1980 Green Bay Packers season
Encyclopedia
The 1980 Green Bay Packers
season was their 60th season in the National Football League
. The club posted a 5–10–1 record under coach Bart Starr
, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central
division.
Players highlighted in yellow indicate players selected to the Pro Bowl
during their NFL career.
had the right idea when he bolted directly for the Canadian Football League
never playing a down for the Packers. Green Bay regrouped and started strong by outlasting the Chicago Bears
in an overtime thriller in the season opener. But with 27 players on injured reserved during the course of the year, the team was unable to replenish its roster and Green Bay suffered their 7th losing season in 8 years.
was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
season was their 60th season in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The club posted a 5–10–1 record under coach Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
, earning them a fourth-place finish in the NFC Central
NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference, based in the Upper Midwest region of the United States...
division.
NFL Draft
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Bruce Clark Bruce Clark (American football) Bruce Clark is a former American football defensive end who played eight seasons in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, but chose to play in the Canadian Football League. Clark played two... |
DT | Penn State Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service... |
| 1 | 26 | George Cumby George Cumby George Edward Cumby is a former NFL football player. After graduating from Bishop T.K. Gorman High School in 1975, he went on to become a three-time All-American at the University of Oklahoma, , being a consensus choice in 1979... |
LB Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Oklahoma University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its... |
| 2 | 34 | Mark Lee Mark Lee (American football) Mark Lee is a former American football cornerback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft... |
DB Defensive back In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of... |
Washington University of Washington University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University... |
| 3 | 61 | Syd Kitson Syd Kitson Sydney William Kitson is a former professional American football player who played guard for four seasons for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys.... |
G Guard (American football) In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team.... |
Wake Forest Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is... |
| 4 | 87 | Fred Nixon Fred Nixon -Biography:Nixon was born Frederick Lenar Nixon on September 22, 1958 in Camilla, Georgia, United States.-Career:Nixon was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1980 NFL Draft and played two seasons with the team. He played at the collegiate level at the University of... |
WR Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Oklahoma |
| 6 | 143 | Karl Swanke Karl Swanke Karl Swanke is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College.... |
OT | Boston College Boston College Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early... |
| 7 | 169 | Buddy Aydelette Buddy Aydelette William Leslie "Buddy" Aydelette was an American football guard. He began his career with the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. He was drafted by the Packers in the 7th round of the 1980 NFL Draft. He would go on to become noteworthy for being the most decorated guard in the history of the rival USFL... |
OT | Alabama University of Alabama The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States.... |
| 8 | 199 | Tim Smith | DB | Oregon State Oregon State University Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the... |
| 9 | 195 | Kelly Saalfeld Kelly Saalfeld Kelly Saalfeld is a former center in the National Football League. Saalfeld was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the ninth round of the 1980 NFL Draft and would play that season with the New York Giants.... |
C Center (American football) Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense... |
Nebraska University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska... |
| 10 | 253 | Jafus White Jafus White Jafus White is a former American football and Canadian football defensive back. He was drafted with the 253rd pick of the 1980 NFL Draft in the 10th round by the Green Bay Packers, but never made the roster... |
DB | Texas A&I Texas A&M University–Kingsville Texas A&M University–Kingsville is a U.S. national university with a multicultural student body that is 62 percent Hispanic and includes students from 35 states and 43 foreign countries... |
| 12 | 310 | James Stewart | DB | Memphis University of Memphis The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system.... |
Players highlighted in yellow indicate players selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
during their NFL career.
Staff
Another Bad Season for Green Bay
Before the 1980 season even began, it seemed first-round draft pick Bruce ClarkBruce Clark (American football)
Bruce Clark is a former American football defensive end who played eight seasons in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was drafted in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers, but chose to play in the Canadian Football League. Clark played two...
had the right idea when he bolted directly for the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
never playing a down for the Packers. Green Bay regrouped and started strong by outlasting the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in an overtime thriller in the season opener. But with 27 players on injured reserved during the course of the year, the team was unable to replenish its roster and Green Bay suffered their 7th losing season in 8 years.
Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Record | Attendance |
| 09/07/1980 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
W | 12-6 (OT) | 1-0-0 | |
| 09/14/1980 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L | 29-7 | 1-1-0 | |
| 09/21/1980 | at Los Angeles Rams St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,... |
L | 51-21 | 1-2-0 | |
| 09/28/1980 | Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L | 28-7 | 1-3-0 | |
| 10/05/1980 | Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL... |
W | 14-9 | 2-3-0 | |
| 10/12/1980 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
T | 14-14 (OT) | 2-3-1 | |
| 10/19/1980 | at Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L | 26-21 | 2-4-1 | |
| 10/26/1980 | Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
W | 16-3 | 3-4-1 | |
| 11/02/1980 | at Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
L | 22-20 | 3-5-1 | |
| 11/09/1980 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
W | 23-16 | 4-5-1 | |
| 11/16/1980 | at New York Giants New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L | 27-21 | 4-6-1 | |
| 11/23/1980 | at Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
W | 25-13 | 5-6-1 | |
| 11/30/1980 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
L | 20-17 | 5-7-1 | |
| 12/07/1980 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L | 61-7 | 5-8-1 | |
| 12/14/1980 | Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter... |
L | 22-3 | 5-9-1 | |
| 12/21/1980 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L | 24-3 | 5-10-1 | |
Week 2: Detroit Lions
Hall of Famers
In 1980 Packer great Herb AdderleyHerb Adderley
Herbert Allen Adderley is a former American football cornerback who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League....
was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...