Bay Packers season was their 48th season overall and their 46th in the National Football League (NFL). The defending NFL champions had a league-best regular season record of 12–2, led by eighth-year head coach Vince Lombardi and quarterback Bart Starr, in his eleventh NFL season.

The 1967 Green Bay Packers season was their 49th season overall and their 47th season in the National Football League (NFL) and resulted in a 9–4–1 record and a victory in Super Bowl II. The team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game, a game commonly known as the "Ice Bowl," which marked the second time the Packers had won an NFL-record third consecutive NFL championship, having also done so in 1931 under team founder Curly Lambeau. In the playoff era, it remains the only time a team has won three consecutive NFL titles.

The 1993 Green Bay Packers season was their 75th season overall and their 73rd in the National Football League. They had a 9–7 record and won their first playoff berth in 11 years, but their first in a non-strike year in 21 years. The record also marked the first back-to-back winning season since the Packers 1967 season. During the regular season, the Packers finished with 340 points, ranking sixth in the National Football League, and allowed 282 points, ranking ninth. In his third year as a pro and second with the Packers, quarterback Brett Favre led the Packers offense, passing for 3,303 yards and 19 touchdowns. Favre, who played his first full season, was selected to his second of eleven Pro Bowl appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Howton</span> American football player (born 1930)

William Harris Howton is a former American football player, an end in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Cleveland Browns, and expansion Dallas Cowboys.

Milton Edward Gantenbein was an American football player who played on three championship teams, as an end and as a defensive end for the Green Bay Packers from 1931 to 1940.

The 1942 Green Bay Packers season was their 24th season overall and their 22nd season in the National Football League. The team finished with an 8–2–1 record under coach Curly Lambeau, earning a second-place finish in the Western Conference.

The 1941 Green Bay Packers season was their 23rd season overall and their 21st season in the National Football League. The team finished with a 10–1 record under founder and head coach Curly Lambeau, earning a tie for first place in the Western Conference with the defending league champion Chicago Bears. They split their season series, each winning on the road, and met in a playoff in Chicago to determine who would host the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game. The Packers lost 33-14 in the first post-season game ever played between the archrivals; the next came over 69 years later, in the NFC Championship game on January 22, 2011.

The 1938 NFL Championship Game was the sixth championship game played in the National Football League (NFL). It was played on December 11 at the Polo Grounds in New York City, with an attendance of 48,120, a record crowd for a title game.

References

  1. ↑ "Packer hall of famer Cecil Isbell, 69, dies". Milwaukee Sentinel. June 24, 1985. p. 1, part 2.
  2. ↑ "Ex-Packer star Isbell dies". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 24, 1985. p. 1, part 3.
  3. 1 2 "Isbell resigns at Baltimore". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. Associated Press. September 23, 1949. p. 26.
  4. ↑ "Collegians whip Redskins eleven". Tuscaloowa News. Alabama. Associated Press. September 1, 1938. p. 11.
  5. ↑ "Cecil Isbell Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  6. ↑ "Cecil Isbell may close grid career as all-star". Milwaukee Journal. United Press. December 22, 1942. p. 8, part 2.
  7. ↑ "Broken record sounds fine to Unitas' former teammates". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Cecil Isbell" (PDF). The Coffin Corner. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  9. ↑ Favre, Packers have blast in San Diego, whip Chargers
  10. ↑ Rivers passes through
  11. ↑ "Hall of Very Good Class of 2008". Archived from the original on October 3, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Isbell moves to pro team". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. February 10, 1947. p. 6, part 2.
  13. ↑ Cecil Isbell Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.