Packers.com

Long Road Leads To Long-Term Deal For Jenkins

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:21:29 CST

For his first three years in the NFL, Cullen Jenkins always felt like he was fighting for his next one-year contract.

But now that he's finally got a long-term deal, Jenkins knows the pressure has shifted to proving he's worth the investment, and he doesn't plan to let the Packers, or himself, down.

A former training camp casualty as a rookie who was later assigned to NFL Europe, Jenkins' long road to success reached a fruition of sorts on Monday when he agreed to his first multi-year NFL contract, keeping him right where he wants to be - in Green Bay.

"It was the No. 1 priority for me going into the offseason, signing some type of long-term deal here, and to be able to make it happen is a big relief," Jenkins told a group of local reporters on Monday.

"For all I've been through, yeah, it means a lot. It still hasn't really set in all the way yet, just getting it done today. I still catch myself daydreaming thinking about it ... It does mean a lot ..

Competition Lies At Heart Of Improvement

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 01:22:48 CST

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INDIANAPOLIS - Much like last year, Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy believe the crux of the Packers' offseason improvement will come via competition in mini-camps and training camp that will develop in two ways - by acquiring players through free agency and the draft to compete for roster spots, and by the current players improving their own games.

"Every position is going to be a competitive spot," Thompson said. "That's one thing about having all the young guys we've got, there's going to be a lot of different combinations that are going to be available to us and the most competitive guys are going to be the ones filling those spots."

However the competition is fostered, it's going to be evident at a minimum of three key position groups that Green Bay's General Manager and Head Coach addressed during their media sessions at the NFL Scouting Combine this week.
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Character Investigated During Interviews

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:52:01 CST

Click here for more NFL Combine Headlines & Video

INDIANAPOLIS - To Packers General Manager Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the annual NFL Scouting Combine isn't just about test results and medical reports on potential draftees.

Those are important, to be sure, but Thompson and McCarthy both noted on Friday how much they value getting to know the players they might draft through the interviews they conduct here.

Getting a read on a player's character, his personality, and how he might fit in the Packers' locker room helps the entire staff when it comes to making draft picks and post-draft free-agent signings.

"That's why we spend the extra time preparing as a staff, getting ready for those interviews," McCarthy said. "You only have a certain time allotment and you want to get as much done as you can in that time frame. It's important. Me personally, it's the first time you're able to put a name w..

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 13:32:28 CST

Read the 'Packers Fan Memories' archives or Submit your own favorite memory

This Week's Photos

Hey Packers fans, here's your chance to share with other fans from around the world your favorite memories of the Green and Gold!

Each week, Packers.com will post a feature called 'Packers Fan Memories.'

In this week's edition you'll find a 50th birthday celebration in Title Town, a life long Packers fan see's "Majik" and a first lady that had her share of first time experiences at Lambeau Field.

My wife and I attended the Packers-Vikings game on December 21st en route to visiting our families in Minnesota and Michigan for the holidays. It was our second trip to Lambeau together, the first visit since the Packers' showdown with Detroit in November of 1999. I cheered so long and hard during the game that I could hardly speak..

Combine Is A Convergence Of Events

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 16:03:34 CST

Click here for more NFL Combine Headlines & Video

INDIANAPOLIS - To try to soak in everything going on at the NFL Scouting Combine in a couple of hours on opening day is a nearly impossible task.

First of all, the league's largest annual pre-draft event has a mind-numbing combination of non-football and football activities that have all converged on Indianapolis' RCA Dome, adjoining convention center and surrounding hotels.

As far as non-football components, along the convention center hallways are conference rooms where various companies, representing everything from apparel to weightlifting equipment to nutrition supplements, have set up displays to give anyone in the NFL or its numerous media a sample of or a glance at their product.

Down another hallway is a bit more action, where at any unannounced moment a head coach or a general manager of an NFL team can come strolling through, and reporters might t..

Preparing for the Combine: Comprehensive Video Shared By All

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 14:10:48 CST

The Green Bay Packers have numerous representatives involved in the National Scouting Combine in various ways, from scouting players to performing medical evaluations to videotaping workouts.

