Green Bay Packers: Who wore #s 69 and 68 best?

Bill Forester: #69

Forester wore #69 with the Packers from 1953 through 58 and then switched to #71 through the rest of his career, which continued until 1963. One of the linebackers who have thrived in Green Bay was a good player before defensive coordinator Phil Bengston arrived with Vince Lombardi, but got only better when the Packers started their dynasty run in the early 1960s.

Here’s what John Maxymuk says about Forester in his book “Packers by the Numbers: Jersey Numbers and the Players Who Wore Them:”

"Captain of the defense, Bill “Bubba” Forester’s career came alive when Lombardi and his defensive coach Phil Bengston arrived in 1959. During that year the coaches evaluated Bubba as, “A big strong boy who has done very well this year. At times his tackling has been poor … Not as good on passes as we would like to have. Should improve next year.” Forester was the left outside linebacker, normal, but with the Packers’ four-man linebacking rotation, Bubba would move into the middle when Ray Nitschke came in to spell Tom Bettis. Bubba had good size and was a quick, smart, and a leader. He would make the Pro Bowl from 1959 through 1962 and be named All Pro 1960 through 1963. Lombardi would say this about him in 1963: “There is no one on this club who is more quiet and self contained … He is highly intelligent and steady on and off the file and his leadership is one of action rather than words. There is an aura of efficiency about him that the others respect and rise to.” Was it coaching? Bengston’s defense allowed Bill Forester to shine in the second half of his career, and Bubba got a great deal of recognition in the early 1960s. He is not much remembered these days because hi was replaced in 1964 by an even better linebacker, Dave Robinson, and Robinson’s Packers achieved the three-peat that Forester’s team fell just short of by sling the 1960 title game and by not beating the Bears in 1963. Bill Quinlan, who played defensive end in front of Forester, called him, “the smartest linebacker I ever knew.” Bubba never missed a game in 11 years in Green Bay and was inducted into the Packer Hall of Fame in 1974."

Here are Forester’s career statistics:

Here is a list of all players since 1950 to wear #69

Moving on to #68 … Gale Gillingham …

Next: Gale Gillingham