The 1967 College All-Star Game
The
Green Bay Packers, during the peak of their dynastic power, were back in
1967 to represent the champions of professional football. Also back was
John Sauer, now retired, to coach college football’s All-Star team. On
August 4, the two teams met at Chicago’s Soldier Field before a crowd of
70,934 fans. While the result was basically the same as the preceding
year, it was “not quite as dreary as last year’s contest,” according to
the New York Times. Sauer had chosen a team he thought could best
defensively challenge the Packers tending to lean toward size in his
recruiting. The All-Star MVP of the game, as it turned out, was Charles
“Bubba” Smith of Michigan State who, at 6’7” tall, weighed in at 297
lbs. Defensively, Smith and George Webster, also from Michigan State,
saved the Stars from total disgrace. On offense, Sauer had chosen 1966
Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier from Florida and Bob Griese from
Purdue to fill the quarterback slot. Also on the team were Alan Page of
Notre Dame, Floyd Little of Syracuse, Mel Farr of UCLA, and Rick Volk of
Michigan.
But,
the Stars were no match for Green Bay in 1967. Only twice were they able
to venture into Packer territory during the game and it was at this time
that the question of the game’s validity began to surface in the media.
There were moments when Spurrier and Griese looked great but the
onslaught by the professionals proved unstoppable. Green Bay’s scoring
began with two field goals by Don Chandler in the first quarter for 13
and 14 yards. Boyd Dowler scored with an 11-yard Bart Starr pass in the
second quarter. Chandler kicked goal. Also in the second quarter, the
Packers had a 75-yard drive which resulted in a 22-yard touchdown pass
from Starr to Bob Long. Again, Chandler kicked goal. And then in the
fourth quarter, Jim Grabowski ran for a 22-yard touchdown. Chandler
kicked the extra point giving Green Bay a 27-0 victory.