The 1963 College All-Star Game
On
August 2, 1963, the College All-Stars met the champions of the National
Football League for the thirtieth consecutive time at Chicago’s Soldier
Field. The record between the two stood at 19-8-2. Nineteen wins for the
professionals, eight for the All-Stars and two ties marked the previous
29 years of competition. The Green Bay Packers were back as champions
and, despite the loss of Paul Hornung due to suspension, were expected
to have no difficulty with this year’s opponents. But, a vintage crop of
graduates refused to be awed by the Packers and an upset of tremendous
proportions occurred that evening before a crowd of 65,000. Remarkably
accomplished and inspired, this band of College All-Stars almost
brutally defeated the great Packer machine and ran the ball on 35 ground
plays to Green Bay’s 25, a telling statistic. All-Star coach for the
sixth year in a row was Otto Graham. His team was so deep he couldn’t
even get 1962 Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker from Oregon State into
the game. Joining Baker on the team were Ron Vanderkelen (MVP) of
Wisconsin, Ed Budde of Michigan State, Bobby Bell of Minnesota, Junious
Buchanan of Grambling, Bob Vogel of Ohio State, Bill (Thunder) Thornton
of Nebraska and Charlie Mitchell of Washington.
After an All-Star fumble in the first quarter, Packer fullback Jim
Taylor was able to score from the 2-yard line making Green Bay’s job
look easy in the beginning. Jerry Kramer kicked the extra point. The
All-Stars came back with a field goal by Bob Jencks of Miami, Ohio when
still in the first quarter. Tommy Janik of Texas A&I then intercepted
the ball at the Packer 28-yard line and, on the first play of the second
period, Larry Ferguson plunged into the end zone from 6 yards out. With
Jencks’ extra point, the score was 10-7 in favor of the All-Stars. The
Packers’ Jerry Kramer ended the scoring for the first half with 21-yard
field goal to tie the game at 10-10.
Late
in the third period Green Bay fumbled and the Stars recovered on the
All-Star 12-yard line. Glyn Griffing of Mississippi began a long,
relentless drive of 62 yards down field. Mitchell, Thornton and Ben
Wilson of UCLA were responsible for the ground attack. At the opening of
the fourth quarter, Jencks kicked a 33-yard field goal and the All-Stars
had a three-point lead (which would prove to be the margin of victory).
In the waning minutes of the fourth period, on third down from their own
20-yard line, Vanderkelen hit Wisconsin teammate Pat Richter who
streaked 74 yards for the most exciting touchdown of the game. Jencks
converted, upping the score 20-10. In desperation, the Packers and Bart
Starr flooded the skies with passes and finally Taylor plunged over from
the 1-yard line with only six seconds remaining in the game. Jerry
Kramer kicked the extra point to give Green Bay 17 points, 3 points shy
of the All-Stars.
For the first time in five years the professionals had been defeated.
This class of graduates gained 323 total yards to Green Bays’ 308 yards
matching a feat accomplished by the collegians only five times
previously in the game’s 30 year history. Despite its being “a night
littered with horrors” for Green Bay, it was a sweet victory for the
college players and one that would have to endure. It would have to
endure because the 1963 game was the last victory the All-Stars would
have.