Neither championships nor individual trophies weighed more. Then to $21,500. Nitschke was drafted in the third round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Packers, and he never looked back. Discover Ray Nitschke's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Fred died of dementia. The late Jackie Nitschke was married to Lombardi-era Packer Ray Nitschke. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961, to Jackie Forchette. Nitschke was selected in 1964. He touched everyone he met with his kindness and generosity. Those are the ones that dont understand what this is all about.. CTE. In 1974, Lueck's final season with the Packers, he was bothered by an assortment of injuries and started eight of 14 games. Nitschke was 61 years old. You don't need an agent. You know his classic lines, if it doesnt matter who wins or loses, then why do we keep score or the dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.. The loss of both parents enraged Nitschke, and the lack of a parental disciplinarian to quell his rage caused him to engage in fights with other kids in the neighborhood. And certainly, a week ago Sunday, he was smiling down on Cowboy Stadium and the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl victory. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of I remember when they'd grab Bart by the belt of his jersey and pile-drive him into the ground. [29] The only other Lombardi-era player to have his number retired is quarterback Bart Starr, whose number 15 was retired in 1973. I hit him about three times. Ray Wietecha was still the line coach and he had seen (Nitschke) do that to Hyland so he didn't pull me off. I thought maybe I'll get $75,000, $100,000. "Ray Nitschke had a style of play, a personality, a consciousness about being fully imbued into that which brought life to something called professional football," said Hall of Fame linebacker . In the 2005 version of the movie, there is no Bogdanski- probably because they couldnt find as mean a person as Ray Nitschke to play the part. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Jackie Forchette (26 June1961 - 1996)( her death)( 3 children). Grabo (Jim Grabowski) got $450,000. The Packers won 167 and finished the season with a 141 record. Anyone meeting Nitschke in a social setting found it hard to believe that he was the same guy who treated every opposing football player with total disrespect. They always listed me at 240. At this time, college football had reverted to primarily single-platoon football, meaning those players that were on offense had to switch to defense, and vice versa, when ball possession changed. Hit him on the head. When Nitschke became a born-again Christian in 1995, his wife Jackie told Ray he wore that number because there are 66 books in the Holy Bible, per Gruver. I think he tried to see how tough you were and if you were going to fight back. It all went for naught, as panelist Bennett Cerf, who had attended the game, guessed his identity immediately. He once scored four times in a game against Iowa State, all on long runs. The second year, no more offensive and defensive guys rooming together. * In high school, he played quarterback and at the University of Illinois actually played fullback, along with the linebacker position. Bengtson, after Lombardi left, said you and Freddie can't be roommates anymore. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. He was a beloved member of the Packers organization throughout his career and into retirement. One guy, Grant Smith of Detroit, asked Nitschke if he wanted to learn how to hang glide and the Packer, then 36 years old at the time, said it looked too dangerous for him. They said, 'Bill, we'll send you the paperwork and it will be done.' Nitschke always spoke at this luncheon, telling the new inductees what a great honor they were receiving, and that they were now members of the greatest team of them all. On the field, he was a ferocious middle linebacker who at times seemed to truly enjoy hitting people. Lombardi, as most ole football followers knew or are learning from a recent Broadway production, was a screamer and a drill sergeant as the Packer coach. Klaas walked inside to grab a few drinks, but Nitschke suffered a heart attack while sitting in the parked car. He also was a humanitarian, loved children and relished being an ambassador for Green Bay and the NFL. In 1974, when he came back to Frankfort, he had become a movie star playing in The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds. "I can remember Nitschke breaking his arm, busting his knee up and playing a whole half without even saying anything," Wood said. Tags: Video. Lombardi ran over to see what had happened, but when told it had fallen on Nitschke, said, "He'll be fine. Nitschke wasnt merely a hitter. "Ray was a ballplayer's ballplayer," former teammate Willie Wood said. Lee Remmel, the Packers public relations director and a former beat writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, recalled how well Nitschke treated fans. He almost always went after Bob Hyland. A fullback and linebacker at the University of Illinois, Nitschke was a member of the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team. pic.twitter.com/vf59f532Sw. Ray Nitschke most personified what the Hall of Fame really meant, Robinson said. ", On other members of a defensive unit coming off a third straight NFL championship: "I'll tell you the guy who did the most damage to the head was Ray Nitschke. He intercepted 25 passes and ran two of them back for touchdowns, and also recovered 20 fumbles. . He and another Chicagoan, Dick Butkus, defined the position of middle