Welcome back to our 100-piece series covering the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
We've had quite the interesting mix of players here in the 80s, including arguably the two greatest wide receivers in franchise history, a few defensive legends, including the team's all-time leader in sacks, as well as the only special teams player ever to win Super Bowl MVP.
What we haven't had yet, though, is a tight end, but that's what we've got here at No. 88. But before we get to the reveal, of course, let's first run through our typical routine here at the start by looking at every player who's donned the double eights for the Green & Gold over the years.
- Bill Anderson, TE/B
- Jahine Arnold, WR
- Bert Askson, TE
- Evan Baylis, TE
- Albert Bell, WR
- Dick Capp, LB/TE
- Ron Cassidy, WR
- Preston Dennard, WR
- Jermichael Finley, TE
- Bubba Franks, TE
- Len Garrett, TE
- George Hays, DE
- Darryl Ingram, TE
- Keith Jackson, TE
- Reggie Johnson, TE
- Ron Jones, TE
- Ron Kramer, TE
- Aubrey Matthews, WR
- Phil McConkey, WR
- Terry Mickens, WR
- Ty Montgomery, WR/RB
- Luke Musgrave, TE
- Roell Preston, KR/WR
- Gene White, DB
- Charles Wilson, WR
- Juwann Winfree, WR
Truth be told, the top three candidates for this slot all played the tight end position.
There's Bubba Franks, who sported No. 88 for eight years in Titletown from 2000 to 2007, tallying 256 catches for 2,300 yards and 32 touchdowns. And directly after him, Jermichael Finley wore it from 2008 to 2013, amassing 223 grabs for 2,785 yards and 20 scores.
In the end, though, with that pun fully intended, this slot goes to the only member of the Packers Hall of Fame on this list, Ron Kramer.
Ron Kramer was drafted into both the NFL and the NBA
A three-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection and a three-time All-American at the University of Michigan, Kramer was taken by Green Bay in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft with the No. 4 overall selection.
But football wasn't the only sport in which he excelled, as he was also a three-time All-Big Ten selection for the Wolverines' basketball team and was actually the school's all-time leading scorer when his collegiate career concluded. As such, he was also taken in the fifth round of the 1957 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, which certainly had to be enticing, seeing as he'd grown up in East Detroit.
Kramer ultimately chose the NFL, but he did end up playing a couple of seasons in the Midwest Professional Basketball League, first for the Battle Creek Warriors in 1961-62 and then for the Toledo Tartans in 1962-63.
As far as his football career is concerned, the 6-foot-3, 235-pounder, who himself admitted that he often played at a much heavier weight, had a solid rookie season in '57, catching 28 passes for 337 yards, but sat out the entire '58 campaign, as he was serving in the United States Air Force.
When he returned to Green Bay in 1959, the culture had changed, as Vince Lombardi had come on as head coach, and Kramer initially struggled to find his footing in the new system, catching zero passes in 1959 and only four for 55 yards in 1960.
But in 1961, something just clicked, and he ended up starting all 14 regular-season games, catching 35 passes for 559 yards and four touchdowns. And in the Packers' dominant 37-0 victory over the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game, he led all pass catchers with four receptions for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
In 1962, in helping the Packers win a second straight title, Kramer caught a career-high 37 passes for 555 yards with seven touchdowns, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl and a First-Team All-Pro selection, and in 1963, he earned Second-Team All-Pro honors with 32 grabs for 537 yards and four scores.
Kramer, who was not only a solid receiver but also a fantastic blocker, missed out on the three-peat and the first two Super Bowls, as the 1964 campaign proved to be his last in Titletown. Wanting to move closer to home, he signed in 1965 with the Detroit Lions, with whom he spent three seasons before hanging up his cleats.
Kramer was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1975.
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
- No. 67: Once got a shoutout from John Madden
- No. 68: Nearly gave up football
- No. 69: Achieved a feat not seen in 50-plus years
- No. 70: Was a reliable blocker for Aaron Rodgers
- No. 71: Was Vince Lombardi's first defensive captain
- No. 72: Knows he didn't get the credit he deserved
- No. 73: Made a little NFL draft history
- No. 74: Made Vince Lombardi look like a genius
- No. 75: Was Vince Lombardi's most decorated star
- No. 76: Was the reason for an NFL rule change
- No. 77: Did the dirty work so others could shine
- No. 78: Made a Pro Bowl shortly after being shot
- No. 79: Spent 44 years in Titletown
- No. 80: Holds a special spot in the Hall of Fame
- No. 81: Owns a special place in Super Bowl history
- No. 82: Holds a unique place in the Lombardi era
- No. 83: Indirectly helped the team land a legend
- No. 84: Was forced to retire in his prime
- No. 85: Scored the first TD in Super Bowl history
- No. 86: Came up huge in the famed 'Ice Bowl'
- No. 87: Is the Packers' all-time sack leader
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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