Reggie White’s number was retired not long after he died.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Twenty years ago yesterday, April 6, 1993, the nation moved – at least the Green Bay Packers Nation – when defensive end Reggie White signed a four-year, $17 million contract with the Packers.

At the time, it was a huge contract and commitment by the franchise from the National Football League’s smallest city. Compare that contract with that signed by former Packer Greg Jennings last month – he received a guarantee of 18 million smackers.

Reggie White on the day he signed with the Packers.

How times have changed – and how that signing by the late Mr. White changed the face of Green Bay and the entire league.

The story at the time by Bob McGinn, one of my favorite Packers beat writers with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, says it all.

It’s tough to remember 20 years ago, but I bet every Packers fan remembers where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news about the Reggie White signing.

Me? I had the radio on and was lying on the floor playing with my two daughters. I just looked at my wife and said, “wow!” But that three-letter word goes a long way in describing what Reggie did for the Packers. He brought respectability; he brought class; he brought a hall of fame attitude that would lead to many, many wins and expectations of excellence.

On the day he signed, according to McGinn’s story, Reggie turned to then-head coach Mike Holmgren and said, ”Me and coach made an agreement. We’re going [to the Super Bowl] this year, aren’t we?”

Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame photograph

Well, they didn’t go to the Super Bowl in 1993, 1994 or 1995, but it was in 1996 and 1997 when the payoff was fully realized. The team immediately improved. Between 1993 and 1998, the Packers made the playoffs every year. The team finished 9-7 in both 1993 and 1994 and then jumped to 11-5 in 1995. In the magical Super Bowl Championship season of 1996, the Packers jumped again, this time finishing with a 13-3 record.

Wolf, who seemed the clairvoyant, had this to say on the day of the signing:

“We’ve now given ourselves somebody the offense has to be concerned with other than [linebacker] Tony Bennett. We’ve improved our defense dramatically. Realistically, the best step we’ve made was the hiring of Mike Holmgren. But this is a very key move.”

Ron Wolf

Though football is a team game, it was the signing of Reggie that made the Packers the premier team in the league and the place to be. It made it possible – through the efforts of GM Ron Wolf and head coach Mike Holmgren – to bring in other players like defensive end Sean Jones, Santana Dotson, and tight end Keith Jackson. Reggie made the team not only better on the field, but more importantly, in the eyes of players and other franchises around the league.

Mike Holmgren

Here’s what McGinn wrote about Brett Favre’s role in the team’s improvement: “White left little doubt that quarterback Brett Favre, 23, is on the threshold of greatness. Eventually, White said, Favre will be better than Philadelphia’s Randall Cunningham.”

He added about White: “In White, the Packers gained instant respect for a defense that ranked 23rd in the league in 1992, when they went 9-7 in their first full season under the leadership of Wolf and Holmgren. No defensive lineman in Green Bay has had more than five sacks in a season since 1985.”

In four of the six years that Reggie played in Green Bay, he registered double-digit sack totals. Here are the years with 10 or more sacks:  • 13 in 1993;

• 12 in 1995;

• 11 in 1997; and

• 16 in 1998

Ironically, in the Super Bowl season of 1996 Reggie had “only” 8.5 sacks and in 1994 he had eight.

In 95 games played with Green Bay over his six seasons, Reggie had a total of 68.5 sacks and even had one interception that he returned 46 yards. More importantly, he had 239 tackles, 62 assists, and 14 forced fumbles. He also played an important role in the advent of the Lambeau Leap when he recovered a fumble, started to return it, and was being forced out of bounds when he lateraled to LeRoy Butler who then took it the rest of the way for the touchdown before leaping into the stands.

There is little that Reggie didn’t do in raising the Packers franchise to elite status. His time in Green Bay was made possible through the efforts of Holmgren and Wolf and had it not been for the personal relationship that Reggie established with Holmgren, the deal would never have been done.

