Packers.com

Packers.com Draft Day Challenge Winners Selected

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:33:24 CST

Congratulations to this year's Packers.com Draft Day Challenge winners:

Sue Enderle of Watertown, Wis.
Kevin Ward of Camden, Tenn.
Robert Bankers of Redlands, Calif.

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In just over three days, Packers.com received 5,025 entries which came from all 50 states, including 1,915 from Wisconsin, and 22 countries world-wide (Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, Puerto Rico, Rome, Sweden and the United States).

Of that pool, 41 individuals correctly predicted that Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell would be the Packers' first pick. The prize packages won by these three contestants are listed below, followed by a list of the predictions and the names of the 41 finalists.

As always, Packers.com would like to thank you for your outstanding support!

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Prize Package 1 ..

First Training Camp Practice Slated For July 28

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:29:34 CST

updated 5/4/2007

Visit PackersTrainingCamp.com for more Training Camp information!

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The Green Bay Packers announced on Monday that the first training camp practice will take place on the afternoon of Saturday, July 28.

The players' reporting date for training camp will be one day earlier, July 27.

The full day-to-day training camp schedule is expected to be finalized sometime in June.

In addition, Coach McCarthy announced that four organized team activities (OTAs) in June would be open to the public on Ray Nitschke Field, weather permitting. Those dates encompass all of the Thursday workouts during OTAs, scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on May 31, June 7, June 14 and June 18.

The upcoming rookie orientation camp (May 4-6) and mandatory mini-camp (May 18-20) will be held in the Don Hutson Center and therefore will be closed to the public.

Draft Wrap-Up: Thompson Sticks To His Plan

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 18:22:17 CST

To summarize the Green Bay Packers' 2007 draft is to in essence summarize General Manager Ted Thompson's draft philosophy.

The Packers made some trades to amass extra picks, turning nine selections into 11 via swaps with the New York Jets on Saturday and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. They drafted the best player they could when it was their turn to pick, filling in depth and competition in some need areas along the way. And they found some potential long-term starters at positions the coaching staff is building the team around.

All in all, it was exactly the type of draft Packers fans have come to expect from Thompson in his three years as GM.

"I felt going in this was a draft that I didn't think it was quite as deep as it was last year," Thompson said. "We had to do a little more work, a little more study, but after the two days think we added some value to our team."

Here's a breakdown of where that value was added:

In the trench..

TE Harris A Good Value In Seventh Round

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:32:48 CST
Clark Harris is willing to handle just about any role a tight end can.

The Packers' 11th and final selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, a seventh-round pick at 243rd overall out of Rutgers, Harris became one of his team's primary pass-catchers as a sophomore when injuries hit the wide receiver position. He caught 53 balls for 725 yards and five touchdowns in 2004.

He also took over as the Rutgers' long snapper when an injury knocked the incumbent out of the lineup.

Then he became more of a blocker as a junior and senior, when Rutgers reverted to a more ground-oriented attack behind standouts Ray Rice and Brian Leonard. And Harris continued to handle the long-snapping duties as his collegiate career concluded.

So to ask him whether he's concerned his receiving numbers dropped, to 38 and 34 catches his final two years, or whether he'd be willing to become a long-snapper in the NFL, you'll get nothing but the true team player answer from Harris.

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Florida's Wynn May Get Chance At FB

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:18:41 CST
As a seventh-round draft pick coming into a crowded and competitive running back group in Green Bay, DeShawn Wynn knows he'll have his work cut out for him to make the final roster.

But is he's able to show some versatility and handle responsibilities at both tailback and fullback, he may increase his chances.

The Packers drafted Wynn out of Florida on Sunday with the first of their two seventh-round selections (228th overall) and will explore just where his 5-foot-10 1/2, 232-pound frame will be most effective.

Playing fullback would require a learning curve for Wynn, who led the national champion Gators' backfield-by-committee in 2006 with 124 carries for 630 yards and five TDs. That came off a season in which he put up similar numbers with 130 carries for 612 yards and seven TDs as a junior in 2005.

Because the fullback in the Packers' zone-blocking system is not just a straight-ahead hammer but a read-and-react player required to make the corre..

LB Bishop Fast Enough To Make Plays

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:07:10 CST
Desmond Bishop isn't going to win any footraces against many of the linebackers taken in the 2007 NFL Draft.

But Packers assistant head coach and linebackers coach Winston Moss cautions everyone not to read too much into his 4.77-second time in the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine.