linebacker and provided images during the early years of television that crystallized the sport's popularity. The men who speak try to recapture Nitschkes message. Sign up now! Am I in trouble? He was the one player who most represented legendary coach Vince Lombardis toughness. Nitschke's wife, Jackie, died of cancer in 1996. On the field or off, though, Packer fans had an unwavering love affair with Nitschke. Were all equal, going in with 80 percent of the vote. Ray Nitschke. Congressman Steve Largent, who ended the pregame ceremonies by flipping the coin. [6], Nitschke entered Proviso Township High School in Maywood shortly before his mother's death. A new documentary tells the story of the wife of a former football player for the Green Bay Packers and her struggle with alcohol. (It was erroneously first reported as 5,000lb (2,270kg). They couldnt wait until they saw No. Raymond Ernest Nitschke (Wildman) Position: LB 6-3 , 235lb (190cm, 106kg) Born: December 29 in Elmwood Park, IL More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 1x Pro Bowl 2x All-Pro 2x SB Champ 5x NFL Champ HOF All-1960s Team 33 66 SUMMARY Career G 190 AV 120 Int 25 Yds 385 TD 2 Ray Nitschke Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1958 1959 1960 [1] He had been driving to the home of a family friend, according to his daughter, Amy Klaas, who was with him when he was stricken. [18] Nitschke returned for a 16th training camp in 1973, then retired in late August.[19][20][21][14]. Ray Nitschke spent two decades informing new Pro Football Hall of Famers none was bigger than the rest. When I came back to the car, he had had a heart attack. In Super Bowl I, Nitschke contributed six tackles and a sack. 66 was the fourth number retired in the franchises rich history. When a certain message needs to be delivered, Lanier knows who to call upon. 1 player to be crowned on Wednesday, Sept. 8. He proved to be a very skilled player and tackler as a linebacker, so much so that, by his senior year, Paul Brown considered him the best linebacker in college football. [17] In the divisional round of the playoffs on Christmas Eve, Green Bay lost 163 at Washington. So then I went in and showered and never turned my back on him. Nitschke remained popular in Green Bay after retiring, even having his phone number and home address published in the Green Bay phone book. As for Ray Nitschke, you could never question where his allegiance stood. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that day. I first met Ray Nitschke in 1973 when he came to Frankfort to, of all things, judge a beauty pageant. He appeared in the comic film Head, starring The Monkees, as a footballer who repeatedly tackles Peter Tork in a mock war movie sequence. He was a frequent golfer in retirement, and he loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren. ", On practicing against future Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Henry Jordan upon arrival in training camp as a rookie following the College All-Star Game: "He could move and he had a good head slap. Lombardi molded the Bart Starrs, Jerry Kramers, Paul Hornungs, Jim Taylors and Nitschkes into the best football teams of the 1960s. His annual treks to Canton, Ohio, for the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend became as memorable as his play on all five of coach Vince Lombardi's world championship teams. Ray Nitschke was born on December 29, 1936, in Elmwood Park, Illinois, United States. The film's executive producer, Jim Rivett, said that Nitschke was the first "Packer Wife" to publicly acknowledge her alcoholism. They couldn't live with each other and they couldn't live without each other, said Rivett. His bad grades and temper couldnt derail such a phenomenal athlete. https://www.britannica.com/facts/Ray-Nitschke, 66 (Green Bay Packers, 19591972) 33 (Green Bay Packers, 1958). ", Comparing Bratkowski to Starr: "Zeke had the arm. A month after the 1958 season ended, Vince Lombardi was hired as head coach. Get back to work!" * In the NFL championship game of 1962, he would recover two fumbles and deflect a pass that was intercepted gaining MVP honors and a new Chevrolet Corvette. Lueck, 74, lives in suburban Phoenix. His wife is Jackie Forchette (26 June1961 - 1996)( her death)( 3 children). I want him to remember Ray Nitschke, even in his dreams.". He was adopted by an older brother, and grew up as a self-acknowledged bully. Puplis advised him to accept a football scholarship. Raised by two older brothers, Nitschke praised Proviso coach Andy Puplis and other high school coaches for keeping him on the right track. Try a week on us. Welcome tothe NFL 100,The Athleticsendeavor to identify the 100 best players in football history. He would lament this embarrassment for the rest of his life.[7]. Nitschke remained a starter through the 1970 season, but in 1971 he was benched by new coach Dan Devine and became a reserve to Jim Carter. He lost both his parents by the age of 14, causing a lot of trouble in school. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. He played the rest of the game.