Reggie and Brett

McGinn described how the Packers gained the upper hand in the race to sign Reggie: “Clearly, though, the Packers had a lot more going for them than just big bucks. When White flew here March 10, he admitted it was merely because he had been in the neighborhood the night before in Detroit. Then White met Holmgren, defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes and defensive line coach Greg Blache, among others. He was led into snowy, intimate Lambeau Field. The personal touch was hammered home a week later, when Holmgren and Rhodes flew to Knoxville to meet White’s family.

Reggie’s agent, Jimmy Sexton said about the moves that the Packers made:

“It was huge. They were smart enough and perceptive enough to know that Reggie was a relationship guy. They sold him on the fact that it’s like a big college atmosphere. He was coming out of a place where it wasn’t fun for him the last couple years. But if I had to pick one thing he liked most about Green Bay, Holmgren was it.”

The past 20 years have had many ups and downs, but I would say that had it not been for the signing of Reggie White, this franchise would have had many more downs than ups.

We remember our fallen comrade well.

He was the savior of the franchise.

Keith Jackson was a key component to the Packers 1996 championship run.

There are many who say that the addition of Keith Jackson to the Green Bay Packers roster in 1995 was the tipping point toward their championship in 1996.

Adding the talented tight end to an already loaded offensive unit gave the Packers a one-two punch at the position the team had never seen before. With Mark Chmura, who had become a star in his own right, the Packers added Jackson’s speed, size and power to the lineup – and he turned into the player that general manager Ron Wolf and Head Coach Mike Holmgren believed he could be.

It was on this date in 1997 that Jackson retired from football after nine seasons and a Super Bowl XXI Championship with the Packers.

He was drafted 13th overall in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles and was an immediate success. He led the Eagles in receiving, catching 81 passes for 869 yards (10.7 yard average), and six touchdowns. Pretty amazing statistics for a tight end – he was the man at the position who helped usher in a new era for pass-catching tight ends.

He followed that sensational rookie season with three more astounding years with the Eagles. In 1989, 1990, and 1991, he caught 63, 50, and 48 passes, respectively, continuing to rip up the league. He left Philadelphia after his fourth year there and moved on to play for the Miami Dolphins where he played the next three years, catching 48, 39 and 59 passes in each of those seasons from 1992-94 for a total of 1,880 yards, and 18 touchdowns.

Mark Chmura.

When he was traded to the Green Bay Packers in 1995, Jackson balked. He did not want to play for Green Bay. But with cajoling and influence by none other than his friend and former teammate in Philly, Reggie White, Jackson finally made his trek to the frozen Tundra and didn’t look back. In fact, he said upon his retirement that his days in Green Bay were some of the best of his entire career.

“I was a little stubborn and bullheaded at first and didn’t want to come here, but it turned out to be an outstanding time in my life,” Jackson said on the day he retired from football.

“It was a great two years to not only make friends but see how an organization is supposed to be run.”

In all, Jackson played in 25 regular season games over the two seasons he was in Green Bay. Arriving midway through the 1995 season, Jackson played in nine games, catching 13 balls for 142 yards and one touchdown.

But it was in 1996 when he made his presence known. He caught 40 passes for 505 yards and 10 touchdowns. Coupled with the presence of Chmura who caught another 28 passes for 370 yards, the Packers’ tight ends caught 68 passes 875 yards that season.

Not only did he bring his experience and leadership to the Packers, but he helped lift the Packers over the championship hump to bring the Lombardi Trophy home  after decades without.

Like Lombardiave on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Here is a video of the 1996 Championship game at Lambeau Field … just for fun.

Mike Holmgren, who is being considered for a position with the Oakland Raiders, won a Super Bowl with Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in 1996.

Rumors and the National Football League go hand-in-hand as well as peanut butter and jelly, Laurel and Hardy, and Abbott and Costello – that’s why today’s most recent rumor about former Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren going to Oakland to work in the Raiders’ front office is intriguing.

