Lambeau, "Curly" (Earl L.)
Football
b. April 9, 1898, Green Bay, WI
d. June 1, 1965
As a fullback at Notre Dame in 1918, Lambeau was the only freshman to win a letter. However, he had to leave school because of tonsillitis and he got a job with the Indian Packing Corporation in Green Bay.
Lambeau talked his employer into putting up $500 to buy uniforms and equipment for a semi-professional football team that became known as the Packers. Organized in 1919, the team in 1921 entered the American Professional Football Association, which became the National Football League the following year.
As player-coach, Lambeau emphasized the forward pass much more than most professional coaches of the time. In 1929, after retiring as a player, he signed guard Mike Michalske, tackle Cal Hubbard, and halfback Johnny "Blood" McNally, all of whom are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Packers won the first of three consecutive championships that season. From 1929 through 1931, they won 34 games, lost only 5, and tied 2.
The Packers also won championships under Lambeau in 1936, 1939, and 1944. But after World War II the team had little success, and Lambeau resigned under fire in January of 1951. He coached the Chicago Cardinals for two seasons, then went to the Washington Redskins for two more seasons. He left football after the 1954 season with an overall record of 229-134-22.