Born and raised in Philadelphia, Penn., Adderley starred at local Northeast High School in football, basketball, and baseball, winning All-City honors in all three sports. After a dazzling prep career, Adderley accepted a football scholarship to play for Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty's Michigan State University Spartans.
Adderley was a co-captain his senior year, and was a tremendous running back for the Spartans. In 1959, Adderley led the team in rushing yards, and in both 1959 and 1960, Adderley led the Spartans in pass receptions. Adderley earned All-Big Ten Conference honors, and played in seven college All-Star games.
In the 1961 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Adderley with the 12th overall pick in the 1st round. Packers' head coach Vince Lombardi drafted the 6'1, 205-pound Adderley to play his natural position on offense.
Despite Adderley's incredible skills and talent, the defending champions' offensive backfield was set with future Hall of Fame runners Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor. Lombardi, who had no choice but to aid the Packers' ailing defensive secondary, switched Adderley to defense late in his rookie year.
After Lombardi had no choice but to switch his first round draft pick to the defensive side of the ball, Adderley became an instantaneous star. A natural for the position, Adderley showed excellent instincts and tremendous quickness in and out of his cuts, and had very few problems covering opposing team's top receivers.
In his nine-year career with the Packers, Adderley intercepted 39 passes and returned seven interceptions for touchdowns (tied for 2nd-most in franchise history behind Charles Woodson). From 1962 through 1969, Adderley was selected to five Pro Bowls, named to seven All-Pro teams, and he was named to the NFL's 1960's All-Decade team.
Adderley was a tremendous factor in the postseason as well, helping the Packers win five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls. Adderley's brightest shining NFL moment came in Super Bowl II. After intercepting Raiders' quarterback Daryle Lamonica's pass in the fourth quarter, Adderley returned the interceptions 60 yards for the game-sealing touchdown. Adderley's interception return for a touchdown was the first of its kind in Super Bowl history, and the only interception-touchdown in the first ten Super Bowls.
Coach Lombardi realized how important Adderley was to the Packers' defense. An offensive genius by nature, Lombardi knows he could've easily wasted a Hall of Fame talent if he had kept him on offense. "I was too stubborn to switch him to defense until I had to", Lombardi said. "Now when I think of what Adderley means to our defense, it scares me to think of how I almost mishandled him"
After the 1969 season, Adderley left Green Bay and played the last three years of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, and he was a key part of their "Doomsday Defense". In three seasons with the Cowboys, Adderley intercepted nine passes, and helped the Cowboys reach two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl VI in 1972.
In his 12-year, 164-game NFL career, Adderley intercepted 48 passes, scored seven touchdowns, and won six NFL titles. Adderley and former teammates Forrest Gregg and Fuzzy Thurston are the only three players in NFL history to win six NFL titles.
After retiring in 1972, Adderley returned to his hometown, broadcasting Philadelphia Eagles and Temple University games. Adderley also was an assistant coach on the Temple University football staff for a short period of time.
In 1980, Adderley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Green Bay Packer. Despite playing for the Dallas Cowboys in his NFL career as well, Adderley has held his loyalties to the Packers. In former Packer Jerry Kramer's memoir Instant Replay, Adderley was quoted as saying "I'm the only man with a Dallas Cowboys who doesn't wear it. I'm a Green Bay Packer".
Tags: Daryle Lamonica, Football, Forrest Gregg, Fuzzy Thurston, Green Bay, Green Bay Packers, Herb Adderley, Jim Taylor, Michigan State, NFL, Paul Hornung, Super Bowl, Vince LombardiRelated Videos
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