Editor's note: Cheryl Smith attributes all reporting in this series to exhaustive research on newspapers.com, archives.com, fold3.com; Indian River County records; historical societies, museums and Facebook groups in Sebastian, St. Lucie County and Wisconsin; Green Bay Packers team historian Cliff Christl; Sebastian resident Judith Swingle; and Vero Beach attorney Eugene J. O'Neill's book, "Raising the Bar: In and Before Indian River County — A History." Contact her at cheryl.smithtcpalm.com if you have any photos, records or information that corrects or adds to this account.
Samuel Richard Powers Sr. was the first tackle and guard on the inaugural Green Bay Packers football team, playing alongside founder Capt. Earl "Curly" Lambeau for three seasons, from 1919-21.
"Sammy" — a 5-foot-10, 130-pound, blue-eyed, blond-haired Irish scrapper — launched his football career playing for the Marinette (Wisconsin) High School Marines from 1916-18, which were his freshman through junior years.
With WWI disrupting life in 1918, he took over coaching midseason, then quit high school before his 1919 senior year.
Sammy Powers: First 1919 Green Bay Packers tackle married Earl's Hideaway owner Grace Martin
Samuel Richard Powers Sr. was the first tackle and guard on the inaugural Green Bay Packers football team, playing alongside founder Capt. Earl "Curly" Lambeau for three seasons, from 1919-21.
"Sammy" — a 5-foot-10, 130-pound, blue-eyed, blond-haired Irish scrapper — launched his football career playing for the Marinette (Wisconsin) High School Marines from 1916-18, which were his freshman through junior years.
With WWI disrupting life in 1918, he took over coaching midseason, then quit high school before his 1919 senior year.
Sammy Powers: First 1919 Green Bay Packers tackle married Earl's Hideaway owner Grace Martin
16 days ago