Moss likes what he's seen on film from Bishop, the second of the Packers' three consecutive sixth-round draft picks on Sunday (192nd overall). What matters more to Moss is that Bishop, a first-team all-Pac 10 defensive standout from Cal, showed a nose for the ball in leading his team in tackles for two straight seasons.

"If you say he doesn't run fast enough, be careful with that," Moss said. "You talk about very good speed you're looking at linebackers running 4.5s. Guys are getting enamored with those really, really fast linebackers.

"When Desmond is running 4.6, 4.7, if he plays fast as a football player, even though that timed speed might not be what looking for,..

Crosby Will Compete With Rayner

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:04:58 CST
The Packers have brought in some competition for Dave Rayner for the kicking job.

The third of Green Bay's three straight sixth-round picks on Sunday, at 193rd overall, was Colorado kicker Mason Crosby, whose strong leg prompted the Buffaloes to never hesitate to try a long field goal.

But it's not just his leg strength the Packers like. Special teams coordinator Mike Stock likes the fundamentals and footwork he sees with Crosby, and he feels he has the mental makeup to be a productive pro kicker.

"I noticed when he had something happen, when he missed a kick, or didn't kick it quite the way he wanted to have it, he came back, rebounded," Stock said. "I like the way he reacts to some adversity he faced."

Crosby didn't have much adversity early in his college career. As a sophomore in 2004, he kicked the longest field goal in the nation with a 60-yarder against Iowa State and made six field goals total from 50-plus.

Then as a junior, Crosby..

Boise State's Hall A Special Teams Standout

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:09:28 CST
Special teams coordinator Mike Stock has seen a player like Korey Hall before.

Hall, a linebacker from Boise State, was selected by the Packers with the first of their three consecutive sixth-round picks on Sunday, the 191st overall selection.

The Packers are looking to convert Hall from linebacker to fullback and see what he can bring to special teams, much like Stock did as a coach with the Washington Redskins earlier this decade with another linebacker from Boise State named Brian Johnson.

"He was undersized as a linebacker, a fast runner, and we made him a fullback," said Stock, who coached special teams with the Redskins from 2001-03. "He was the same size and almost the same build, and hopefully the same make. That's what our idea will be with Korey Hall."

Hall was an impressive linebacker in his own right, earning second-team All-America honors from the Sporting News and Western Athletic Conference defensive player of the year honors. He rec..

WR Clowney Has Speed To Burn

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:58:17 CST
The Packers added another receiver to compete for playing time in 2007, and this one will use his speed to get noticed.

Virginia Tech's David Clowney was Green Bay's fifth-round draft selection on Sunday, taken with the 157th overall pick.

A track letterman as a sprinter, Clowney said he ran a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine on a bad hamstring, and his ability to stretch the field is something the Packers are interested in taking a close look at. He could get a shot as a return man on special teams as well.

"The one thing about him is he has explosive vertical speed," Packers East Coast scout Lee Gissendaner said. "His individual workout, as far as being able to separate from defenders, that's what you look for in receivers, and he has great body control."

Clowney considers himself a football player who also ran track, rather than the other way around. He said track helped with his running form, his speed, and helped keep him in sh..

Barbre Not Your Average Athlete At LT

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 12:22:59 CST
The Packers may have found the heir apparent to left tackle Chad Clifton in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on Sunday.

After trading down seven spots and picking up an extra sixth-round pick from the Steelers, the Packers took offensive tackle Allen Barbre from Missouri Southern State with the 119th overall selection.

Barbre made 33 starts, including 32 at the all-important left tackle spot, at the small Division II school, and the athletic ability in his 6-foot-4, 304-pound body projects well to protecting a quarterback's blind side.

"He's a terrific athlete, a very explosive young man," Packers offensive line coach James Campen said. "One game we scouted - obviously we looked at all the games - but he had 16 legitimate knockdowns in one game. You always hear that term pancake, knockdown, what have you, but he actually had 16 de-cleaters in one game."

He also played a role almost unheard of for 300-pound linemen. He was an outside gunner on the ..

V-Tech's Rouse Keeps Proper Perspective

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:53:12 CST
Making the transition from linebacker to safety midway through his college career at Virginia Tech turned out to be the easy part for Aaron Rouse.

But the more difficult circumstances he's dealt with in the past year have only helped Rouse develop both a mental toughness and a healthy outlook on life.

