" Champion: The Legacy of Jackie Nitschke, " premiered in Green Bay this week. He was a frequent golfer in retirement, and he loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren. He was a frequent golfer in retirement, and he loved to spend time with his children and grandchildren. Nitschke was known for his strength and toughness. The linebacker went on to play all 15 of his professional seasons in Green Bay. I think he tried to see how tough you were and if you were going to fight back. Among all of us offensive linemen, we supported Zeke 100 percent. "In fact, he's as mild and as meek as they come, a sweet guy," Wood said. Ray Nitschke (Raymond Edward Nitschke) was born on 29 December, 1936 in Elmwood Park, Illinois, USA, is an Actor. Even when he was relegated to backup duty in the twilight of his 15-year career, they cheered his every move. ", On his relationship with fellow No. Nitschke was taken to Venice Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. (EST). After three seasons of part-time duty in the middle, Nitschke took over full-time in 1961 on Lombardis first Packer championship team. For years after his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, the NFL. 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. Someones got to be the leader and step forward, and that was a great quality he had. Ray Wietecha was still the line coach and he had seen (Nitschke) do that to Hyland so he didn't pull me off. Bengtson, after Lombardi left, said you and Freddie can't be roommates anymore. It felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz or something, Reed said afterward. Try a week on us. After Nitschkes death, iconic defensive end Deacon Jones took over as master of ceremonies. 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. 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. What college did Ray Nitschke attend? A month after the 1958 season ended, Vince Lombardi was hired as head coach. As a microphone is passed around the room, elders explain the magnitude of the honor. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 29 December. He laid down the law to all the new inductees of what was acceptable and unacceptable, and everybody followed what Ray said.. Nitschke guided a Packers defense that won five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. (He had) no personality. So the World League offered me $45,000, $55,000, $75,000 on a three-year contract. During his freshman year at Proviso, he played fullback on one of the school's three football teams. The gravitas is unmistakable. They said, 'Bill, we'll send you the paperwork and it will be done.' Nitschke was selected in 1964. 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 ", On Ray Wietecha, his first line coach: "I thought he was a very good coach. Ray Nitschke was born on December 29, 1936, in Elmwood Park, Illinois, United States. 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. Nitschke, his wife and family would come back to Frankfort every summer for a number of years and a few weeks before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 1978 he sent me a personal invitation to join him for the ceremonies. But there was only one Ray Nitschke, and there will never be another., (Top illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photo: Focus on Sport / Getty Images). Mean In The Middle smiled down from heaven as the Green Bay Packers were about to win the Super Bowl. None. 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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. But Nitschke wasnt just an incredible player and a fiery leader. He intercepted 25 passes and ran two of them back for touchdowns, and also recovered 20 fumbles. Nitschkes mother died from a blood clot when he was 13. She was a widely-known figure in the movement toward creating better drug and alcohol treatment options in Northeastern Wisconsin. Am I in trouble? In 1999, he was ranked number 18 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranked player coached by Vince Lombardi, second among Packers behind Don Hutson, and third among linebackers behind Lawrence Taylor and Dick Butkus. He played for 15 seasons before retiring in 1972. Gale and I could both bench over 400 pounds and squat 600-plus. A lot of times we had to guide him into the huddle. Zeke had great feet.". So, how much is Ray Nitschke worth at the age of 62 years old? He loved it. [12] It included three other significant Packers of the 1960s, linebacker Dan Currie of Michigan State (3rd overall), fullback Jim Taylor of LSU (15th overall) and right guard Jerry Kramer of Idaho (39th overall). The Packers had so much talent that there were not always enough honors to go around. A year later, he was traded to Philadelphia. Here was a guy, who made a living for 15 years in the pros being a mean, tough linebacker, in awe of these young adults flying off from the bluffs. 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. 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.. According to Nitschke's biography, the tower drove a spike into his helmet, but didn't injure him. ARLINGTON, TX - It was around ten oclock in the evening a week ago Sunday when Im positive that Mr. Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. 