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Ted Thompson
Executive Vice President, General Manager & Director of Football Operations
Ted Thompson's professional career as a football executive came full circle on Jan. 14, 2005. That day, then-Green Bay Packers CEO Bob Harlan named him executive vice president, general manager and director of football operations for the storied franchise, with full authority over all aspects of the team's football operations.
In becoming the 10th general manager in club history, Thompson rejoined the team with which he received his start under Ron Wolf in 1992. After working for the legendary general manager through the 1999 season, Thompson spent the 2000-04 campaigns as vice president of football operations for the Seattle Seahawks.
"It's almost a dream come true-type job," Thompson said. "You think about, when you're a young kid, some of the things you'd like to do when you grow up and you think maybe manager of the New York Yankees or maybe the general manager of the Green Bay Packers. So it's a thrill, it's an honor."
For Harlan, the selection of Thompson to lead Green Bay's football fortunes was an easy choice.
"I feel Ted is a perfect fit for the Packers," Harlan said, introducing Thompson in 2005. "He is a respected, National Football League veteran who is a proven talent evaluator and an efficient administrator. He knows the people in our personnel department and he is familiar with how we run our football operation. He embraces the Packers' championship tradition, and he was very anxious to have the opportunity to return to Green Bay."
Now in his 26th NFL season, including 10 years as a player, Thompson knows and respects the position the Packers hold in the hearts of the fans, and around the league.
"The history and tradition of this place is unrivaled in professional sports," Thompson said. "I understand the passion the people here have for their team. Ron (Wolf) told me this is the best job in the National Football League. I never forgot that."
The 54-year-old Thompson not only joined an organization with which he was familiar, but also oversees a respected staff that includes director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie, director of college scouting John Dorsey and personnel analyst to the general manager John Schneider, each of whom worked under Thompson during his first tenure with the club.
And although Thompson prefers to shift the spotlight in another direction, his fingerprints were all over the Seahawks' road to Super Bowl XL during the 2005 season. NFL MVP Shaun Alexander, Thompson's first draft pick in Seattle, in 2000, captured the 2005 league rushing title and established a then-NFL single-season record with 28 touchdowns. Nine of Seattle's Super Bowl starters, as well as kicker Josh Brown, were drafted by Thompson. That list includes G Steve Hutchinson, a Pro Bowler in five of his six NFL seasons.
Seattle could've gone in another direction in the 2000 draft. With perennial 1,000-yard rusher Ricky Watters on the roster, the club didn't need a running back in the first round. But with the Seahawks on the clock holding the 19th overall choice, Alexander was the best player available. One year later, in the 2001 draft, Thompson wanted Hutchinson in a similar situation.
"You have to do what you think is best for the organization," Thompson said before the 2006 draft, when he chose LB A.J. Hawk with the fifth overall selection. "You have to take the best player available. And I think history will bear me out in that when you stray from that, that's when you make mistakes."
He reiterated similar thoughts prior to this past April's draft, when the Packers selected DT Justin Harrell at No. 16 overall.
"A draft is an investment in a player that's going to be here for a number of years," Thompson said. "And when you don't take the best player, it'll just come back and bite you every time."
Thompson's philosophy on building a successful team relies heavily on drafted players as a foundation. In today's NFL, teams can't win consistently with free agency as their primary tool. And in building through the draft, the Packers place a premium on character.
But despite how much value he places on the draft, Thompson also will use the free agent market as another tool to build the roster.
"I think free agency is a very interesting tool to use to help you patch some holes and do some things," said Thompson, who signed five unrestricted free agents in 2006, the Packers' most since 1998. "There's no reluctance on our part. We do try to make certain that what we do is not just fantasy football. We're investing in a player that's got to come in and play a particular role. If we don't think that player can perform to that contract, then it doesn't make sense for us to do it just to say, 'Look what we've spent.' "
In Green Bay annals, Thompson is only the fourth general manager to serve exclusively from the front office, joining Verne Lewellen (1954-58), Vince Lombardi (1968) and Wolf (1992-2001). The low-profile Thompson has a proven track record as an evaluator. Overseeing Seattle's draft board from 2000 through '04, Thompson provided the Seahawks a solid foundation with which they used to make three straight playoff appearances (2003-05).
His 2003 draft saw Thompson land three players - Brown, CB Marcus Trufant and S Ken Hamlin - who not only made immediate front-line contributions as rookies, but who also became cornerstone players for years to come.
Just one year later, those three were instrumental in Seattle's 2004 NFC West championship. In the Seahawks' playoff game that year, 11 of 22 starters were acquired through Thompson's drafts.
In his first two Green Bay drafts, Thompson selected S Nick Collins in 2005 and G Daryn Colledge, WR Greg Jennings and Hawk in 2006. All four were named to the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team during their first seasons, boosting Thompson's total of draftees who have earned All-Rookie, All-Pro or Pro Bowl honors to 12.
Including this past April, Thompson has utilized trades to increase the Packers' number of selections each of his three years as Packers GM, further evidence of his strong conviction to building a team through the draft. In 2005, he armed the club with 11 choices after entering the weekend with seven. In 2006, he turned seven selections into an NFL-high 12, and this past April he converted nine picks into 11, giving the club a total of 34 selections in his three years. In four drafts (2001-04) before Thompson returned to Green Bay, the Packers selected only 27 players.
