Green, Ruettgers: Headed to Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
Ahman Green scored his final touchdown with the Green Bay Packers in his final home game against the Seattle Seahawks on Dec. 27, 2009, the team that traded him to Green Bay.
Raymond T Rivard photograph
I always look forward to the announcement by the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame on who will be the next lucky former players to be inducted – today’s news that Ahman Green and Ken Ruettgers have been named to be the newest members left me ecstatic.
Those of us who had the privilege of watching both of these players excel on some very good and not-so-good teams in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s knew these two players were special then and are highly deserving of this highest of honors for those associated with the Packers.
Green, the franchise’s all-time leading rusher, was criticized for his penchant for fumbling, but his career statistics were so impressive that they far outweigh any issues he had in hanging onto the ball.
Ruettgers was a wall at the left tackle position for 12 years in Green Bay. Ruettgers played with some teams in the 80s and early 90s that just weren’t very good and it was ironic that Ruettgers’ last season was 1996 when the team won Super Bowl XXXI. He was injured early in that season, attempted a comeback, but ended up calling it a career when his body wouldn’t let him continue.
The Hall of Fame issued a press release today with the announcement.
That release is below.
GREEN BAY PACKERS HALL OF FAME INC. TO INDUCT GREEN AND RUETTGERS
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. announced today that it will induct former Packers players Ahman Greenand Ken Ruettgers at the 44th Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, to be held Saturday, July 19, 2014, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.
Ahman Green breaks a run in his final game at Lambeau Field, Dec. 27, 2009.
Raymond T. Rivard photograph
Green, a running back who was obtained through a trade with Seattle in 2000, played eight seasons (2000-06, ’09) with the Packers and finished as the club’s all-time rushing leader with 8,322 yards. He also holds franchise records for most yards from scrimmage (11,048), 1,000-yard seasons (six), 100-yard games (33) and rushing attempts (1,851). From 2000-04, his total yards from scrimmage (9,036) and rushing yards (6,848) were an NFL high. In 2003, Green set the team’s single-season rushing mark (1,883 yards), tied the NFL’s second-longest run (98 yards) and set the franchise’s single-season touchdown mark (20). Green also was a four-time Pro Bowl selection (2001-04).
Ruettgers, a first-round draft pick in 1985, played 12 years for the Packers (1985-96) and was a fixture at left tackle for more than a decade. Anchoring a line that helped establish a new championship era for the team, he was a dominant pass blocker for the likes of Don Majkowski and Brett Favre. Ruettgers authored a career that was among the longest for an offensive lineman in team history, appearing in 156 career games, with 140 starts. He earned team offensive MVP honors in 1989.
Tickets for the banquet, which begins with a cash bar at 4:30 p.m., with dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m., are $150 each. Tables of 10 also are available for $1,400 and are assigned in the order in which they are purchased. Early reservations are recommended. To purchase tickets, call Holly Borga at (920) 965-6986, or email her athollyb@packershalloffame.com. No refunds are available 30 days prior to the event.
Ken Ruettgers
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. is a nonprofit corporation independent of the Green Bay Packers that guides the Hall as a historic national sports venue and educational resource to the Green Bay community and the state of Wisconsin. The Hall raises funds through its annual induction banquet, Golf Classic and other events to preserve the history of the Green Bay Packers and expand its archives. Historic memorabilia donated by individuals to the Hall may qualify as tax-deductible gifts.
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. Golf Classic is set for Monday, July 14, 2014, at The Bull in Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Originally established in 1967 as a temporary display in the concourse of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, the Hall moved into its own facility in 1976 near Lambeau Field. In 2003, it was relocated to the Lambeau Field Atrium. It is currently closed for the ongoing Atrium renovation project and will reopen in 2015. While the Packers Hall of Fame is closed, fans may still experience Packers history though stadium tours and other youth programs. Groups interested in booking tours and those seeking additional information are asked to call 920-569-7512 or visit the Hall online atwww.packershalloffame.com. Additionally, the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay will host a temporary exhibit with selected items from the Hall’s archives, with an opening expected for February 2014.