The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). The Packers are the current NFL champions. Green Bay is the third-oldest franchise in the NFL, though they were organized and playing in 1919. The Packers are the last vestige of "small town teams" that were once common in the NFL during the 1920s and 1930s. Founded in 1919 by Earl "Curly" Lambeau (hence the name Lambeau Field on which the team plays) and George Whitney Calhoun, the Green Bay Packers can trace their lineage to other semi-professional teams in Green Bay dating back to 1896. In 1919 and 1920 the Packers competed as a semi-professional football team against clubs from around Wisconsin and the Midwest. They joined the American Professional Football Association (APFA) in 1921, the forerunner to what is known today as the National Football League (NFL). The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned major league professional sports team in the United States.

The Green Bay Packers have won 13 league championships (more than any other team in the NFL), including nine NFL championships prior to the Super-Bowl era and four Super Bowl victories—in 1967 (Super Bowl I), 1968 (Super Bowl II), 1997 (Super Bowl XXXI) and 2011 (Super Bowl XLV). The team has a rivalry with the Chicago Bears.

Founding

left|thumb|175 px|Curly LambeauThe Green Bay Packers were founded on August 11, 1919 by former high-school football rivals Earl "Curly" Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun. Lambeau solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company. He was given $500 for uniforms and equipment, on the condition that the team be named for its sponsor. Today "Green Bay Packers" is the oldest team-name still in use in the NFL, both by its nickname and by virtue of remaining in its original city.

On August 27, 1921, the Packers were granted a franchise in the new national pro football league that had been formed the previous year. Financial troubles plagued the team and the franchise was forfeited within the year, before Lambeau found new financial backers and regained the franchise the next year. These backers, known as the "Hungry Five", formed the Green Bay Football Corporation.

Notable seasons

Record 13 NFL World Championships

League annals show 13 World Championships, the most in the NFL (the next closest team is the Chicago Bears, with nine). The first three were decided by league standing, the next six by the NFL Title Game, and the final four by Super Bowl victories. The Packers are also the only team to win three consecutive NFL titles, having accomplished this twice (1929-30-31 under Lambeau and 1965-66-67 under Vince Lombardi).

1929–1931: Lambeau's Team Arrives

After a near-miss in 1927, Lambeau's squad claimed the Packers' first NFL title in 1929 with an undefeated 12–0–1 campaign, behind a stifling defense which registered eight shutouts. Green Bay would repeat as league champions in 1930 and 1931, bettering teams from New York, Chicago and throughout the league, with all-time greats and future Hall of Famers Mike Michalske, Johnny (Blood) McNally, Cal Hubbard and Green Bay native Arnie Herber. Among the many impressive accomplishments of these years was the Packers' streak of 30 consecutive home games without defeat, an NFL record which still stands.

1935–1945: The Don Hutson Era

The arrival of end Don Hutson from Alabama in 1935 gave Lambeau and the Packers the most-feared and dynamic offensive weapon in the game. Credited with inventing pass patterns, Hutson would lead the league in receptions eight seasons and spur the Packers to NFL championships in 1936, 1939 and 1944. An iron man, Hutson also led the league in interceptions in 1940. Hutson claimed 18 NFL records when he retired in 1945, many of which still stand. In 1951, his number 14 was the first to be retired by the Packers, and he was inducted as a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963.

1946–1958: Wilderness

After Hutson's retirement, Lambeau could not stop the slide of the Packers, and departed after the 1949 season. Gene Ronzani and Lisle Blackbourn could not coach the Packers back to their former magic, even as a new stadium was unveiled in 1957. The losing would crescendo to the disastrous 1958 campaign under coach Ray "Scooter" McLean, whose lone year at the helm resulted in a 1–10–1 mark, worst in Packer history.

1959–1967: The Lombardi Era and the Glory Years

On February 2, 1959, the hiring of New York Giants assistant Vince Lombardi as Packers head coach and general manager represented the beginning of a remarkable, immediate turnaround. Under Lombardi, the Packers would become the Team of the 60s, winning five world championships over a seven-year span, including victories in the first two Super Bowls. During the Lombardi era, the stars of the Packers' offense included Bart Starr, Jim Taylor, Carroll Dale, Paul Hornung (as halfback and placekicker), Forrest Gregg, and Jerry Kramer. The defense included Willie Davis, Henry Jordan, Willie Wood, Ray Nitschke, Dave Robinson, and Herb Adderley.

1959

In their first game under Lombardi on September 27, 1959, the Packers beat the Chicago Bears, 9–6, in Green Bay. After winning their first three, the Packers lost the next five before finishing strong by winning the rest. The 7–5 record represented the Packers' first winning season since 1947. Rookie head coach Lombardi was named Coach of the Year.

1960

The next year, the Packers, led by Paul Hornung's 176 points, won the NFL West title and played in the NFL Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles at Philadelphia. In a see-saw game, the Packers trailed the Eagles by four points late in the game, when Chuck Bednarik tackled Jim Taylor just nine yards short of the goal line as time ran out. They claimed that they did not "lose" that game; they were simply behind in the score when time ran out on them.

1961

thumb|The Packers in 1920The Packers returned to the NFL Championship game the following season and faced the New York Giants in the first league title game to be played in Green Bay. The Packers scored 24 second-quarter points, including a championship-record 19 by Paul Hornung, on special "loan" from the Army (one touchdown, four extra-points and three field goals), powering the Packers to a 37–0 rout of the Giants, their first NFL Championship since 1944. It was in 1961 that Green Bay became known as "Titletown."

1962

The Packers stormed back in the 1962 season, jumping out to a 10–0 start, on their way to a 13–1 season. This consistent level of success would lead to Lombardi's Packers becoming one of the most prominent teams of their era, and even to their being featured as the face of the NFL on the cover of ''Time'' on December 21, 1962, as part of the magazine's cover story on "The Sport of the '60s". Shortly after Time's article, the Packers faced the Giants in a much more brutal championship game than the previous year, but the Packers prevailed on the surprising foot of Jerry Kramer and the determined running of Jim Taylor. The Packers defeated the Giants in New York, 16–7.

1965

The Packers returned to the championship game in 1965 following a two-year absence, when they defeated the Colts in a playoff for the Western Conference title. That game would be remembered for Don Chandler's controversial tying field goal in which the ball allegedly went wide right, but the officials signaled "good." The 13–10 overtime win earned the Packers a trip to the NFL Championship game, where Hornung and Taylor ran through the defending champion Cleveland Browns, helping the Packers win, 23–12, to earn their third NFL Championship under Lombardi and ninth overall. Goalpost uprights would be made taller the next year.

1966

The 1966 season saw the Packers led by an MVP season from quarterback Bart Starr. The Packers went 12–2, and in the NFL Championship, with the Packers leading 34–27, the Dallas Cowboys had the ball on the Packers' two-yard line, threatening to tie the ballgame. But on fourth down, the Packers' Tom Brown intercepted Don Meredith's pass in the end zone to preserve their victory in against Dallas. The Packers went on to win Super Bowl I 35–10 over the Kansas City Chiefs.

1967

The 1967 season was the last one for Vince Lombardi as the Packers' head coach. The NFL Championship game, a rematch of the 1966 contest against Dallas, is better known as the Ice Bowl, due to the brutally cold conditions at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Still the coldest NFL game ever played, the Ice Bowl remains one of the most famous football games (college or professional) in the history of the sport. With 16 seconds left, Bart Starr's touchdown on a quarterback sneak brought the Packers a 21–17 victory and their third straight NFL Championship – a feat no other team has matched. The Packers then won Super Bowl II with a 33–14 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Lombardi stepped down as head coach after the game, and Phil Bengtson was named as Head Coach. He remained general manager for one season, but left Green Bay in 1969 to become head coach and minority owner of the Washington Redskins.

After the death of Vince Lombardi in September 1970, the Super Bowl trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy, in recognition of his, and his team's, accomplishments. Lambeau Field has had a street address of 1265 Lombardi Avenue since 1968, when Green Bay renamed Highland Avenue in honor of the coach.

1968–1991

For about a quarter century after Lombardi's departure, the Packers had relatively little on-field success. In the 24 seasons from 1968 to 1991, the Packers had only five seasons with a winning record (above .500), one being the shortened 1982 strike season. They appeared in the playoffs twice during that period, with a record of 1–2. The period saw five different head coaches – Phil Bengtson, Dan Devine, Bart Starr, Forrest Gregg, and Lindy Infante – two of which were former Packer players in Lombardi's era (Starr and Gregg), and one of which was a former coach (Bengtson). Each of these men led the Packers to a poorer record than his predecessor. Poor personnel decisions typified this time period. A notorious example includes the 1974 trade in which Dan Devine acting as GM sent five 1975 and 1976 draft picks (two first-rounders, two second-rounders and a third) to the Los Angeles Rams for aging quarterback John Hadl, who would spend only 1½ seasons in Green Bay. Another came in 1989, when players such as Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, and Derrick Thomas were available, but the Packers chose offensive lineman Tony Mandarich with the second overall pick in the NFL draft. Though rated highly by nearly every professional scout at the time, Mandarich's performance failed to meet expectations. ESPN has rated Mandarich as the third "biggest sports flop" in the last 25 years.

The Brett Favre Era: 1992–2007

The Packers' performance throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s led to a shakeup in which new General Manager Ron Wolf was hired to take over full control of the team's football operations during the 1991 season. In 1992, Wolf hired San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren to be the Packers' new head coach.

Soon after hiring Holmgren, Wolf acquired quarterback Brett Favre from the Atlanta Falcons for a first-round pick. Favre got the Packers' their first win of the 1992 season, stepping in for injured quarterback Don Majkowski and leading the Packers to a comeback win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Favre started the following week with a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and never missed a start during his time with the Packers through the 2007 season. He would go on to break the record for consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback, starting 297 consecutive games including stints with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings with the streak finally coming to an end late in the 2010 season.

The Packers had a 9–7 record in 1992, and began to turn heads around the league when they signed perhaps the most prized free agent in NFL history in Reggie White on the defense in 1993. White believed that Wolf, Holmgren, and Favre had the team heading in the right direction with a "total commitment to winning." With White on board the Packers made it to the second round of the playoffs during both the 1993 and 1994 seasons but lost their 2nd-round matches to their playoff rival, the Dallas Cowboys, playing in Dallas on both occasions. In 1995, the Packers won the NFC Central Division championship for the first time since 1972. After a home playoff 37–20 win against Favre's former team, the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers defeated the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers 27–17 in San Francisco on the road to advance to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost again to the Dallas Cowboys 38–27.

1996, Super Bowl XXXI Champions

In 1996, the Packers' turnaround was complete. The team posted a league-best 13–3 record in the regular season, dominating the competition and securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They were ranked #1 in offense with Brett Favre leading the way, #1 in defense with Reggie White as the leader of the defense and #1 in special Teams with former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard returning punts and kickoffs back for touchdowns. After relatively easy wins against the 49ers in a muddy (35–14) beatdown and Carolina Panthers (30–13) in what was referred to as "Ice Bowl 2", the Packers advanced to the Super Bowl for the first time in 29 years. In Super Bowl XXXI Green Bay defeated the New England Patriots 35–21 to win their 12th world championship. Desmond Howard was named MVP of the game for his kickoff return for a touchdown that ended the Patriots bid for a comeback. Then-Packers President Bob Harlan credited Wolf, Holmgren, Favre, and White for ultimately changing the fortunes of the organization and turning the Green Bay Packers into a model NFL franchise. A 2007 panel of football experts at ESPN ranked the 1996 Packers the 6th-greatest team to ever play in the Super Bowl.

1997

The following season the Packers recorded another 13-3 record and won their second consecutive NFC championship. After defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21–7 and San Francisco 49ers 23–10 in the playoffs, the Packers returned to the Super Bowl as an 11½ point favorite. The team ended up losing in an upset to John Elway and the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII, by the score of 31–24.

1998–2006

In 1998, the Packers went 11–5 and met the San Francisco 49ers in the first-round of the NFC playoffs. It was the fourth consecutive year these teams had met in the playoffs, and the sixth overall contest since the 1995 season. The Packers had won all previous games, and the media speculated that another 49ers loss would result in the dismissal of San Francisco head coach Steve Mariucci. Unlike the previous playoff matches, this game was hotly contested, with the teams frequently exchanging leads. With 4:19 left in the 4th quarter, Brett Favre and the Packers embarked on an 89-yard drive, which concluded with a Favre touchdown pass to receiver Antonio Freeman. This play appeared to give Green Bay the victory. But San Francisco quarterback Steve Young led the 49ers on an improbable touchdrive drive, which culminated when Terrell Owens caught Young's pass between several defenders to give the 49ers a lead with three seconds remaining. Afterwards, the game was mired in controversy. Many argued that during the 49ers game winning drive, Niners receiver Jerry Rice fumbled the ball but officials stated he was down by contact. Television replays appeared to confirm these sentiments, and the next season the NFL re instituted an instant replay system. In the end, this game turned out to be the end of an era in Green Bay. Days later Mike Holmgren left the Packers to become Vice President, General Manager and Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Much of Holmgren's coaching staff went with him, and Reggie White also retired after the season (but later played one season for the Carolina Panthers in 2000). In 1999 and 2000, the team struggled to find an identity after the departure of so many of the individuals responsible for their Super Bowl run.

Ray Rhodes was hired in 1999 as the team's new head coach. Rhodes had served around the league as a highly-regarded defensive coordinator, and more recently experienced moderate success as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1995-1998. Ron Wolf believed that Rhodes' experience and player-friendly demeanor would fit nicely in Green Bay's veteran locker room. But Rhodes was fired after one 8–8 season. Wolf visited team practice late in the 1999 season and believed that players had become too comfortable with Rhodes' style, and said the atmosphere resembled a country club.

In 2000, Wolf replaced Rhodes with Mike Sherman. Sherman had never been a head coach at any level of football and was relatively unknown in NFL circles. He had only coached in professional football for three years starting as the Packers' tight ends coach in 1997 and 1998. In 1999, he followed Mike Holmgren to Seattle and became the Seahawks' offensive coordinator, although Sherman did not call the plays during games. Despite Sherman's apparent anonymity, Wolf was blown away in the interview process by the coach's organizational skills and attention to detail. Sherman's inaugural season started slowly, but the Packers won their final four games to achieve a 9-7 record. Brett Favre praised the atmosphere Sherman had cultivated in Green Bay's locker room and fans were optimistic about the team's future. In the offseason, however, Wolf suddenly announced his own resignation as GM to take effect after the April 2001 draft. Packers President Bob Harlan was surprised by Wolf's decision and felt unsure of how to replace him. Harlan preferred the structure Green Bay had employed since 1991; a general manager who ran football operations and hired a subservient head coach. But with the momentum and locker room chemistry that was built during the 2000 season, Harlan was reluctant to bring in a new individual with a potentially different philosophy. Wolf recommended that Harlan give the job to Sherman. Though Harlan was wary of the structure in principle, he agreed with Wolf that it was the best solution. In 2001, Sherman assumed the duties of both GM and head coach.

From 2001-2004, Sherman coached the Packers to respectable regular-season success, led by the spectacular play of Brett Favre, Ahman Green, and a formidable offensive line. But Sherman's teams faltered in the playoffs. Prior to 2003, the Packers had never lost a home playoff game since the NFL instituted a post-season in 1933 (they were 13–0, with 11 of the wins at Lambeau and two more in Milwaukee.). That ended January 4, 2003, when the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Packers 27–7 in an NFC Wild Card game. The Packers would also lose at home in the playoffs to the Minnesota Vikings two years later.

By the end of the 2004 season, the Packers team depth appeared to be diminishing. Sherman also seemed overworked and reportedly had trouble communicating with players on the practice field with whom he was also negotiating contracts. Harlan felt the duel roles were too much for one man to handle and removed Sherman from the GM position in early 2005, while retaining him as a head coach. Harlan hired Seattle Seahawks Vice President of Operations Ted Thompson as the new Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations. The relationship between Thompson and Sherman appeared strained, as Thompson immediately began rebuilding Green Bay's roster. Following a dismal 4-12 season, Thompson fired Sherman. Thompson hired Mike McCarthy, the former offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints as his new head coach. McCarthy had also previously served as the quarterbacks coach for the Packers in 1999.

2007

After missing the playoffs in 2006, Brett Favre announced that he would return for the 2007 season; it would turn out to be one of his best. The Packers won 10 of their first 11 games and finished 13–3, earning a first round bye in the playoffs. The Packers' passing offense, led by Favre and a very skilled wide receiver group, finished second in the NFC, behind the Dallas Cowboys, and third overall in the league. Running back Ryan Grant, acquired for a sixth-round draft pick from the New York Giants, became the featured back in Green Bay and rushed for 956 yards and 8 touchdowns in the final 10 games of the regular season. In the divisional playoff round, in a heavy snowstorm, the Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks 42–20. Grant rushed for three touchdowns and over 200 yards, while Favre tossed three touchdown passes and 1 snowball to receiver Donald Driver in celebration.

On January 20, 2008, Green Bay appeared in their first NFC Championship Game in 10 years facing the New York Giants in Green Bay. The game was lost 23–20 on an overtime field goal by Lawrence Tynes. This would be Brett Favre's final game as a Green Bay Packer with his final pass being an interception in overtime.

Mike McCarthy coached the NFC team during the 2008 Pro Bowl in Hawaii. Al Harris and Aaron Kampman were also picked to play for the NFC Pro Bowl team as starters. Donald Driver was named as a third-string wideout on the Pro Bowl roster. Brett Favre was named the first-string quarterback for the NFC, but he declined to play in the Pro Bowl and was replaced on the roster by Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback Jeff Garcia. The Packers also had several first alternates, including Chad Clifton and Nick Barnett.

In December 2007, Ted Thompson was signed to a 5-year contract extension with the Packers, while it was announced on February 5, 2008 that head coach Mike McCarthy signed a 5-year contract extension as well.

The Aaron Rodgers Era: 2008–Present

2008

On March 4, 2008, Brett Favre tearfully announced his retirement. Within five months, however, he filed for reinstatement with the NFL on July 29. Favre's petition was granted by Commissioner Roger Goodell, effective August 4, 2008. On August 6, 2008 it was announced that Brett Favre was traded to the New York Jets for a conditional draft pick in 2009.

The Packers began their 2008 season with their 2005 first-round draft pick, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, under center, as the first QB other than Favre to start for the Packers in 16 years. Rodgers played well in his first year starting for the Packers, throwing for over 4000 yards and 28 touchdowns. However, injuries plagued the Packers' defense, as they lost 7 close games by 4 points or less, finishing with a 6–10 record. After the season, eight assistant coaches were dismissed by McCarthy, including Bob Sanders, the team's defensive coordinator, who was replaced by Dom Capers.

2009

In March 2009, the organization assured fans that Brett Favre's jersey number would be retired, but not during the 2009 season. In April 2009, the Packers selected defensive lineman B.J. Raji of Boston College as the team's first pick in the draft. The team then traded three draft picks (including the pick the Packers acquired from the Jets for Brett Favre) for another first-round pick, selecting linebacker Clay Matthews III of Southern California.

During the 2009 NFL season, two match-ups between the franchise and its former legendary QB, Brett Favre, were highly anticipated after Favre's arrival with the division-rival Vikings in August. The first encounter took place in week 4, on a Monday Night Football game which broke several TV audience records. The scheduling of this game was made possible when Baseball Commissioner and Packer Board of Directors Member Bud Selig forced Baseball's Minnesota Twins to play 2 games within a 12 hour span. The Vikings won the game 30–23. Brett Favre threw 3 TDs, no interceptions, and had a passer rating of 135. The teams met for a second time in week 8, Favre leading the Vikings to a second win, 38–26, in Green Bay. Rodgers was heavily pressured in both games, being sacked 14 times total, but still played exceptionally well, throwing five touchdowns and only one interception. The next week, the Packers were upset by the win-less Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Following a players only meeting, the team started to roll and found some stability on the offensive line with the return of tackle Mark Tauscher bringing a minor halt to sacks to Rodgers and opening the running game to Ryan Grant and the other running backs. Green Bay finished the season strongly, winning 7 out of their last 8 games, including winning their 16th regular season finale in the past 17 seasons, and earning a NFC wild-card playoff bid with an 11–5 regular-season record. The Packers defense was ranked #2 and the offense was ranked #6 with rookies Brad Jones and Clay Matthews III becoming sensations at linebacker and young players like James Jones, Brandon Jackson, Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson becoming threats on offense. Rodgers also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 4000 yards in each of his first two seasons as a starter. Also, cornerback Charles Woodson won NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors after recording 9 interceptions, forcing four fumbles, 3 touchdowns and registering 74 tackles and 2 sacks. In fact, Woodson's 9 interceptions were more than the 8 collected by all Packer opponents that season. Though the defense was ranked high, injuries to Al Harris, Tramon Williams, Will Blackmon, Atari Bigby and Brandon Underwood severely limited the depth of the secondary and teams like the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers used that to their advantage by unleashing aerial assaults against inexperienced players with the NFL's best receivers. The season ended with an overtime loss in a wild card round shoot out at the Arizona Cardinals, 51–45.

2010, Super Bowl XLV Champions

After finishing the 2009 season with a 11–5 record, the Packers held the 23rd selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. With the pick they selected Offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga from Iowa.

On the second day of the draft, with pick 2–56 the Packers selected Defensive end Mike Neal from Purdue. The Packers then traded picks 3–86 and 4–122 to the Philadelphia Eagles for pick 3–71. With pick 3–71, the Packers selected Safety Morgan Burnett from Georgia Tech.

On the third and final day of the draft, with pick 5–154 the Packers selected Tight end Andrew Quarless from Penn State. With their compensatory selection pick 5–169, the Packers selected Offensive guard Marshall Newhouse from Texas Christian. In the sixth round with pick 6–193, the Packers selected Running back James Starks from Buffalo. Their final selection of the draft came when the Packers selected Defensive end C. J. Wilson of East Carolina with pick 7–230.

At the beginning of September, the Packers announced the 53 man roster, and the 20 players that had been cut. Another loss for Green Bay was the season-long suspension of Johnny Jolly, after he violated the NFL drug policy. The Packers running corps suffered a blow when RB Ryan Grant suffered a season-ending ankle injury in week 1. By the end of the season, the Packers had 16 people on injured reserve, including 7 starters in running back Ryan Grant, tight end Jermichael Finley, linebacker Nick Barnett, safety Morgan Burnett, linebacker Brandon Chillar, tackle Mark Tauscher, and linebacker Brad Jones.

After finishing the regular season with a 10-6 record, the Packers clinched the #6 seed in the NFC playoffs. In the first round, they faced the #3 seeded Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers won the game by the score of 21-16. In the Divisional round, the Packers went on to defeat the #1 seeded Atlanta Falcons 48-21 to reach the NFC Championship Game where they played the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field - only the second playoff meeting between the two storied rivals (the other game being a 33-14 victory for the Bears which sent them to the 1941 NFL Championship Game.) The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 21–14 to head to Super Bowl XLV which took place on February 6, 2011, where they defeated the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-25, becoming the first #6 seed from the NFC to win a Super Bowl. Aaron Rodgers was named Super Bowl MVP.