He would be joining Raiders General Manager Reggie McKenzie – they worked together in Green Bay before Holmgren moved on to be coach and general manager for the Seahawks. Holmgren just finished up a stint as the president of the Cleveland Browns.

Just exactly what role Holmgren would play in Oakland has not been released, and Raiders officials aren’t even saying Holmgren is being considered for a job.

Here’s what the Raiders had to say in a statement to NFL.com: ”as a general policy, the Raiders don’t comment on personnel matters, so the team isn’t able to confirm or deny the report. If the organization has more to say in the future, I will let you know.”

After leaving his job in Cleveland, Holmgren said that he was open to any offers from any team. This is the first offer that’s been presented or at least come to light involving Holmgren.

Most reports have indicated that Holmgren would be considered for a front office job in charge of football operations.

Aug 16, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Adonis Thomas (35) loses his helmet after getting tackled by Green Bay Packers cornerback Brandian Ross (39) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … 

That’s what we have to keep repeating.

It doesn’t count in the record books and thank God that’s the reality. But we still have to look at the 35-10 shellacking the Packers took from the Cleveland Browns Thursday night as disconcerting.

It is only the second time the Packers have started 0-2 in preseason during the Mike McCarthy regime … it’s very uncharacteristic for a McCarthy-coached team to look this bad.

Yeah, you can point to the injuries; you can point to the fact that most of the game was played by second-, third- and fourth-stringers; you can point to the fact that everyone made a mistake in this one – even McCarthy who was flagged 15 yards for throwing the challenge flag at the wrong time.

Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) celebrates. Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

Aside from the Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordy-Nelson connection for a touchdown in the first quarter, there wasn’t a whole lot to shout about. Though it’s a loss, again, it doesn’t count.

What we should be worried about is that it was a loss to the Cleveland Browns – yes, that same Browns team that has stunk up the league for the past decade. The question we must ask this morning is this: Are the Browns that good or are the Packers sinking to Cleveland’s level of badness?

What’s going to happen when the Packers play a really good team, like next week against the Bengals? Or when they open the season against the 49ers and then have to host the Bears?

Well, here are a few initial thoughts I’ve had this morning as I feel bad:

• Graham Harrell isn’t an NFL quarterback and Ted Thompson should have Mike Holmgren and Colt McCoy on speed dial;

• The running game, especially Alex Green, didn’t look all that bad last night;

• D.J. Smith is going to be an unsung hero for the Packers this year;

• Jordy Nelson is going to again lead the Packers in receiving this year;

• The second string offensive line is just that – offensive;

• The young players the Packers have in the secondary are energetic, talented and getting ready for prime time. However, they are very green;

• I can’t wait to see what Cedric Benson can do in this offense;

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb had a rough night.Benny Sieu-US PRESSWIRE

• Randall Cobb isn’t standing out like everyone said he would be and his fumble in the first quarter was inexcusable;

• Charles Woodson is again going to be a huge factor for the defense;

• Where was Nick Perry?; and

Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason … Remember, it’s only preseason …

Well, below is such an incident, as provided by the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame’s “Today in Packers History.”

Reggie, God rest his soul, wasn’t happy about a low blow he took in a 1993 game against the New Orleans Saints.

Check it out

Wainwright vs. White: Conduct Unbecoming a Saint?

August 14, 1993 – Was it a low blow or just football as usual? Reggie White, the prized free agent signed by the Green Bay Packers in April, thought it was the former. And he was steamed. In the first quarter of Green Bay’s 26-17 loss to New Orleans, Saints tight end Frank Wainwright hit White at about knee level during a running play to the other side of the field. White wasn’t happy. “That was a cheap shot, but that’s OK,” the defensive lineman said. “I went and got his number. We’ll see them again (in November).” Packers coach Mike Holmgren suggested the collision wasn’t particularly unusual. “He (Reggie) was a little upset. People will block like he got blocked.”

Former Packers President Bob Harlan

With Mike Holmgren set for induction into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this weekend, we look back along with the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame on what former team president Bob Harlan had to say about the former Packers coach’s decision to leave.

