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.

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

Mike Sherman talks with Brett Favre at training camp in 2004. It was 13 years ago today that Sherman was named the 13th head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

It was 13 years ago today that the Green Bay Packers got their new coach – Mike Sherman was announced as the franchise’s 13th head coach by then-general manager Ron Wolf.

This was after the failed one-year experiment that was Ray Rhodes.

Mike Sherman and Brett Favre at training camp.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Wolf was highly impressed with Sherman after interviewing him and making the announcement, saying, ”He just blew my socks off.” Sherman had been Mike Holmgren’s offensive coordinator in the first two years of Holmgren’s time in Seattle coaching the Seahawks. However, prior to that, Sherman coached in Green Bay as the team’s tight ends and assistant offensive line coach.

Sherman had a significant amount of success in Green Bay, winning three consecutive NFC North Division titles, 2002, 2003, and 2004 with Brett Favre as his quarterback. Under Sherman, the Packers had five straight winning seasons, and according to his Wikipedia page, “From 2000–04, he compiled a 53–27 record, and a .663 winning percentage, which was the second highest in Packers history, trailing that of Vince Lombardi‘s, who is one of the most successful coaches in the history of football. Additionally, Green Bay and the Philadelphia Eagles were the only two teams to make the playoffs for four consecutive seasons from 2001–04.”

While Sherman was successful as a coach, his downfall with the Packers began when he took over the general manager’s position from Wolf in 2002. He had some success in drafting players (Nick Barnett, Scott Wells and Cullen Jenkins) and had teams that were very successful in running the ball with Ahman Green, it was the team’s poor showing in 2005 that cost him his job. When Ted Thompson was hired as general manager in 2005, he fired Sherman at the end of that season after the Packers suffered their first losing season since 1991 under Lindy Infante.

In all, Sherman finished his stint with the Packers with a record of 57-39. He had a 2-4 records in the playoffs.

A couple of Sherman’s biggest failures occurred in the Playoffs. in 2002, his 12-4 team was beaten badly at home by Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons and then in 2003 and 2004, the Packers were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings. In 2003, the Packers lost to the Eagles in overtime in the famous “fourth and 26″ game. In 2004, the highly-favored Packers lost to the Vikings at Lambeau Field – a game where the Vikings’ Randy Moss “mooned” the crowd.

Since leaving the Packers, Sherman has spent time with the Houston Texans and was head coach at Texas A&M for four years before joining on with Joe Philbin, the former Packers’ offensive coordinator and now head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Sherman is that team’s offensive coordinator.

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 Hutson - clearly one of the best of all time

The debate of late about who is the greatest Packer player of all time brings today’s look at Packers history into better focus. For it was exactly 15 years ago, June 27, 1997, that Don Hutson, the 1930s and 40s superstar wide receiver, passed away.

Given former Packers GM Ron Wolf’s recent comments about his protege Brett Favre being the greatest Packer ever and Green Bay Press Gazette’s sports editor’s Mike Vandermause’s counter that Hutson was the best and all the others who said Bart Starr was the best, this date’s historical significance takes center stage.

Hutson dominated his era and there are those who said he could have played and starred in any era. He brought the forward pass into prominence and was the franchise’s figurehead for many, many years.

His most famous quote: “For every pass I caught in a game, I caught a thousand in practice.”

Hutson played 11 years for the Packers, with his best being between 1941 and 1943. He caught 488 passes for 7,991 yards and had 99 career touchdowns during a time when the forward pass was just coming into its own in the league. Consider if he had played in today’s pass-happy league.

His best year overall, 1942, at the height of World War II, Hutson caught 74 balls for 1,211 yards – a 16.4 yard average. Ironically, Hutson’s career per-catch average was also 16.4 yards. His best year in average was 1939 when he caught 34 balls for 846 yards – a phenomenal 24.9 yard average.

But what makes Hutson stand out was the fact that he also was one of those players in an era when he was required to play both ways and also spent time returning kicks – and to top that, later in his career he also spent time as a placekicker for the Packers. He probably also helped clean up the locker room and carried the supplies and water out to the field.

Between 1940-45, Hutson intercepted 30 passes, returned them 389 yards and even had one interception return for a touchdown. His best year on the defensive side of the ball was in 1943 when he picked eight balls and returned them for 197 yards – that was also the year he had the pick-six.

