Don Hutson Center | |
Nickname: | The Hutson Center |
Location: | Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Broke Ground: | 1993 |
Opened: | 1994 |
Owner: | Green Bay Packers |
Architect: | Berners-Schober Associates, Inc. |
Tenants: | Green Bay Packers Practice Facility (1994-Present) |
Publictransit: | Green Bay Metro |
The Don Hutson Center is the indoor practice facility of the Green Bay Packers. Located across the street from Lambeau Field, it was built in 1994 at a cost of $4.7 million.
The center is named after Don Hutson, who played for the Packers from 1935 to 1945. A member of both the Pro Football and Packers Halls of Fame, Hutson was the dominant player of his era, setting records that stood for 50 years after his retirement.[1]
The Don Hutson Center is the largest element of the Packers' practice complex, which includes Ray Nitschke Field and Clarke Hinkle Field, which were also named after Packer greats.
There are two practice fields inside the Center: a 70yd field runs east–west, with another 60yd field running north–south, allowing the offense and defense to practice simultaneously. With 90feet and 85feet high ceilings over the respective fields, the facility allows the special teams to run full punting and kicking practices. The FieldTurf surfaces allow the Packers to replicate game conditions for road games where they will have to play indoors or on artificial surfaces.
The Packers' video department has elevated camera positions on the inside of the Hutson Center for filming practices, as well as four porches on the exterior of the west side for filming practices at Clarke Hinkle Field.
The Center was dedicated on July 18, 1994, at a ceremony presided over by the then 81-year-old Hutson himself.[2]