[11]. In Super Bowl II, Nitschke led Green Bay's defense with nine tackles. Ray Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois. Never a good student in high school, his grades suffered at college. If you thought Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke was tough, you should get to know his wife Jackie. "People talk about tough he was, how bad he was. When he walked off the field and put on his horn-rimmed glasses, Robinson said, youd think he was a CPA unless he took his teeth out.. [22][23][24][25][26] ProFootballHistory.com. The review in Kirkus Reviews concluded, "This lacks the wider appeal of, say, an Instant Replay and it's antithetical to the juicy Ball Four genre. Yary witnessed the fury before he entered the NFL in 1968 with the Minnesota Vikings as the first draft choice. ", On the reduction in salaries after the merger agreement: "You know what Donny Anderson got as a No. Carp Lake man missing, MSP requesting public's help, Traverse City man crashes into Thompsonville bar, Looking back in Benzie: Blast furnaces and sunsets, Puppy love coming to Benzie County schools, Harris gets hot, Panthers advance to district finals, Benzie Central girls advance to district finals, Benzie County 24-hour road patrol returns after 10 years, Frankfort Elementary School to host kindergarten round-up. In 1973, Mean on Sunday: The Autobiography of Ray Nitschke ("as told to Robert W. Wells") was published by Doubleday. This must be the 1st quarter because Ray Nitschke barely has any blood on him yet. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Besides Klaas, Nitschke is survived by two sons, John and Richard. Nitschke is considered one of the toughest NFL players to ever live. He said, 'Bill, you don't know the AFL and NFL have merged? Do I need to get an agent?' How tough was Nitschke? Presenter: Phil Bengston. When he got up to speak, you knew he was speaking from the heart. Nitschke grew up in Maywood, Ill., lost his father at age 3 and his mother when he was 13. He knows which Hall of Famers speak with fire, which are circumspect. Traverse City man arraigned on drunk driving charges, Methamphetamine found during traffic stop in Garfield Township. He loved it. When you die, youre still in the Hall of Fame.. That's how we became connected. He didn't know who I was. You cant go any higher.. We would stay at the Elberta beach until darkness. For years after his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, the NFL. When he came into the game, he was in charge. Nitschke accused Ditka of a cheap shot in a game, and the two nearly came to blows later that night in a restaurant. [10], In his junior year in 1956 Nitschke lost his four front teeth on the opening kick-off against Ohio State. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. As a microphone is passed around the room, elders explain the magnitude of the honor. Ray Nitschke was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. Nitschke was known for his strength and toughness, exhibited prior to his third season in 1960. We'd run through the plays and Ray would always tee-off on Hyland. Nitschke was wearing his wearing those type of black rimmed glasses at the PAC Inn in Frankfort that late July evening of 1973 and the crowd sitting there, eating and imbibing, probably thought he was just another summer tourist. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. They called me a mezzanine rookie the second year until you played in a certain number of games. And Gale told me if you let him know he can't just get away with abusing you like he does with Hyland, you'll get his respect. The Green Bay Packers legend played 15 seasons in the green and yellow and led the team to five NFL championships. Fred made very few mistakes. if everything could be upended in one morning like that, maybe someday I'll wake up another day and everything gets flipped back the way it should be just as suddenly. There is only one place in my game and that is first place. But Packer fans and others around the league who admired Nitschke's professional skills might pick this up as a reminder of the man beneath the armor."[28]. If you wanted a leader to emulate, you couldnt pick a better person.. What is said in the room stays in the room. So I go out and guess who's leaning against the driver's seat door to my car? He performed several of his own TV commercials in which he brought out his dog, "Butkus", named in honor of his Chicago Bears nemesis, Dick Butkus (who like Nitschke, grew up in the Chicago area and played for the Illinois Fighting Illini). The late Jackie Nitschke was married to Lombardi-era Packer Ray Nitschke. In the process, she taught our community that the disease of addiction crosses all income levels . "And not just because the National Football League picked me as the top man at that job in the league's first 50 years. Actor: The Longest Yard. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Nitschke started to feel sharp chest pains during the drive, and he pulled over to a nearby rest stop. )[22][23] Lombardi ran over to see what had happened, but when told it had fallen on Nitschke, said, "He'll be fine. That was a statement about how much he loved the game.. He was a fullback and linebacker for the Illini, and the Packers drafted him as a linebacker on the third round in 1958. Coming up the middle or filling a hole on a running play, I thought Nitschke was better than Butkus. Then Chicago Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus went to eight straight. He is from USA. On March 8, Nitschke took a drive with his daughter, Amy Klaas, and her one-year-old daughter to a friend's house. I have found his comments to be poignant for anybody.. The Hall of Famers want to say whatever is on their minds. In a poll that marked the leagues 75th year, he was voted to the all-time all-star team. So the World League offered me $45,000, $55,000, $75,000 on a three-year contract. As soon as he forearmed me, I got my hand under his helmet and pulled it up, and yanked his chinstrap off and I've got it in my hand. Fred could do anything. ", On who was better at eluding the pass rush: "Probably Zeke. Although Nitschke was known for his hard hitting, he was an athletic all-around linebacker who also intercepted 25 passes over his career. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame overcomes deficit to win Mission League opener, Still in UCLAs corner, Ben Howland stressed importance of getting No. In this day and age of egotistical professional athletes, my friend Ray Nitschke would also have been a unanimous selection for the Nice Guy Hall of Fame. But I didn't think he was as good as Nitschke. The Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge, a twin-leaf bascule bridge over the Fox River on Main Street (US 141) in Green Bay,[32] was named in honor of Nitschke. Reality becomes difficult to fathom. I was on one-year contracts and I was making like $25,500 and had started every game in Green Bay except my rookie year. Ray Nitschke won two Super Bowl championships. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Image courtesy of "Champion" trailer. He is from USA. Ray Nitschke Enshrinement Speech 1978. In the book, The Defenders, author Murray Olderman quoted Nitschke as saying: I took it out on all the other kids in the neighborhood.. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. It was a big-time hit, Yary said. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961 to Jackie Forchette. New inductees are encouraged to return every year to help maintain the Hall of Fames legacy. A common response for the muted, new inductees is to look around the room at legends such as Jim Brown, Roger Staubach and Mean Joe Greene. Thus he is the only linebacker to have made both the NFL's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. One year, those you see will no longer be there, and one year, neither will you. In a poll taken recently to pick the Packers greatest player ever, he placed fourth behind Don Hutson, Brett Favre and Bart Starr. [1] Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, he was the anchor of the defense for head coach Vince Lombardi in the 1960s, leading the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. Dad suddenly started having chest pains, Klaas said. Born in Elmwood Park, Illinois, Nitschke was the youngest of three sons to Robert and Anna Nitschke. We're going to pay you a $15,000 signing bonus and a $15,000 salary your rookie year. I chuckle to myself, `Well, yeah, OK.' But when it came down to the business of football, he was as tough as they come.". We had one-on-one time together, his face right up in my grill, Munoz said. His was pierced by a bolt from the tower. 66 in the open field. He took time for anybody.. [8] Nitschke was also offered scholarships from college football programs around the country. No one ever instilled fear in their opponents quite as Nitschke did. As a rookie, he backed up both left guard Gale Gillingham and right guard Jerry Kramer. Left: Nitschke's helmet from the coaching tower incident in September, Ray Nitschkeawards, championships, and honors, "Ray Nitschke, 61, linebacker during Packers' glory years", "Packers get last laugh in slapstick game", "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers", "Larger-than-life pro wrestling icon would love to have had career with Green Bay Packers", "Hard nosed Ray Nitschke just a softie over induction", National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Nitschke&oldid=1142190700, Players of American football from Illinois, Illinois Fighting Illini football players, National Football League players with retired numbers, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, NFL player missing current team parameter, Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text, Infobox NFL biography articles with old NFL.com URL, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 00:49. He played for 15 seasons before retiring in 1972. Fred was a great player. Nitschke made only one Pro Bowl team because Detroit Lions middle linebacker Joe Schmidt was a perennial selection from 1954 to 1963. Biography. With his bald head, horn-rimmed glasses and impeccable attire, he could have passed for a business executive or a college professor. He grew up a Chicago Bears fan, but quickly learn to hate them after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of 1958. Nitschke always spoke at this luncheon, telling the new inductees what a great honor they were receiving, and that they were now members of the greatest team of them all. He could play quarterback if he had to. How many Super Bowls did Ray Nitschke win? The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica. In the game, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted. She was a widely-known figure in the movement toward creating better drug and alcohol treatment options in Northeastern Wisconsin. He laid down the law to all the new inductees of what was acceptable and unacceptable, and everybody followed what Ray said.. His baseball skills brought him an offer from the professional St. Louis Browns with a $3,000 signing bonus. I walk up to the car and he says, 'Bill, I want to apologize. '", On any special memories of farm life: "I used to rope steers. He was the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game, accepting the prize of a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette. So I said (to Peppler), 'Well, do I need to come back there?' Nitschke had a remarkable knack of being where the football was. Nitschke became a full-time starter in 1962, the anchor of a disciplined defense that helped win five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls in the 1960s.
1967 Dodge Coronet For Sale Craigslist, Banana Boat Ride California, Rebecca Lovell Obituary, Kedgeree Recipe Mary Berry, Affidavit Of Support Income Requirements 2022, Articles R