The Packers drafted Rouse with a third-round pick (89th overall) acquired in a trade with the Jets on Saturday, just two weeks after his school was the site of one of the nation's biggest tragedies.

Rouse was not on the Virginia Tech campus earlier this month during the horrifying shooting spree that killed 32 people, having left a day earlier. But he felt it was almost harder to watch the tragedy unfold from afar, even though he didn't personally know any of the victims.

"Virginia Tech is a tight-knit community, and when something like that happens in Blacksburg, everybody is affected," Rouse said. "As I said on NFL Network, I didn't just lose classm..

Tough Upbringing Doesn't Stop WR Jones

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 21:16:22 CST
Back in 1999, the Packers drafted a receiver in the seventh round who had experienced a difficult upbringing, living for a time as a teenager out of a U-Haul truck when his family hit some hard times.

That was Donald Driver, whose success story will certainly be an inspiration to his new receiving mate.

The Packers drafted wide receiver James Jones with the first of their two third-round selections on Saturday, the 78th pick overall, and the San Jose State product had his share of tough times as a California youngster as well.

"Growing up was never really easy for me and my family," Jones said. "When I was young, me and my mother lived in homeless shelters, moved from homeless shelter to homeless shelter.

"Some days you didn't eat, some days you did. I just kept working hard, and with faith in God I'm to this point now, and I'm so excited right now just to be a Green Bay Packer. It's an exciting moment for me and my family."

The Packers ar..

Nebraska's Jackson Enters RB Competition

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:39:19 CST
As the Packers search to replace longtime running back Ahman Green in 2007, one of the prospects will be from Green's old school.

Nebraska's Brandon Jackson, a first-team all-Big 12 selection last season as a junior, was the Packers' second-round draft choice on Saturday. Jackson was taken 63rd overall, as Green Bay slid down 16 spots from their original second-round position in a trade with the New York Jets.

Green, also a Nebraska product, left earlier this offseason in free agency, and the Packers have now added Jackson to the group of potential replacements that includes Vernand Morency, Noah Herron, Arliss Beach and P.J. Pope.

"He's very instinctive from what I've seen on film," Head Coach Mike McCarthy said. "There's some carryover from his offense in college to our offense here. He has excellent feet, I think he's a natural runner. You don't see him take too many wasted steps. A very good football player. We're excited to have him."

The Pack..

Draft Party Fills Atrium With Energy

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:25:56 CST
While the Packers football minds were working in the team's draft room, more than 2,000 fans of the Green and Gold were heartily enjoying themselves at the fourth annual Packers Draft Party, soaking in another day of Packers culture at the Lambeau Field Atrium.

With a number of activities for all attendees, the party was able to satisfy the football thirst of all comers. From the basics of big screen TVs and WTMJ Radio on-site, to the Packers rummage sale and viewing of Lambeau Field, there was something for the serious draft fans as well as the casual fan seeking to celebrate a team event with fellow Packers followers.

Many fans enjoyed hearing directly from GM Ted Thompson, Head Coach Mike McCarthy, Chairman Bob Harlan and President John Jones, as well as several players, including surprise visits from former great LeRoy Butler and wide receiver Greg Jennings.

For Clayton Matteson, 26, of Prairie City, Ill., the day has become a regular family affair.

D-Line Gets Stronger, Deeper With Harrell

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 15:30:46 CST
General Manager Ted Thompson believes in having a deep stable of defensive linemen, able to battle within the ranks for playing time and rotate with one another on the playing field.

That's why Thompson, who surprised many by not taking an offensive skill player in the first round of Saturday's NFL Draft, couldn't pass on Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell with the 16th overall pick.

Not necessarily an area of need, the defensive line gets a boost nonetheless with the addition of Harrell, a 6-foot-3 1/2, 302-pound run plugger who's explosive off the ball and is expected to be a strong addition to the current defensive tackle crew of Ryan Pickett, Corey Williams, Johnny Jolly and Colin Cole.

"I think he'll fit in very good with our guys," Thompson said in a press conference after making his first pick. "We like having a lot of good defensive linemen, and the last month or so we felt very strongly that we'd like to add another young guy with our group ..

Packers.com Draft Day Challenge Voting Now Closed

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:41:00 CST
Voting is now closed for the 2007 Packers.com Draft Day Challenge.

Keep checking back following the NFL Draft for a complete list of finalists.

