* 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. My parents kept telling me to come back and go in the dairy business because they were ready to retire and all three of my brothers were in it. Wood remembered Nitschke working at his image on and off the field. 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. 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. The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of What now is known as the Nitschke Luncheon is a transformative event for the incoming class and often looked back upon sometimes more than slipping into their gold jackets for the first time, delivering their induction speeches, the unveiling of their bronze busts as the true moment they became Pro Football Hall of Famers. Nitschke started to feel sharp chest pains during the drive, and he pulled over to a nearby rest stop. Biography in: "American National Biography". (Ken) Bowman would put up with no crap from Ray. (Focus on Sport / Getty Images). Puplis advised him to accept a football scholarship. In 1969, he was named the NFL's all-time top Linebacker by the NFL in honor of the NFL's 50th Anniversary. "He was one of the most popular Packers ever," said Packers public relations director Lee Remmel. We'd run through the plays and Ray would always tee-off on Hyland. The film's executive producer, Jim Rivett, said that Nitschke was the first "Packer Wife" to publicly acknowledge her alcoholism. Other surviving children include his sons John and Richard. In 2019, USA TODAY compiled a group of 19 veteran reporters to vote on and rank the 100 greatest NFL players of all time. He said, 'No, we'll send you the paperwork and you can sign it.' I said, 'I get it. Bobby Bell, for instance, will make a comment to everyone in the room for them to look around closely and acknowledge the others they see, Lanier said, because next year a certain number will not be here. Ray Nitschke's net worth Those are the ones that dont understand what this is all about.. Nitschke was the leader and captain of the Packers defense throughout the entire 1960s. After three seasons of part-time duty in the middle, Nitschke took over full-time in 1961 on Lombardis first Packer championship team. He hit you with every ounce of his body. On Fridays, we'd go out stocking hats and no pads. He was a beloved member of the Packers organization throughout his career and into retirement. 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. He was the one player who most represented legendary coach Vince Lombardis toughness. He played the rest of the game.[11]. Maybe it was the missing teeth or the oversized facemask, but no NFL player wanted to meet No. ", On his relationship with fellow No. Every day until the season begins, well unveil new members of the list, with the No. He lost both his parents by the age of 14, causing a lot of trouble in school. He was a natural-born leader, Hall of Fame right tackle Ron Yary said. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. He was 61. We didn't even know he was injured.". Coming up the middle or filling a hole on a running play, I thought Nitschke was better than Butkus. ", On playing with Bart Starr for at least parts of four seasons: "Nobody is tougher than Bart Starr. Ray Nitschke was born on the 29th of December, 1936. The late Jackie Nitschke was married to Lombardi-era Packer Ray Nitschke. (pre-1974). [27] Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. He was also a great family man, a devoted father to his three children. Yet no one was more emotional or more sincere in his love for the game. Ray Nitschke won two Super Bowl championships. Fred died of dementia. I'm drying off and he's four, five lockers away and he's drying off. His father was killed when he was 3, and his mother died when he was 13. "And not just because the National Football League picked me as the top man at that job in the league's first 50 years. They called me a mezzanine rookie the second year until you played in a certain number of games. On the field or off, though, Packer fans had an unwavering love affair with Nitschke. Among the recurring themes is that Canton should be treated as their second home. Packers Experiences powered by QuintEvents. Ray grew up in Chicago and had a. Born in Elmwood Park, Illinois, Nitschke was the youngest of three sons to Robert and Anna Nitschke. Nitschke had a remarkable knack of being where the football was. She was a widely-known figure in the movement toward creating better drug and alcohol treatment options in Northeastern Wisconsin. I have found his comments to be poignant for anybody.. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. 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. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Ray and Jackie had a winter home in Naples, Florida. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that day. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was younger before he passed. 66 was the fourth number retired in the franchises rich history. Nitschke was known for his strength and toughness. pic.twitter.com/vf59f532Sw. Death Nitschke died of a heart attack in Venice, FL, at the age of 61 in 1998. Fred could do anything. The heaviest I ever got there was a little over 260. "But I have the utmost respect for Ray Nitschke of all the players I ever played against," Ditka later said. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. His character is listed in the credits as "Private One" because his jersey is emblazoned with the number "1". Guess what I got my second year? I've just had a rough day. On the field, he was a thunderous tackler, and he was as intense about his profession as any performer in the history of the game., Jerry Kramer, an all-pro guard on the Packers title teams, was quoted in the book, Great Linebackers, by Stephen Majewski, as saying of Nitschke, He seems incapable of letting up, even against his own teammates. 