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. ", On who was better at eluding the pass rush: "Probably Zeke. While he wasnt bombing his classes or getting into fistfights, he played quarterback and safety at Proviso High in suburban Chicago. Jackie Forchette (26 June1961 - 1996)( her death)( 3 children). Ray Nitschke won two Super Bowl championships. Said Remmel: I remember sitting in hotel lobbies when the team was on the road and watch Ray obligingly pose for photographs and sign hundreds of autographs. Lueck, who played at the University of Arizona, was chosen No. According to Nitschke's biography, a spike was driven into his helmet, but did not injure him. Nitschke ranked ahead of Chuck Bednarik, Mike Singletary, and Roger Staubach on the list. 42 on the NFL 100 list. [6], Nitschke entered Proviso Township High School in Maywood shortly before his mother's death. His wife died shortly thereafter. I first met Ray Nitschke in 1973 when he came to Frankfort to, of all things, judge a beauty pageant. Those are the ones that would piss Ray off. He recorded the only pass reception of his career, a 34-yard gain after a blocked Packer field goal attempt, and they won 3020 to finish at 104, their best regular season record since 1966. "I can remember him intercepting a pass and crawling into the end zone. I used to be a bouncer in a bar and so I knew you can't let a guy up. In that room full of alpha males is where Nitschke stood up and explained what it means to join footballs greatest team. Coming up the middle or filling a hole on a running play, I thought Nitschke was better than Butkus. He was MVP of the 1962 title game. Nitschke also appeared in the 1974 football comedy The Longest Yard as Guard Bogdanski. Every year, in a private space only Hall of Famers may enter, Nitschke presided on the first afternoon of induction weekend until his death in March 1998. "And not just because the National Football League picked me as the top man at that job in the league's first 50 years. Nitschkes legacy stretched far beyond the football field. He protected his turf.. Finally, the coaches pulled me off of him and everybody was laughing. In Super Bowl I, Nitschke contributed six tackles and a sack. When was Ray Nitschke inducted to the Hall of Fame? Ray Nitschke spent two decades informing new Pro Football Hall of Famers none was bigger than the rest. Sure. Wanting to play at a Big Ten university, with a chance to appear in the Rose Bowl, he accepted a football scholarship to the University of Illinois in 1954. He succeeded in raising his grades enough in his sophomore year to allow him to play sports his junior year, when he had grown significantly (to six feet tall). In 1974, Lueck's final season with the Packers, he was bothered by an assortment of injuries and started eight of 14 games. Related Quizzes and Features Quiz Great Moments in Sports Quiz Sports Quiz Nitschke started to feel sharp chest pains during the drive, and he pulled over to a nearby rest stop. Raymond Ernest Nitschke was a middle linebacker that spent his entire 15-year career with the Green Bay Packers. Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1978) 5 NFL championships 2 Super Bowl championships 2 All-Pro selections 1 Pro Bowl selection. Nitschke also made the NFLs 75th and 100th anniversary rosters. When we got back into Frankfort, Nitschke, Fortin and myself settled into the Pac Inns watering hole area and there we were with bartender Sherm Blood, who was entertaining us playing the spoons, until 2 a.m. He told them how important it was and emphasized theres no one in the Hall of Fame better than anyone else, said fellow Hall of Famer and Green Bay Packers linebacker Dave Robinson. Lombardi molded the Bart Starrs, Jerry Kramers, Paul Hornungs, Jim Taylors and Nitschkes into the best football teams of the 1960s. His father was killed in a car accident in 1940, and his mother died of a blood clot when Ray was 13. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. Guess what I got my second year? All the wives. www.jackienitschkecenter.com. I thought so (in 1971) even when I sat on the bench after coach Dan Devine gave Jim Carter my job. Nitschke's wife, Jackie, died of cancer in 1996. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961 to Jackie Forchette. A native of Elmwood Park, Nitschke lived in Green Bay, where he. I want him to remember Ray Nitschke, even in his dreams.". Proceeds from the documentary will help fund the center and provide two free scholarships each month. His father died when he was three and his mother when he was thirteen and he was raised by an older brother. When a certain message needs to be delivered, Lanier knows who to call upon. He was also a great family man, a devoted father to his three children. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961, to Jackie Forchette. I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay and I never want to finish second again. . Don Pierson and Tribune Pro Football Writer. What is said in the room stays in the room. Nitschke is considered one of the toughest NFL players to ever live. He was probably remembering another Coach Lombardi quote: There is no room for second place. Ray Nitschke was born on December 29, 1936, in Elmwood Park, Illinois, United States. As publisher of the "Ray Nitschke Packer Report," Nitschke was able to enjoy the team's return to glory, but he never allowed the new heroes the luxury of becoming too fond of themselves. Nitschke was known for his viciousness on the field, a ferocity that welled within him from childhood. (Ken) Bowman would put up with no crap from Ray. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981. "Champion" tells the story of howJackie Nitschke became the first "Packer Wife" to openly acknowledge her alcoholism. That becomes a most profound reality. They had never met, but she recognized him and said, 'Hi, Coach Lombardi, I'm Bill Lueck's wife.' )[22][23] Lombardi ran over to see what had happened, but when told it had fallen on Nitschke, said, "He'll be fine. 1 pick Fred Carr: "We roomed together as rookies. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was younger before he passed. ", On playing with Bart Starr for at least parts of four seasons: "Nobody is tougher than Bart Starr. He taught us proper technique: pulling, how to come off the ball. ProFootballHistory.com. I was the executive secretary of the National Soaring and Hang Gliding Festival and Paul Alfred Corey and his sister Carol, the owners of the PAC Inn, and Gustafson Oil Company had arranged through Detroit Lions general manager Nick Kerbawy to have the perennial All-Pro linebacker, who had recently retired, in the Port City to be part of a five-judge panel to select the first National Soaring Queen. It was a big-time hit, Yary said. Cliff Christl started gathering oral histories with former Packers and others associated with the team in 2000 and will continue to gather them as Packers historian. His was pierced by a bolt from the tower. A fullback and linebacker at the University of Illinois, Nitschke was a member of the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team. Then Chicago Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus went to eight straight. Fred could do anything. All wear gold jackets, the lone standard for greatness. It all went for naught, as panelist Bennett Cerf, who had attended the game, guessed his identity immediately. (Nitschke) would test guys. There was a time when the Hall of Fame allowed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, family members or the occasional reporter into the Nitschke Luncheon. premiered in Green Bay this week. Guess what? Lombardi gave partial credit to Nitschke's success to Nitschke's wife, whose calming influence helped him focus on his career. $750,000. 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. Every day until the season begins, well unveil new members of the list, with the No. There are too many guys who think it was a privilege for the league to have them., That was years and years ago, but I can hear him say it like it was yesterday. Lombardi gave partial credit for Nitschke's success to Nitschke's wife, whose calming influence helped Ray focus on his career. If you thought Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke was tough, you should get to know his wife Jackie. This must be the 1st quarter because Ray Nitschke barely has any blood on him yet. He said, 'Bill, you don't know the AFL and NFL have merged? What position did Ray Nitschke play? In 2019, USA TODAY compiled a group of 19 veteran reporters to vote on and rank the 100 greatest NFL players of all time. As a rookie, he backed up both left guard Gale Gillingham and right guard Jerry Kramer. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. * He would be drafted by the Packers in 1958 along with Taylor and Kramer and Green Bay would win one game their first year before Lombardi was hired as the head coach. Follow Tim on Twitter @ByTimGraham, Nitschke recorded 25 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons. It wasnt just the All-Pro honors or the five championships that made Nitschke great. But along the way, Nitschke became an all-around athlete, and turned down a $3,000 bonus from baseballs St. Louis Browns to accept a football scholarship to Illinois. Their rookie season in 1958 under first-year head coach Ray "Scooter" McLean was dismal, with just one win and one tie for the worst record in the 12-team league. Puplis advised him to accept a football scholarship. (George) Halas didn't draft me, so I was always ready to go against the Bears," Nitschke often said. He went in and took his shower, and I'm still kind of looking around the door from the training room. Of all the heroes that the Packers had in their glory years under Coach Vince Lombardi, which included five NFL championships and victories in Super Bowls I and II, Nitschke was probably the most popular. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (36th overall) of the 1958 NFL draft. But he's still standing around, so I go in the training room again. Although Nitschke was known for his hard hitting, he was an athletic all-around linebacker who also intercepted 25 passes over his career. "People talk about tough he was, how bad he was. Among the recurring themes is that Canton should be treated as their second home. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In 1974, when he came back to Frankfort, he had become a movie star playing in The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds. Jackie Nitschke's influence transformed this football madman into a loving husband and father of three adopted children. 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