All those who correctly predict the Packers' first pick will have their names displayed at Packers.com following the draft. Three lucky winners, drawn at random from that pool, will win one of the following prize packages:

Prize Package 1
A.J. Hawk autographed football
Green Bay Packers portable tailgating chair

Prize Package 2
Donald Driver autographed football
Green Bay Packers notebook

Prize Package 3
Bob Harlan autographed 10th Anniversary Super Bowl XXXI print

Meanwhile, here's a look at how you voted:

In just over three days, Packers.com received 5,025 entries which came from all 50 states, including 1,915 from Wisconsin, and 22 countries world-wide (Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada,..

Former LB Forester Dies At 74

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:47:52 CST
Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Bill Forester passed away Friday morning in Dallas at the age of 74.

Forester played his entire 11-year career (1953-63) for the Packers after being drafted in the third round (31st overall) out of Southern Methodist University in 1953. A defensive tackle at SMU, Forester became a starter in the Green Bay linebacking corps that also included Ray Nitschke and Dan Currie during Head Coach Vince Lombardi's first two championship seasons, 1961 and 1962.

In 138 career games, Forester had 21 interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He recorded a single-season high of four interceptions three times, in 1955, 1956 and 1957. Forester also averaged 13.9 yards on 17 kickoff returns in his career and recorded a safety in 1959.

A burial service will be held Monday morning in Dallas, followed by a memorial service at 11:30 a.m., at First Baptist Church of Dallas (1707 San Jacinto Street, Dallas, TX, 75201).

Arrangements ar..

Best Packers Draft Of All-Time? You Decide!

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:40:22 CST
Thirsting for news of their favorite team in the off-season, football fans anticipate the NFL Draft more than any other event between the final game of the previous season and the first game of the next one.

The building blocks for the team's future, and in some cases the present, are on the way, and depending on how those players perform, years from now any given draft class might be remembered as one of the best in a team's history.

Like every team, the Packers have had their share of great drafts that provided multiple players who not only provided a solid core for the team but went on to decorated, and in some cases Hall of Fame, careers.

With the next group of future Packers about to be selected on April 28 and 29, time will tell whether they will stack up against some of the stellar drafts in Green Bay.

Here is a summary of five nominees for the best draft in team history.

Cast your vote in the fan poll on the left side of the page! ..

Draft Day Memories - Part III

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:45:04 CST
Part III of Packers.com's Draft Day memories series takes a look at a few players selected in the final round, or not at all. From the moment their draft fate unfolds, these players know they face somewhat long odds of making it in the NFL, but they have every intention of beating those odds.

There are two kinds of late-round draft choices in the NFL - those who expected to be selected much sooner, and those who are just thrilled to be taken at all.

Center Scott Wells definitely fell into the former category in 2004. A four-year starter at the University of Tennessee, Wells had been hearing from his agent that he was a "late first-day, early second-day" pick.

"Which means third to fifth round, fifth latest," Wells said. "So you roll into the seventh round and there are eight centers already drafted ahead of you, and you've got 49 starts under your belt in the SEC and all the accolades and what not, and you're still not picked, you kind of get frustra..

Remmel: Letlow Was Packers' First Draft Pick

Lee Remmel, Team Historian — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:41:00 CST
Who, pray tell, was Willard Russell Letlow, and where is he to be found in the intriguing and amorphous reaches of Packers history?

For the record, Letlow deserves a prominent place in team annals, now in their 88th year. Though never a household name, he happens to have been the very first player ever drafted by Green Bay -- a decision executed 71 years ago.

The historic pick occurred on February 8, 1936, the date of the National Football League's first annual selection meeting, as the draft long has been formally identified.

The baptismal event was conducted at the prestigious Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, home of Bert Bell, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles and future commissioner of the NFL, who had successfully "sold" the draft proposal to his peers at the league's annual meeting a year earlier.

The seventh overall selection to be made that distant day, Letlow's identity was officially announced on behalf of the Packers by Head Coach and..

Draft Day Memories - Part II

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 15:30:15 CST
Part II of Packers.com's Draft Day memories series takes a look at a few players selected in the middle rounds, on Day 2. They may have had hopes of getting selected on Day 1, but they had to wait overnight to discover their fate the next day.

"The middle rounds" is a common but nebulous phrase when it comes to the NFL Draft. It could mean anything from Round 3 to Round 6, and there's the small delay of the overnight between Rounds 3 and 4.

So players who are told they'll be a "middle-round" pick don't really know a whole lot, and it can add to the stress and anxiety of the process.