Packers.com takes a look at the team's involvement, and at the process of getting ready for and working at the Combine, in a three-part series.

The Scouting Combine is all about leveling the playing field.

Players at a particular position all run through the same drills, in the same conditions, on the same day, to provide the best comparative analysis for all the scouting and coaching staffs watching. That keeps it fair for the potential draft picks.

But what levels the playing field for the league as a whole is that all those workouts at the Combine are videotaped, and the videotapes are copied for all the teams to use.

Green Bay Packers video director Bob Eckberg helps with that videotaping process every year at the Combine, along with his co..

2007 NFL Scouting Combine Kicks Off Thursday At The RCA Dome In Indianapolis

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:23:46 CST

Football season over? Think again.

Beginning this Thursday and continuing for the next six days, more than 300 NFL hopefuls converge on the RCA Dome in Indianapolis for the biggest job interviews of their lives, participating in on-field drills, physical testing, exams and interviews with team personnel and the media at the 2007 NFL Scouting Combine.

Stay tuned to Packers.com this weekend for the latest coverage throughout the Combine and headlines leading up to Draft Weekend.

NFL COMBINE VIDEO
REAL Windows Ted Thompson Addresses Media - Part I
REAL
In giving a rundown of the ad, Luebker described that it will start by showing a group of people enjoying themselves in the bar, and then cut to a similarly angled shot of Packers players sitting on the bench during a game.

Then a waitress will bring a platter of food to a dining table, and as it's about to be handed to..

Preparing for the Combine: Medical Reports Provide Key Data

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 16:37:32 CST

The Green Bay Packers have numerous representatives involved in the National Scouting Combine in various ways, from scouting players to performing medical evaluations to videotaping workouts.

Packers.com takes a look at the team's involvement, and at the process of getting ready for and working at the Combine, in a three-part series.

If there's one portion of the annual National Scouting Combine whose importance isn't nearly reflected in the media coverage, it would be the medical assessments of these hundreds of draft-eligible players.

After all, the last thing any NFL team wants is to be caught off-guard by a draftee's medical history, which could indicate a high probability of future injuries and/or a shorter-than-average career.

The Packers send a full complement of medical professionals to the Combine each year, including head athletic trainer Pepper Burruss, assistant athletic trainers Bryan Engel and Kurt Fielding, team physicians Dr...

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 10:28:47 CST

Read the 'Packers Fan Memories' archives or Submit your own favorite memory

This Week's Photos

Hey Packers fans, here's your chance to share with other fans from around the world your favorite memories of the Green and Gold!

Each week, Packers.com will post a feature called 'Packers Fan Memories.'

In this week's edition you'll find a night that was fun for the whole family, a Packers supporter from the land down under, and a stockholders' tour that is worth the wait for one young fan.

Our first Packers family night scrimmage was something very special. We decked ourselves out in our Packers colors before heading to find our seats at Lambeau. We sat 5 rows up from the field and saw many players up close. Our children also loved the fireworks that followed after the scrimmage. What a great experience we had and hope to ..

Preparing for the Combine: Scouting, Personnel Staffs Do Their Homework

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:27:25 CST

The Green Bay Packers have numerous representatives involved in the National Scouting Combine in various ways, from scouting players to performing medical evaluations to videotaping workouts.

Packers.com takes a look at the team's involvement, and at the process of getting ready for and working at the Combine, in a three-part series.

The annual National Scouting Combine in Indianapolis is a key part of the Packers' preparation for the NFL Draft in April.

But equally important, if not moreso, is all the preparation the team's scouting and personnel staffs do to get ready to go to the Combine, allowing them to get the most out of a whirlwind week at the RCA Dome and its surrounding hotels.

The annual Combine brings in 300-plus draft-eligible players for a series of medical tests, workouts and interviews in front of essentially every NFL team. All the information gathered helps teams, in part, finalize their draft boards on which they rank play..

Gil Brandt's Pre-Combine Rankings: Offense

Gil Brandt, NFL.com Senior Analyst — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 14:10:24 CST

Starting the evening of Feb. 20, dozens of players (327 to be exact) from 105 schools will arrive in Indianapolis to take part in the 2007 National Invitational Camp (otherwise known as the NFL Scouting Combine).

The players will be given a medical examination, attend an NFLPA meeting, be interviewed by the teams and meet with owners (the Cowboys' Jerry Jones, for instance, is always present), general managers, head coaches and other personnel men from all 32 teams before finishing four days after their arrival with a workout in the RCA Dome (home of the world champion Colts).

Below, we will present a breakdown by position of the key offensive players who will be present at the combine. We will attempt to list the top players at each position and the players you might not know a lot about.

Each player is listed with a number he will wear at the workout, so you can follow them during the live coverage on NFL Network. During the four days of the combine, pl..

Kampmans Witness Mission Work In India

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 13:43:33 CST

The roar of 70,000 Packers fans inspires Aaron Kampman every time the defensive end sacks a quarterback at Lambeau Field.

But that doesn't compare to the inspiration Kampman felt - without a football fan in sight - on his recent trip to India.

Kampman and his wife, Linde, toured India for two weeks in January and saw the work of Gospel for Asia, a Christian ministry whose 16,000 "native missionaries" work in some of the hardest places to reach across southern Asia. Much of Gospel for Asia's work is focused in India, where the primary religion is Hinduism, and has expanded from there to 10 other countries, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Burma.

The Kampmans support the ministry and took the opportunity to see the work first-hand. They met many of the missionaries as well as the people being reached by the ministry, and at every stop they were simply fascinated.

"We were there as guests to witness what was going on and hopefully be a sma..

Aaron Kampman Pro Bowl Diary - Part IV

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:45:37 CST

In his fifth season with the Green Bay Packers, defensive end Aaron Kampman finally shook the label of a try-hard overachiever and was recognized as an elite athlete and performer at his position, earning his first bid to the Pro Bowl.

Coming off a lucrative contract extension he signed prior to the 2006 season, Kampman went out and earned every penny, leading the NFC with 15 1/2 sacks, the third-highest single-season total in franchise history. He also recorded a career-high 113 tackles, a franchise record for a defensive lineman.

Kampman, who was joined by teammate Donald Driver in Hawaii, played in the Pro Bowl for the first time on Saturday night, making four tackles for the NFC. Driver had three receptions for 38 yards, and the NFC rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the game, only to lose on a late field goal by the AFC, 31-28.

Kampman has been chronicling his week-long trip to Hawaii exclusively on Packers.com, and here is the final installment o..

'Project LEAP!' Provides Break From Winter

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 16:01:12 CST
For the second year in a row, the timing of the Green Bay Packers' annual 'Project LEAP!' couldn't have been better.

Much like in 2006, last Saturday's 'Project LEAP!' (Lambeau's Exercise and Activity Playground) came in the midst of the winter's toughest cold snap, giving area kids and their families an active alternative to staying at home.

Whether it was bouncing around on the football-related inflatables, racing their friends and siblings through the obstacle courses, or braving the rock climbing wall, thousands of area kids got some exercise and physical activity in the Lambeau Field Atrium free of charge.

"It was great to give everyone a chance to get out of the house during this bitter cold," said Cathy Dworak, the Packers' manager of community relations. "The total attendance neared 6,000, so we know a lot of people took advantage of the opportunity to be here at the Atrium. Many parents told me this was just the thing they needed...something fun fo..

Steroid Policy Changes Make Testing More Precise

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 14:19:43 CST
The modifications to the NFL steroids policy the league announced last month are simply going to make it harder for any player to escape detection of any illegal substances, no matter how small the amounts, according to Packers strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson.

"They're getting more precise," Gullickson said. "They're able to test for even lower doses of testosterone than they have before, so some guys who have been getting under the wire may be caught this time around. They're getting closer to making sure nobody is adding anything to their natural levels of testosterone."

