Cherry Starr leaves a lasting legacy in Green Bay community
Cherry Starr, wife of famed Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, died Feb. 27, 2024, at age 89. Fans, former players and community leaders reflect on her lasting legacy.
- Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame receiver Billy Howton died at age 95.
- Howton held several Packers receiving records, including single-game receiving yards, and was the first NFL rookie with a 1,000-yard receiving season.
- Howton was a founder and first president of the NFL Players Association.
Billy Howton, who holds the Green Bay Packers‘ record for most receiving yards in one game, died Aug. 4 in Houston. He was 95 years old and thought to be the oldest living former Packers player.
He is a member of the Green Bay Packers and Rice University halls of fame. In 1951, Howton was an All-American and Southwest Conference MVP.
Howton, who was a founder and first president of the NFL Players Association, was the first player traded by new coach Vince Lombardi when he took over in 1959. He was thought by teammates to be the Packers’ best player at the time.
Howton was drafted by the Packers out of Rice in the second round, the 15th overall pick, of the 1952 NFL draft. In seven years with the Packers, he had 303 receptions for 5,581 yards and 43 touchdowns. He was the first NFL rookie with a 1,000-yard receiving season and holds the Packers’ single-game record with 257 receiving yards in a game against the Los Angeles Rams in 1956. He held NFL records for receptions, 503, and receiving yards, 8,459, when he retired after the 1963 season. He currently is 12th among all-time Packers receivers.
Howton scored the first Packers’ touchdown at Lambeau Field, then called new City Stadium, on Sept. 29, 1957, in a 21-17 upset win against the Chicago Bears.
He finished his career with one year in Cleveland and four in Dallas. In 12 seasons, he had 503 receptions, 8,459 yards and 61 touchdowns. He was named All-Pro twice and selected for four Pro Bowls while with the Packers.
Hall of Fame safety Emlen Tunnell, said of Howton, “For my money, Howton is the toughest pass receiver to cover in the National League.”
Cliff Christl wrote in his history of the Packers, “The Greatest Story in Sports,” that Howton was Lombardi’s first trade after he was named coach. He sent Howton to Cleveland for defensive end Bill Quinlan and running back Lew Carpenter.
Working against him, Howton seemingly didn’t fit into Lombardi’s offensive scheme, he was president of the fledgling NFL Players Association, and an early meeting between the coach and receiver did not go well, according to teammate Gary Knafelc.
Knafelc, who met with Lombardi the day before, drove Howton to the meeting and warned him to not be too cavalier with Lombardi. They had plans to go to supper later that night. Instead, about half an hour later, Howton asked to be taken back to the airport to return to Houston. Howton never told Knafelc what had happened between him and Lombardi, but the trade to Cleveland followed.
“Howton thought he was irreplaceable,” Christl quoted Knafelc. “And he was. He was a great football player. I was in awe of him. But by (Lombardi) doing that, all of us thought: ‘Holy smokes! Lombardi got rid of our best player.’ Right away, he established that he was the boss and that it was either his way or the highway.”
After football, Howton lived in Houston, Madrid and Houston again.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG.
