GREEN BAY, Wis. — It was one of the best seasons any Packers player ever had. In 1974, his only season with the Packers, Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks had five interceptions, blocked seven kicks (three field goals, three punts and an extra point), had two sacks, 75 tackles, batted down two passes and recorded a safety.
At 6 feet 7 inches tall and wearing number 56 in Green Bay, Hendricks cast an imposing figure on the way to being named All-Pro.
Hendricks began his NFL career with the Baltimore Colts. The highlight of his five years there was a victory in Super Bowl V.
A week after he signed with the World Football League’s Jacksonville Sharks, beginning with the 1975 season, the Colts traded him to the Packers on August 13, 1974. Hendricks was dealt, along with a second-round draft pick, for linebacker Tom MacLeod and an eighth-round draft choice.
The 1974 season was Dan Devine’s last as Packers head coach. Despite Hendricks’ stellar season, the Packers went 6-8. Devine left Green Bay for Notre Dame. He was replaced by Bart Starr with the Packers.
The World Football League went bankrupt and the Oakland Raiders sent a pair of first-round draft picks to the Packers for the rights to Hendricks, who was called a “limited free agent.”
The late Ken “Snake” Stabler told a story about Hendricks riding a horse into his first Raiders practice. “Fits right in,” said Stabler as Hendricks joined a team of eccentrics.
Hendricks would play nine seasons with the Raiders and help them win three Super Bowls. He’s best known for his years there. Nicknamed “The Mad Stork,” Hendricks made the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
His one year with the Packers may be forgotten by many, but not by any Packers fan who watched him play that season.