The additional precision is coming by way of carbon isotope ratio (CIR) testing, which can detect the lower doses. All specimens are now subject to random selection for CIR testing, whereas previously CIR testing was used only to confirm positive tests.

Other changes to the policy include increasing the number of players from each team randomly tested each week from seven ..

Aaron Kampman Pro Bowl Diary - Part III

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:29:40 CST
In his fifth season with the Green Bay Packers, defensive end Aaron Kampman finally shook the label of a try-hard overachiever and was recognized as an elite athlete and performer at his position, earning his first bid to the Pro Bowl.

Coming off a lucrative contract extension he signed prior to the 2006 season, Kampman went out and earned every penny, leading the NFC with 15 1/2 sacks, the third-highest single-season total in franchise history. He also recorded a career-high 113 tackles, a franchise record for a defensive lineman.

Kampman, who is joined by teammate Donald Driver in Hawaii, will play in the Pro Bowl for the first time on Saturday night, and he'll be chronicling his trip in this exclusive online diary for Packers.com.

Kickoff for the 2007 Pro Bowl will be 1 p.m. Hawaii time, 5 p.m. CT on CBS.

Here is the third installment:

As far as the football stuff, I've been signing all kinds of things for NFL functions, lots of..

Watch Driver, Kampman In The 2007 NFL Pro Bowl, Saturday

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:49:50 CST
Two Green Bay Packers who have taken the long road to professional success got some well-deserved recognition this season.

Defensive end Aaron Kampman and wide receiver Donald Driver, both late-round draft choices who didn't even attend the scouting combine coming out of college, will participate in the 2007 NFL Pro Bowl, Saturday.

Kickoff will be 1 p.m. Hawaii time, 5 p.m. CT on CBS.

Aaron Kampman's Pro Bowl Diary

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 11:57:56 CST
Read the 'Packers Fan Memories' archives or Submit your own favorite memory

This Week's Photos

Hey Packers fans, here's your chance to share with other fans from around the world your favorite memories of the Green and Gold!

Each week, Packers.com will post a feature called 'Packers Fan Memories.'

In this week's edition you'll find a pint-sized version of Brett, a family whose last name insists you bleed Green and Gold, and saying "I do" wearing a Packers jersey.

We are the biggest Packers fans in our area and with our last name being PACKER it means even more. We got our family pictures taken with all of our Packers memorabilia at a professional photography studio. This is our life being true Packers fans. Go Packers, we love you!!!!!!

Dave & Beth Packer- Virden, Illinois.

**..

Panel Discusses African-American Issues At Packers Hall Of Fame

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:09:54 CST
In celebration of Black History Month, the Green Bay Packers held a panel discussion on Thursday night in the Hall of Fame focused on several issues surrounding African-Americans involved in football in the past, present and future.

Long snapper Rob Davis, defensive ends coach Carl Hairston, pro personnel assistant Tim Terry, and former Packers linebacker and current director of player development George Koonce all participated on the panel, which discussed issues including the NFL's "Rooney Rule" in searching for head coaches, the Green Bay community's treatment of African-American athletes, and the current African-American athlete's appreciation for those who paved the way before them.

The "Rooney Rule," named for Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who was influential in instituting it, was at the forefront during last week's Super Bowl with two African-American head coaches getting to the big game for the first time. The rule requires teams to interview at lea..

Packers Blown Away By Navy Trip

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 14:23:02 CST
Ask any of the Green Bay Packers who spent Super Bowl weekend aboard the USS Harry S. Truman in the mid-Atlantic what the experience was like, and the immediate response is one word.

Awesome.

"That might be the understatement of the year," quarterback Ingle Martin said. "I don't think we can describe it."

Martin, Todd Bouman, William Henderson, Dave Rayner, Noah Herron and assistant equipment manager Tom Bakken all traveled to the Truman, a Navy aircraft carrier, to spend Super Bowl weekend with the sailors. The trip was arranged by Bakken through the Navy's Morale, Welfare and Recreation department, and for this group of civilians the roughly 1 1/2 days off-shore was simply non-stop action.

