Courted by Two Leagues, Anderson Signs with the Packers

Dec. 31, 1965 – With two teams bidding for his services, Donny Anderson, Texas Tech’s All-America halfback, holds a press conference at a midtown hotel in Jacksonville, Florida to announce he has signed with the Packers. “I want to be fair to both sides who have been bidding for me, and I want to tell the loser myself,” Anderson says. Drafted No. 1 by Green Bay (as a future in the 1965 draft) and by the Houston Oilers (in the 1965 AFL Redshirt draft), Anderson is reported to have signed the highest paying contract ($600,000) ever awarded a college player. “I wanted to play the best football, and the best is in the National League as far as I’m concerned right now,” Anderson adds. As a rookie, Anderson leads the Packers with a 23.2-yard average on 23 kickoff returns.