The Story And Significance Of Herb Adderly - One Of Only Four Players In Pro Football History To Play On Six World Championship Teams

Herbert Anthony Adderley  was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. In 1980, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Adderley played college football for the Michigan State Spartans and was an All-Big Ten offensive star as a halfback. He is the only player to appear in four of the first six Super Bowls.

Adderley was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft, the 12th overall pick. He began his professional career as a halfback on offense, but was later switched to defense because the Packers already had eventual Hall of Fame runners in Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor. Adderley was first moved to cornerback to replace injured teammate Hank Gremminger against Detroit on Thanksgiving. and made an interception that set up the game-winning touchdown.

In 1962, the move became permanent and Adderley went on to become an all-NFL selection five times in the 1960s. Packers coach Vince Lombardi remarked, "I was too stubborn to switch him to defense until I had to. Now when I think of what Adderley means to our defense, it scares me to think of how I almost mishandled him."

Adderley recorded 39 interceptions in his nine seasons with the Packers. He held the Green Bay records for interceptions returned for touchdowns in a career (seven, tied with Darren Sharper, broken by Charles Woodson), and holds the record for interceptions returned for touchdowns in one season (three, in 1965).

Adderley started for the Packers from 1961–1969, then played three seasons (1970–1972) with the Dallas Cowboys. While with the Packers, he won rings for five NFL championships and wins in the first two Super Bowls. Adderley was a factor in the Super Bowl II win over the Oakland Raiders, intercepting a pass by Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica in the fourth quarter and returning it 60 yards for a touchdown to put the game away. It was the first Super Bowl touchdown scored on an intercepted pass.

Herb stated that "Lombardi had certain players who he’d call into his office and talk to, others he’d talk to on the field or in the locker room. One thing I remember he said to me…He said I was the best cornerback he’d ever seen. In front of the whole team he said I was the best athlete …I’ll always remember that."

Adderley had a strained relationship with Phil Bengtson by the end of the latter's second and penultimate year as Packers head coach. He accused Bengtson of keeping him off the Pro Bowl team in 1969 and requested to be traded. After a holdout and two weeks before the start of the regular season, he was sent from the Packers to the Dallas Cowboys for Malcolm Walker and Clarence Williams on September 1, 1970. He became a vital cog in its "Doomsday Defense," assisting the Cowboys to a Super Bowl appearance in V and a win in VI.

Adderley admired Packer head coach Vince Lombardi, but not Tom Landry of the Cowboys. Benched in favor of a young Charlie Waters during the middle of the 1972 season, Adderley was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in the summer of 1973. He opted not to report and retired on August 7, after a dozen seasons in the NFL.

Along with the Patriots' Tom Brady, and two Packer teammates, offensive linemen Fuzzy Thurston (Colts) and Forrest Gregg (Cowboys), Adderley is one of only four players in pro football history to play on six world championship teams. However, in a revised edition of Instant Replay, a memoir by Packer teammate Jerry Kramer, Adderley is quoted as saying, "I'm the only man with a Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl ring who doesn't wear it. I'm a Green Bay Packer."

In his 12 seasons, Adderley recorded 48 interceptions, which he returned for 1,046 yards and seven touchdowns, an average of 21.8 yards per return. He also recovered 14 fumbles (returning them for 65 yards) and returned 120 kickoffs for 3,080 yards and two scores. Adderly also ran back 7 interceptions for touchdowns in his career (not including playoffs).

Adderley was the first NFL player ever to gain more than 1,000 interception return yards. Only eight other players have achieved this since then, and all of them did so with more interceptions than Adderley.

After Adderley retired, he returned to Philadelphia to broadcast football games for Temple University and the Philadelphia Eagles. He also coached as an assistant at Temple and with the Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League under head coach Willie Wood, a Packer teammate.

Adderley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980. A year after his induction in Canton, Adderley became a member of the Packer Hall of Fame in 1981. He was also chosen for the AFL-NFL 1960-1984 All-Star teams.

Adderley's cousin's grandson (first cousin twice removed), Nasir Adderley, was drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Adderley died on October 30, 2020 at the age of 81.

Sources

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/

https://www.profootballarchives.com/index.html

https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/Football_Wiki

https://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/GUD/controller/controller.php?action=main

https://www.profootballhof.com/hall-of-famers/

Goldstein, Richard (October 30, 2020). "Herb Adderley, a Packers Hall of Fame Cornerback, Dies at 81". New York Times.

 Amprey, Joseph L. Jr. (June 7, 2000). "Hall of famer Adderley never forgot Philly roots". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. (editorial). p. B9.

 Windhausen, John D (2002) [1992]. Dawson, Dawn P (ed.). Great Athletes. Vol. 1 (Revised ed.). Salem Press. pp. 14–16. ISBN 1-58765-008-8.

 "Enshrinement Speech, Herb Adderley | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Fitzpatrick, Frank (October 30, 2020). "Herb Adderley, a Philadelphian who became a Hall of Famer as a Packer, dies at 81". Philadelphia Inquirer.

 Blake, Corky (February 21, 2018). "Best Of The Best". The Express-Times (Easton, Pennsylvania). pp. B1, B4.

 Groller, Keith (July 27, 1997). "Big 23 comes up big in Big 33". The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania). pp. C1, C8.

 "Cliveden Award Goes to Adderley". The Philadelphia Inquirer. January 16, 1957. p. 39.

 Black, Ryan. "Why it took so long for Herb Adderley to enter MSU's sports Hall of Fame — and more from Friday's induction ceremony". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 Tucker, Cody. "'Who wore it best' at Michigan State: No. 26". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Herb Adderley Through the Years". NFL.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Michigan State great, NFL Hall of Famer Herb Adderley dies at 81". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Herb Adderly, Packers.com, the official website of the Green Bay Packers". www.packers.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "1959 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1960 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Herb Adderley College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Gary Ballman College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Fred Arbanas College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "George Saimes Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Easy to Battle West Saturday". The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin). December 28, 1960. p. 15.

 "Herbert Allen (Herb) Adderley". Michigan Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 Hunt, Donald (April 28, 2021). "Herb Adderley, Pro Football Hall of Famer, 81". Philadelphia Tribune.

 Brooks, Kevin L. (2021). "Fred R. Porter: 10th District". Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men. 9 (1): 355–362. doi:10.2979/spectrum.9.1_2.23. ISSN 2162-3252.

 "1958 Michigan State Spartans Stats". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Herb Adderley Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Hughes, Connor. "NFL 100: At No. 58, Herb Adderley was the perfect wingman, and a star cornerback all on his own". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "1962 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers - January 2nd, 1966". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1966 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1967 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers - January 3rd, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl VI - Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins - January 16th, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1961 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Bob Lilly | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1961 AFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1961 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Johnson, Chuck (November 24, 1961). "Packers near title by defeating Lions". Milwaukee Journal. p. 4, part 2.

 Wolf, Bob (May 31, 1979). "When big play was the answer, Packer Adderley was a good bet". Milwaukee Journal. p. 3, part 3.

 Baker, David. "'Greatest Cornerback' Herb Adderley: 1939-2020 | Pro Football Hall of Fame". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Lea, Bud (November 24, 1961). "Packers trip Lions 17-9; 1 win from title repeat". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 4.

 Bochat, Rel (November 24, 1961). "3 service players big boost - Vince". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 1, part 4.

 "Emlen Tunnell | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Emlen Tunnell Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - New York Giants at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1961". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Huber, Bill (October 30, 2020). "Packers Legend Adderley Dies". Green Bay Packers On SI. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Johnny Unitas | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1962 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers - September 30th, 1962". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1962 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Green Bay Packers at New York Giants - December 30th, 1962". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "National Football League, 1963 Regular Season Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1963 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Remmel, Lee (October 7, 1963). "Crunching Block by Gros Springs Adderley for 98-Yard Kickoff Return". Appleton Post-Crescent (Appleton, Wisconsin). pp. B6.

 "1963 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1963 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1964 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1964 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1964 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1965 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1965 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Hand, Jack (September 29, 1965). "Packers' Herb Adderley Is Top Defensive Player". The Cumberland News (Cumberland, Maryland). p. 25.

 "Baltimore Colts at Green Bay Packers - September 26th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers - September 19th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers - December 19th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Don Shula | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Baltimore Colts at Green Bay Packers - December 26th, 1965". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Hartnett, Ken (December 27, 1965). "Battered Packers, Especially Hornung-Starr Really Ache". The Sheboygan Press (Sheboygan, Wisconsin). Associated Press. p. 32.

 "Colts Are Critical Of Calls". Sun-Democrat (Paducah, Kentucky). Associated Press. December 28, 1965. p. 10.

 "Colts-Packers Playoff Remains Etched In Lore". www.packers.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Cleveland Browns at Green Bay Packers - January 2nd, 1966". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Heaton, Charles (January 3, 1966). "Packers Grab NFL Title With 23–12 Win". The Cincinnati Enquirer. The Cleveland Plain Dealer. p. 29.