Flying out to sea in a plane that landed by hooking to the carrier was just the introduction to Navy life. Slowing down from around 130 miles an hour to a standstill in roughly two seconds is a tremendous jolt to the body, even for professional football players..

Five Packers Get Opportunity To Play In NFL Europa

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:19:42 CST
When players come out of college, bounce around to different teams a bit, and then land on a practice squad, all they really want is a chance to play.

NFL Europa (formerly called the NFL Europe League) gives them that chance, and the upcoming trip overseas is an opportunity five Green Bay Packers are looking forward to this spring.

Wide receiver Carlton Brewster, linebacker Tim Goodwell, cornerback Antonio Malone, safety Alvin Nnabuife and offensive lineman Adam Stenavich, most of whom spent at least a portion of 2006 on Green Bay's practice squad, have been allocated by the Packers to play in NFL Europa in 2007 to get their first true game experience since their college days.

"It gets you back into playing, so you'll be ready when training camp comes around," Stenavich said. "It's 10 games, so it's almost like a college season as far as playing experience and things like that."

All five players will find out which of the six teams they'll be playi..

Aaron Kampman Pro Bowl Diary - Part II

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 10:42:40 CST
In his fifth season with the Green Bay Packers, defensive end Aaron Kampman finally shook the label of a try-hard overachiever and was recognized as an elite athlete and performer at his position, earning his first bid to the Pro Bowl.

Coming off a lucrative contract extension he signed prior to the 2006 season, Kampman went out and earned every penny, leading the NFC with 15 1/2 sacks, the third-highest single-season total in franchise history. He also recorded a career-high 113 tackles, a franchise record for a defensive lineman.

Kampman, who is joined by teammate Donald Driver in Hawaii, will play in the Pro Bowl for the first time on Saturday night, and he'll be chronicling his trip in this exclusive online diary for Packers.com.

Kickoff for the 2007 Pro Bowl will be 1 p.m. Hawaii time, 5 p.m. CT on CBS.

Here is the second installment:

First of all, I have to say Hawaii is definitely a welcome break from the bitter cold of Gre..

With Favre's Return, Building On Momentum Becomes Focus

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 15:57:16 CST
Had quarterback Brett Favre decided to retire, the momentum the Packers built with their four-game winning streak to conclude the 2006 season would have been a somewhat fleeting concept and more difficult to sustain.

But with Favre's return, that momentum is very real, and Head Coach Mike McCarthy expects his players to focus on building on that strong finish between now and the start of the 2007 season.

"Obviously I'm very excited, and I'm glad he's coming back," McCarthy said on Monday upon returning to Lambeau Field from a week's vacation in Texas. "I think he gives us excellent leadership, and he's still a very good quarterback.

"We have a lot of momentum, and Brett's obviously a big part of that momentum because he's the leader of our football team. It's something we're carrying into our offseason program and into the mini-camps and the OTAs, and everybody is excited."

McCarthy got the news of Favre's return last Friday from General Manager Te..

Aaron Kampman Pro Bowl Diary - Part I

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 13:34:44 CST
In his fifth season with the Green Bay Packers, defensive end Aaron Kampman finally shook the label of a try-hard overachiever and was recognized as an elite athlete and performer at his position, earning his first bid to the Pro Bowl.

Coming off a lucrative contract extension he signed prior to the 2006 season, Kampman went out and earned every penny, leading the NFC with 15 1/2 sacks, the third-highest single-season total in franchise history. He also recorded a career-high 113 tackles, a franchise record for a defensive lineman.

Kampman, who is joined by teammate Donald Driver in Hawaii, will play in the Pro Bowl for the first time on Saturday night, and he'll be chronicling his trip in this exclusive online diary for Packers.com.

Kickoff for the 2007 Pro Bowl will be 1 p.m. Hawaii time, 5 p.m. CT on CBS.

Here is the first installment:

Getting ready to go was a little bit of craziness. Linde and I took off Friday morning to fly ..

