Titletown, USA Most every football fan knows this refers to the Green Bay Packers. Their 12 championships are more than any other professional football team ever. There have been 21 Packers to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, second only to their main rival the Chicago Bears. They have played the Bears 178 times, winning 82 and tying six. This is one of the oldest and best rivalries going in the game today, and the Packers are the third oldest team in NFL history. There is a difference of just 116 points scored between the two. The Packers actually trace back to semi-pro teams in 1896. Curley Lambeau is one of the founders of the professional franchise, borrowing money from his employer, Indian Packing Company, to get uniforms and equipment. The Green Bay Packers are the oldest team by use of nickname and origin in the NFL today. They were fist referred to as the "Indians", but played their first game known as the "Packers". Their first team colors were navy blue and gold, after Lambeau's Alma mater Notre Dame. Lambeau briefly considered changing the team name to the "Blues". They changed to their current colors of green and gold in 1950, and then started using the "G" emblem on their helmet in 1961. Despite having the smallest television market in a town of barely over 102,000 people, the fans are considered amongst the most loyal and rabid. The history that emanates from this team, from Lambeau, who the Packers named their stadium after, to "Blood" McNally, to Don Hutson, the man who many say invented the pass pattern, to Vince Lombardi, the man who the NFL named their championship trophy after, to Bart Starr and even Brett Favre, the lineage is unlike any other franchise. Now with rising star Aaron Rodgers leading a young roster chock full of talent, Packers fans are looking forward to continue filling up the largest trophy case in the NFL. Remember : This is a team of players who are not, and maybe never will be, members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback : Cecil Isbell Isbell was the Packers first round draft pick in 1938, the seventh overall selection. He was used as a halfback mostly at first, because Hall of Famer Arnie Hebner was the primary quarterback. Hall of Fame head coach Curly Lambeau alternated them often, as well as played them together. Leading the NFL with a 5.2 yards per carry average, Isbell was named a Pro Bowler his rookie year. He led the team in rushing and passing, helping them get to the NFL Championship game before losing to the New York Giants. He led the team in rushing again the next year, making the Pro Bowl again. Green Bay faced the Giants again in the championship game and won 27-0. He split time at quarterback with Herber until the end of the 1940 season, when Herber retired. Now the primary quarterback in 1941, Isbell led the NFL in attempts, completions, completion percentage, passing yards and touchdowns,, touchdowns and interception percentage, yards gained per pass attempt, completion, and per game played, as well as quarterback rating. He was named to the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro. His 1,479 passing yards was an NFL record at the time. He broke that record with another Pro Bowl season the next year by tossing for an NFL leading 2,021 yards. He also led the NFL in touchdown passes, completions, touchdown percentage, yards gained per attempt, passing yards per game, quarterback rating, and a career long 73 yard pbutt. Hall of Fame receiver Don Hutson was his primary target, grabbing 17 scores, a record that stood 42 years, out of his 24 touchdowns total. Hutson also caught 74 of Isbell's 146 completions, and 1,211 of Cecil's passing yards. Isbell then suddenly retired from the game, stating he wanted to leave at the top of his game.He went on to become a head coach at the college and professional ranks. His four Pro Bowls is tied with Hall of Famer Bart Starr as the second most by a Packers quarterback, and his 61 touchdown passes still rank sixth best in team history. He is a member of both the Packers and College Football Hall of Fames, as well as the NFL 1930's All-Decade Team alongside Herber. Cecil Isbell is the only quarterback on that team not yet inducted into Canton, but four Pro Bowls in his five year career shows he was great. Lynn twinkyey, Don Majkowski, and Tobin Rote deserve mention. Fullback : John Brockington Brockington was the Packers first round draft pick in 1971, the ninth player chosen overall. He quickly became the main staple of Green Bay's offensive attack, running for 1,105 yards at a career best 5.1 yards per carry. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, the only Packer to ever acquire this honor. He won the NFC Rookie of the Year Award by the UPI, and was also named to the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro that year. He gained over 1,000 yards the next year on a career best 274 carries and nine total touchdowns, getting to his second Pro Bowl. The 1973 season was his last as both a Pro Bowler and 1,000 yard rusher. He set career highs with 1,144 yards and 81.7 yards rushing per game. Though he churned out 833 yards the next year, it became apparent the amount of carries has piled up on him. After running for 840 yards the next two years, he was cut after the first game of the 1977 season. The Kansas City Chiefs picked him up for ten games as a reserve, and he retired at the end of the year. John Brockington is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, and his 5,024 career yards rushing with the Packers still ranks third best in team history. He three Pro Bowls is tied with Hall of Famer Clarke Hinkle as the second most by any Packers fullback. Though Hinkle and Jim Taylor are Hall of Famers who are thought to be the best fullbacks in Green Bay history, Brockington was a special player in his own right. William Henderson, Howie Ferguson, Ted Fritsch, Edgar Bennett, Frank Balasz, Gerry Ellis, and Ed Jankowski deserve mention. Halfback : Ahman Green Green was a third round draft pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 1998. He spent two years there mostly riding the bench, carrying