Don McIlhenny, who played 3 seasons with Packers, scored Dallas' first rushing touchdown, has died
DALLAS - Former Packers halfback Don McIlhenny died April 18 in Dallas after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer's and dementia.
McIlhenny, 88, played three seasons for the Packers. He was a third-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions in 1956 and played for the Packers in 1957-59. He joined expansion team Dallas in 1960, where he scored that franchise's first-ever rushing touchdown. It was his only rushing touchdown in Dallas. He finished his career in San Francisco before returning to Dallas.
During his time with Green Bay, McIlhenny rushed for 854 yards and three touchdowns. He caught 46 passes for 459 yards and four touchdowns.
The Packers acquired McIlhenny in 1957 when they traded starting quarterback Tobin Rote and defensive back Val Joe Walker to the Lions for McIlhenny, tackles Ollie Spencer and Norm Masters, and guard Jim Salsbury.
Packers team historian Cliff Christl said that when Vince Lombardi took over the team in 1959, he started with McIlhenny and Lew Carpenter sharing time in the backfield with Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung, but eventually the new coach decided on using Boyd Dowler at flanker instead of having a third running back position.
McIlhenny, who got on well with Lombardi, contemplated returning to the Packers in 1962, but ultimately decided to retire.
More: Ten fascinating NFL draft moments in Green Bay Packers history
McIhenny played college football at Southern Methodist University, where teammates included future pro football players Forrest Gregg, John Roach, Raymond Berry, Doyle Nix and Jerry Norton. Gregg, Roach and Nix all played at least one year with the Packers during their careers.
McIlhenny is a member of the Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame and was included by The Tennessean newspaper as one of the 50 greatest Nashville football players of all time.
Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Former Green Bay Packers player Don McIlhenny died April 18
