The 1953 Green Bay Packers season was their 35th season overall and their 33rd in the National Football League. The team finished with a 2–9–1 record under head coach Gene Ronzani and interim co-coaches Ray McLean, and Hugh Devore, and finished last in the newly named Western Conference.
Fourth-year head coach Ronzani led the team for the first ten games, but resigned after a nationally televised Thanksgiving Day loss, his eighth loss to the Detroit Lions in four seasons; McLean and Devore co-coached the last two games of the season, both losses. It was the only in-season coaching change in Packers history, until 2018. This season also marked the first season that the Packers played at the recently completed Milwaukee County Stadium.
Offseason
NFL draft
Round Pick Player Position School/club team17Al CarmichaelHalfbackUSC219Gil ReichBackArmy/Kansas331Bill ForesterLinebackerSMU443Gib DawsonHalfbackTexas555Roger ZatkoffLinebackerMichigan667Bob KennedyGuardWisconsin779Jim RingoCenterSyracuse891Lauren HargroveBackGeorgia9103Floyd HarrawoodTackleTulsa10115Vic RimkusGuardHoly Cross11127Joe JohnsonHalfbackBoston College12139Dick CurranBackArizona State13151Bob OrdersCenterArmy/West Virginia14163Charley WrennTackleTCU15175Gene HelwigBackTulsa16187John HlayFullbackOhio State17199Bill GeorgesEndTexas18211Jim PhileeBackBradley19223Bill LuckyDefensive tackleBaylor20235John HarvilleBackTCU21247Bob ConwayBackAlabama22259Bill TurnbeaughTackleAuburn23271Bill MurrayEndAmerican International24283James Haslam Jr.TackleTennessee25295Ike JonesEndUCLA26307George BozanicBackUSC27319Jim McConaugheyEndHouston28331Zack JordanEndColorado29343John O'BrienGuardBoston College30355Al BarryGuardUSC
Yellow indicates a future Pro Bowl selection Green indicates a future Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee
Regular season
Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 27 Cleveland Browns L 0–27 0–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 22,604 2 October 4 Chicago Bears L 13–17 0–2 City Stadium 24,835 3 October 11 Los Angeles Rams L 20–38 0–3 Milwaukee County Stadium 23,353 4 October 18 Baltimore Colts W 37–14 1–3 City Stadium 18,713 5 October 24 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 14–31 1–4 Forbes Field 22,918 6 October 31 at Baltimore Colts W 35–24 2–4 Memorial Stadium 33,797 7 November 8 at Chicago Bears T 21–21 2–4–1 Wrigley Field 39,889 8 November 15 Detroit Lions L 7–14 2–5–1 City Stadium 20,834 9 November 22 San Francisco 49ers L 7–37 2–6–1 Milwaukee County Stadium 16,378 10 November 26 at Detroit Lions L 15–34 2–7–1 Briggs Stadium 52,607 11 December 6 at San Francisco 49ers L 14–48 2–8–1 Kezar Stadium 31,337 12 December 12 at Los Angeles Rams L 17–33 2–9–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 23,069
Standings
Roster 1953 Green Bay Packers final roster Quarterbacks Babe Parilli Tobin Rote
Running backs Byron Bailey Don Barton S J. R. Boone CB Al Carmichael Fred Cone K Gib Dawson S Howie Ferguson Breezy Reid
Receivers Billy Howton Bob Mann Clive Rush P/S Offensive linemen Dick Afflis T/MG Buddy Brown G Gus Cifelli T Dick Logan G Steve Ruzich G Dave Stephenson C Len Szafaryn T/G
Defensive linemen Carlton Elliott DE/WR Bill Forester MG/C Dave Hanner DT John Martinkovic DE Dick Wildung DT Roger Zatkoff DE/OLB Linebackers Bob Forte Deral Teteak Clayton Tonnemaker
Defensive backs Ben Aldridge CB Bobby Dillon S Ace Loomis CB Val Joe Walker S Reserve list George Hays DE (IR) Marvin Johnson CB/S (IR) Jim Ringo C (IR)
Rookies in italics
References
Sportsencyclopedia.com