Butler Truly Appreciates Hall Induction

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 12:23:33 CST
LeRoy Butler has an appreciation for the history and tradition of a franchise like the Green Bay Packers, which is why he doesn't take his upcoming induction into the Packers Hall of Fame lightly by any means.

"It's kind of surreal," Butler said. "It's one of those things where you step out of your body and watch yourself (wondering) do you even deserve that, looking at all those great guys already in there and looking at all the tradition around our team."

Butler certainly does deserve it and he and former teammate Robert Brooks will be inducted at the annual banquet on July 21.

Butler, a Green Bay safety his entire 12-year career (1990-2001), was in town on Monday and spoke with a small group of local reporters in the Hall of Fame, appropriately in the area of the "Lambeau Leap" exhibit.

He noted that it's special to be inducted with Brooks, who is a good friend and als..

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 10:54:20 CST
Read the 'Packers Fan Memories' archives or Submit your own favorite memory

This Week's Photos

Hey Packers fans, here's your chance to share with other fans from around the world your favorite memories of the Green and Gold!

Each week, Packers.com will post a feature called 'Packers Fan Memories.'

On December 21st, I took my grandpa to his first game at Lambeau Field when the Packers played Minnesota. He has been a Packers fan his whole life, and it was his dream to see a regular season game at Lambeau. He is now 76, and I felt privlaged to share a Packers win with him at his very first game.

Mike- Burlington, Wis.

**

My sister and I made our first trip to Lambeau in 2003 for the Monday night game vs the Eagles. On Sunday, we were taking pictures around the stadium ..

Thompson, Teammates Excited Favre's Coming Back

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:20:51 CST
Ted Thompson was in a meeting Friday morning when his cell phone rang, and when he noticed on his caller ID that it was Brett Favre trying to reach him, the Packers General Manager quickly excused himself and then heard what he was hoping to from his future Hall of Fame quarterback.

"He said something about, 'I think I'm going to give it another shot,'" Thompson said at his news conference on Friday afternoon. "And I said, 'That sounds good to me.'"

So with that, the Packers welcomed Favre back for his 16th season as the team's starting quarterback and his 17th NFL season overall. Within minutes, Thompson relayed the news to Head Coach Mike McCarthy while Favre called a reporter and friend at the Biloxi Sun Herald, and the news spread like wildfire through the media and on the internet.

"I am so excited about coming back," Favre told the newspaper. "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year and that's encouraging.

"My offensive..

Several Records Within Favre's Reach

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 13:17:59 CST
With Brett Favre returning for his 16th season as the Green Bay Packers' starting quarterback (17th NFL season overall), several NFL records are within his reach during the upcoming 2007 season, most of them held by longtime Miami quarterback Dan Marino.

Favre also already has compiled an impressive list of league records that he will extend by continuing to play.

Here's a breakdown of both lists of records:
For a look at where look at where No. 4 ranks among the all-time NFL and Packers greats, visit the Packers.com Favre Watch page.

Records within Favre's reach in 2007:
Most TD passes: 420
Dan Marino's mark will be eclipsed with seven more TD passes by Favre, who has 414.

**

Most passing yards: 61,361
Favre, at 57,500 yards, needs 3,862 more to surpass Marino here, a single-season total he topped each of the last t..

Navy Visit Takes Packers Off-Shore For Super Bowl

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 09:03:31 CST
By now, nearly all football fans have figured out where they're going to watch the Super Bowl. Maybe it's at home, on a friend's big screen TV, or at a party somewhere with loads of snacks and beverages.

But a select few Green Bay Packers will be watching the Super Bowl in a most unusual place - the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

On a trip arranged by assistant equipment manager Tom Bakken through the U.S. Navy's Morale, Welfare and Recreation department, Packer players Ingle Martin, Dave Rayner, Noah Herron, Todd Bouman and William Henderson, along with Bakken, will be watching the Super Bowl with Navy sailors aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, an aircraft carrier in the mid-Atlantic.

"I think it's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal," Rayner said. "It should be a really good time for both the sailors and us players."

The Packers crew is going to fly out of an eastern military base on Saturday to the carrier, getting a comprehensive tour of ..