Green Bay Packers: Thank you, Bart Starr

Green Bay Packers great, Bart Starr passed away Sunday morning. He will be remembered for his play on the field but more importantly, who he was off of it.

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback, Bart Starr passed away at the age of 85 on Sunday morning.

Starr’s story is well versed. He had been battling health conditions that included a stroke that had sapped most of his strength.

True to his form, however, Starr fought back. He made his way back to Green Bay for a Thanksgiving day date which included the only time that the Green Bay Packers’ three legendary quarterbacks, Starr, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers were all in the building at the same time.

It was a moment that any Packers fan will be unable to forget.

I was in the building that day. The atmosphere was incredible. Years from now, nobody will remember the final score or any of the plays in that game. What they will remember, is what took place at halftime.

Favre’s jersey was retired that night and the crowd was electric for his introduction.

With all due respect to Favre, as it was his night, but he was upstaged by the great Bart Starr.

Green Bay Packers’ President Mark Murphy took the podium and told the crowd that the team had a special guest. Murphy stated that he’d worked very hard to be there on that night. Everyone in the stadium knew who was coming out of the tunnel.

It was Bart Starr.

Starr came out of the tunnel to thunderous applause. He met Favre at the center of the field. The two embraced.

As I sit here writing this, I have tears in my eyes thinking about that moment. It’s something that could not be replicated. Favre embraced Starr as a son would embrace his elderly father.

In a world where superlatives rule the day, this was a moment worthy of every single one. It was unbelievable. It was unforgettable.

As someone who never saw Starr play, he almost felt like a superhero. I learned about him as I was growing up. I had seen the highlight tapes and I had read anything that was related to Vince Lombardi’s Packers.

Being in Starr’s presence was different though. He had a feel about him that was different from anyone else I’ve been around before.

A living legend and you’d never know it. By all accounts, Starr was not only a great football player but a great man. There have been several stories shared about how Starr was as humble as any man.

That is what appears to be his lasting legacy. Starr was a two-time Super Bowl champion, a two-time Super Bowl MVP, and holds the highest rated postseason passer in the history of the NFL.

Despite what some east coast media outlets may tell you, Starr is the greatest postseason quarterback in the history of the sport. He amassed these numbers in an era where throwing the ball was more difficult, and seen as a complement to the running game.

All of those things are true, yet Starr is revered for much more than what he was on the football field.

Those pouring in with support for the Starr family have brought up something different, his character. That’s far more important than anything Starr could have done on the football field.

It’s rare that the heroes and legends live up to the pedestal they are placed on. By all accounts, Starr did.

No amount of words can do justice on the impact that Starr left on the Packers franchise. He was the pillar of Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers. Lombardi trusted him enough to give him the biggest play call in the history of the franchise. Lombardi told Starr during the Ice Bowl to “run it, and let’s get the hell out of here.” Everyone knows what happened next.

Starr is a legend in every sense of the word and his memory will live on even in his death.

If they play football in heaven, Lombardi just got his quarterback.

For all you were and all you’ll continue to be, allow me to simply say:

Thank you, Mr. Starr, for being a shining example to this great franchise, and what a man can be both on and off the field. You will never be forgotten.