 "1965 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1966 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1966 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers - October 23rd, 1966". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys - January 1st, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl I - Kansas City Chiefs vs. Green Bay Packers - January 15th, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1967 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Green Bay Packers at St. Louis Cardinals - October 30th, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Polite Jim Hart Convinced He Could Beat Champs". Green Bay Post-Gazette. October 31, 1967. pp. B-1.

 "1967 NFL Pro Bowlers". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers - December 23rd, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers - December 31st, 1967". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "The Ice Bowl Game | Pro Football Hall of Fame | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Packers Do It Again! Green Bay Wins, 21–17". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Associated Press. January 1, 1968. pp. 1-C, 6-C.

 "Super Bowl II - Green Bay Packers vs. Oakland Raiders - January 14th, 1968". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Lombardi Retires as Packer Coach, Bengston New Leader in Green Bay". The Expositor (Brantford, Ontario, Canada). Associated Press. February 2, 1968. p. 8.

 "1968 Green Bay Packers Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1969 NFL All-Pros". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1969 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Brown, Clifton (October 13, 2012). "Herb Adderley's book shines negative light on Tom Landry". Sporting News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016.

 "Adderely says he's fed up with Packers". The Morning Record. Meriden, Connecticut. Associated Press. December 23, 1969. p. 11.

 Di Petro, Bob (September 2, 1970). "Adderley traded". Times News. Hendersonville, North Carolina. UPI. p. 9.

 Epstein, Jori (October 4, 2022). "'Doomsday is back': How a stellar defense has carried Cowboys to a 3-1 start and hearkened memories of the glory days". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Mel Renfro | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1970 Dallas Cowboys Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys - December 26th, 1970". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Championship - Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers - January 3rd, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl V - Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Colts - January 17th, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1971 Dallas Cowboys Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "1971 NFL Leaders and Leaderboards". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Divisional Round - Dallas Cowboys at Minnesota Vikings - December 25th, 1971". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "NFC Championship - San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys - January 2nd, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Super Bowl VI - Dallas Cowboys vs. Miami Dolphins - January 16th, 1972". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Gil Brandt | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "Waters replaces Adderley at cornerback for Dallas". Spartanburg Herald. South Carolina. Associated Press. November 2, 1972. p. D3.

 "Landry: Waters in his defense". The Morning News (Wilmington, Delaware). Associated Press. November 2, 1972. p. 42.

 Imelio, Carlo (July 25, 1973). "Patriots Trade Adderley to Rams". The Union (Springfield, Massachusetts). p. 33.

 Baker, Hugh (August 3, 1973). "Emphasis on winning now, Knox says". News-Pilot (San Pedro, California). pp. B3.

 "Rams to look at safeties against Cowboys tomorrow". Santa Barbara News-Press reported (Santa Barbara, California). August 2, 1973. p. 12.

 "Herb Adderley Cut By Rams". The Post-Star (Glens Falls, New York). August 8, 1973. p. 22.

 "Herb Adderly". statscrew.com.

 "Bob Lilly | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 Christl, Cliff. "Herb Adderley". Packers.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.

 "Super Bowl 2021: Tom Brady wins seventh title as Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Kansas City Chiefs". BBC Sport. February 8, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Only four players in 100 years have won six NFL titles". FOX Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 Dougherty, Pete. "Hall of Fame Packers cornerback Herb Adderley dies at 81". Packers News. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 "NFL Interception Return Yards Career Leaders (Since 1940)". Pro-Football-Reference.com.

 "Herb Adderley Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 19, 2025.

 "The Sporting News 100 Greatest Players of All-Time (1999)". futurefootballlegends.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Unitas QBs NFL Team". Tampa Tribune. September 7, 1969. p. 34.

 Jerardi, Dick (July 8, 2012). "The men behind the Philly Sports Hall of Fame". Philadelphia Inquirer.

 "Herb Adderley Stats". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved June 3, 2023.

 "'Greatest Cornerback' Herb Adderley: 1939-2020 | Pro Football Hall of Fame". pfhof. Retrieved November 6, 2024.

 "Nasir Adderley working to live up to DB bloodline". www.giants.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 "Nasir Adderley". www.chargers.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 "Herb Adderley, Packers legend and Hall of Fame CB, passes away at age 81". NFL.com. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

 Smith, Michael David (October 30, 2020). "Hall of Famer Herb Adderley dies at 81". ProFootballTalk. Retrieved October 30, 2020.