As a result, offseason competition for positions on Green Bay's 53-man roster has been fierce since Thompson took over, and should only become more intense in training camp in 2007. The goal is to improve the team's play through competition, just as it was when Bum Phillips annually brought in younger talent to try to take Thompson's job during the former linebacker's 10-year playing career with the Houston Oilers.
A former Oilers teammate, Mike Reinfeldt, helped to launch Thompson's second football career. Reinfeldt, then the Packers' vice president of administration, recommended to Wolf in 1992 to take a look at Thompson as a potential pro scout for his staff. Wolf subsequently brought Thompson in to audition as a personnel evaluator. Thompson fondly recalls one of the first experiences with Wolf, as the general manager asked for assistance in assessing a young quarterback.
"He came to me with three game tapes of the preseason of the Atlanta Falcons," remembers Thompson, "and he said, 'I want you to look at this quarterback. His jersey number's 4. He'll probably just play in the second half. And tell me what you think.'
"So I'm flipping through, and I had not been involved in football for several years, so I knew his name was Brett Favre, but I didn't really understand that he had been the first or second player taken in the second round (in 1991), which is a valuable draft pick. I'm just looking at him and Brett is Brett, but even more Brett. He's running all over and making great throws, and then the ball gets batted and he catches it and is running around.
"So I go back and he says, 'What do you think?' And I said, 'He looks like a guy that's a little bit raw but has a tremendous arm and great athleticism and a passion and all that.' He goes, 'Well, I'm going to give up a first-round pick for him. Do you think that's a good idea?'
And I said, 'Well, do you think it's a pretty good idea?' And he goes, 'Yeah, I do.' And then I said, 'Then I do, too.' "
In addition to that initial insight about the Packers' now-legendary QB, Thompson learned much from Wolf: "He taught me passion, he taught me work ethic, he taught me believing in yourself, to have confidence, to write down what you see, not what other people see, and to trust yourself."
During his first tenure in Green Bay, Thompson was instrumental in providing talent that produced an 83-45 record, six straight playoff berths, two Super Bowl appearances and the 1996 world championship. With his help, the team acquired free agents Reggie White, Sean Jones, Don Beebe, Santana Dotson and Desmond Howard. Through the draft, Green Bay added Darren Sharper, Vonnie Holliday and Donald Driver, one of the franchise's lowest-drafted Pro Bowlers.
A possessor of strong football credentials and keen knowledge of the game gleaned from his decade-long playing career, Thompson credits Wolf with deepening his understanding of the scouting process and cites his experience in Seattle working with Mike Holmgren as very valuable in terms of his growth as a football person, running an organization and making decisions that affect the team in the present and in the future.
A versatile linebacker during his 10-year NFL playing career with the Houston Oilers (1975-84), Thompson also was one of the most durable players in team annals, missing just one of 147 contests due to injury. He started eight games over the course of his career and also played in seven postseason contests (1978-80), with the Oilers going 4-3 in those games, losing the AFC Championship to the Steelers in both 1978 and '79. He was signed by Bum Phillips as a non-drafted free agent.
Thompson's Oilers teammates included Pro Football Hall of Famers Earl Campbell, Mike Munchak and Elvin Bethea. He also served as a reserve kicker and converted all four PATs he attempted in an emergency situation vs. the New York Jets in a 1981 contest. Collegiately, Thompson was a three-year starter (1972-74) at linebacker and team captain ('74) for SMU. As a sophomore he played under head coach Hayden Fry, and Phillips, his eventual pro coach, was defensive coordinator. He also served as the team's placekicker as a senior. Following his football career, in the spring of '75 he lettered as an outfielder for the Mustangs' baseball team. He gained Academic All-Southwest Conference honors and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration.
Born in Atlanta, Texas, Thompson was an all-region player at the city's high school, lining up at running back, linebacker and placekicker. He also lettered in basketball, baseball, track and golf. He is single and enjoys an occasional round of golf in times of leisure.
THOMPSON AT A GLANCE
- Named to his position Jan. 14, 2005, his second stint with the organization.
- Has 15 years experience in NFL's personnel arena.
- Earlier served eight years with Packers (1992-99) - as assistant director of pro personnel (1992), director of pro personnel (1993-97) and director of player personnel (1997-99).
- Recently served five seasons (2000-04) as Seattle Seahawks vice president of football operations.
- Nine starters on Seattle's Super Bowl XL team, along with kicker Josh Brown, were drafted by the Seahawks on Thompson's watch.
- While with the Packers' personnel department, was instrumental in helping the club acquire free agents Reggie White, Sean Jones, Don Beebe, Santana Dotson and Desmond Howard, as well as draft picks Darren Sharper, Vonnie Holliday and Donald Driver.
- Enjoyed a 10-year playing career with the Houston Oilers (1975-84), becoming one of the most durable players in Houston annals by playing in 146 of 147 games, missing just one contest due to injury. Signed by Bum Phillips as a non-drafted free agent.
- