By Mike Jacquart
- * Gale Gillingham, G, 1966-74, 76. Noted for his impressive strength, Gilly, a starter in the Ice Bowl, was a five-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro. He died at age 67, in 2011, in Little Falls, Minnesota.
- * Ryan Longwell, K, 1997-05. Longwell became the Packers’ all-time leading scorer before leaving for Minnesota in free agency. (He still ranks second behind Crosby.) He is one of just three Packers kickers to boot 33 field goals in a single season.
- * Fred Carr, LB, 1968-77. Carr – a standout in college at UTEP — was a three-time Pro Bowler on some very mediocre Packers teams. Carr died from prostate cancer and dementia earlier this year. He was 71.
- Mason Crosby, K, 2007-. The strong-legged Crosby is the Packers’ all-time leading scorer, and a surefire future Packers HOFer. He he has booted fifty FGs more than any other kicker in Packers’ history.
- * Willie Buchanon, CB, 1972-78. Buchanon, a two-time Pro Bowler, led the NFC with 9 interceptions in ’78, including four against the Chargers, which tied the NFL record for most interceptions in a single game.
- Clay Matthews, LB, 2009-. One of the shrewdest moves Ted Thompson made as GM was moving back into the first round to select Matthews with the 26th overall pick in ‘09. Clay is the Packers’ all-time sacks leader.
- * Boyd Dowler, WR, P, 1959-69. A large receiver for his day (6-5, 220), Dowler caught a pair of TDs in the Ice Bowl and Super Bowl II and was a member of the 1960s All-Decade Team. His 448 receptions still ranks sixth in team annals.
- * Lynn Dickey, QB, 1976-77, 79-85. Larry McCarren used to say Dickey was the best long-ball thrower he had ever seen. Indeed – his 4,458 yards passing in ’83 was the most in team history, until topped by Aaron Rodgers in 2011.
- * John Brockington, RB, 1971-77. Exceeding 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, few RBs burst on the NFL scene better than the bulldozing Brockington. Brockington remains the Packers’ third all-time leading rusher.
- Jordy Nelson, WR, 2008-17. Jordy will go down in Packers’ lore as not only of its most popular players, but also one of the best. His 550 catches ranks third all-time in team annals. His 15 TDs in 2011 has only been topped by four other Packers.
Mike Jacquart, a Packers fan since the 1970s, is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Iola, Wisconsin with his wife, Debra and dog, Pepper Ann. He can be reached at [email protected].