Packers Legends and Myths

[PikeBadger]

Ray Nitschke - My all time Favorite.

It is well known that Nitschke was truly a great athlete though many of us probably think of him as a brutally violent middle linebacker.

I read recently that Willie Wood said that he and Nitschke would sometimes have passing contests after practice. Wood played QB for USC in college and could throw the football 75 yards. Wood stated that he saw Nitschke once throw for 90 yards. Not bad for a middle LB eh?

One of Nitschke’s teammates ( I think it was Jerry Kramer?) said that Nitschke was also was the best golfer on the team and said that he saw him shoot 63 at Oneida Cc. Not bad for a middle LB eh?

I had the good fortune to see the Packers basketball team play one night. Guess who was the best player on the floor....... Raymond Nitschke. He spent the whole night dropping 25-35 foot bombs..... Nothing but net. This 11 year old kid was floored. How could a bald, no teeth middle linebacker do that???? One of my friends had told me that Nitschke could throw a football farther than Bart Starr which I had found blasphemous. I re-thought my stance.

 

[AKCheese]

My icon is a sticker that was part of the “Take it from me... Ray Nitschke” ad campaign for... I think it was a bank

 

[weeds]

I absolutely loved Ray Nitschke. Had I met him earlier (pre-Jackie) maybe not so much - story went that in Ray's rookie year, or 2nd, after a night of drinking (heavily) he was hauled in for D&D as he was caught taking a leak in beautiful downtown Green Bay. My kinda guy - you know, if it doesn't pay its rent, it's gotta get out.

So, I got to attend his funeral. Might be considered gauche, but a friend of mine was a reporter for one of the Green Bay TV stations at the time asked me along with her because my niece told her that I was a huge fan of the man .. so there I was, a near 40-year-old man, CRASHING a funeral. Still though, I'd do it again. The guy was such a gentleman.

PoppaSan, ask your wife if she remembers (sorry, I don't want to use his real name on a forum) a biology teacher that we affectionately named Loof the Goof. He was a state champion free weights lifter and coached the lifting team at school ... and was built like a brick church - and a fantastic guy. The guy bore a striking resemblance to Nitschke and I remember him showing me a picture of Nitschke and him standing side-by-side, it was kind of funny and remarkable at the same time.

 

[Poppa San]

PoppaSan, ask your wife if she remembers ... Loof the Goof.

She says he still gets into power lifting competitions, at least as of a year ago.

Ray & Jackie used to always be two of the hosts for the annual CP telethon.

 

[El Guapo]

This is the best part about the offseason, when people post interesting things about the Packers, players, etc. I had hear that Nitschke was a tremendous athlete but not about being able to throw 90 yards. Wow.

I sucked at throwing the football, nothing but wounded ducks. As the long snapper, I could throw a much better ball through my legs than standing upright!

 

[gopkrs]

As you may know, Ray came out of Illinois? as a fullback. But Lombardi turned him into a linebacker. There is a story to go along with that but I don't remember it exactly.

 

[Favre>Rodgers259]

Guys showing their age out here, I just want to talk about the Myth of Travis Jervey....

 

[gopkrs]

Travis was really fast. I guess it goes with the name.

 

[Mondio]

Travis was really fast. I guess it goes with the name.

and he got that fast by training with Tigers chasing him, or was it lions?

 

[Deleted member 6794]

and he got that fast by training with Tigers chasing him, or was it lions?

Definitely tigers, the Lions have proven not to be capable of chasing anyone over the last 90 years.

 

[PikeBadger]

and he got that fast by training with Tigers chasing him, or was it lions?

Lions. He and a couple of his Packer roommates wanted to have pet Lion cubs. Holmgren was very unhappy when he heard about that.

 

[Mondio]

Definitely tigers, the Lions have proven not to be capable of chasing anyone over the last 90 years.

Technically they’re always chasing everybody, just not very closely

 

[gopkrs]

I heard that Bobby Lane was an all time great. And they messed up our perfect season one Thanksgiving Day. Obviously they have had some great players over the years. Bad leadership can really start you on a downward spiral and then keep you there.

 

[lambeaulambo]

I got to meet Ray in Tampa the last year of the big sombrero...the iron horse!!