In two words: Not happy.

But Harlan understood what Holmgren wanted and allowed him the opportunity. What’s ironic is that had Harlan known the status of former GM Ron Wolf, he would have moved to keep Holmgren.

Read what Harlan has to say in this posting by the Packers Hall of Fame.

Brett Favre said he didn't care about the Saints' Bountygate in an interview with Deion Sanders.

Recent comments by Brett Favre that indicate he is in no hurry to make amends with the Green Bay Packers franchise and its fans is disconcerting, especially to former team president Bob Harlan.

Harlan wants Favre back – badly. He understands what the former Packers great has meant to the franchise and to the entire league … and he wants it all to come back, especially before Favre is inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

But Favre said that he doesn’t need a special day to recognize his career. Harlan hopes his views change and he was hoping that one way to break the ice between Favre and the Packers would have been to get him back to Green Bay for the induction of former coach Mike Holmgren into the Packers Hall of Fame next week.

Favre declined the invitation to the event that will not only include Holmgren, but will bring together many from the 1990s Packers. Those numbers will include Ron Wolf and Harlan.

In a column posted yesterday by Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press Gazette, Harlan pulled no punches in expressing his desire to get the Packers and Favre back together. Clearly, he was disappointed with Favre’s decision not to show for Holmgren’s big night, but was still hopeful for the future.

Many Packers fans feel betrayed by Favre, and rightfully so. But like Harlan, I feel those people will have to get over it. Those days are long gone and it’s time to move on to a future that includes memories of the 16 years Favre led the Packers to winning season after winning season, two Super Bowls and one championship.

Those were the good days.

Harlan wants them … and Favre … back.

Here’s a video by USADexter that might help bridge the gap. Maybe Brett will watch it … it’s worth a look.

Don Majkowski greets Brett Favre prior to a Packers game.

We all remember Don The Majik Man Majkowski. He provided so many chills and thrills during the 1989 season when he and Lindy Infante brought the Packers back from the doldrums of the 1970-80s.

However, it was short-lived when he landed out of bounds after a hit by Arizona defender Freddie Joe Nunn. At first it was thought the injury in 1991 was minor, but it turned out to be a rotator cuff. After surgery, Majkowski came back in 1992 to be named the starter by first-year head coach Mike Holmgren. That lasted until he mangled his ankle against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Enter Brett Favre … the rest is history.

Read about the deal Majkowski signed with the Packers just prior to the wheels coming off for Majik Man.

Packers Hoping for the Old Majik in One-Year Deal

July 15, 1991 – Coming off rotator cuff surgery, quarterback Don Majkowski signs a one-year, $1.7 million deal with an eye on regaining his form and perhaps his leverage in hammering out a more lucrative, long-term deal. “I wanted a one-year deal from the start,” Majkowski says. “I just don’t think we were in a good position to sign a long-term deal.” In 1989, Majkowski attempted all but one of Green Bay’s passes in throwing for 27 touchdowns and 4,318 yards. In 1990, those numbers dropped to 10 TDs and 1,925 yards as the quarterback missed seven games. “I’m going to try to have a great year. Then maybe I’ll look for a long-term deal,” Majkowski adds.

Brett Favre won't be attending the Packers Hall of Fame induction of Mike Holmgren this month.

Oh sure, it slows, like now on this 4th of July, but it never stops.

Here are a few of the highlights from today’s NFL – have a beer, brat, hot dog, hamburger – take some time to attend your town’s parade, talk to some friends, rest, relax and recharge your batteries today because we’re headed into the stretch run toward the start of another NFL season.

But before you all do that, don’t forget to remember why we love our country so much. Yes, we love football, but we also love the freedom we have to be able to enjoy the games of our lives. We live in a great country with great people and dedicated leaders. Don’t take it for granted.

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Harlan ushered in the glory years that were to follow for the next two decades and beyond by hiring Ron Wolf, Mike Holmgren and overseeing the acquisitions of Brett Favre and Reggie White. The team has seen nothing but success (for the most part) since those early days.