"It's that feeling of helplessness, because you have no control over the situation," said linebacker Brady Poppinga, taken in the fourth round in 2005. "You're confused, because sometimes you think you know but you don't know, and your agent thinks he knows, but he doesn't know. There's a lot of uncertainty - I don't know where I'm going to live, where I'm going to be." <..

Draft Day Memories - Part I

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:27:24 CST
Draft Day.

It's one of those days in the life of a professional football player that can be filled with excitement, anxiety, confusion, frustration, heartache, pure elation, or any combination, or all of the above.

Players never forget the day they were drafted, and they can remember various moments from that once-in-a-lifetime day, memories that sharpen as a new NFL Draft approaches each year.

Several Packers shared their Draft Day memories with Packers.com and those will be posted this week in a three-part series. Part I includes recollections from various first-day selections, rounds 1 through 3.

Players who are going to be selected in the first round often know it, what with all the "experts" including them in their mock drafts. When the draft begins late Saturday morning (depending on what time zone you're in), for those players it's not a question of if their name will be called, but when.

Back in 2003, linebacker Nick Barnett..

Play The Packers.com 2007 Draft Day Challenge

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:36:41 CST
Click here for results!

Hey all you football fans and draft gurus, the NFL Draft will soon be upon us and here at Packers.com we have an exciting way you can get involved in the action.

The official Web site of the Green Bay Packers is pleased to announce the fourth annual Packers.com Draft Day Challenge in which fans can win cool prizes by correctly predicting the team's first pick of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Here's how it works:

From Tuesday, April 24, through the eve of the draft, Friday, April 27, fans can log on to Packers.com and try and predict the identity of the player the Packers will choose first in the 2007 NFL Draft, held in New York City, April 28-29.

Participants must be at least 13-years-old and must fill out the entire entry form to be eligible. Only one entry per person will be accepted, and all entries must be submitted by noon CT, April 27.

Currently, the P..

Thompson Makes No Predictions Or Guarantees

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:15:31 CST
Over the past two years in Green Bay, General Manager Ted Thompson has turned seven draft picks each season into a total of 23 selections, stockpiling the roster with competition, depth and potential long-term starters at several positions.

Thompson enters this weekend's 2007 NFL Draft with nine selections - one in each of the first six rounds and three in the seventh. But whether the Packers will finish the draft with less than, more than, or exactly nine new players is anyone's guess, even Thompson's.

During his annual pre-draft press conference on Monday, Thompson said he goes into every draft assuming he's going to pick in the slots he has. And even for a GM with Thompson's penchant for trading, that actually happened once.

In 2004, his final year as vice president of football operations for the Seattle Seahawks, Thompson had seven selections and never moved out of any of those seven slots for the two-day draft.

"We tried like heck to trade all..

Packers Draft Party Set For Saturday At Lambeau Field Atrium

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 16:13:55 CST
TICKETS AVAILABLE THROUGH PACKERS

Final preparations commence this week for Saturday's Packers Draft Party at the Lambeau Field Atrium.

Tickets remain available for the event through the Green Bay Packers, in person at the Packers' ticket office and the Packers Pro Shop, or over the phone by calling 800/992-5750 (a $4 handling fee per phone order applies). Children ages 3 and younger are free.

The event, April 28, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (doors open at 10), will feature draft coverage on two large television projection screens, and the Packers' flagship radio station, Newsradio 620 WTMJ, will be on hand to provide coverage and analysis throughout the day.

The Legends Club on the Atrium's fourth floor also will be available to provide attendees with more seating options. Two large screen television screens will show draft coverage and beverage service will be offered.

Packers GM Ted Thompson and Head Coach Mike McCarthy will address f..

Premium Seating Offers Variety Of Opportunities

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:08:07 CST
Click here for more Premium Seating information.

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Even though the first game of the 2007 regular season is still five months away, the release of the schedule last week made a busy off-season even busier for many of the non-football departments at Lambeau Field.

Much of the activity revolves around those now-scheduled games which so many fans want to see.

One department that makes the game-day experience at Lambeau Field both sought-after and memorable is the guest relations department, which handles premium seating.

The focus for premium seating during the off-season, up until last week, was handling the renewals for the private boxes and indoor and outdoor club seats. Those renewals generally are multi-year contracts of varying lengths, and contracted clients get the added benefits of invitations to the annual food tasting and the opportunity to watch training camp practices f..