Public company

The Packers are the only non-profit, community-owned franchise in American professional sports major leagues. Typically, a team is owned by one person, partnership, or corporate entity, i.e., a "team owner." The lack of a dominant owner has been stated as one of the reasons the Green Bay Packers have never been moved from the city of Green Bay, a city of only 102,313 people as of the 2000 census.

By comparison, the typical NFL city has a population in the millions or higher hundred-thousands. The Packers, however, have long had a large following throughout Wisconsin and parts of the Midwest; in fact, for decades, the Packers played four (one pre-season, three regular-season) home games each year in Milwaukee, first at the State Fair Park fairgrounds, then at Milwaukee County Stadium. The Packers did not move their entire home schedule to Green Bay until 1995. County Stadium's replacement, Miller Park, then being planned, was always intended to be a baseball-only stadium instead of a multipurpose stadium.

Based on the original "Articles of Incorporation for the (then) Green Bay Football Corporation" put into place in 1923, if the Packers franchise were to have been sold, after the payment of all expenses, any remaining money would go to the Sullivan Post of the American Legion in order to build "a proper soldier's memorial." This stipulation was enacted to ensure the club remained in Green Bay and that there could never be any financial enhancement for the shareholders. At the November 1997 annual meeting, shareholders voted to change the beneficiary from the Sullivan-Wallen Post to the Green Bay Packers Foundation, which makes donations to many charities and institutions throughout Wisconsin.

In 1950, the Packers held a stock sale to again raise money to support the team. In 1956, area voters approved the construction of a new city owned stadium. As with its predecessor, the new field was named City Stadium, but after the death of founder Curly Lambeau, the stadium was renamed Lambeau Field on September 11, 1965.

Another stock sale occurred late in 1997 and early in 1998. It added 105,989 new shareholders and raised over $24 million, money used for the Lambeau Field redevelopment project. Priced at $200 per share, fans bought 120,010 shares during the 17-week sale, which ended March 16, 1998. As of June 8, 2005, 112,015 people (representing 4,750,934 shares) can lay claim to a franchise ownership interest. Shares of stock include voting rights, but the redemption price is minimal, no dividends are ever paid, the stock cannot appreciate in value (though private sales often exceed the face value of the stock), and stock ownership brings no season ticket privileges. No shareholder may own over 200,000 shares, a safeguard to ensure that no individual can assume control of the club. To run the corporation, a board of directors is elected by the stockholders.

The team's elected president represents the Packers in NFL owners meetings, unless someone else is designated. During his time as coach, Vince Lombardi generally represented the team at league meetings in his role as general manager, except at owners-only meetings, where the team was represented by president Dominic Olejniczak.

Green Bay is the only team with this form of ownership structure in the NFL; such ownership is in direct violation of current league rules, which stipulate a limit of 32 owners of one team and one of those owners having a minimum 30% stake. However, the Packers corporation was grandfathered when the NFL's current ownership policy was established in the 1980s, and are thus exempt. The Packers are also the only American major-league sports franchise to release its financial balance sheet every year.

Board of Directors

Green Bay Packers, Inc., is governed by a seven-member Executive Committee, elected from a 45-member board of directors. The committee consists of a president, vice president, treasurer, secretary and three members-at-large. The president is the only officer to draw compensation; the rest of the committee is sitting "gratis." The committee directs corporate management, approves major capital expenditures, establishes broad policy and monitors management's performance in conducting the business and affairs of the corporation.

Green Bay Packers Foundation

The team created the Green Bay Packers Foundation in December 1986. The foundation assists in a wide variety of activities and programs that benefit education, civic affairs, health services, human services and youth-related programs.

At the team's 1999 annual stockholders meeting, it was voted to make the foundation the recipient of any remaining assets if the team were to be sold or dissolved. In 1923, the Packers were incorporated in Wisconsin as a nonprofit corporation, with stipulations that if the Packers were sold, all assets would be transferred to the Sullivan-Wallen Post of the American Legion in order to build a "proper soldiers memorial." No shareholder can own more than 200,000 shares in the company. This has put the Packers in a unique situation, as it would be impossible to move the team from Wisconsin. In turn, the franchise has remained in the tiny market of Green Bay.

Fan base

The Packers' fan base is famously dedicated: regardless of the team's performance, every Packers game at Lambeau Field has been sold out since 1960. Despite the Packers having by far the smallest local TV market, the Packers have developed one of the largest fan bases in the NFL. Each year they consistently rank as one of the top teams in terms of popularity. The Packers have one of the longest waiting lists for season tickets in professional sports with about 86,000 people, meaning there are now more names on the waiting list than there are seats at Lambeau Field. The average wait time for season tickets is said to be over 30 years; yet since the team estimates only 90 tickets are turned over every year, if a name were to be added to the list today the estimated wait would extend well over 955 years. For this reason, it is not unusual for fans to designate a recipient of their season tickets in their wills or place newborn infants on the waiting list after receiving birth certificates.

Packers fans are often referred to as cheeseheads. The term is often used to refer to people from the state of Wisconsin in general (because of its cheese production), but is also used to refer to Green Bay Packers fans in particular. The name originated in 1987 as an insult from Chicago White Sox fans at a Milwaukee Brewers game. In years since and particularly beginning in 1994, the name and the hats called "cheeseheads" have also been embraced by Packers fans.

During training camp in the summer months (held outside the Don Hutson Center), young Packers fans can take their bikes and have their favorite player ride their bike to the practice field from the locker room. This is an old Packers tradition dating back to approximately 1957 (the first years of Lambeau Field's existence). Gary Knafelc, a Packers end at the time, said, "I think it was just that kids wanted us to ride their bikes. I can remember kids saying, 'Hey, ride my bike.'" The practice continues today.

Each year the team holds an intra-squad scrimmage, called Family Night, at Lambeau Field. During 2004 and 2005 over 60,000 fans attended, selling out the stadium bowl. The Packers hosted the Buffalo Bills for the 2005 edition of Family Night setting an attendance record with 62,492 fans attending.

In August 2008, ESPN.com ranked the Packers as having the second-best fans in the NFL. The team initially finished tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers (who finished ahead of the Packers) as having the best fans, but the tie was broken by ESPN's own John Clayton, a Pittsburgh native.

Nickname, logo, and uniforms

Curly Lambeau, the team's founder, solicited funds for uniforms from his employer, the Indian Packing Company. He was given $250 for uniforms and equipment, on condition that the team be named for its sponsor (a similar event would occur the following year with the Decatur Staleys, who later became the Chicago Bears). An early newspaper article referred to the new Green Bay team as "the Indians" but by the time they played their first game they had adopted the name "Packers."

In 1920, the Indian Packing Company was purchased by the Acme Packing Company. Acme continued its support of Lambeau's team, and in its first season in the NFL the team wore jerseys with the words "ACME PACKERS" emblazoned on the chest.

Lambeau, who had attended the University of Notre Dame, borrowed the team's colors of navy blue and gold from the Irish, much as George Halas borrowed team colors from his alma mater Illinois for the Chicago Bears. And like the Irish in the 1930s and 1940s, the Packers sometimes used green and gold before returning to the traditional blue and gold.

In the early days, the Packers were often referred to as the "Bays" or the "Blues" (and even occasionally as "the Big Bay Blues"). These never were official nicknames, although Lambeau did consider replacing "Packers" with "Blues" in the 1920s.

By 1950, the Packers changed their colors to hunter green and gold. Navy blue was kept as a secondary color, seen primarily on sideline capes, but it was quietly dropped from the team colors list on all official materials shortly thereafter. The color scheme yields the common Packer nickname, "The Green and Gold". In 1994, the NFL's 75th anniversary season, the team participated in the league-wide use of "throwback" jerseys. The Packers would wear them again for two Thanksgiving Day games against the Detroit Lions: in 2001, throwback uniforms as worn in the 1930s; in 2003, uniforms from the 1960s (which were only slightly different from the current uniforms).

The oval "G" logo which stands for the "G" in Green Bay was created in 1961 by Packers equipment manager Gerald "Dad" Braisher. Tiki Barber falsely reported it to stand for "greatness" without a reliable source to back up his claims. Other reputable media outlets then published similar stories using Barber's false claim as a source. The Packers' Assistant Director of PR and Corporate Communications had the following to say: "There’s nothing in our history that suggests there's any truth to this. The Packers Hall of Fame archivist said the same thing.". The team used a number of different logos prior to 1961, but the "G" is the only logo that has ever appeared on the helmet. The Packers hold the trademark on the "G" logo, and have granted limited permission to other organizations to utilize a similar logo, such as the University of Georgia and Grambling State University. Adopted in 1964, the Georgia "G", though different in design and color, was similar to the Packers' "G". Then-Georgia head coach Vince Dooley thought it best to clear the use of Georgia's new emblem with the Packers.

While several NFL teams choose to wear white jerseys at home early in the season due to white's ability to reflect the late summer sunrays, the Packers have done so only twice, during the opening two games of the 1989 season. Although alternate gold jerseys with green numbers are sold on a retail basis, the team currently has no plans to introduce such a jersey to be used in actual games.

During the 2010 season, the Packers paid tribute to their historical brethren with a third jersey modeled after that worn by the club in 1929, during its first world championship season. The jersey was navy blue, again making the Packers "the Blues."

Stadium history

After their early seasons at Bellevue Park and Hagemeister Park, the Packers played home games in City Stadium from 1925 to 1956. The team won its first 6 NFL world championships while calling City Stadium its home.

Once the NFL threatened to move the franchise to Milwaukee if stadium conditions were not improved in Green Bay, the city responded by building a modern facility for the Packers, open in time for the 1957 season. The new stadium became the first built exclusively for an NFL team. Lambeau Field was originally known as City Stadium, like its predecessor, but its name was changed in 1965 after the death of Curly Lambeau.

When Lambeau Field opened in 1957, it had a seating capacity of 32,150. The stadium was expanded seven times before the end of the 1990s, and seating capacity reached 60,890. In 2003, Lambeau Field was extensively renovated to expand seating, modernize stadium facilities, and add an atrium area. These renovations raised Lambeau Field's seating capacity to 72,928. Despite the multiple expansions of Lambeau Field, ticket demand has far outpaced supply, as all Packers games have been sold out since 1960. Over 78,000 names are on the waiting list for season tickets.

The Packers played part of their home slate in Milwaukee starting in 1933, including two to three home games each year in Milwaukee's County Stadium from 1953 to 1994. The Packers worked to capture their growing fan base in Milwaukee and the larger crowds. By the 1960s, threat of an American Football League franchise in Milwaukee prompted the Packers to stay, including scheduling a Western Conference Playoff in 1967. Since County Stadium was primarily a baseball stadium, the field could barely fit a football field, and the end zones extended onto the warning track. By 1994, improvements and seating expansions at Lambeau prompted the Packers to leave County Stadium after 62 years in Milwaukee, and again be based solely in Green Bay.

Statistics and records

Season-by-season results

:''This is a partial list of the last five completed seasons by the Packers, and the current season. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see List of Green Bay Packers seasons.''

''Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.''

style="background:#fcc;"

Record as of February 6, 2011

!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"	Team	!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"	Conference	Division	!colspan="4"	!rowspan="2" style="width:27%;"	Awards
!Finish	!Wins	!Losses	!Ties
style="text-align:center;"		style="text-align:center;"	2006
! style="text-align:center;"	style="text-align:center;"								Won Divisional Playoffs (Seahawks) (42–20)Lost NFC Conference Championship (Giants) (23–20, OT)	Brett Favre (Sportsman of the Year)
	style="text-align:center;"
	style="text-align:center;"								Lost NFL playoffs, 2009-10	[[Charles Woodson (NFL Defensive Player of the Year)
	style="text-align:center;"								Won Wild Card Playoffs (Eagles) (21-16) Won Divisional Playoffs (Falcons) (48-21) Won NFC Conference Championship (Bears) (21-14)Won Super Bowl XLV (Steelers) (31-25)	Bryan Bulaga (AP All-Rookie Team) Josh Sitton (NFL Alumni Association Offensive Lineman of the Year) Clay Matthews III (AP All-Pro Team, Sporting News Defensive Player of the year) Aaron Rodgers (FedEx Air Player of the Year, Super Bowl XLV MVP)
Total						664	524	36	''(1921–2010, includes only regular season)''
						''29''	''16''	--	''(1921–2010, includes only playoffs)''
						''693''	''540''	''36''	''(1921–2010, includes both regular season and playoffs; 13 NFL Championships)''
			Records

Brett FavreAhman GreenJames LoftonCurly Lambeau

+ All-Time Packers Leaders	! Leader	Player	Record Number
Passing	|	61,655 passing yards	1992-2007
Rushing	|	8,322 rushing yards	2000-2009
Receiving	|	9,656 receiving yards	1978-1986
Coaching Wins	|	209 wins	1919-1949

Players of note

Current Roster

Pro Football Hall of Fame members

The Packers have the second most members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame with twenty-one. They trail only the Chicago Bears (with 27).

{| |- |valign="top"|

26 Herb Adderley, CB, 1961–1969

3 Tony Canadeo, HB, 1941–1944; 1947–1952

87 Willie Davis, DE, 1960–1969

75 Forrest Gregg, OT, 1956; 1958–1970

38 Arnie Herber, QB, 1930–1940

30 Clarke Hinkle, FB, 1932–1941

5 Paul Hornung, HB, 1956–1962; 1964–1966

36 Cal Hubbard, OT, 1929–1933; 1935

14 Don Hutson, E, 1935–1945

74 Henry Jordan, DT, 1959–1969

|width="45"| |valign="top"|

20 Earl (Curly) Lambeau, Coach, 1919–1949

80 James Lofton, WR, 1978–1986

Vince Lombardi, Coach, 1959–1967

24 Johnny "Blood" McNally, HB, 1929–1933

2 Mike Michalske, OG, 1929–1935; 1937

66 Ray Nitschke, LB, 1958–1972

51 Jim Ringo, C, 1953–1963

15 Bart Starr, QB, 1956–1971

31 Jim Taylor, FB, 1958–1966

92 Reggie White, DE, 1993–1998

24 Willie Wood, S, 1960–1971

|}

Emmitt Thomas, who was inducted in the Hall of Fame for his career as a player, served as a defensive coordinator for the Packers, though he never played with them. Similar can be said for Dick LeBeau, who was elected as player and served as a defensive backfield coach for the Packers, but never played with them.

Retired numbers

In nearly nine decades of Packers football, the Packers have formally retired 5 numbers. All five Packers are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and their numbers and names are displayed on the green facade of Lambeau Field's north endzone as well as in the Lambeau Field Atrium.

Wide receiverHalfback (American football) [[QuarterbackLinebackerDefensive end

+ Retired Numbers	No.	Pos.	Player
14	WR/DB ||	Don Hutson	New York Yanks @ City Stadium (Green Bay)>City Stadium
3	HB/QB ||	Tony Canadeo	November 23, 1952 vs Dallas Texans (NFL)
15	QB ||	Bart Starr	Arizona Cardinals>St. Louis Cardinals @ Lambeau Field
66	LB ||	Ray Nitschke	December 4, 1983 vs Chicago Bears @ Lambeau Field
92	DE ||	Reggie White	September 18, 2005 vs Cleveland Browns @ Lambeau Field

After Brett Favre stated his intent to retire in May 2008, the Packers announced that his #4 would be retired in a ceremony during the team's 2008 opening game against the Minnesota Vikings. The ceremony was cancelled following Favre's subsequent decision to return to the game, and he was traded to the New York Jets. In March 2009, the Packers indicated that the team still intends to retire Favre's number, but due to the circumstances surrounding his departure from the team, no timeline had been set.

Coaches of note

Current staff

Head coaches

rowspan=2

rowspan="2" style="width:140px;"	Name	From	To	Record	Titles
!W!!L!!T
align=left>Curly Lambeau	Earl (Curly) Lambeau			231	108	21	6
			14	31
				2||rowspan=2|0	rowspan=2
align=left
			17	31
align=left			1	10
			98	30	5
			20	21
			25	28
			53	77
			25	37
			24	40
			73	36	1
			8	8
			56	39
align=left			48	32	1

*Interim Head Coaches

Radio and television

The Packers are unique in having their market area cover two media markets, both Green Bay and Milwaukee, and blackout policies for the team apply within both areas, though they have not come into effect since 1982 (a strike-shortened season) due to strong home attendance and popularity.

The Packers' flagship radio station and broadcast producer is Milwaukee-based WTMJ (620), with the games airing in Green Bay on WTAQ (1360/97.5), WIXX-FM (101.1), and WAPL (105.7) and WHBY (1150) in Appleton and the Fox Cities. Wayne Larrivee is the play-by-play announcer and Larry McCarren is the color analyst. Larrivee joined the team after many years as the Chicago Bears' announcer. Jim Irwin and Max McGee were the longtime radio announcers before Larrivee and McCarren. When victory is assured for the Packers, either a game winning touchdown, interception or a crucial 4th down defensive stop, Larrivee's trademark declaration of "And there is your dagger!" signifies the event. WTMJ has aired Packers games since 1929, the longest association between a radio station and an NFL team to date, and the only rights deal in American professional sports where a station outside of the team's main metro area is the radio flagship.

The TV rights for pre-season games not nationally broadcast are held by WFRV (Channel 5) in Green Bay and WTMJ (Channel 4) in Milwaukee, along with Quincy Newspapers' six ABC stations in the central, northern and western parts of the state. As such, these stations are all allowed to use the tagline ''Your official Packers station'' in their market area by the team, and also carry the weekly coach's show hosted by WTMJ-TV's Jessie Garcia, ''The Mike McCarthy Show'' on Tuesday evenings at 6:30pm throughout the football season.

Pre-season coverage is produced by CBS, using the ''NFL on CBS'' graphics package, with the CBS eyemark replaced by the Packers logo, a remnant of WFRV's former ownership by the CBS Corporation itself until 2007. The TV play-by-play announcer, Kevin Harlan (also on loan from CBS), is the son of former Packers president Bob Harlan. Since the 2008 pre-season all of the Packers preseason games on the statewide network are produced and aired in high definition, with WTMJ-TV subcontracting the games to minor network affiliates in Milwaukee during Summer Olympics years due to mandatory non-preemption policies by their network, NBC.

ESPN ''Monday Night Football'' games, both pre-season and season, are broadcast over the air on ABC affiliates WBAY (Channel 2) in Green Bay and WISN-TV (Channel 12) in Milwaukee, while the stations airing Packers games in the NFL Network ''Thursday Night Football'' package have varied.

The team's intra-squad Lambeau scrimmage at the beginning of the season, marketed as ''Packers Family Night'', is broadcast by WITI (Channel 6) in Milwaukee, and produced by WLUK (Channel 11) in Green Bay, both Fox affiliates which broadcast the bulk of the team's regular-season games. The scrimmage is also broadcast by the state's other Fox affiliates. It was aired for the first time in 2011 in high definition.

See also

List of fan-owned sports teams

Notes and references

External links

Green Bay Packers Official Club Homepage

Green Bay Packers at the National Football League Official Homepage

Green Bay Packers at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online Website

Green Bay Packers at the Green Bay Press-Gazette Online Website

Green Bay Packers Information at Sports E-Cyclopedia.com

Category:Sports clubs established in 1919 Category:National Football League teams Category:Publicly traded sports companies Category:Sports in Green Bay, Wisconsin Category:Visitor attractions in Brown County, Wisconsin

bg:Грийн Бей Пакърс ca:Green Bay Packers cs:Green Bay Packers da:Green Bay Packers de:Green Bay Packers et:Green Bay Packers es:Green Bay Packers fa:گرین بی پکرز fr:Packers de Green Bay gl:Green Bay Packers hi:ग्रीन बे पैकर्स hr:Green Bay Packers id:Green Bay Packers it:Green Bay Packers he:גרין ביי פקרס lv:Grīnbejas "Packers" hu:Green Bay Packers mr:ग्रीन बे पॅकर्स nl:Green Bay Packers ja:グリーンベイ・パッカーズ no:Green Bay Packers pl:Green Bay Packers pt:Green Bay Packers ru:Грин Бэй Пэкерз simple:Green Bay Packers sr:Грин Беј пакерси sh:Green Bay Packers fi:Green Bay Packers sv:Green Bay Packers th:กรีนเบย์ แพกเกอส์ uk:Грін Бей Пекерз zh:绿湾包装工

Name	Aaron Rodgers
Width	280px
Currentteam	Green Bay Packers
Currentnumber	12
Currentpositionplain	Quarterback
Birth date	December 02, 1983
Birth place	Chico, California
Heightft	6
Heightin	2
Weight	220
Debutyear	2005
Debutteam	Green Bay Packers
Highlights	Pro Bowl selection (2009) Super Bowl champion (XLV) Super Bowl MVP (XLV) FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year, 2010 Only player in NFL history to have 4,000 passing yards in each of his first two starting seasons 2004 First-team All-Pac-10
College	California
Draftyear	2005
Draftround	1
Draftpick	24
Pastteams	Green Bay Packers (–present)
Statweek	17
Statseason	2010
Statlabel1	Pass attempts
Statvalue1	1,611
Statlabel2	Pass completions
Statvalue2	1,038
Statlabel3	Percentage
Statvalue3	64.4
Statlabel4	TD–INT
Statvalue4	87–32
Statlabel5	Passing yards
Statvalue5	12,723
Statlabel6	QB Rating
Statvalue6	98.4
Nfl	ROD339293 }}

Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers was selected in the first round (24th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers. Rodgers played college football while attending the University of California, Berkeley, where he set several California Golden Bears records, including lowest interception rate at 1.43%.

Professionally, Rodgers is the NFL's all-time career leader in passer rating during both the regular season (98.4), and in the post-season (112.6) – among passers with at least 1,500 and 150 pass attempts respectively. He also owns the league's lowest career pass interception percentage for quarterbacks during the regular season (1.99%).

Early years

Rodgers was born in Chico in Butte County, California. He attended Vose Elementary School and Whitford Middle School in Beaverton, Oregon, playing baseball in the Raleigh Hills Little League at the positions of shortstop, center field and pitcher. He returned to Chico in 1997 and attended Pleasant Valley High School, starting for two years at quarterback and garnering 4,421 passing yards. He set single-game records of 6 touchdowns and 440 all-purpose yards. Rodgers also set a single-season record with 2,466 total yards in 2001 and graduated in the spring of 2002.

College career

2002

Despite his record-setting statistics, Rodgers, at 5'10" and 165 pounds as a senior, both undersized for Division I quarterbacks, garnered little interest from programs with only one offer, a walk-on from Illinois. He declined the invitation, and considered quitting football and studying to become a lawyer. He was then recruited to play football at a local junior college,Butte Community College in Oroville, about 15 miles (25 km) southeast of Chico. In his freshman season, he threw 28 touchdowns while leading Butte to a 10–1 record, a NorCal Conference championship, and a No. 2 national ranking. While there, Rodgers was discovered by the Bears head coach Jeff Tedford, who was recruiting Butte tight end Garrett Cross. Tedford was very suprised Rodgers had not been recruited highly. Because he had a 3.6 grade point average and SAT score of 1300 out of high school, Rodgers was eligible to transfer after one year of junior college instead of the typical two.

2003

As a junior college transfer, Rodgers had three years of eligibility at Cal. He was named the starting quarterback in the fifth game of the 2003 season, coincidentally against the only team that offered him a Division I opportunity out of high school, Illinois. As a sophomore, he helped lead the Golden Bears to a 7–3 record as a starter. Against the then-No. 3 ranked USC in his second career start, Rodgers led the team to a 21–7 halftime lead before being replaced due to injury in the second half by Reggie Robertson. The Bears won in triple overtime, 34–31. Rodgers passed for 394 yards and was named game MVP in the Insight Bowl against Virginia Tech. In 2003, Rodgers tied the school season record for 300-yard games with 5 and set a school record for lowest percentage of passes intercepted at 1.43%.

2004

As a junior, Rodgers led Cal to a 10–1 record and top-five ranking at the end of the regular season, with their only loss coming in a closely contested and well-played game at #1 USC, 17–23. In that game, Rodgers set a school record for consecutive completed passes with 26 and tied an NCAA record with 23 consecutive passes completed in one game. Rodgers set a school single game record for passing completion, completing 85.3% of his passes in that game. Rodgers also holds the school career record for lowest percentage of passes intercepted at 1.95%. Despite these records, the Bears had 1st and goal with 1:47 remaining and could not score a winning touchdown. The game-ending sequence included three incomplete passes and a sack by USC.

After Texas was picked over Cal for a Rose Bowl berth, the fourth-ranked Bears earned a spot in the Holiday Bowl, but lost to Texas Tech, 45–31. After the season, Rodgers decided to forego his senior season (without a redshirt) to enter the 2005 NFL Draft.

College career statistics

! style="width:4%;" 215 California Golden Bears football 424

colSpan="2"	Passing !! colSpan="4"								Rushing
Year !! style="width:4%;"|Team !! style="width:4%;"	Att !! style="width:4%;"| Pct !! style="width:4%;"| Yds !! style="width:4%;"| YPA !! style="width:4%;"| Td !! style="width:4%;"| Int !! style="width:4%;"| Rate !! style="width:4%;"| Att !! style="width:4%;"| Yds !! style="width:4%;"| Avg !! style="width:4%;"| Td
2003	California Golden Bears football>Cal	|	349	61.6	2903	8.3	19	5	146.58	86	210	2.4	5
2004	Cal ||	209	316	66.1	2566	8.1	24	8	154.35	74	126	1.7	3
colspan=2>Totals	|	665	63.8	5469	8.2	43	13	150.27	160	336	2.10	8

College awards and honors

2003 Honorable mention All-Pac-10

2003 Insight Bowl Offensive MVP

2004 Cal Co-Offensive MVP 2004 First-team All-Pac-10 2004 Second-team Academic All-Pac-10 2004 Honorable mention All-American by ''Sports Illustrated''

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

Backup seasons (2005–2007)

Rodgers was expected to be selected early in the 2005 NFL Draft as he had posted impressive numbers as a junior with Cal, throwing for 2,320 yards with a 67.5 completion rating. He had tied an NCAA record when he completed 23 consecutive passes against the eventual national champions, USC. He threw for 24 touchdowns and only 8 interceptions in his last college season, impressing many NFL scouts. Rodgers' slip to the 24th choice became one of the biggest stories of the draft, though he was still the second quarterback selected. The San Francisco 49ers, who held the first overall pick, were not interested in Rodgers as then-49ers head coach Mike Nolan, a strong personality, did not believe that Rodgers' attitude could co-exist with him. The 49ers would select quarterback Alex Smith. In addition to the fact that many teams drafting between second and 23rd positions had positional needs more pressing than quarterback, Rodgers' moderate height (6'2") may have contributed to his precipitous slide. Rodgers is one of six quarterbacks coached by Jeff Tedford to be drafted in the first round, joining Akili Smith, Trent Dilfer, Joey Harrington, and Kyle Boller.

In August 2005 at age 21, Rodgers agreed to a reported five-year, $7.7 million deal that included $5.4 million in guaranteed money and had the potential to pay him as much as $24.5 million if all incentives and escalators were met.

Rodgers spent a disappointing 4–12 2005 season as the Packers' back-up quarterback behind Brett Favre. Rodgers had little playing time during the year, but played in a win against the New Orleans Saints and in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

When Favre decided to continue his career into the 2006 season, Rodgers was forced to continue in his role as the second quarterback on the depth chart.

On November 19, 2006, Rodgers broke his left foot against the New England Patriots in a 35–0 defeat at home while filling in for an injured Brett Favre and missed the remainder of the 2006 season. Rodgers made a full recovery and was ready for the start of the 2007 season.

Weeks after an emotional interview with NBC's Andrea Kramer following the team's season-ending victory at Chicago, Favre announced he would stay with the Packers for the 2007 season, again postponing Rodgers' hopes of becoming the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback. Prior to the 2007 season, rumors surfaced about a potential trade involving Rodgers in which he would be traded to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Randy Moss. However, Moss was traded to the New England Patriots during the second day of the 2007 NFL Draft, and Rodgers stayed in Green Bay.

Rodgers stepped in when Favre was injured in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football on November 29, 2007. Rodgers completed 18 passes for 201 yards, with no interceptions. He also threw his first touchdown pass but was sacked three times. Rodgers brought the team back from a 17 point deficit to a 3 point deficit, but the Cowboys went on to win 37–27.

Starting seasons

2008

Brett Favre's retirement announcement on March 4, 2008, opened up the Packers' starting quarterback position to Rodgers for the 2008 season. Although Favre decided to return from retirement, he was traded to the New York Jets, meaning Rodgers would remain the starter.

With Rodgers making his debut as a starter, the Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings 24–19 at Lambeau Field. This marked the first time since 1992 that a quarterback other than Favre started a regular season game for the Packers. Rodgers ended the game with 178 yards passing and 2 touchdowns (1 passing/1 rushing). In just his second NFL start the following week, Rodgers was voted the FedEx Air award winner after passing for 328 yards and three touchdowns in a win against the Detroit Lions. During the fourth week of the season, Rodgers streak of 157 consecutive pass attempts without an interception ended when he was intercepted by Derrick Brooks of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The streak was the third longest in franchise history behind Bart Starr (294) and Brett Favre (163). Rodgers suffered a severe shoulder sprain in the game but continued to start and played well in a win against the Seattle Seahawks two weeks later, which to many proved his toughness. Despite early successes, Rodgers had been unable to win a close game during the season despite seven opportunities to do so. On October 31, 2008, Rodgers signed a six year, $65 million contract extension through the 2014 season.

2009

For the opening game of the 2009 season, Rodgers recorded his first win in a comeback situation. The Packers were trailing at the beginning of the 4th quarter when Rodgers completed a fifty yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Greg Jennings with about a minute remaining in the game to contribute to the 21–15 victory over the Chicago Bears. Rodgers was named National Football Conference (NFC) Offensive Player of the Month for October 2009, when he passed for 988 yards, completed 74.5 percent of his passes, and recorded a passer rating over 110 for all three games played during the month. After a mediocre 4–4 start to the season and a devastating loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team began to heat up. Rodgers led the Packers to five straight wins, in which he threw for a total of 1,324 yards, 9 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. Rodgers and the Packers won two of their last three games, finishing the second half of the season with a 7–1 record and an overall 11–5 record; good enough to secure a wild card playoff berth and clinch the fifth seed in the playoffs. Rodgers also made the record books, becoming the first quarterback in NFL history ever to throw for 4,000 yards in both of his first two years as a starter. His passing yardage made him second all-time in Packers history, behind only Lynn Dickey's all-time single-season record.

In his first action as a starter in the playoffs against the Arizona Cardinals, Rodgers's first pass was intercepted by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Rodgers settled down after that miscue, however, and finished the game 28 of 42 for 422 yards with four touchdowns. Despite Rodger's offensive efforts, the Packers lost the game when he fumbled on the last play of the game in overtime. The ball was returned by Karlos Dansby for the winning touchdown in the 51–45 Cardinals victory. It was the highest scoring playoff game in NFL history.

Due to his regular season performance, Rodgers earned a trip to his first Pro Bowl as the NFC's third Quarterback behind Drew Brees and Brett Favre. However, after Favre dropped out due to injury and Brees was replaced due to his participation in Super Bowl XLIV, Rodgers became the NFC's starter for the game. He finished the day 15 of 19 passing with 197 yards and two touchdowns, despite the NFC losing the game.

2010

After leading his team to a 2–0 start in 2010, the Packers lost three of their next four games including back-to-back overtime losses. The two overtime defeats brought Rodgers' record in overtime games to 0–5. During Week 12 against the Atlanta Falcons, Rodgers threw 35 passing attempts, putting him at 1,505 for his career – making him eligible for all official NFL quarterback records as recognized by the NFL. In Week 14 of the season, Rodgers sustained his second concussion of the season. Backup Matt Flynn was put into the game as Rodgers' replacement. The Packers lost the game 7–3 to the Detroit Lions. It was the Lions first division win since 2007, snapping a 19-game losing streak against division rivals. Rodgers missed the next week's regular season start ending his streak of consecutive starts at 45, which is tied for the second longest in team history. However, Rodgers turned around the team's performance, winning the final two regular season games against the New York Giants and Chicago Bears, both de-facto playoff elimination games.

With a 10–6 record, the Packers entered the NFL playoffs as the #6 seed Wild Card. During the playoffs, Rodgers led the Packers past the top three seeds in the NFC on the road in consecutive weeks. In the Wild Card round, they defeated the #3 seeded Philadelphia Eagles 21–16. In the divisional round, Rodgers completed 31 of 36 pass attempts for 366 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 48–21 victory over the #1 seeded Atlanta Falcons. On January 23, 2011, Rodgers struggled with a 55.4 passer rating as the Packers beat the #2 seed Chicago Bears 21–14 win to capture the NFC Championship. The Packers earned a trip to Super Bowl XLV, which they won, 31–25, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers completed 24 of 39 pass attempts for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win and was named Super Bowl XLV MVP for his performance.

He was named the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Year for the 2010 season.

Touchdown celebration

Since becoming a starter, Rodgers has become known for his unique touchdown celebration which he and his teammates have dubbed "the Championship Belt". After a significant play (more specially, on any scoring plays) Rodgers celebrates by making a motion as if he is putting an invisible belt on around his waist. Teammate Greg Jennings said of the celebration: "It's just something fun that he does. We get excited when we see it cause we know that he's made a play or we've made a play as offense." The gesture drew the praise of World Wrestling Entertainment wrestler Triple H and has become common for Green Bay fans to mimic the celebration as a point of pride during games.

During the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs on January 15, 2011 against the Atlanta Falcons, Rodgers was sacked by Falcons defensive end John Abraham who performed the celebration immediately following the play. It was Abraham's only sack of the night. Minutes later, Rodgers scored a rushing touchdown and did the celebration in the Falcons' endzone. The Packers went on to win the game 48–21.

After scoring a touchdown in the NFC Championship game, fellow Packer B. J. Raji celebrated using the "Championship Belt" celebration.

While holding the Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLV, Rodgers' teammate Clay Matthews placed a replica of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship belt on Rodgers shoulder.

Professional statistics

;Regular season ! style="width:4%;" 3 GNB GNB GNB GNB GNB 54

colSpan="4"	Passing !! colSpan="4"								Rushing !! colSpan="2"| Fumbles
Year !! style="width:4%;"|Team !! style="width:4%;"	S !! style="width:4%;"| Comp !! style="width:4%;"| Att !! style="width:4%;"| Pct !! style="width:4%;"| Yds !! style="width:4%;"| YPA !! style="width:4%;"| Td !! style="width:4%;"| Int !! style="width:4%;"| Rate !! style="width:4%;"| Att !! style="width:4%;"| Yds !! style="width:4%;"| Avg !! style="width:4%;"| Td !! style="width:4%;"| Fum !! style="width:4%;"| Lost
2005 Green Bay Packers season	2005	Green Bay Packers>GNB	|	0	9	16	56.3	65	4.1	0	1	39.8	2	7	3.5	0	2	2
2006 Green Bay Packers season	2006	|	2	0	6	15	40.0	46	3.1	0	0	48.2	2	11	5.5	0	1	1
2007 Green Bay Packers season	2007	|	2	0	20	28	71.4	218	7.8	1	0	106.0	7	29	4.1	0	0
2008 Green Bay Packers season	2008	|	16	16	341	536	63.6	4,038	7.5	28	13	93.8	56	207	3.7	4	10	3
2009 Green Bay Packers season	2009	|	16	16	350	541	64.7	4,434	8.2	30	7	103.2	58	316	5.4	5	10	4
2010 Green Bay Packers season	2010	|	15	15	312	475	65.7	3,922	8.3	28	11	101.2	64	356	5.6	4	4	1
colspan=2>Totals	|	47	1,038	1,611	64.4	12,723	7.9	87	32	98.4	189	926	4.9	13	27	11

;Postseason

! style="width:4%;" 1 GNB 5

colSpan="4"	Passing !! colSpan="4"								Rushing !! colSpan="2"| Fumbles
Year !! style="width:4%;"|Team !! style="width:4%;"	S !! style="width:4%;"| Comp !! style="width:4%;"| Att !! style="width:4%;"| Pct !! style="width:4%;"| Yds !! style="width:4%;"| YPA !! style="width:4%;"| Td !! style="width:4%;"| Int !! style="width:4%;"| Rate !! style="width:4%;"| Att !! style="width:4%;"| Yds !! style="width:4%;"| Avg !! style="width:4%;"| Td !! style="width:4%;"| Fum !! style="width:4%;"| Lost
2009 Green Bay Packers season	2009	Green Bay Packers>GNB	|	1	28	42	66.7	423	10.1	4	1	121.4	3	13	4.3	1	1	1
2010 Green Bay Packers season	2010	|	4	4	90	132	68.2	1094	8.3	9	2	109.8	14	54	3.9	2	2	1
colspan=2>Totals	|	5	118	174	67.8	1,517	8.7	13	3	--	17	67	3.9	3	3	2

References

Further reading

External links

Green Bay Packers bio

California Golden Bears bio

Pro Football Reference.com

Category:American football quarterbacks Category:Green Bay Packers players Category:California Golden Bears football players Category:Players of American football from California Category:People from Chico, California Category:Super Bowl MVPs Category:1983 births Category:Living people

da:Aaron Rodgers de:Aaron Rodgers es:Aaron Rodgers fr:Aaron Rodgers it:Aaron Rodgers la:Aaron Rodgers lv:Ārons Rodžerss hu:Aaron Rodgers ja:アーロン・ロジャース pl:Aaron Rodgers pt:Aaron Rodgers simple:Aaron Rodgers fi:Aaron Rodgers

Name	Vince Lombardi
Position	Head Coach/General Manager
Birth date	June 11, 1913
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York
Death date	September 03, 1970
Death place	Washington, D.C.
Coachdebutyear	1954
Coachdebutteam	New York Giants
Coachfinalyear	1969
Coachfinalteam	Washington Redskins
College	Fordham
Pastcoaching	New York Giants (-)(Offensive Backfield coach) Green Bay Packers (-)(Head coach) Green Bay Packers ()(General manager) Washington Redskins ()(Head coach)
Highlights	AP NFL Coach of the Year (1959) Pro Football Hall of Fame (1971) 2× Super Bowl champion (I, II) 5× NFL Championship victories (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967) 96-34-6 (regular season record) 9-1 (playoff record) 105-35-6 (overall record) Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame (1975) Washington Redskins Ring of Fame (1997)
Statlabel1	Win-Loss Record
Statvalue1	96-34-6
Statlabel2	Winning %
Statvalue2	.738
Statlabel3	Games
Statvalue3	136
Pfrcoach	LombVi0
Hof	132 }}

Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi (June 11, 1913 September 3, 1970) was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to four straight league championships, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and 1967 NFL seasons. The National Football League's Super Bowl trophy is named in his honor. He was enshrined in the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Lombardi played football at St. Francis Preparatory School, and later Fordham University. He began coaching as an assistant and later as a head coach at St. Cecilia High School. He would later become an assistant coach at Fordham University, the U.S. Military Academy, and the New York Giants before becoming a head coach for the Green Bay Packers from 1959–67 and the Washington Redskins in 1969. He never had a losing season as a head coach in the NFL, compiling an impressive Regular Season winning percentage of 73.8% and 90% in the Post Season. Lombardi is one of the most quoted coaches and figureheads in America, known for his hard-nosed, paternalistic style and relentless pursuit of victory, that have inspired coaching philosophy, books, movies, Broadway plays and documentaries.

Early years

Lombardi was born in Brooklyn to Enrico "Harry" Lombardi and Matilda "Mattie" Izzo on June 11, 1913. Harry's mother and father, Vincenzo and Michelina emigrated from Salerno, Italy. Mattie's father and mother, Anthony and Loretta, emigrated from an area several miles east of Salerno. Henry had three siblings and Matilda had twelve siblings. Vince would be the oldest of five children, Madeleine, Harold, Claire, and Joe. The entire Lombardi and Izzo clan settled in Sheepshead Bay.

Matilda's father, Anthony, opened up a barber shop in Sheepshead Bay prior to the turn of the century. At about the time of Lombardi's birth, Harry, and his brother, Eddie, opened a butcher shop in the Meatpacking District. Throughout the Great Depression, Harry's shop did well and his family prospered. Lombardi grew up in an ethnically-diverse, middle-class neighborhood.

Church attendance was mandatory for the Lombardi family on Sundays. Service would be followed with an equally compulsory few hours of dinner with friends, extended family members, and local clergy. He was an altar boy at St. Mark's Catholic Church. Outside of their local neighborhood, the Lombardi children were subject to the rampant racism that existed at the time against Italian immigrants. As a child, Vince Lombardi helped his father at his meat cutting business, but Vince grew to hate doing so. At the age of 12 he started playing in an ''uncoached'', Sheepshead Bay, organized football league.

High School

Lombardi graduated the eighth grade at P.S. 206 at age 15 in 1928. He then matriculated with the Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception, a six-year secondary program to become a Catholic priest. At Cathedral, he played on the school's baseball and basketball teams, but his performance was hindered by his poor athleticism and eyesight. Against school rules, he continued to play football off-campus throughout his studies at Cathedral. After completing four years at Cathedral he decided not to pursue the priesthood. He enrolled at St. Francis Preparatory high school for the fall of 1932. There he became a Charter Member of Omega Gamma Delta fraternity. His play on Prep's football teamed earned him a spot on the virtual ''All-City'' football team.

Fordham University

In 1933, Lombardi accepted a football scholarship to Fordham University in the Bronx to play for the Fordham Rams and Coach Jim Crowley, one of the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame in the 1920s. During his freshman year, Lombardi proved to be an aggressive and spirited player on the football field. Prior to the start of his sophomore year, Lombardi was projected as a starter at tackle. Lombardi was undersized for the position (5'8" and about 180 lb.)

In his senior year (1936), he became the right guard in the Seven Blocks of Granite, a nickname given to the Fordham University football team's offensive front line by Fordham University publicist Timothy Sylvester Cohane. In a game against Pitt, Lombardi suffered a severe gash inside his mouth and had several teeth knocked out. Afterward, he missed almost the entire game until he was called in on defense for a successful goal line stand that preserved a 0-0 tie. The Rams went 5-0-2 before losing in the final game of the season, 7-6, to a weak NYU team. The loss destroyed all hopes of Fordham playing in the Rose Bowl and the loss taught Vince a lesson he would never forget—''never underestimate your opponent''.

Early career

On June 16, 1937, Vince graduated from Fordham University. The economic times of the Great Depression offered him little opportunities for a career. For the next two years he showed no discernible career path or ambition. He tried his hand at semi-professional football and as a debt collector but those efforts proved to be failures very quickly. With his father's strong support he enrolled in Fordham Law school in September, 1938. Although he did not fail any classes, he believed his grades were so terrible that he dropped out after one semester. Later in life, he would explain to others that he was close to graduating but his desire to start, and support, a family forced him to leave law school and get a job.

Coaching career

St. Cecilia High School

By 1939, Lombardi wanted to marry his girlfriend, Marie Planitz, but, at his father's insistence, he needed a steady job to support himself and a family. In 1939, Lombardi accepted an assistant coaching job at St. Cecilia (which closed in 1986), a Catholic high school in Englewood, New Jersey. He was offered the position by the school's new head coach, Lombardi's former Fordham teammate, quarterback Andy Palau. Palau had just taken over the head coaching position from another Fordham teammate, Nat Pierce (left guard), who had accepted an assistant coach's job back at Fordham. In addition to coaching, Lombardi, age 26, also taught Latin, chemistry, and physics for an annual salary of under $1,000 at the high school. Andy Palau left for Fordham in 1942 and Lombardi became the head coach at St. Cecilia. Lombardi stayed a total of eight years (five as head coach, and in 1943 was recognized as the top football team in the nation.

At St. Cecilia, Lombardi became the President of the Bergen County Coach's Association.

Fordham University

In 1947, Lombardi became the coach of freshman teams in football and basketball at Fordham University. The following year he served as an assistant coach for Fordham's varsity football team, but he was arguably the de facto head coach.

West Point

Following the 1948 football season, Lombardi accepted an assistant's job, at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a position that would greatly influence his future coaching style. Lombardi served as offensive line coach under legendary head coach Colonel Red Blaik. "As integral as religion was to his (Lombardi's) sense of self, it was not until he reached West Point and combined his spiritual discipline with Blaik's military discipline that his coaching persona began to take its mature form." Blaik's emphasis on execution would become a trademark of Lombardi's coaching. Lombardi coached at West Point for five seasons, with varying results. The 1949, 1950, and 1953 seasons were successful. But the 1951 and 1952 seasons were not successful due to the aftermath of a cadet cribbing scandal (a violation of the Cadet Honor Code) which was revealed in the spring of 1951. As a result, 43 of 45 members of the varsity football team were discharged by ''administrative order''. "Decades later, looking back on his rise, Lombardi came to regard..." Blaik's decision not to resign "...as a pivotal moment in his [own] career" - it taught him 'perseverance.' Following these five seasons at Army, Lombardi accepted an assistant coaching position with the NFL's New York Giants.

New York Giants

In 1954, Lombardi, age 41, began his NFL career with the New York Giants. He accepted a job that would later become known as the offensive coordinator position under new head coach Jim Lee Howell. The Giants had finished the previous season, under 23-year coach Steve Owen, with a 3–9 record. By the third season, Lombardi, along with the defensive coordinator, former All-Pro cornerback turned coach Tom Landry, turned the squad into a championship team, defeating the Chicago Bears for the league title in 1956. "Howell readily acknowledged the talents of Lombardi and Landry, and joked self-deprecatingly, that his main function was to make sure the footballs had air in them." At points in his tenure as an assistant coach at West Point, and as an assistant coach with the Giants, Lombardi worried that he was unable to land a head coaching job due to prejudice against his Italian heritage, especially with respect to ''Southern'' colleges. Howell wrote numerous recommendations for Lombardi to aid Vince in obtaining a head coaching position. Lombardi applied for head coaching positions at Wake Forest, Notre Dame and other universities and, in some cases, never received a reply. The running back then was expected to run toward any hole that was created. Lombardi referred to this as ''running to daylight''.

Green Bay Packers

====First year==== For the 1958 NFL season, the Packers, with five future hall of famers playing on the team, finished with a record of 1-10-1, the worst in Packer history. The players were dispirited, the Packer shareholders were disheartened, and the Green Bay community was enraged. The angst in Green Bay extended to the NFL, at large, as the financial viability of the Green Bay Packer franchise existence was in jeopardy.

On February 2, 1959, Vince Lombardi accepted the position of head coach and general manager of the Green Bay Packers.

Lombardi created punishing training regimens and expected absolute dedication and effort from his players. The 1959 Packers were an immediate improvement, finishing at 7-5. Rookie head coach Lombardi was named Coach of the Year.

====Second year==== In his second year, Green Bay won the NFL Western Conference for the first time since 1944. This victory, along with his well-known religious convictions led the Green Bay community to anointing him with the nickname ''the Pope''. Lombardi led the Packers to the 1960 NFL Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Prior to the championship game, Lombardi met with Wellington Mara and advised him that he would not take the Giants' head coaching job, which was initially offered after the end of the 1959 season. In the final play of the game, in a drive that would have won it, the Packers were stopped a few yards from the goal line. Lombardi had suffered his ''first and last'', championship game loss. After the game, and after the press corps had left the locker room, Lombardi told his team, "This will never happen again. You will never lose another championship." In later years as coach of the Packers, Lombardi made it a point to admonish his running backs that if they failed to score from one yard out, then he would consider it a personal affront to him and he would seek retribution.

Lombardi would coach the Packers to win their next 9 post-season games, a record streak not matched or broken until Bill Belichick won 10 in a row from 2002 to 2006. The Packers would defeat the Giants for the NFL title in 1961 (37–0 in Green Bay) and 1962 (16–7 at Yankee Stadium), marking the first two of their five titles in Lombardi's 9 years. After the 1962 championship win, President John F. Kennedy called Lombardi and asked him if he would 'come back to Army and coach again'; Kennedy received Lombardi's tacit denial of the request. His only other post-season loss occurred to the St. Louis Cardinals in the Playoff Bowl (3rd place game) after the 1964 season (officially classified as an exhibition game).

Including postseason but excluding exhibition games, Lombardi went on to accomplish a 105–35–6 (.740 winning percent) record as head coach, and he never suffered a losing season. He led the Packers to three consecutive NFL championships—-in 1965, 1966, and 1967—-a feat accomplished only once before in the history of the league (by Curly Lambeau, founder of the Packers, who coached the team to their first three straight NFL Championships in 1929, 1930, and 1931). At the conclusion of the 1966 and 1967 seasons, Lombardi's Packers teams would also go on to win the first two Super Bowls, solidifying his place as, arguably, the greatest coach in football history. Lombardi coached the Green Bay Packers to complete championships in five of 7 seasons.

The Lombardi Sweep

As coach of the Packers, Lombardi converted Notre Dame quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung to a full-time halfback. Lombardi designed a play for Hornung based on an old single wing concept—both guards pulled to the outside and blocked downfield while Hornung would "run to daylight" -- i.e., wherever the defenders weren't. This was a play that he had originally developed with the Giants for Gifford that would become famous as the "Lombardi sweep" or "Packer power sweep."

====1967 Season====

The Ice Bowl

Lombardi's Packers hosted the Dallas Cowboys in Green Bay on December 31, 1967 in the NFL Championship Game of 1967. This became known as the ''Ice Bowl'' because of the -13F gametime temperature. With 16 seconds left in the game and down by 3 points, the Packers called their final time-out. It was 3rd and goal on the Dallas 2 foot line. In the huddle, with the game on the line, Starr asked Kramer whether he can get enough traction on the icy turf for a wedge play and Kramer responded with an unequivocal yes. Quarterback Bart Starr came over to Lombardi on the sidelines to discuss the last play and told him he wanted to run a 31 wedge, but with him keeping the ball. Lombardi told Starr to 'Run it! And let's get the hell out of here.' Lombardi was asked by Pat Peppler what play Starr would call, to which Lombardi replied, 'Damned if I know.' Starr returned to the huddle and called a Brown right 31 Wedge, but with him keeping the ball. At the snap of the ball, Kramer blocked Jethro Pugh low and Ken Bowman hit Pugh high as Starr followed them into the end zone for the Packer lead and eventual victory.

In a post-game interviewing, Kramer refuted the criticism Lombardi had taken in articles in magazines during the year that portrayed Lombardi as a cruel, vicious tyrant to say that he was a very wonderful person whom the entire team respected and loved.

Washington Redskins

Lombardi stepped down as head coach of the Packers following the 1967 NFL season, staying on as the team's general manager for 1968. He handed off the head coaching position to Phil Bengtson, a longtime assistant, but the Packers finished at 6–7–1 and out of the four team NFL playoffs. A restless Lombardi returned to coaching in 1969 with the Washington Redskins, where he broke a string of 14 losing seasons. The 'Skins would finish with a record of 7–5–2, significant for a number of reasons. Lombardi discovered that rookie running back Larry Brown was deaf in one ear, something that had escaped his parents, schoolteachers, and previous coaches. Lombardi had observed Brown's habit of tilting his head in one direction when listening to signals being called, and walked behind him during drills and said "Larry." When Brown did not answer, the coach asked him to take a hearing exam. Brown was fitted with a hearing aid, and with this correction he would enjoy a successful NFL career.

Lombardi got quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, one of the league's premier forward passers, into the best condition he could. He coaxed former All-Pro linebacker Sam Huff out of retirement. He even changed the team's uniform design to reflect that of the Packers, with gold and white trim along the jersey biceps, and later a gold helmet with an "R" inside a circle, similar to the famous Green Bay "G" monogram. The foundation Lombardi laid was the groundwork for Washington's early 1970s success under former L.A. Rams Coach George Allen. Lombardi had brought a winning attitude to the Nation's Capital, in the same year that the nearby University of Maryland had hired Lefty Driesell to coach basketball and the hapless expansion Washington Senators named Ted Williams as manager and led the club to its only winning record in Washington (86–76). It marked a renaissance in sports interest in America's most transient of cities. However, Lombardi would never get to see the fruit of his labor in the nation's capital, for he died on September 3, 1970.

Personal

Family life

Lawlor introduced Lombardi to his cousin, Marie Planitz. Marie became enamored with Lombardi, and when Marie announced her yearning to marry him, her father told her that he did not want his daughter marrying an Italian, a prejudice against his heritage he would face more than once in his life. Lombardi and Marie were married on August 31, 1940.

Marie tragically lost her first child with Lombardi, not long after their wedding. The 'terrible effect' this had on Marie caused her to turn to "heavy drinking", a problem she would deal with on more than one occasion in her life. On April 27, 1942, their son Vincent Harold Lombardi (Vince Jr.) was born and on February 13, 1947, their daughter Susan was born.

"He seemed preoccupied with football even on their honeymoon, and cut it short to get back to Englewood...'I wasn't married to him more than one week' she later related, 'when I said to myself, Marie Planitz, you've made the greatest mistake of your life.'" Lombardi's perfectionism, authoritarian nature and temper, Marie developed a masterful ability to verbally assault and demean Lombardi, as well as retort Lombardi's insults.

Football was both a positive and negative impact on Lombardi's and Marie's relationship. After his inaugural season with the Packers, Marie attended all the away games of the Packers. Marie loved the traveling, It increased her self-worth that he became publicly acclaimed. She enjoyed the social pageantry his celebrated status produced. Marie thought their relationship was fine, except when football was involved, but football was a continual presence in Lombardi's life.

Lombardi's tirades were a common occurrence in his home. Neither Marie, Vince Jr., nor Susan were immune from his yelling. When Lombardi had not lost his temper and was not raving, he would be reticent and aloof from his immediate family. In the latter stages of his life, Lombardi worried that he had been a terrible father.

Religion

The three constants throughout Lombardi's life were sports, particularly football, family and religion. His father was a daily communicant throughout his life and his mother's favorite picture of him as a child was on his Confirmation. which when his mother, ''Matty'', got wind of, she bragged about it to her neighbors. In later years, he told friends, being a football coach allowed him to be a "father figure and leader...like a priest...but did not force him to repress his emotions."

During his tenure at St. Cecilia, Lombardi attended mass every day and "prayed for calm and control: of his temper and..." his wife's drinking. At St. Cecilia, Lombardi shared an office with Father Tim Moore wherein it was not unusual for Lombardi to interrupt a conversation and request to go to Confession and which Father Tim would oblige him right in the office. During his stay at Green Bay, Lombardi once emerged from his office and appeared before his secretary, Ruth McKloskey, wearing "...all these priest robes on, and he had a miter with a tassel, everything." Each day on his way to work for the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi would stop at St. Willebrord and "offer a prayer in case of unexpected death: 'My God, if I am to die today, or suddenly at any time, I wish to receive this Communion as my viaticum...'." On the morning of the dedication of Lombardi Avenue, Lombardi remarked, to his 37 member entourage, he was pleased to have gotten them all up to attend morning mass. Lombardi was also a 4th degree in the Catholic fraternity the Knights of Columbus.

Unprejudiced nature

In 1960, on at least one team, a color barrier still existed in the NFL. But Jack Vainisi, the Scouting Director for the Packers, and Lombardi were determined "to ignore the prejudices then prevalent in most NFL front office in their search for the most talented players." Lombardi explained his views by saying that he "...viewed his players as neither black nor white, but Packer green." Among professional football head coaches, Lombardi's view on discrimination was not ''de rigueur'' in the midst of the American civil rights movement.

An interracial relationship between one of the Packer rookies and a young woman was brought to the attention of Lombardi by Packer veterans in his first training camp in Green Bay. The next day at training camp he responded by warning his team that if any player exhibited prejudice, in any manner, then that player would be thrown off the team. Lombardi, who was vehemently opposed to Jim Crow discrimination, let it be known to all Green Bay establishments that if they did not accommodate his black players equally as well as his white players, then that business would be off-limits to the entire team. Before the start of the 1960 regular season, he instituted a policy that the Packers would only lodge in places that accepted all his players. In the all-white Oneida Golf and Riding Country club, of which Lombardi was a member, Lombardi demanded that he should be allowed to choose a Native American caddy, even when white caddies were available. Lombardi's view on racial matters was a result of his religious faith and the prejudice he experienced as an Italian-American.

Lombardi's unprejudiced attitude was not confined towards his players, nor was it confined to race or ethnicity, nor towards sexual orientation. Lombardi would have gay players at training camp and Lombardi would privately hope they would prove they deserved a spot on the team At the Washington Redskins training camp in 1969, Ray Douglas McDonald was a gay player, with sub-par skills, who was trying to make the Redskin roster again, but this time with Lombardi as the Redskins' new head coach. Lombardi told running back coach, George Dickson, 'I want you to get on McDonald and work on him and work on him - and if I hear one of you people make reference to his manhood you'll be out of here before your ass hits the ground.' Lombardi's Catholic teachings, with respect to homosexuality, were subordinate to his nonprejudicial character. On June 24, 1970, Lombardi was admitted to Georgetown University Hospital, and tests "revealed anaplastic carcinoma in the rectal area of his colon - a fast-growing malignant cancer in which the cells barely resemble their normal appearance." On July 27, Lombardi was readmitted to Georgetown and exploratory surgery found that the cancer was terminal. Lombardi, with Marie at his side, received family, friends, clergy, players, and former players at his hospital bedside. He received a phone call from President Nixon telling Lombardi that all of America was ''behind him'' - to which Lombardi replied that he would never give up his fight against his illness. On his deathbed, Lombardi told Father Tim that he was not afraid to die, but that he regretted he could not have accomplished more in his life. He died on September 3, 1970 at the age of 57.

On September 7, the funeral was held at Manhattan's St. Patrick's Cathedral. Approximately, 1,500 people lined Fifth Avenue and between 39th and 50th Street, Fifth Avenue was closed to traffic. Terence Cardinal Cooke delivered the eulogy. In attendance were team owners, Commissioner Pete Rozelle, past and present members of the Packers, Redskins, and Giants, former students from Saints, colleagues and players from West Point, and classmates from Fordham, including the remaining Blocks of Granite." Vince Lombardi is buried next to his wife Marie and his parents Harry and Matilda, in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Middletown Township, New Jersey.

Legacy

Vince Lombardi became virtually synonymous with the NFL. This began during his career: he was featured as the face of the NFL on the cover of ''Time'' on December 14, 1962 as part of the magazine's cover story on "The Sport of the '60s."

During Lombardi's illness, Marie had already ''sanctified'' Lombardi, so much so that Vince Jr. accused his mother of over-exaggerating Lombardi's significance. Susan, for all her misgivings about her relationship with her father while growing up, came to realize long after her father's death, that she had a truly wonderful childhood and upbringing, and she very much missed and loved him. Vince Jr., like Susan, had his own conflicted views of his relationship with his father as late as 1976. Using his father as a model, Vince Jr. would eventually become a paid speaker, and author of several books, on leadership.

"Lombardi time" is the principle that one should arrive 10–15 minutes early, or else be considered late.

Vince Jr. viewed an integral part of his father's success was in stressing effort more than on fixating on failures.

Lombardi' infusion of the Green Bay Packers as one family, lacking any racial tensions, was one of the reasons the Packers were so successful on the football field.

Popular culture

In 1968, Lombardi starred in a half-hour motivational film titled ''Second Effort'', that has been called "The best-selling training film of all time".

In 1973, the 1-hour Lombardi biographical TV drama "Legend in Granite" was released. It starred Ernest Borgnine as Vince, focusing mostly on his first 2 years as Packers head coach (1959–1960). NFL Films and HBO produced a film about Lombardi which debuted Saturday, December 11, 2010. A play entitled ''Lombardi'' opened on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City in October 2010, following an out-of-town tryout at the Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The production stars Dan Lauria as Lombardi and Judith Light as his wife, Marie. The play has received positive reviews, as has Lauria's performance. ESPN Films has announced that they will be making a film chronicling Lombardi's years as coach for Green Bay, set to be released in February 2012. Robert De Niro has been reportedly signed to play Lombardi in the film.

Honors

On May 1967, Lombardi "...received Fordham's highest honor, the Insignis Medal, ...for being a great teacher" On January 13, 1969, he was inducted into the Knights of Malta at St. Patrick's. Inducted into the Fordham University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1971

As part of the Lambeau Field renovation, a 14-foot statue of Lombardi now stands on a plaza outside the stadium, in an overcoat grasping a program, as he did often on the sideline.

In 1968, Highland Avenue in Green Bay, home to the Packers' Lambeau Field, was renamed Lombardi Avenue. In 1969, the Catholic Youth Organization awarded Lombardi with the Jack Mara sportsman of he year. The Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center at Georgetown University is named in his honor. One of the Green Bay School District's schools is named the ''Lombardi Middle School''. The football field at Old Bridge High School in Old Bridge, New Jersey, is named ''Lombardi Field.'' The football field in Palisades Park is also known as ''Lombardi Field.'' Vince Lombardi Square (with a plaque dedication in the sidewalk on the square) is near Sheepshead Bay Road and East 14th Street in Brooklyn, New York. There are two places in the Bensonhurst area, which are, or were, dedicated to Lombardi at one time: P.S. 204 Vince Lombardi Elementary School, and the entire Bensonhurst stretch of 16th Avenue was once dedicated by the City of New York as "Vince Lombardi Boulevard."

The Vince Lombardi Service Area and park-and-ride is the northernmost rest area on the New Jersey Turnpike, at mileposts 116E on the Eastern Spur and 115.5W on the Western Spur. Outside the gift shop is a plaque about his life, which notes that he is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Middletown, New Jersey.

The Vincent T. Lombardi Council, No. 6552, Knights of Columbus, in Middletown, New Jersey, is named for him.

The Vince Lombardi Cancer clinic at Aurora Health Care is named after him. The Vincent T. Lombardi Center at Fordham University was named for the coach. The NFL's Super Bowl Trophy was renamed the Vince Lombardi Trophy In 1970, the Rotary Club of Houston created the Lombardi Award. It is given annually to the best college football offensive, or defensive, lineman or linebacker.

In 1969, Lombardi received the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest adult award given by the Boy Scouts of America.

Lombardi was enshrined in the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Lombardi was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976.

Lombardi is a member of the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame.

Induction into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame 1988

In 2008, Lombardi is inducted into the ''New Jersey Hall of Fame.'' Lombardi appeared on a U.S. Postage stamp first issued on July 25, 1997.

Head coaching record

5 !1960 Green Bay Packers season 4 !1961 Green Bay Packers season 3 !1962 Green Bay Packers season 1 !1963 Green Bay Packers season 2 !1964 Green Bay Packers season 5 !1965 Green Bay Packers season 3 !1966 Green Bay Packers season 2 !1967 Green Bay Packers season 4 89 !1969 Washington Redskins season 5 7 96

rowspan="2"	Team !! rowspan="2"|Year !! colspan="5"|Regular Season !! colspan="4"|Post Season
!Won!!Lost!!Ties!!Win Ratio!!Finish!! Won !! Lost !! Win % !! Result
1959 Green Bay Packers season>GB	1959 NFL season>1959		7	|	0	.583	3rd (Tie) in NFL West	-	-	-	-
GB||1960		8	|	0	.667	1st in NFL West	0	1	.000	Lost to Philadelphia Eagles in NFL Championship
GB||1961		11	|	0	.786	1st in NFL West	1	0	1.000	Won NFL Championship
GB||1962		13	|	0	.929	1st in NFL West	1	0	1.000	Won NFL Championship
GB||1963		11	|	1	.846	2nd in NFL West	-	-	-	-
GB||1964		8	|	1	.615	2nd in NFL West	-	-	-	-
GB||1965		10	|	1	.769	1st in NFL West	2	0	1.000	Won NFL Championship
GB||1966		12	|	0	.847	1st in NFL West	2	0	1.000	Won Super Bowl I
GB||1967		9	|	1	.692	1st in NFL Central	3	0	1.000	Won Super Bowl II
colspan="2"	GB Total	|	29	4	.754	|9||	1	.900
WAS||1969		7	|	2	.583	2nd in Eastern Capital	-	-	-	-
colspan="2"	WAS Total	|	5	2	.583
colspan="2"	Total	|	34	6	.738	|9||	1	.900

Sources:

Books

''Run to Daylight'' by Vince Lombardi with W. C. Heinz

Books written about him

''Football's Greatest Coach: Vince Lombardi'' by Gene Schoor

''The Lombardi Legacy: Thirty People who were Touched by Greatness'' by Royce Boyles and Dave Robinson

''Coach: A Season With Lombardi'' by Tom Dowling

''By Their Works: Profiles of Men of Faith Who Made a Difference'' by Stephen Singular

See also

List of Knights of Columbus

Citations

Sources

''When Pride Still Mattered, A Life of Vince Lombardi,'' by David Maraniss, 1999, (ISBN 0-684-84418-4) ISBN 978-0-618-90499-0

Claerbaut, David (2004), ''Bart Starr: When Leadership Mattered'', Lanham, MD.:Taylor Trade Publishing ISBN 1-58979-117-7

Davis, Jeff (2005), ''Papa Bear, the life and legacy of George Halas''. New York:McGraw-Hill ISBN 0-07-146054-3

Davis, Jeff (2008), '' Rozelle: Czar of the NFL''. New York:McGraw-Hill ISBN 0-07-159352-

Eisenberg, John (2009), ''That First Season:: How Vince Lombardi Took the Worst Team in the NFL and Set It on the Path to Glory''. New York:Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN

Flynn, George L. (1976), ''The Vince Lombardi Scrapbook''. New York:Grosset and Dunlap New York ISBN 0-448-12401-7

Gruver, Edward (1998). ''The Ice Bowl:The Cold Truth About Football's Most Unforgettable Game''. Ithaca, New York:McBooks Press, Inc. eISBN 1-59013-080-4

Kramer, Jerry, and Schapp, Dick (2006), ''Instant Replay, The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer''. New York:Doubleday ISBN ISBN 0385517459 ISBN ISBN 978-0385517454 (eISBN 978-0-307-48632-5)

Levy, Alan H. (2003). ''Tackling Jim Crow, Racial Segregation in Professional Football''. Jefferson, North Carolina:McFarland and Co., Inc. ISBN ISBN 0-7864-1597-5

Lombardi Jr., Vince (2003), ''The Essential Vince Lombardi:Words & Wisdom to Motivate''. New York:McGraw-Hill ISBN 0-07-139096-0

MacCambridge, Michael (2004, 2005), ''America's Game''. New York:Anchor Books ISBN ISBN 978-0-307-48143-6

O'Brien, Michael (1987), ''Vince: A Personal Biography of Vince Lombardi''. New York:William Morrow and Company, Inc. ISBN 0-688-07406-6

Phillips, Donald T. (2001), ''Run to Win''. New York:St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-27298-7 (hc) ISBN 0-312-30308-4 (pbk)

Ross, Charles K. (1999), ''Outside the Lines: African Americans and the Integration of the National Football League''. New York:New York Publishing Company. p. 149. ISBN 0-8147-7495-4

Summerall, Pat and Levin, Michael (2010), ''Giants:What I learned about life from Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry'', Hoboken, NJ:John Wiley and Sons, Inc., (eISBN 978-0-470-90908-9)

Wiebusch, John (1971), ''Lombardi.''. Chicago:Triumph Books, ISBN 1-572-43028-1

Further reading

Cavanaugh, Jack (2008), ''Giants Among Men''. New York:Random House. eISBN ISBN 978-1-58836-697-9

Gifford, Frank and Richmond, Peter (2008), ''The Glory Game:How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever''. New York:Harper Collins eISBN ISBN 978-0-06-171659-1

Lombardi, Vince Jr. (2001), ''What It Takes to Be #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership''. New York:McGraw-Hill.

Lombardi, Vince Jr. (2003), ''The Lombardi Rules: 26 Lessons from Vince Lombardi:The World's Greatest Coach''. New York:McGraw-Hill

External links

Official Vince Lombardi Website

Pro Football Hall of Fame - Vince Lombardi

Vince Lombardi Memorial at Find A Grave

Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center

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