the ball 61 times total before being traded to the Packers. Green Bay put him to work immediately as their featured back, and he churned out five consecutive seasons where he gained over 1,000 yards on the ground. He also went to the Pro Bowl four straight years. He also caught 267 passes over those five years, displaying what a complete weapon he was for the team. No other player gained as many yards in those five seasons than he did. He also was explosive, running for touchdowns from 98 and 90 yards out. He is one of just two players in NFL history to have touchdown runs of 90 yards or more. After an injury plagued 2006 season that saw him play just five games, Green rebounded the next year with his sixth 1,000 yard season in seven years. He then joined the Houston Texans for two injury riddled years before rejoining he Packers in 2009 to add depth to a depleted backfield. Though he played just eight games as a reserve, he gained enough yards to become the Packers all-time leader in rushing yards and carries. No Packers halfback has appeared in more Pro Bowls that his four. His 350 receptions are the most by any running back, and ranks seventh on the teams list. A lot was made of the fact Green fumbled 34 times as a Packer, but he only fumbled one more time with 40 more carries than Hall of Famer Jim Taylor, who is considered the greatest fullback in team history. Ahman Green may very well be the best halfback the team ever had. He recently joined the Omaha Nighthawks in the United Football League. Billy Grimes, Vern Lewellen, Joe Laws, Tom Moore, Larry Buhler, twinky Weisgerber, Hank Bruder, Donny Anderson, Dorsey Levins, Terdell Middleton, Andy Uram, Travis Jervey, Brent Fullwood, and Jimmy Lawrence all deserve mention. Wide Receiver : Billy Howton Howton was the Packers second round draft pick in 1952. He became a star right away, leading the league with career best marks of 1,231 receiving yards and total yards from scrimmage, 102.6 receiving yards per game, and a 90 yard reception. He also averaged a career high 23. 2 yards on 52 catches, scoring 13 times, and making the Pro Bowl squad. Despite playing just eight games because of injuries the next year, he went back to the Pro Bowl in 1955. He led the NFL with 1,188 receiving yards, 12 touchdowns, and 99 yards receiving per game in 1956, as well as averaging 21.6 yards per catch on a career best 55 receptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl and garnered a First Team All-Pro nod. He replicated the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors the next season, and made his final Pro Bowl squad in 1957. He joined the Cleveland Browns for the 1959 season before joining the fledgling Dallas Cowboys in their expansion year in 1960. He stayed with the Cowboys for four years, catching 161 passes over that time. He retired with 503 career receptions for 8,459 yards after 1963, and both were NFL records at the time. Though he was the very first NFLPA president, and a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, Howton has yet to be close to induction into Canton though it appears very evident he is worthy. Wide Receiver : Sterling Sharpe Sharpe was the Packers first round draft pick in 1988, the seventh pick overall. He started immediately and grabbed 55 balls. He led the NFL with 90 catches the next season, attaining his first Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro nods. He made the Pro Bowl again the next year. The 1992 season may have been his best. He led the league with 108 catches for a career best 1,461 yards and 13 scores. He also averaged an NFL best 91.3 yards receiving per game. His 108 catches were an NFL record at the time. He won the Triple Crown for receivers by leading the league in catches, yards, scores, becoming just the 6th player to ever accomplish this. All previous players to have done this are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and only Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers has done this since. He was also named to the Pro Bowl as well as First Team All-Pro. He broke that record with 112 the next year, becoming the first player to have consecutive seasons of over 100 receptions. He was named to the Pro Bowl and got his third nod as First Team All-Pro. His last year as a Pro Bowler was in 1994, which happened to also be his last as a player. He led the league with 18 touchdown catches on 94 receptions. He injured his neck so severely that year that he was forced to retire. Not only is Sharpe a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, his 595 receptions for 8.134 yards were team records until Donald Driver surpassed those marks in 2009. The Packers have had a ton of legendary wide receivers, and Sterling Sharpe certainly ranks near the top. Lavvie Dilweg, Boyd Dowler, Carroll Dale, John Jefferson, Tom Nash, Tillie Voss, Milt Gantenbein, Harry Jacunski, Carl Mulleneaux, Javon Walker, Roell Preston, Steve Odom, Max McGee, Robert Brooks, and Antonio Freeman all deserve mention. Tight End : Paul Coffman Coffman made the Packers squad as a free agent rookie in 1978, but did not accumulate any statistics in the 16 games he played that year. He earned the starting job the next year and snagged a career high 56 passes. He made the first of his three consecutive Pro Bowls after the strike shortened season of 1982. His best season may have been in 1983, when he set career high marks of 814 receiving yards, eleven touchdowns, and a 15.1 yards per catch average. He left the Packers after 1985 to join the Kansas City Chiefs. After 17 catches over two years, he joined the Minnesota Vikings and suited up for eight games before retiring at the end of the 1988 season. His 322 catches for 4,223 yards and 39 scores are far and away the most ever by any Packers tight end in the franchises history. His three Pro Bowls is tied as the most by a tight end in Green Bay history. It is safe to say Paul Coffman is the best to have ever played the position for them. Mark Chmura, Bubba Franks, Ron Kramer, Rich McGeorge, and Keith Jackson deserve mention. Center : Charley Brock Brock with Curley Lambeau Brock was drafted by the