All Packers fans are appreciative of everything Harlan did for the franchise. He brought it back to life and set it on a championship track.

Below is the brief from the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame about the election of Harlan.

If you don’t know already, former Green Bay Packers Head Coach Mike Holmgren will be inducted at this summer’s ceremony.

The winner of the contest will receive two free tickets to the induction ceremony planned to be held Saturday, July 21, with the cash bar opening at 4:30 p.m. and the dinner and program starting at 7 p.m.

The Hall of Fame is expecting about 1,200 people to attend the program to be held in the Atrium at Lambeau Field.

Here is some of the information presented by the Hall:

Some of the Packer greats to attend the banquet in past years include Jerry Kramer, Ron Wolf, Gilbert Brown, Boyd Dowler, Bart Starr and Ahman Green. In addition to the legends sure to attend this year’s event, players and coaches from Holmgren’s Green Bay teams are expected to be on hand.

Enter to win a chance to be part of this historic evening honoring one of the Packers finest coaches. Holmgren’s accomplishments with the Packers include:

• Super Bowl XXXI champion
• Two-time NFC champion
• Three NFC Central championships
• Seven consecutive winning seasons
• Six consecutive playoff berths
• Club-record 25 consecutive home-field victories
• Consecutive 13-win seasons
• Third-most wins in franchise history (84)
• .667 winning percentage
• One of only three coaches to achieve one postseason win in five consecutive seasons

The winner of the Packers Induction Banquet Giveaway doesn’t just get to be part of Packers history, they’ll also receive two passes to the Packers Hall of Fame.

For the first time, PackersHallofFame.com will be making DVDs of the induction banquet available to the public for only $14.95. To reserve your advance copy of Mike Homgren’s induction ceremony, please enter your information here.

As an added bonus, anyone who pre-orders a copy of the DVD will also receive four free waterpark passes to Mt. Olympus Water Park in Wisconsin Dells (a $120 value). The promotion is valid May 26-July 1, 2012.

Everyone who enters the contest receives free access to the PackersHallofFame.com newsletters — This Date In Packers History and The Quotes of Vince Lombardi.

There is no cost to enter. Just fill out the form below or mail in your entry (Rules). Only one entry per person. The random drawing will occur on Friday, June 8, 2012 and the winner will be notified at that time.

To see the ruled of the contest, click here …

In honor of our newly redesigned website (http://packershalloffame.com/) we’ve decided to extend the Packers Hall of Fame Induction Banquet contest for one week. The contest has been extended to June 8.

The winner will receive two passes to see former coach Mike Holmgren inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame.

If you haven’t signed up, the time is now! To enter, just visit: http://packershalloffame.com/contest/.

Monty
Packers Hall of Fame
montym@packershalloffame.com
http://www.packershalloffame.com

Former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf (right) participated in the Packers recent symposium in Green Bay. Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

This past week an important roundtable, “Sport and Society in America,” made up of Packers players and administrators of past days addressed a couple of really important issues: First, what it’s like to be a retired player and the transitions they experience; and why the hiring of coaching and administrators helped save the Packers franchise in the early 1990s.

Packers.com did a good job of providing a review of the highlights.

This symposium was long overdue and though highly underpromoted is something the Packers should do at least annually. Not only should they do a better job of promoting it to the general public, the team should live stream it and record it for future airing on television … it’s something that would make a great addition to the NFL Network.

This was an important gathering that I think everyone should take a look at by clicking here.

This one involves Coach Mike Holmgren, GM Ron Wolf and a guy by the name of Woodside.