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 01:18:22 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.'

This week's collection of Packers Fan Memories consists of a radio broadcast heard in Germany, a surprise sighting of a Super Bowl II ring and more positive memories from Packers Family Night.

We made our second visit to Green Bay last season to watch the Packers take on the Jets. Before the game, we were fortunate enough to meet Gilbert Brown at a tailgate party outside of Brett Favre's Steakhouse! It was a great experience and we are already making plans to come back next season. Go Pack Go!

Todd - Warren, Ohio..

NFL Europa Diary - Carlton Brewster, Part I

Fri, 20 Apr 2007 17:02:20 CST
Wide receiver Carlton Brewster is one of a handful of Green Bay Packers allocated to NFL Europa this spring.

Brewster is a starter for the Berlin Thunder, and in his team's season opener April 14, he caught seven passes for 95 yards to help the Thunder post a 15-3 victory over the Rhein Fire.

Berlin takes on Hamburg in Week 2 on Sunday in its home opener. The game can be seen on tape-delay on NFL Network at 11 p.m. (CT).

Packers.com will post periodic diary entries from Brewster about his experiences in Europe with his "springtime" team. Here is the first installment, in which Brewster discusses Florida training camp, German cars and his productive season opener:

This whole season started with training camp for 3 1/2 weeks in Florida. The first week was pretty tough, just getting back into it. We had two-a-days every day. After the first practice we had a 40-minute break, then the second practice.

It wasn't that bad, but training ca..

Morency Lends A Helping Hand On Hit TV Show

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:43:31 CST
Packers fans who watch the hit ABC show "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" might see a familiar face in Sunday night's episode.

Green Bay running back Vernand Morency was part of the crew that remade the home of the Westbrook family in Lawton, Okla., a couple of months ago. The Westbrook family had been struck by two separate tragedies, as father Gene was wounded and left paralyzed in the Iraq War and his son James was paralyzed in a car accident a year later.

The weeklong 'Extreme Makeover' made the Westbrook home wheelchair accessible, and the episode is scheduled to air this Sunday at 7 p.m. (CT).

"I couldn't believe a team of people could build a house within a five-day span, so I wanted to go see it, and I wanted to lend a helping hand," Morency said. "A family definitely needed it."

Morency, who played his college football at Oklahoma State, actually rounded up several athletes from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at his alma mater ..

'58 Packers Draft Class On 'NFL's Top 10'

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:12:58 CST
The Green Bay Packers' 1958 draft class was ranked fourth all-time in NFL Network's weekly Top 10 countdown series that aired on Wednesday night.

This week's installment of the NFL's Top 10 series looked at the Top 10 draft classes as selected by a panel of NFL Network and NFL Films staffers. The 60-minute show counted down the Top 10 in reverse order, using interviews with key decision-makers involved in the various drafts to explain each class's ranking.

The Packers' 1958 draft was a key building block for the 1960s, which produced five NFL titles in Green Bay in a seven-year span.

The 1958 draft included the selections of linebacker Dan Currie and fullback Jim Taylor among the top 15 overall selections. Linebacker Ray Nitschke was chosen in the third round that year (36th overall), and offensive guard Jerry Kramer was taken in the fourth round (39th).

Nitschke and Taylor were ultimately inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the 1970s. All..

Brewster Opens NFL Europa With Strong Game

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:25:30 CST
Packers wide receiver Carlton Brewster quickly gained some attention with his season-opening performance in NFL Europa this past weekend.

Brewster caught seven passes for 95 yards in helping the Berlin Thunder post a 15-3 victory over the Rhein Fire on Saturday night.

Brewster's reception total was tied for the league-high in Week 1, while his yardage total ranks second, just 5 yards off the pace set by Scott McCready of Hamburg. Brewster recorded almost exactly half of Berlin's 189 receiving yards in the game.

In the second quarter, Brewster opened a drive with a 37-yard reception from quarterback Travis Lulay. Later in that same drive he added a 12-yard catch, but the promising march ended in a missed field goal.

In the third quarter, a 15-yard reception by Brewster converted a third-and-7 and led to a 50-yard field goal to give the Thunder an 8-3 lead.

Brewster also had a 3-yard catch in the fourth quarter that came one play before Lula..

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:34:16 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.'

This week's collection of Packers Fan Memories consists of a road in Iraq named for the Green and Gold, two young Packer Backers attend Family Night and long lost siblings share a visit to the Frozen Tundra.

