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Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 16 May 2008 16:31:33 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 your favorite memories of the Green and Gold with other fans from around the world! This week's edition includes a Christmas surprise, an anniversary gift, a fan excited to be a part of G Force, a youngster meeting Greg Jennings, and a fan that wouldn't let even a broken leg keep him from Lambeau Field.

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

Four Assistant Coaches Attend Symposium

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:20:47 CST

Assistant coaches who have recently broken into the NFL ranks have no way of predicting how far up the ladder they might eventually climb.

But it never hurts to start laying some groundwork early, and that's what the 2008 NFL Coaches Symposium was all about last week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Four members of the Packers coaching staff -- assistant special teams coach Shawn Slocum, assistant offensive line coach Jerry Fontenot, running backs coach Edgar Bennett and tight ends coach Ben McAdoo -- attended the symposium and returned to their coaching duties feeling both better prepared for their future and eager to apply some lessons in leadership, teaching and communication as the team returns to the practice field next week for OTAs.

The sessions, held over three days, covered a wide range of topics. First-time coordinators such as the Dallas Cowboys' Jason Garrett (offense) and the Buffalo Bills' Perry Fewell (defense) discussed how to prepare for an intervi..

The Odd, Interesting and Curious About The 2008 Draft Picks

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:02:30 CST

NFL draft picks have spent the last year, if not longer, having their athletic lives picked apart as they prepared to enter professional football. Some of the information uncovered isn't well-publicized, or makes for some interesting trivia.

So for those who are interested, here are a few nuggets -- some odd, some interesting, some curious -- about each of the Packers' nine draft choices in 2008 that you may or may not have already heard, or could make you a trivia whiz among fellow Packers fans.

WR Jordy Nelson, 2nd round, 36th overall
--As an all-state quarterback at Riley County (Kan.) High School, Nelson actually compiled more rushing yards (2,302) than passing yards (2,074) in his two seasons as the starter. His QB skills came in handy during his final season at Kansas State, though, as he threw option passes for touchdowns in games against Auburn and Missouri State.

--Among Nelson's numerous track and basketball accomplishments in high scho..

Chillar, Poppinga Understand Business Of Competition

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Mon, 12 May 2008 10:14:39 CST

On the field, they're going to be competing for a job at the same position, battling every day in OTAs, mini-camp and training camp to be the starting strong-side linebacker for the defending NFC North Division champions.

Off the field, their lockers are right next to each other.

But neither free agent Brandon Chillar nor incumbent Brady Poppinga, who will be waging one of the most-watched positional competitions between now and the season opener for the Packers, insists there's anything uncomfortable about the current locker room arrangement for the two veterans.

It's just part of the business, and that's how these two will approach their task with a coveted starting job at stake - all business.

"Me and Brady, we get along good," Chillar said after a recent workout in the team's offseason program. "It's nothing weird. This is a profession. We've talked about it, and we're both just going to go out there and compete.

"Basically every year ..

Morency Assists State's Push For Education

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:52:04 CST

Vernand Morency has put his own education on hold, twice. But even as a professional athlete, he continues to make it a personal priority.

That's why Morency felt honored earlier this month in joining Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle on his state-wide tour to promote the Wisconsin Covenant, an education initiative that guarantees affordable higher education for high school students who participate in the program and meet its requirements.

Morency joined Gov. Doyle for stops at St. Norbert College in De Pere and North Central Technical College in Wausau in mid-April to promote the Covenant by talking about the importance of education. Renowned business leader and former Milwaukee Brewers president and CEO Ulice Payne and Wisconsin State Supreme Court justice Ann Walsh Bradley also took part in the visits.

The Covenant was launched by Gov. Doyle in 2006. Eighth-grade students can sign the Covenant pledge, in which they commit to completing the classes they need to gr..

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 09 May 2008 16:46:08 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 your favorite memories of the Green and Gold with other fans from around the world! This week's edition includes a Lambeau leaping fan from Superior, a railbird meeting Paul Hornung with his grandfather, an autograph from "The Gravedigger," and a journey down to Favre's On The Bayou.

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

Brothers Ready To Battle

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 08 May 2008 14:16:02 CST

Growing up in Charlotte, N.C., brothers Orrin and Jeremy Thompson used to compete for the kinds of things that, well, all brothers do.

Who gets the last drumstick at dinner, who gets to pick the channel and TV program after dinner. That sort of stuff.

Little did they know their athletic careers would eventually put them in a position where they'd be competing with one another on the Green Bay Packers' practice field - for a job.

But that's the impending scenario set to unfold when OTAs begin later this month, or at the very least during training camp. With older brother Orrin an offensive tackle and rookie fourth-round draft pick Jeremy at defensive end, it's virtually inevitable that they will be lining up across from one another in one-on-one pass-rush drills and during team (11-on-11) segments of practice.

It's a moment the Thompson brothers are looking forward to, but one they admit will be a little strange, a little heated, and everything in b..

Votes Counted For 'Greatest Games' DVD

Tue, 06 May 2008 15:53:00 CST

Packers Fans, your votes have been counted.

You've selected the Top 10 games to be included in Green Bay's installment of Warner Home Video's DVD series, "NFL Greatest Games," and video production is underway. The DVD will feature the complete television broadcast, without commercials, of the games listed here.

"We're excited we could include the fans in this process, giving them the opportunity to vote and choose their favorites," said Kate Hogan, director of retail operations for the Packers. "It really makes this the fans' DVD."

Copies of the DVD, priced at $49.95, may be pre-ordered online and will be available by Aug. 20 in the Packers Pro Shop at Lambeau Field. Pre-order your copy now!

Note: Super Bowl II was in the running as a top 10 selection, but after voting began, Warner Bros. was infor..

Notebook: Rookie Camp Improved This Year

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:56:52 CST
Better numbers made for better work at this weekend's rookie orientation.

With 11 free-agent signings, 19 tryout players and a handful of previous practice squad members, along with the team's nine draft picks, participating, the Packers had a greater number of players than they had last year when Head Coach Mike McCarthy organized a rookie orientation camp for the first time.

The larger numbers allowed the coaching staff to get more accomplished, because when the offense and defense were separated and working in different areas of the Hutson Center, there were enough players to form "scout teams" against whom the respective units could execute their jog-throughs.

And with the jog-throughs more worthwhile, the "team" drills pitting the actual offensive and defensive players against one another were more productive as well.

"We had some more players this year than we had last year, and you could just see the progression of practices, how they improv..

Young O-Linemen Eager To Learn

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:49:38 CST
At a combined 624 pounds, rookies Breno Giacomini and Josh Sitton form a rather imposing right side of the offensive line during this weekend's rookie orientation camp inside the Don Hutson Center.

Whether or not that's a preview of a future Green Bay offensive line is impossible to know, but the 303-pound Giacomini at tackle and 319-pound Sitton at guard are taking nothing for granted during their first days as NFL players.

Knowing that in a couple of weeks they'll be thrown in with a group of linemen that includes five other draftees over the previous three years (Junius Coston in 2005, Jason Spitz, Daryn Colledge and Tony Moll in 2006, and Allen Barbre in 2007), Sitton and Giacomini are keeping their eyes and ears open this weekend for anything that can make them viable competitors for roster spots and/or playing time.

"They're changing up my footwork a little bit, my hand placement, everything, and that's what I'm ready for," said Giacomini, a fifth-rou..

Rookies Get First Glance At Playbook

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:32:29 CST
Welcome to the NFL, young men. Here's your playbook ... (thump) ... for this weekend.

"It's just Day 1 install, but it's still a pretty thick book," rookie quarterback Brian Brohm said Friday afternoon, prior to taking the field for the first of the Packers' three rookie orientation practices.

"It's a lot of stuff you have to learn, which at this level, everyone is going to have to realize it's a lot of stuff coming at you fast. We're going to have to pick it up as fast as we can."

That's the rookies' task in this three-day introduction to the NFL. A combination of nine draft picks, 11 non-drafted free agents and 19 tryout players are donning a professional football helmet for the first time inside the Don Hutson Center this weekend.

For the offensive players, much of their orientation will center around learning some of the basics of the offense. Even for players coming from major Division I programs, NFL offenses are far more complex than what th..

Packers Fan Memories

Fri, 02 May 2008 15:58:58 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 your favorite memories of the Green and Gold with other fans from around the world! This week's edition includes North Carolina residents with Packer fan lineage, girls who spent their Christmas money on the Packers-Seahawks "snow game," an afternoon spent in Viking territory, and an opportunity one fan had to meet Max McGee.

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

Packers Rank Fourth In ESPN The Magazine's 'Ultimate Standings'

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:25:12 CST

After two seasons out of the Top 10, the Green Bay Packers are back among the elite franchises in pro sports, according to ESPN The Magazine's 'Ultimate Standings.'

The annual rankings, based on a comprehensive fan satisfaction survey, ranks the Packers fourth among all major professional sports organizations in 2008 and second in the NFL to the Indianapolis Colts, the sports world's top-ranked franchise.

"It's great to see the Packers again ranked as one of the top sports franchises," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "Among our top goals at the Packers are to put a winning team on the field and provide the fans with an outstanding experience at Lambeau Field, both on game day and other days they may visit. We're pleased to see the fans responding to the survey have recognized the organization's efforts, and the unique and special nature of this club. It remains one of pro sports' great stories."

The NBA's San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Hor..

Two Louisville Draft Picks To Join Spitz

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:58:17 CST

It happens rarely, if ever - a player being reunited with a former college teammate in the NFL.

But in Jason Spitz's case, he's suddenly being reunited with two.

The Packers drafted a pair of Spitz's former Louisville teammates in this past weekend's draft, quarterback Brian Brohm in the second round and fellow offensive lineman Breno Giacomini in the fifth round.

The rookies will be here this weekend for their rookie orientation camp, which won't include Spitz, a third-year pro. So the former Cardinals will have to wait until OTAs in mid-May for their first official on-field workout together.

But Spitz already has his own ideas for what the rookie orientation can include this weekend.

"I talked to Brian, and I offered that he could either cut my grass or wash my car," Spitz said. "He kind of laughed, thinking I was joking."

And Breno?

"I'll let Breno slide for now," Spitz said. "All the offensive linemen, we're going to ..

Edwin's Tenure Dates Back To Lombardi

Mike Spofford, Packers.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:10:51 CST

Carol Edwin remembers being extremely nervous every morning coming to work when she was first employed by the Green Bay Packers.

Hired as a receptionist in 1965 after a nerve-racking interview with Head Coach Vince Lombardi, Edwin could never quite tell just what the legendary coach thought of her.

"I couldn't figure out if he liked me or disliked me," Edwin recalled. "He had a hard time figuring out names, he would forget names. He was terrible with names, actually. But he would always remember mine. I didn't know if that was good or bad."

That's just one of many memories Edwin has to draw upon now that she's retiring after five different decades as a Packers' employee. Edwin was a receptionist for Lombardi's final three seasons as coach (1965-67) before taking a break from work to start a family. She returned as a receptionist in 1975, moved into the ticket office in the late 1980s and has been a ticket office supervisor since 1995. Her last official day ..