Before Jerry Rice arrived in San Francisco, many believed Don Hutson was the greatest receiver in the history of the National Football League. A player far ahead of his time, Hutson was a household name even at a time when pro football was an afterthought to many sports writers and fans.
Hutson was the record-setting star of Curly Lambeau’s Green Bay Packers teams from 1935-45. He’s considered by most NFL historians to be the first modern receiver during an era when most teams ran the ball the vast majority of the time. Hutson is responsible for creating many of the modern pass routes still in use by receivers today. What fans don’t always know is that Hutson played both offense and defense and even served as the Packers’ kicker for much of his career. Twice named the league’s MVP, he was named to the NFL’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
Hutson was a major part of the Packers’ three NFL championships during his era.
Our Vintage Photo of the Day from RMY Auctions pre-dates Hutson’s Pro Football Hall of Fame career. It’s a 1934 publicity 
image from his days as a star end for the University of Alabama, where he was an All-American. The 6 ½” x 8 ½” NEA news photo has a date stamp and hand-written identification on the back.
The photo, rated 8 out of 10 by RMY, is one of the earliest known action images of Hutson. It’s one of hundreds of vintage news photos being offered in the company’s May auction. Click here to see the auction and register for bidding.
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