I'm a single mom who loves football and couldn't think of a better way of celebrating my son's birthday than taking him to Lambeau Field! Trying to describe attending a game at Lambeau and seeing the Packers in person is impossible. It's truly a dream come true! I've come to Green Bay the last 2 years and can't wait to ..

Five Packers Open NFL Europa Season This Weekend

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:01:24 CST
Five Green Bay Packers will open their NFL Europa season this weekend, with all of their games being televised by the NFL Network.

The Packers allocated five players to NFL Europa this spring, and they are dispersed among four of the six overseas teams.

Wide receiver Carlton Brewster and linebacker Tim Goodwell are teammates with the Berlin Thunder, while cornerback Antonio Malone plays for the Rhein Fire. Safety Alvin Nnabuife is with the Cologne Centurions and offensive lineman Adam Stenavich is with the Amsterdam Admirals.

"NFL Europa is an exciting opportunity for young football players," says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "It is a place for them to hone their skills, develop their game and experience another culture."

NFL Europa clubs play a 10-game regular-season schedule beginning Saturday and concluding on Sunday, June 17. The top two teams in the standings will play for the league championship in Yello Strom World Bowl XV on Saturday, Ju..

Strong Start Needed In 2007

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:37:56 CST
Carrying over the momentum from last year's season-ending four-game winning streak became all the more important with the release of the 2007 schedule on Wednesday.

The Packers, who won four straight games last December to just miss the playoffs at 8-8, open the upcoming season with three straight games, and four of their first five, against 2006 playoff teams. That tough early lineup includes home games against Philadelphia (Sept. 9), San Diego (Sept. 23) and Chicago (Oct. 7) and a road contest at the N.Y. Giants (Sept. 16).

"The way we closed out last season showed that we can measure up to that, and of course we got to be a better team week by week," Packers President/COO John Jones said in a brief meeting with reporters. "So we're hoping to build on that and start off (strong). We'll need our best football early."

In all the Packers have six playoff teams accounting for seven games on the schedule (two vs. Chicago). The others are road games at Kansas C..

Barnett's Goals, Motivations Go Beyond Contract

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:32:02 CST
Upon signing a long-term contract extension Tuesday morning in the team's Lambeau Field offices, linebacker Nick Barnett looked out into the Atrium and caught a glimpse of the Ray Nitschke banner that hangs as a tribute to the greatest linebacker in team history.

Barnett couldn't help but think, now that his new contract likely will keep him a Packer for the remainder of his career, whether he'll have a chance to join Nitschke and hang from the Atrium rafters himself someday.

"I was saying, 'Man, I have an opportunity to be on one of those, maybe when I'm retired or something,'" Barnett said during his press conference on Tuesday. "He made his career here, and it would be nice to go down in history as a Ray Nitschke."

Barnett knows as well as anyone there will never be another player quite like No. 66, but No. 56 is certainly on his way to making a name for himself in Packers' lore.

The starting middle linebacker since being drafted in the first ro..

Physical Recovery Going Strong, Mental Battles To Come For Underwood

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 10:41:52 CST
Eight months of rehabilitation on his surgically repaired right knee have Marviel Underwood physically right where he needs to be at this stage of his recovery.

Psychologically, however, there are two barriers Underwood will have to overcome as the off-season continues for the third-year safety. One of those he's facing now, while another will confront him later this summer.

First, Underwood will have to resist the temptation to push the knee too much as it continues to feel better and better. During the off-season strength and conditioning program, he's doing all the movement and agility drills the other defensive backs are doing, but with the May mini-camp a little more than a month away, it's tempting to think about getting back into full-scale football work right away.

That wouldn't be prudent, no matter how badly Underwood wants to resume his eye-catching play of last summer, which abruptly ended on the defense's first preseason possession at San Diego..

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 13:30:23 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.'

This week's collection of Packers Fan Memories consists of an engagement two Packers supporters will always remember, a 13-month-old who honors the Green and Gold every time he straps on his bib and Fan Fest 2007 provides more fan memories.

October 9, 2006 was my five year anniversary with my boyfriend Jason, who has been a Packers fan his whole life. Knowing that 2006 would be one of the last chances he might have to see Brett Favre play at Lambeau, I decided to surprise him with tickets. We toured the stadium and also got ..

Packers Climbing In Fan Satisfaction Rankings

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:46:05 CST
The optimism of Green Bay Packers' fans heading into the 2007 season has been nearly impossible to ignore.