Packers in the third round of the 1939 draft, the 24th player chosen overall. He was named to the Pro Bowl and scored off of an interception in his rookie year as Green Bay won the championship. He made the Pro Bowl again the next season, then saw time at halfback and fullback over the next two years. He intercepted a career best 6 balls in 1942, and also scored off of a fumble recovery while making his last Pro Bowl. After Green Bay won the 1944 NFL Championship, he was named First Team All-Pro in 1945 after leading the NFL with 122 yards off interceptions and two returns for score. He also led the league with 52 yards off of 5 fumble recoveries. Brock retired after the 1947 season with 20 interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries in his career. His three Pro Bowls is the second most by a center in Packers franchise history behind Hall of Famer Jim Ringo. Not only is Brock a member of both the Packers and Nebraska University Football Hall of Fames, he is on the NFL 1940's All-Decade Team. He is one of the best all around players in team history. Larry McCarren, Frank Winters, Bo Svendsen, Tom Greenfield, Ken Bowman, Nate Barragar, and Mike Flanagan all are worthy of mention. Guard : Gale Gillingham Gillingham was drafted by the Packers in the first round of the 1966 NFL Draft, the 13th player chosen overall. He earned the starting job at left guard late in the year, unseating Pro Bowler and Packers Hall of Famer Fuzzy Thurston. After helping Green Bay win the famous "Ice Bowl" game against the Dallas Cowboys, he helped the Packers defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in the first championship game between the NFL and American Football League. It is now commonly known as Super Bowl I. The Packers repeated as champions the next year as well, as Gillingham started in every game. He would start in every game the team played until 1976, except for 12 games due to injury in 1972. He made his first Pro Bowl in 1969, as well as garnering First Team All-Pro honors. After repeating that feat the next season, he made the Pro Bowl in 1971 before being injured in the second game of 1972 and missing the rest of the season. Gillingham returned to the Pro Bowl in 1973 and the following year before deciding to retire at the end of 1976. He is a member of the teams Hall of Fame, and his five Pro Bowls are the most by any Packers guard in franchise history. Though Packers historians clamor for the induction of ex-guard Jerry Kramer's induction into Canton, Gale Gillingham certainly should be considered as well. Guard : Jerry Kramer Kramer was drafted in the fourth round of the 1958 draft by the Packers. He spent his rookie year as a reserve, mostly playing special teams. He earned the starting job the next year, which was also this first of Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi as a head coach. Kramer held onto his starters job until he retired. He was named First Team All-Pro for the first time in 1960, and was an integral part of Packers teams that won NFL Championships 1961, 1962, and 1965. He made the Pro Bowl and was honored as First Team All-Pro in 1962 and 1963. What made those two years particularly special was the fact Kramer served as the primary placekicker as well. He led the NFL in field goal percentage in 1962, made 16 out of 34 field goal attempts the next year, and made 81 out of 85 extra point attempts over that time. He would not kick again until his final season. He played just two games in 1964 because of injury, but rebounded to be named First Team All-Pro in both 1966 and 1967, as well as make the 1966 Pro Bowl squad. He retired after the 1968 season, where he went four for nine on field goals and nine out of ten on extra points. Jerry Kramer is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, the NFL 50th Anniversary Team, the NFL 1960's All-Decade Team, the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame, and the Senior Bowl 50th All-Time Anniversary Team. He has been a finalist for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame a whopping ten times. He is the only member of the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time team not yet inducted into Canton. He awaits his induction still, one that should have happened several decades ago, because he is one of the greatest guards in Packers history. Buckets Goldenberg, Fuzzy Thurston, Gust Zarnas, Bill Lueck, Paul Tinsley, Marco Rivera, Lon Evans, and Ross Letlow deserve mention. Tackle : twinky Wildung Wildung was the Green Bays first round draft pick in 1943, the eighth overall selection, but he served in the military until 1946 before joining the Packers. After playing guard his first two seasons, getting a safety playing defensive tackle as well, Green Bay moved him to left tackle in 1948. He stayed there the rest of his career, but missed the 1952 season because of injury. He made his lone Pro Bowl in 1951, then retired after 1953. He was inducted into both the Packers and College Football Hall of Fame. Though he was a Packer for just seven years, his impact lasted much longer. Tackle : Bob Skoronski Skoronski was drafted in the fifth round of the 1956 draft by the Packers. He won the staring job at left tackle right away that season. He had to leave the team until 1959 because he served in the military during the Korean Conflict. It was also the first season Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi was head coach. After playing as a reserve that year, he earned back his starting job in 1960 and would hold onto it until he retired after the 1968 season. Skoronski was so reliable that he missed just two games in his whole career. He was an integral part of a offensive line blocking for Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr. Green Bay won championships five times between 1961 to 1967. Skoronski was named to his lone Pro Bowl in 1966. Not only is he a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, but Bob Skoronski is one of the best left tackles the franchise has ever had. Baby Ray, Ernie Smith, Bill Lee, Paul Kell, Howard "Cub" Buck, Charles Schultz, Greg Koch, and Ade Schwammel deserve mention.
