Best of the Packers: Top 10 defensive backs since 1960
By Phil Watson
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2. Herb Adderley (1961-69)
The Green Bay Packers, fresh off a loss in the 1960 NFL Championship, took Michigan State defensive back Herb Adderley with the 12th overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft and then signed him away from the AFL’s New York Titans, who had also selected him.
The Packers won the first of their five championships in the 1960s in Adderley’s rookie season and he was named to the first of his four All-Pro teams (1962-63, 1965-66) the following year, when he had a career-high seven interceptions.
Adderley led the NFL in 1965 with three interception returns for touchdowns and was a five-time Pro Bowler.
Named to both the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-1960s squad and to the NFL’s 50th anniversary team, the Packers traded Adderley to the Dallas Cowboys just before the start of the 1970 season in exchange for offensive lineman Malcolm Walker and defensive end Clarence Williams.
Adderley, according to reports, was unhappy with Packer head coach Phil Bengston and wanted out.
He played three seasons in Dallas, including winning a record sixth title in 1971, before he was traded twice in the summer of 1973, first to the New England Patriots for a 10th-round draft pick in 1974 and then to the Los Angeles Rams along with linebacker Jeff Lyman in exchange for guard Bill DuLac.
Rather than report to the Rams, Adderley chose to retire in August 1973.
Adderley had 39 interceptions during his nine seasons with Green Bay, third-most in team history. His 795 yards in returns and seven touchdown returns rank second.
Adderley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1981.
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