By Mike Jacquart
(** Indicates player is an NFL Hall of Famer. * Indicates Packers HOF-er.*)
- ** Arnie Herber, QB, 1930-40. Herber, a Green Bay native, helped lead the Packers to championships in 1930, ’31, ’36 and ’39. He led the NFL in passing three times and was one of the first great “long-ball” throwers in the league.
- * Donald Driver, WR, 1999-12. Driver, a fan favorite, retired as the Packers’ all-time leader in pass receptions (743) and receiving yards (10,137). The consistent Driver topped 1,000 receiving yards seven times. “Not bad” for a seventh-round draft pick!
- * Bobby Dillon, DB, 1952-59. Nearly sixty years after his retirement, Dillion remains the team’s all-time interception leader (52). His total includes nine picks in three different seasons. And, he only had one working eye!
- * Ahman Green, RB, 2000-06, 09. Green is the Packers’ all-time leading rusher and he also holds Packers’ records for most rushing yards in a single game (218 vs. Denver in ’03) and in a single season (1,883 – also in 2003).
- *Sterling Sharpe, WR, 1988-94. Sharpe had a brilliant seven-year career, setting (then) league records with 108 receptions in ’92 and 112 in ’93. A neck injury at the end of ’94 forced him to retire; a sad end to a tremendous career.
- *LeRoy Butler, S, 1990-2001. Butler is credited with inventing the now-famous Lambeau Leap in a win over the Raiders in ’93. Butler recorded 38 INTs, but was also an effective blitzer with 20-1/2 career sacks.
- ** Jim Ringo, C, 1953-63. Although undersized for a center, his outstanding quickness and technique made him an ideal blocker for Lombardi’s famous Packers sweep. He was traded to the Eagles for LB Lee Roy Caffey in ’64.
- ** Dave Robinson, LB, 1963-72. A first-round draft pick in ’63, “Robby” is perhaps best known for preserving the 1966 NFL Championship game over Dallas by pressuring Cowboys’ QB Don Meredith into a desperation pass that was intercepted by GB safety Tom Brown.
- ** Henry Jordan, DT, 1959-69. Jordan, a fiery competitor, was a seven-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl MVP in ’61. After retirement, Jordan moved to Milwaukee, where he created Summerfest. He died of a heart attack at age 42 in 1977.
- ** James Lofton, WR, 1978-86. The sixth-overall pick in the ’78 draft, Lofton was an eight-time Pro Bowl pick (seven with Packers, one with the Bills). His 9,656 receiving yards rank second (behind Donald Driver). Always a deep threat, Lofton averaged an amazing 18.2 yards a catch.
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].