Enjoy …

Running Back Keith Woodside Traded to Dallas  April 29, 1992 - Keith Woodside, the Packers’ second-leading rusher in 1991, is traded to the Dallas Cowboys for an undisclosed 1993 draft choice. Though listed as a halfback, Woodside often lined up on the line of scrimmage as a third receiver in former coach Lindy Infante’s offense. New coach Mike Holmgren determines Woodside is not a natural fit for his two-back system, which leads to the Packers shopping Woodside. “If you’re asking me what prompted the deal, truly in the final analysis, he was more a pass receiver than a runner,” Packers General Manager Ron Wolf says.     Photo of Mike Holmgren

Former Packers cornerback Terrell Buckley holds a framed copy of his Florida State jersey.

I’ve gotten a bit behind in our look back at Packers history, courtesy of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, so here’s what has been posted by the HOF website the past couple of days, April 11 and 12

Enjoy …

Curly Lambeau’s Father  Succumbs to Heart Disease  April 12, 1939 - The relatives of Curly Lambeau are attempting to contact the Packers head coach to inform him of the unexpected death of his father, Marcel Lambeau, in Green Bay. The senior Lambeau, a building contractor and former city official, succumbed to heart disease at the age of 62. Survivors include his widow, two other sons, a daughter and three sisters, all of Green Bay, and a brother, Dr. Emil Lambeau, of Bloomington, Ill. Funeral arrangements are being held in abeyance.   Photo of Curly Lambeau

Scott Wells, Daryn Colledge and Chad Clifton anchored the left side of the Packers line for several years. All three may be former Packers by the time free agency ends this offseason. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Twitter, Facebook and just about every other NFL blogging site is lighting up this week with the advent of one of the most enjoyable times of the professional football offseason – the free agency signing period.

I like it even more than the draft, actually … and I’m a Packers fan who hasn’t had anything to shout about during this period since Mike Holmgren and Ron Wolf reeled in Reggie White.

But that doesn’t matter. It’s always so much fun watching the other teams meet with, negotiate and sign big name free agents.

We know it’s not going to happen in Green Bay, so we sit back, watch, listen and enjoy.

There are some who look at the holes that seem be appearing in the Packers roster and have wondered aloud whether this might be the year that Packers General Manager Ted Thompson might step out of his comfort zone and jump into the frenzy starting this week. Even Thompson has hinted that he may be open to the right player if he considers them “useful tool” for his team.

After all, one can do only so much through the draft – Thompson’s favorite mode for building and rebuilding a team. The draft is great for bringing in “projects” and molding those players to fit the system. Thompson’s Super Bowl XLV ring is evidence of that.

However, the Packers showed last season that if they are to fill the holes the team has, especially on the defensive side of the ball, they’ve got to do more than just draft. Thompson has always said he likes to sign his own players and he faces that task this year as the team’s most valued free agents, Jarrett Bush and Scott Wells, are ready to test the waters.

Will he get something done and signed before 3 p.m. Tuesday? That remains to be seen. If he doesn’t, most likely Bush will be gone and depending on the temperature of those waters, Wells might be, too. But if Wells doesn’t sign before the start of the period and finds only tepid waters out there, he may be back, ala James Jones.

That’s a risk that Thompson is more than likely to take.

Other free agents such as Harold Green and Erik Walden most likely won’t be signed to offers, but there is a good chance that, like Wells, if the money is available, Ryan Grant may be back in camp.

The real question is the money. The Packers are $5 million under the $120 million salary cap. Should the team shed offensive lineman Chad Clifton and restructure wide receiver Donald Driver’s contract, the team will gain at least $5 million more in cap room. With that money available, my guess is that the Packers could strike a deal with Wells and possibly Bush, but that doesn’t leave much for signing draft picks and other undrafted free agents to round out the roster.

I’m just glad I’m not an NFL team’s accountant because this must be a stressful time of the year.

Whatever happens will be a surprise for all fans …

In the meantime, get your popcorn, turn on your favorite sports station and see where all the money goes and where the players end up.

And while you’re at it, Like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

It’s no secret what these two meant to the Green Bay Packers organization, so it’s fitting that they both joined the team on days so close to one another – both coming to the team after some of the worst seasons the Packers had ever experienced.

