Jerry Kramer: Packers great retires on this date in 1969

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Anyone who hasn’t been hiding under a rock the past few years understands the groundswell from Packers Nation that has risen to protest the fact that Jerry Kramer has been shut out of the National Football League’s Hall of Fame.

He’s the only member of the All-time Team of the first 50 years who is not in the Hall. It’s a travesty.

With that in mind, today we celebrate this day in Packers history when Kramer announced his retirement in 1969.

It was a sad day, but a great day … bittersweet for all Packers fans.

Today we say thanks to Mr. Kramer for all he gave us and all he’s done to properly represent the Green Bay Packers franchise for nearly his entire adult life.

Here’s the announcement of his retirement, thanks to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Packers Guard Jerry Kramer Retires

May 22, 1969 - Guard and author, Jerry Kramer announces his retirement from football after an 11-year career that stretches back to 1958. Kramer’s decision is not a surprise as just days earlier an advertisement on the front page of Publishers’ Weekly, a book industry journal, said as much. In promoting Kramer’s soon-to-be-released Farewell to Football, the ad hyped the book as the guard’s “inside look at the frustrating 1968 Green Bay season (and) his personal decision to give up the game he loves so much…” Packers coach and general manager Phil Bengtson says: “He’s only 33, but apparently he felt he had so many outside interests that he couldn’t devote the time to football.”