There are few alive today who remember seeing Hutson play, but by looking at his statistics it’s clear he was something special.

See his career receiving statistics and all others here …

The Green Bay Packers’ Hall of Fame posted the notice about his death this morning on its website. You can see it below or go directly to their website to view the page and many other of their special postings.

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to go to lombardiave.com’s Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

Packers Legend Don Hutson Passes

June 27, 1997 – The flags at the Green Bay Packers offices fly at half mast in honor of Don Hutson who died a day earlier in Rancho Mirage, California. The funeral service for Hutson, 84, will be for family only. “There are no plans (for a memorial service in Green Bay) at this point, but that’s not to say it won’t happen,” says Jeff Blumb assistant director of public relations for the Packers. Hutson, considered one of the greatest receivers in NFL history, caught 488 passes in 11 seasons with Green Bay from 1935 through 1945.

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.

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.

Jan 26, 1997; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Green Bay Packers defensive Leroy Butler (36) and Brian Williams (51) hit New England Patriots tight end Ben Coates (87) as Mike Prior (39) looks on during Super Bowl XXXI at the Superdome. The Packers defeated the Patriots 35-21. Mandatory Credit: US PRESSWIRE

The recent talk of moving cornerback Charles Woodson to safety is not without precedent as we see and remember with this post from the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

For it was 10 years ago on this date that the Packers announced they would be moving LeRoy Butler to safety after he started his career at cornerback.

Though he moved to safety during the early days of his career and the proposal to move Woodson to the position in the twilight of his career are the differences, the Butler move certainly paid dividends for the team. Many feel moving Woodson would also help the team and prolong his career.

Anyway, here is the posting announcing Butler’s move and the reaction by GM Ron Wolf.

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

Long removed from the Green Bay Packers, former general manager Ron Wolf (right) spent time with St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Scott Rovak-US PRESSWIRE

It wasn’t the best of times for the Green Bay Packers franchise. Wondering what they would do, the Packers brass decided that their biggest need for the 2000 NFL Draft was at tight end – namely because of the sexual assault charges and neck injury of veteran Mark Chmura.

That’s when the Packers drafted Bubba Franks, a productive player for years to come. Chmura would never play another down.

With Mark Chmura’s Future Uncertain,  Packers Draft Bubba Franks April 15, 2000 - Green Bay selects Daniel “Bubba” Franks with the 14th overall pick in the college draft with the hope that the 6-foot-6 tight can replace Mark Chmura, whose future is uncertain due to sexual assault charges that have been filed against him and a spinal injury that caused him to miss 14 games in 1999. “We’ve debated most of Saturday and Sunday the most critical need with the Packers,” Packers general manager Ron Wolf says. “And we felt as a staff that it was tight end.” Franks goes on to catch 34 passes (a team record for a rookie tight end) and scores a TD on a pass from holder Matt Hasselbeck on a fake field goal attempt against the Buccaneers.  Photo of Ron Wolf

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.

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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

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Kevin "It is Time" Greene has been named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here he encourages linebackers Clay Matthews and Frank Zombo. Raymond T. Rivard photograph

Mike Spofford of Packers.com posted the story below about Kevin Greene and the fact that for the first time he has made the cut as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Green Bay Packers’ linebackers coach who has brought enthusiasm and a player’s attitude to the coaching ranks for the Packers, has been in Green Bay for the past three years and is probably most well known among the general public for his comments in last year’s Super Bowl that were caught on tape when he told linebacker Clay Matthews that “It is time…” Matthews consequently went out and forced the game-changing fumble by the Steelers’ Rashard Mendenhall.

Spofford’s story spells out the full field of finalists and gives us a look at the personal bio of Greene’s.

Greene named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Posted by Mike Spofford on January 7, 2012 – 3:27 pm 

A semifinalist three times previously, Packers Outside Linebackers Coach Kevin Greene for the first time has advanced to the finalist stage for potential induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

See more after the jump, like Lombardiave.com on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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As it turns out, according to a tweet from Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the senior Wolf knew more than one would expect. It turns out that the younger Wolf will probably take over in Green Bay as the next head of pro personnel.

It should be a good fit for Wolf, who has been in Green Bay for a number of years.

@BobMcGinnBob McGinn