Oct. 21, 1963 - Green Bay’s hopes for an unprecedented third straight NFL title were dealt a severe blow today when X-rays disclosed that quarterback Bart Starr suffered a fractured right hand in the St. Louis Cardinals game yesterday. Coach Vince Lombardi said Starr suffered a “hairline fracture” in the hand and will be lost indefinitely. Starr, who was the NFL’s top passer last year, was injured when he was tackled and bounced out of bounds by the Cards’ Jimmy Hill after a 15-yard run in the third quarter at St. Louis. A fist-swinging incident developed. Hill was ejected, and John Roach took over for Starr. Hill said after the Packers’ 30-7 victory that Starr had kicked him while both were on the ground. He said he apologized to Starr before leaving the game. “It happened so fast, I don’t know what happened,” the 29-year-old Starr said. Asked whether there would be any action against Hill because of Starr’s injury, an NFL spokesman said commissioner Pete Rozelle had been at the game and had this to say: “Hill took one swing at Starr. It was not a fight. Starr’s injury occurred prior to Hill’s swinging, and the incident which caused Hill’s ejection was not related to the injury.” There was no immediate word on Packer emergency plans, but the development appeared to thrust Roach, a former starting quarterback in the NFL, into the position of coming off the bench to continue the Green Bay drive for its third straight title. Today, Roach said he was ready but he knew he had “mighty big shoes to fill.” “You’re here for only one thing, to win,” he said. “Anything I can do to help is my purpose.”
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