Lombardi Joined the team after the 1958 team coached by Ray “Scooter” McClean went 1-10-1. Favre came to the Packers after the Lindy Infante season came to a close and the Ron Wolf/Mike Holmgren tenure was just getting under way.

Lombardi and Favre both made immediate impacts on the team, helping the storied franchise to two separate decades-plus that were filled with wins.

The Green Bay Press Gazette posted stories this weekend memorializing the two former Packer leaders. Just a run through the photographs is worth the trip to the website.

Check out the Lombardi link here

Check out the Favre link here

And when you’re done there, check out Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Former Head Coach Mike Holmgren will be inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this summer.

It was announced just this morning that Packers former Head Coach Mike Holmgren, who is now the head man of football operations for the Cleveland Browns, will be inducted into The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame this coming summer.

The 42nd Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held Saturday, July 21, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.

We all know what Coach Holmgren brought to the City of Green Bay, the state of Wisconsin and all of Packers Nation. In addition to coaches Vince Lombardi, Curly Lambeau, and current Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Holmgren took the Packers to many NFL Playoff games, including two straight Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl XXXI.

The press release issued by the Packers Hall of Fame this morning offers this description of Holmgren:

Holmgren joined the Green Bay Packers in 1992 and enjoyed a spectacular run as head coach through the 1998 season, including a victory in Super Bowl XXXI following the 1996 campaign. Launching his success with a 9-7 record in ’92, a five-game improvement from the year before, Holmgren led the team to a 84-42 overall record (75-37 regular season; 9-5 postseason); seven consecutive winning seasons, the first such skein since the 1960s; a club-record six consecutive playoff berths; a 47-5 record, including playoffs, in Lambeau Field; a club-record 25 consecutive home-field victories, the second-longest such streak in NFL history; 13 regular-season wins in consecutive years (1996-97) for the first time in team history; three straight NFC Championship Game appearances (1995-97), including back-to-back wins (1996-97); and back-to-back Super Bowl appearances (1996-97), the last such feat by an NFC team.

His overall win total, 84, is the third most in franchise history, trailing only Curly Lambeau, 212, and Vince Lombardi, 98. His winning percentage, .667, is tied with Lambeau for the second best in team history, behind only the .766 mark of Lombardi. With at least one postseason win in five consecutive seasons (1993-97), Holmgren is one of only three coaches in NFL history to have achieved the mark, along with John Madden (Oakland, 1973-77) and Bill Belichick (New England, 2003-07).

His 1996 Super Bowl championship team led the league in both points scored (456) and points allowed (210), becoming one of only 12 teams in NFL history to accomplish the feat and the first since 1972.

Tickets for the banquet, which begins with the doors opening at 4:30 p.m. with a cash bar, and dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m., are $135 each. Tables of 10 also are available for $1,300 and are assigned in the order in which they are purchased. Early reservations are recommended. To purchase tickets, call Gwen Borga at (920) 965-6984, or e-mail her at gwenb@packershalloffame.com.

No refunds are available 30 days prior to the event.

Lombardiave.com offers our congratulations to Coach Holmgren and his family. We also welcome him back to Green Bay as a permanent member of the franchise’s family.

So, answer me this – how does a team lose its punter during the first couple of days of training camp?

Either the team’s stretching sessions are woefully inadequate or the punter was being worked way too hard.

It just seems like a really strange way for the Browns to start the year.

For the sake of the team and coaching staff, let’s hope something as freakish as this doesn’t happen again … I would hate to see the eruption from Mt. Holmgren …

Trent Dilfer (left) with Tahoe Daily Tribune sports editor Doug Etten. Dilfer was in Tahoe this week getting ready for the championship golf tournament set to be held in July. Dilfer didn't shy away from exressing his opinions ... as usual. Contributed photograph

Trent Dilfer isn’t one to shy away from telling it like it is … at least as to how he sees things. That became very clear late this week when the Super Bowl-winning former quarterback spent time with the media and on the Edgewood Tahoe golf course in Lake Tahoe. (more…)