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Proceeds from the documentary will help fund the center and provide two free scholarships each month. He also was a humanitarian, loved children and relished being an ambassador for Green Bay and the NFL. He definitely wasnt the fastest. pic.twitter.com/wy2S8g98pb, Packers Legend Jerry Kramer Worried for His Country When the Cowboys Were Named Americas Team. 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. Encyclopdia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them. 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 We became best friends after that. He was 61. Lee Remmel, the Packers public relations director and a former beat writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, recalled how well Nitschke treated fans. 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. In the first Super Bowls, Nitschke had 15 tackles total and a quarterback sack. I know your brother is with the Calgary Stampeders.' 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. How many Super Bowls did Ray Nitschke win? 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. 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. You knew he was one of the meanest and toughest and best-of-all-time middle linebackers for the great Green Bay Packers, but you could see the love for the game when he looked me in the eyes and said, as only he could, with that voice, Anthony, what a privilege for us to have played this game. Nitschkes legacy stretched far beyond the football field. 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). He went in and took his shower, and I'm still kind of looking around the door from the training room. He played varsity basketball and was a pitcher and left fielder for the varsity baseball team. If you thought Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke was tough, you should get to know his wife Jackie. I hit him about three times. He played for 15 seasons before retiring in 1972. Not only is Ray Nitschke one of the best LBs in NFL history, he had an act at making something out of nothing. ", On whether that was the end of it: "We go into the locker room and (Nitschke) lockered about four, five lockers away and I didn't want to get in a fight in the shower so I went into the training room. Theres barely any loyalty around the league anymore. Ray and Jackie had a winter home in Naples, Florida. I became interested in Nitschke when after living in Wisconsin for 8 years I learned that he had become a Christian before he died. ", 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. "I never saw him turn down an autograph or a request to pose for a photo.". Raymond Ernest Nitschke (December 29, 1936 March 8, 1998) was an American professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a middle linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. I thought (Nitschke) was more versatile, the way he could cover and everything. 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. The Eagles paid me my last year. Reality becomes difficult to fathom. 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. A fullback and linebacker at the University of Illinois, Nitschke was a member of the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team. Nitschke was taken to Venice Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. (EST). [18] Nitschke returned for a 16th training camp in 1973, then retired in late August.[19][20][21][14]. 448-449. The Nitschke Luncheon is a solemn initiation for the new inductees, who are not allowed to speak. I thought maybe I'll get $75,000, $100,000. A man at the station helped get him out of the car and started CPR.. The discussion was heated, but remained private. In her lifetime, Jackie was a recovering alcoholic and an outspoken advocate in the recovery community, sharing her stories of treatment and rebuilding her life. Ray Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois. "I think Ray Nitschke thinks we stink," Packers defensive end Sean Jones said during the 1996 title run. 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. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961 to Jackie Forchette. Ray Nitschke, according to Hall of Fame quarterback and teammate Bart Starr, was a "classic example of Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde." Off the field he was a thoughtful caring person. ", On whether the players knew Wietecha, who was in charge of the running game, and Bob Schnelker, in charge of the passing game, were at odds: "We knew there was something going, on. When I told Green Bay what I was offered, they matched it. The film's executive producer, Jim Rivett, said that Nitschke was the first Packer Wife to publicly acknowledge her alcoholism. Nitschke was selected in 1964. Ray Nitschke's income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. But he's still standing around, so I go in the training room again. I walk up to the car and he says, 'Bill, I want to apologize. There is only one place in my game and that is first place. As his wife was dying of cancer he had become a member of a Christian Church in Green Bay. 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. Nitschkes mother died from a blood clot when he was 13. 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", On the reduction in salaries after the merger agreement: "You know what Donny Anderson got as a No. He wasnt the biggest or the strongest or the smartest, Robinson said. In the late 1980s, Nitschke owned an automobile dealership in Green Bay. He didn't always follow the defense. Gale said, 'Bill, it's coming up on your turn. The Jackie Nitschke Center is named in honor of Jackie Nitschke, wife of former Packers great Ray Nitschke. Everybody loved (Lombardi). The helmet (with the hole) is currently on display in the Packer Hall of Fame in Green Bay. Fred and I remained close until about three, four years ago. Never a good student in high school, his grades suffered at college. When was Ray Nitschke inducted to the Hall of Fame? He appeared in the comic film Head, starring The Monkees, as a footballer who repeatedly tackles Peter Tork in a mock war movie sequence. 