From the University of Minnesota, George Svendsen would play five seasons with the Green Bay Packers over two runs.
Buford "Baby" Ray played his college ball at Vanderbilt, and while he was not drafted in by any team in the NFL in 1938, he signed with the Green Bay Packers. He would play his entire career in Wisconsin, which spanned 11 seasons. Ray played Predominantly at Left Tackle, where he assisted the team in winning the 1938 and 1944 NFL Championship. He would be named by UPI as an All-Pro four times (one First Team and three Second Team) and would be a Pro Bowl Selection in 1939.
Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players and executive. As such, it is major news to us that the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame will be inducting former players, Al Harris and Charles Woodson.
After spending five seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, Al Harris would arrive in a trade to Green Bay before the 2003 Season. Playing at Cornerback, Harris would secure two Pro Bowl Selections (2007 & 2008) and was regarded as one of the better man-to-man coverage specialists in the league. Statistically speaking, Harris had 14 Sacks, running two of them back for Touchdowns.
Charles Woodson was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1997 and he was drafted fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders. Like Harris, Woodson played at Cornerback and he would join Green Bay in 2006 as a Free Agent. Woodson played seven seasons with the Packers, and he would be named to the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons (2008-11). In 2009 and 2011, he would lead the NFL in Interceptions and was a First Team All-Pro, with the first of those seeing Woodson win the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Woodson would overall record 38 Interceptions and 11.5 Sacks in Green Bay, while helping them win Super Bowl XLV. He would rejoin Oakland in 2013.
The official induction ceremony will happen on April 18, 2020.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate both Al Harris and Charles Woodson for earning this honor.
Fuzzy Thurston may never have made a Pro Bowl, but we have no problem ranking him high on this list.
Boyd Dowler came from the mountains to the cheese country of Wisconsin, whereas a member of the Green Bay Packers, he would win five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls. Dowler wasted no time becoming a high-end weapon for Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi, and United Press named him the Rookie of the Year in 1959. He would have at least 500 Receiving Yards for nine seasons and was a Pro Bowl Selection twice (1965 & 1967). Dowler played all but his last season with the Packers and was a fixture in their five 1960’s championship teams and their first two Super Bowl wins, scoring a TD in Super Bowl II.
Are there enough Green Bay Packers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
One of the early stars of the Green Bay Packers, Verne Lewellen, was an all-purpose Back who did it all for Green Bay. The product of Nebraska (the state and the University) would be named to four straight First Team All-Pro squads (1926 to 1929) and was a large part of their three consecutive NFL Championships (1929 to 1931).
From Rice University, Tobin Rote was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, but in '50 the Pack was not very good, and wouldn't be for years. The ineptitude of Green Bay was no fault of Rote, who proved to be an excellent QB, but didn't have a lot of teammates around him at his level. He was also a solid rusher, especially early in his career. For those who dismissed Rote, in 1956 on what was still a mediocre Packers team, he would lead the NFL in Passing Yards and Completions and had a then-record 29 Touchdown Passes. Despite that great season, the Packers traded him to Detroit, who began the season sharing Quarterbacking duties with Bobby Layne, but was clearly the main pivot on a team that would win the 1957 NFL Championship Team.
Usually, when you speak of a five-year career in any sport, you can't be talking about a great player. Not very many people had a five-year run like Cecil Isbell.
Lavvie Dilweg was a celebrated athlete who played for Marquette before signing with the Milwaukee Badgers in 1926. Unfortunately, the team folded that year. However, Dilweg's career continued as he joined the Green Bay Packers in 1927 and played for them until 1934. Dilweg was considered to be one of the most versatile players of his time, and his peers regarded him as one of the top tacklers and blockers. Although statistics were not well-kept in those days, it is believed he had 27 Interceptions and was a constant behind his opponent’s line of scrimmage; Dilweg was also a decent offensive player, using his quickness to evade tacklers. He helped his team win three consecutive NFL Championships (1929, 1930 & 1931).
Dilweg was named to the 1920s All-Decade Team and was a First-Team All-Pro for five consecutive years (1927 to 1931). Despite these accolades, he was never even nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which is considered a curious omission to many. While some Green Bay fans champion other players for the Hall of Fame, Lavvie Dilweg is the biggest snub. However, the fact that he was named a Finalist by the Centennial Slate Class offers a little hope for the future, though not much.
It is a very sad day for Pro Football and the Green Bay Packers as it was announced that Hall of Fame Quarterback, Bart Starr, died at the age of 85.
The 17thRound Pick for Green Bay in 1956 from Alabama, Starr was a backup to Tobin Rote and Babe Parilli until new Head Coach, Vince Lombardi made him the starting QB in 1959. The Lombardi/Starr combination would win five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowls. Starr spent his entire career with Green Bay where he was a four-time Pro Bowl Selection, one-time First Team All-Pro and four-time leader in Pass Completion Percentage. He would throw for 24,718 Yards and 152 Touchdowns.
After his playing career, Starr would become a coach and was at the helm for Green Bay from 1975 to 1983.
He would enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, his first year of eligibility.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the friends, family, and fans of Bart Starr at this time.
You have to hand it to the Green Bay Packers who know how important their fans are. So much so, that they have a Hall of Fame dedicated to them.
The Nominees are out for the 21stClass have been announced and should you wish to vote you can do so here. Voting is up until January 31.
The Finalists are:
Chuck Bromley, Middleton, ID
Soctt Cagle, Suamico, WI
Ron Colbo, De Pere, WI
Li Hu, Oshkosh, WI
Amy Nelson, Mayville, WI
Paul Pagnozzi, Hawthrorne, NJ
Brent Perzentka, Madison, WI
Steve Sexsmith, Appleto, WI
Dennis Wiley, Houston, TX
Charlie Younkie, Green Bay, WI
The winner will be announced in February.