Downfield!: Untold Stories of the Green Bay Packers

by Jerry Poling

240 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

Reviews

[Irwin Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had known what this book was about I might not have read it but I'm glad I did. While you'll read some on and off field stories from their playing days it's mainly about what happened to these players once they retired. For that reason it's pretty dated, lots of things happened to these players since the book was published and most are no longer with us. It was written at a time when the long term effects of concussions weren't widely known or talked about and some of their lives went downhill after the book was finished. Jesse Whittenton for instance seems to be doing really well at the time of this book but about 6 years later would commit suicide and be posthumously diagnosed with CTE.

I don't know, maybe there's an updated version but I just bought an old hardcover version in a used bookstore. Even though an almost 3 decades old "where are they now" book isn't ideal you'll probably find no better place (or any other place) to read about some of these more obscure players. Because interestingly the book doesn't just go after superstars and fan favorites but also unsung heroes, draft busts and lots of guys fans have either forgotten or tried to forget.

[Kevin Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, but also a bit sad and brief. I don't know his methodology, but many little known players are discussed, while bigger stars are left out. Also, he talks a lot about the down years of the Packers, when coaches like Dan Devine, Forrest Greg and even Bart Starr struggled to make the team a contender.

Many players are glossed over with just a page or two. The fact that injuries ended many of their careers is not only brought up, but even dwelt upon in one section.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book. It's a good read for Packer fans my age who never hear about the players they grew up watching because they weren't "winners."

[Liam M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Know don't give me wrong, I love the packers and this book goes in-depth about the untold stories from packer history. Jerry talked about Chester marcol (Kicker who caught his own deflected kick and returned it for a 60 yd touchdown a, John Brockington (a FB who was said to break Jim browns rushing record), and Bob Mann (The first black person to play for the green bay packers.) 3 people that barely talks about.