Welcome back to our 100-part series covering the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
In our last entry, of course, we featured legendary linebacker Ray Nitschke at No. 66, which is one of only six numbers Green Bay has officially retired over the course of its 100-plus-year history. Naturally, that was always going to be a tough act to follow, and the fact that No. 67 doesn't carry the greatest lineage certainly doesn't make things any easier.
Nevertheless, we've still got a job to do, so let's get things rolling by first looking at every player who's worn No. 67 for the Packers over the years.
- Billy Ard, G/OT
- Don Barclay, OT/G
- Sebastian Barrie, DE
- Hank Bullough, G
- Leo Carroll, DE
- Jeff Dellenbach, C/G
- Dick Enderle, G
- Dan Grimm, G
- Jake Hanson, C
- Paul Hutchins, OT
- Donovan Jennings, OL
- Bob Kowalkowski, G
- Dick Logan, G
- Russell Maryland, DT
- Grey Ruegamer, C
- Jim Salsbury, G
- Travis Simpson, C
- Mal Snider, G/OT
- Karl Swanke, OT/C
As you can see, with all due respect to those who've donned this digit, this list doesn't have many notable names on it.
Those who root for the Dallas Cowboys would undoubtedly notice Pro Bowl defensive tackle Russell Maryland, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 draft and helped America's Team to three Super Bowl titles in the four-season stretch from 1992 to 1995. But as he only played the final season of his career in Green Bay in 2000, he's obviously not the call here.
That honor goes to Karl Swanke, who was a good player on some average Packers teams in the 1980s.
Karl Swanke once wrecked legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor in a Green Bay Packers victory over the New York Giants
After a solid collegiate career at Boston College, Swanke was taken by Green Bay in the sixth round of the 1980 NFL Draft with the 143rd overall selection. And he couldn't have been more thrilled about it, as, despite being born in suburban Chicago, he grew up a die-hard Packers fan, as his father was a Wisconsin native.
And we've got a fun fact about his dad, by the way, as Roy Swanke played collegiately at Purdue, where he teamed with Hank Stram, who went on to earn legendary status as the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs team that lost the very first edition of what we now call the Super Bowl to none other than the Green Bay Packers. So, that's fun.
Swanke spent his first two seasons in a reserve role before taking over as Green Bay's starting left offensive tackle in 1982, holding that role for four seasons before switching to center in what turned out to be the final season of his career in 1986.
While he never earned a Pro Bowl or All-Pro selection and only went to the postseason once, that coming in the strike-shortened '82 campaign, the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder did at least have one very memorable moment in the Packers' Week 2 matchup with the New York Giants in 1985.
The Giants' defense at that time, of course, was led by legendary linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who was thrice named Defensive Player of the Year during his 13-year career and is one of only two defensive players to be named NFL MVP.
So, keeping him at bay was no easy task, but on one play that day at Lambeau in '85, Swanke was able to do so, and the great John Madden, who was calling the game, gave him a special shoutout. Here's how Swanke once described how the play unfolded, as LT was coming after Green Bay quarterback Lynn Dickey.
"Madden said veteran linemen will do anything to stop defenders from getting to the quarterback. I hit Taylor with an open hand to the face, and at that same instant, I kick him in the stomach with the back of my foot (as he's falling).
"Taylor went down like a sack of potatoes. So Madden circles the hand to the face (on the Telestrator). Then he circles the foot to the stomach. I had a real good game, and Madden said I should get the game ball."
Taylor did still get a sack that day, but Green Bay took the game by a score of 23-20. And Swanke got his Madden moment, and that's one of the reasons why he takes this title of the greatest Packers player to wear No. 67.
Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees
- No. 0: There's literally only one choice here
- No. 1: Micah Parsons isn't the pick just yet
- No. 2: The Packers' all-time leading scorer
- No. 3: The second player in franchise history to have his jersey retired
- No. 4: There's no introduction needed here
- No. 5: This player should have been the last to wear the number but wasn't
- No. 6: A genuine ironman
- No. 7: This player was straight magic (until he wasn't)
- No. 8: This player has the second-most points in Packers history
- No. 9: The winner here has an extremely famous relative
- No. 10: A star on the rise
- No. 11: Packers' first title-winning QB
- No. 12: Obviously isn't up for debate
- No. 13: Had 'no weakness'
- No. 14: The first to have his jersey retired by the Packers
- No. 15: Owns a special piece of NFL history
- No. 16: Shares his name with an MLB legend
- No. 17: Had to beat out several Hall of Famers
- No. 18: Was one of the NFL's first dual-threat quarterbacks
- No. 19: Had his career cut short by the Bears
- No. 20: Has held a record for nearly 100 years
- No. 21: Has the most defensive TDs in NFL history
- No. 22: Also served in the U.S. Congress
- No. 23: Holds several NFL kick-return records
- No. 24: Owns a unique piece of Super Bowl history
- No. 25: Might not be who you think
- No. 26: Holds a historic place in NFL history
- No. 27: Started hot but fizzled fast
- No. 28: A good defender on some bad teams
- No. 29: Still holds an unofficial team record
- No. 30: It's not the one who's the Packers' all-time leading rusher
- No. 31: Had his jersey retired by another team
- No. 32: Is a member of another team's Ring of Honor
- No. 33: Did so much more than people may realize
- No. 34: An underrated dual-threat back
- No. 35: Gave the Packers a unique win over the Bears
- No. 36: Invented the Lambeau Leap
- No. 37: Suited up for the Packers at the wrong time
- No. 38: Left the Packers as the NFL's all-time passing leader
- No. 39: Was taken in three different MLB drafts
- No. 40: The only man in both the Baseball and Pro Football Hall of Fame
- No. 41: Made a big impact in a little time
- No. 42: Was the charter member of an elite club
- No. 43: Inadvertently created a new play
- No. 44: Made the Hall of Fame despite only having one eye
- No. 45: Left the NFL with the most TDs in history
- No. 46: Was underappreciated in the Lombardi era
- No. 47: Later played on the PGA Tour
- No. 48: Just missed out on the Lombardi era
- No. 49: Was one of the best O-linemen of his era
- No. 50: The Packers' all-time leading tackler
- No. 51: Is a member of three Halls of Fame
- No. 52: Is a member of a royal NFL family
- No. 53: Didn't miss a single game for a decade
- No. 54: Was 'The Rock' way before Dwayne Johnson
- No. 55: Had a solid career after going undrafted
- No. 56: Was a steady presence during the 2000s
- No. 57: Put on a gutsy Super Bowl performance
- No. 58: Kicked off the Packers' greatest draft class
- No. 59: Received a special Hall of Fame honor
- No. 60: Was involved in two famous trades
- No. 61: Was a reliable specialist for a decade
- No. 62: Put on the ultimate show of toughness
- No. 63: Was the first in NFL history to win six titles
- No. 64: Had an absurd amount of surgeries
- No. 65: Proved to be a seventh-round steal
- No. 66: Wildly wanted to play for the Bears
This list will be updated daily until all 100 entries are complete, so be sure to check back in with Lombardi Ave for updates.
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