Long overdue: Packers legend Jerry Kramer finally takes his place among the NFL’s elite
Saturday night during the NFL Honors awards show, Green Bay Packers legend Jerry Kramer took his rightful place in the NFL’s Hall of Fame. Kramer was an instrumental part of the Lombardi-era Packer dynasty of the 1960’s. He was also a part of what many consider the greatest game in NFL history and what was and is the coldest game in NFL history- the 1967 NFL Championship game between Green Bay and Dallas appropriately nicknamed “The Ice Bowl.” He ended up paving the way for Bart Starr as he snuck into the endzone on the final play known simply as “31-Wedge”. It intended for Starr to hand off the ball to the fullback but he instead kept it, unbeknownst to his teammates, coach Lombardi, and the Dallas defense.
This ended up giving Green Bay the lead 21-17 and giving them their third straight NFL Championship. Green Bay is the only team in NFL history to have two three-peat champion teams. The first was from 1929-’31 and the second was 1965-’67. Jerry delivered a crucial block to Jethro Pugh of Dallas that is largely overlooked. Had Kramer missed his block, I don’t believe Starr scores and Green Bay loses 17-14.
Kramer was about as tough as you could get on the football field. He ended up playing for Green Bay from 1958-’68. In his ten year NFL career, Kramer was an All-Pro five times (1961, 1962, and 1965-’67), a 3× Pro Bowler (1962, 1963, and 1967), a 2× Super Bowl champion (I and II), a 5× NFL Champion (1961, 1962, and 1965-’67), a member of the NFL’s all-decade team of the 1960’s, and is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.
Kramer was the 39th player selected in the 1958 NFL Draft, taken in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers. Two Hall-of-Famers for the Packers were taken in this draft: fullback Jim Taylor of LSU in the second round (15th overall), and linebacker Ray Nitschke of Illinois in the third round (36th overall). Kramer played every game in his rookie season of 1958 but the Packers finished with the worst record (1–10–1) in the twelve-team league. In January
1959, the Packers hired a new head coach, Vince Lombardi, the offensive coach of the New York Giants. Lombardi was quoted back in 1959 when speaking of Kramer: “Jerry Kramer did not know how good he was when he first joined the Green Bay Packers. You’d be surprised how much confidence a little success will bring.”
He was also the team’s placekicker in 1962, 1963, and part of 1968. As a kicker, he made 29 field goals (29/54, 53.7%), 90 extra points (90/95, 94.7%), for a total of 177 points in his career. He also scored ten points, on three field goals and an extra point, in the Packers 16-7 victory over the New York Giants in the 1962 NFL Championship Game at frigid Yankee Stadium. In 1963, he was joyously described as “the best knuckleball kicker in the NFL.”
All in all, Kramer had an immensely great NFL career and it all culminated and came full circle on Saturday night. He joins an elite class of players such as Brian Dawkins, Brian Urlacher, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Ray Lewis. He’s the 13th Lombardi-era player (including Lombardi himself) to be inducted. He also became the 25th Packer overall to get inducted. He was previously a finalist 11 times before getting inducted last night.
It has indeed been long overdue, but now, Packer nation can take a deep collective sigh of relief, Jerry Kramer is finally an NFL Hall of Famer. The enshrinement ceremony will take place on August 4th. I for one am so incredibly happy that after all the years of wanting and waiting, Canton FINALLY opened its doors for #64!
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