Whether through conversations during Fan Fest, talk of the upcoming draft, or the buzz generated by last week's announcement of the Packers playing on Thanksgiving Day once again, anticipation of the upcoming season is heard around nearly every corner.

Further evidence of that optimism came to light with the recent release of ESPN SportsNation's "Ultimate Standings" of fan satisfaction rankings.

In an online survey of more than 80,000 fans in SportsNation, the Packers ranked 23rd among all 122 professional sports teams and fourth in the NFL, significant climbs from the rankings a year ago.

In early 2006, Green Bay was coming off a 4-12 season, and its fan satisfaction ranking was 30th overall and 14th in the NFL. Those were the club's worst marks since the advent of the survey in 2003, when the team ranked first in all of sports and maintained..

AP Story: Hawk Knows Baseball, Too

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 09:49:13 CST
A.J. Hawk has no plans to join Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson as a two-sport athlete.

But the Green Bay Packers' linebacker showed he was no slouch after a 10-year layoff on Wednesday when he took batting practice at Miller Park before the Milwaukee Brewers played the Los Angeles Dodgers.

After swinging wildly in the first round, Brewers hitting coach Jim Skaalen told him to keep his head down, and the 6-foot-1, 247-pound Hawk hit two balls out of the park.

"I was glad I hit a couple of out. I wasn't sure if I could do that with a wooden bat, because I really have never hit with a wooden bat," he said. "You definitely get tired doing this. It's a different type of conditioning than football."

Hawk, who said he last played organized baseball when he was 13 as a pitcher and a shortstop, was at the park as part of a sponsor promotion.

"I'm a football player, but this is fun," he said. "I'll do this anytime they want me to."

Hawk, ..

Letters To Lee Remmel

Wed, 04 Apr 2007 13:52:49 CST
I once heard that in the 1920s and 30s era that George Halas loaned money to the financially troubled Packers to keep them active so he would have a team within local traveling distance to practice against. Is this true? - Bob, Wild Rose, Wis.

Bob: What you "once heard" was 50 percent accurate. A loan was executed between the neighborhood rivals in the early '30s but it was the Packers who made the loan -- of $1,500 -- to Bears owner/coach George Halas so that he could meet his payroll for a game played at "old" City Stadium.

***

How does Brett rank against the other quarterbacks in Packers history? - Roy, Vacaville, Calif.

Roy: In a comparison of Packers quarterbacks, Brett Favre is the runaway leader in almost every statistical category -- certainly in career numbers such as: most passes attempted (8,219), most passes completed (5,021), most yards passing (57,500) most touchdown passes (414) and passer rating (85.1).

Beyo..

New VPs Have Longtime Connections To Team

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:44:18 CST
Like most natives of northeast Wisconsin, the Green Bay Packers' two newest vice presidents have connections with the team that date back to their formative years.

Vicki Vannieuwenhoven, the new vice president of finance, is a native of Crivitz, Wis., who attended nearby St. Norbert College in the mid-1980s. On Sunday, Dec. 1, 1985, coming back to Green Bay after a weekend at home, Vannieuwenhoven and a friend got hold of tickets for what turned out to be the famous "Snow Bowl" against Tampa Bay.

"We did have a near-accident on the way but made it through," Vannieuwenhoven said of traveling through the blizzard. "We were able to sit in the first row because most people couldn't make it to the game."

Meanwhile Jason Wied, the new vice president of administration, grew up within walking distance from Lambeau Field and attended grade school just blocks from the stadium. Wied was one of countless young fans participating in the summer tradition of loaning their..

Catching Up With: Abdul Hodge

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 16:48:35 CST
After making a name for himself in the Big 10 as a hard-hitting linebacker, Abdul Hodge wasted no time doing the same for the Packers as a backup linebacker in 2006.

A third-round pick from Iowa, Hodge introduced himself to the professional football world by recording six tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown on Monday Night Football vs. Seattle in Week 12.

Although he was raised in Florida, Hodge has remained in Titletown for the majority of the offseason and looks to be a major contributor in 2007.

Packers.com recently sat down with the punishing linebacker to cover his offseason progress.

Packers.com: What have you been doing this offseason?
Hodge: I've been in Green Bay for the most part. I took about two or three weeks to go back home to Ft. Lauderdale around the time of the Super Bowl. I've been here though because my daughter is in school up here.

How was that Florida sunshine for those two wee..