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. Nitschke was drafted in the third round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Packers, and he never looked back. "I've always thought I was the best middle linebacker in professional football," Nitschke once said. Ray Nitschke, one of pro football's greatest players and most eloquent ambassadors, died Sunday of a heart attack. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961 to Jackie Forchette. Growing up in the outskirts of Chicago, Nitschke had idolized the Bears and he hoped to be chosen by them in the 1958 NFL Draft, held on December 2, 1957. [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. His bad grades and temper couldnt derail such a phenomenal athlete. Fred made very few mistakes. All wear gold jackets, the lone standard for greatness. Nitschke also appeared in the 1974 football comedy The Longest Yard as Guard Bogdanski. Ray Nitschke was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. Hes always grabbing people, hitting people, throwing elbows.. The Packers had so much talent that there were not always enough honors to go around. New inductees are encouraged to return every year to help maintain the Hall of Fames legacy. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961, to Jackie Forchette. After Nitschkes death, iconic defensive end Deacon Jones took over as master of ceremonies. Follow Tim on Twitter @ByTimGraham, Nitschke recorded 25 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons. Older brothers Robert Jr. (age 21) and Richard (age 17) decided they would raise Ray on their own. Ray Nitschke (Raymond Edward Nitschke) was born on 29 December, 1936 in Elmwood Park, Illinois, USA, is an Actor. The gravitas is unmistakable. Ray wanted everybody to know were all equal. Ray played in the 230s, but he hit like he was 300 pounds. A month after the 1958 season ended, Vince Lombardi was hired as head coach. 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. And certainly, a week ago Sunday, he was smiling down on Cowboy Stadium and the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl victory. He played for 15 seasons before retiring in 1972. According to Nitschke's biography, a spike was driven into his helmet, but did not injure him. He thought of it as an honor for somebody to ask him for an autograph. In 1998, Ray Nitschke was living comfortably in Naples, Fla. I just want to get along.' Nitschke never wore a face mask and one of the Buckeye's player's helmets hit him in the mouth knocking out two teeth initially; the other two were hanging by the roots. [27] Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. He loved it. I'm like, 'I guess I better get ready.' Were all equal, going in with 80 percent of the vote. So I go through and sure enough, Ray goes bam across my forehead. I got the $15,000 signing bonus and they paid us every two weeks and I got seven paychecks. Hed be the first to tell you not to put him on a pedestal above all the other linebackers, Robinson said. Having played with the Green Bay Packers and the number of championships they won, the number of Hall of Famers that played for (coach Vince) Lombardi, who happens to have his name on the trophy, seemed to signify a purity of someone who accepted his role in the game and played it with a fervor.. Ray Nitschke, the meanest Packer of them all and the stalwart of five NFL championships including the first two Super Bowls, is the epitome of the storied franchise. Excerpts from those interviews will be periodically posted at www.packers.com. Ray Nitschke attended the University of Illinois. Nitschke was known for his viciousness on the field, a ferocity that welled within him from childhood. His No. Heres some tidbits about him that a lot of people dont know: * As a young teenager, he was orphaned. [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. He was a playmaker, recording 25 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons. (Complete Story). So I said (to Peppler), 'Well, do I need to come back there?' 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. He feuded with Mike Ditka and scoffed at the notion that Butkus was a younger, improved version of himself. Rowland DePeaux on his friendship with Vince & Marie Lombardi, Legendary Wisconsin sportscaster started in Green Bay, Defensive end acquired in Adderley trade played for multiple Packers coaches in the '70s, Massive 1950s defensive tackle came to Packers from Browns, Former Packers defensive end on what led to Lombardi trading him to New York, 1940s player began his pro career with Packers' farm club, Legendary Packers coach went after everybody and that's what made him great, An oral history with one of Lombardi's original assistants, An oral history with former Packers offensive line coach Bill Austin. I'm thinking I'm not going to get what we called, 'punked,' like Hyland did every Friday. [29] The only other Lombardi-era player to have his number retired is quarterback Bart Starr, whose number 15 was retired in 1973. Finally, the coaches pulled me off of him and everybody was laughing. It's supposed to be like a walk-through. On defense, Nitschke played linebacker. Green Bay Packer, Hall of Famer. Besides Klaas, Nitschke is survived by two sons, John and Richard. What position did Ray Nitschke play? )[22][23] Lombardi ran over to see what had happened, but when told it had fallen on Nitschke, said, "He'll be fine. Guard Bill Lueck was the second of two first-round draft picks selected by the Packers in 1968, just days before Vince Lombardi stepped down as coach to concentrate on his general manager duties . In 1997, the Green Bay Packers named one of their practice fields after him. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961, to Jackie Forchette. Gillie took me under his wing and said Ray is going to mess with you. That becomes a most profound reality. It all went for naught, as panelist Bennett Cerf, who had attended the game, guessed his identity immediately. Nitschke wore number 33 in 1958 and 66 the rest of his career with the Packers. 42 on the NFL 100 list. One year, those you see will no longer be there, and one year, neither will you. 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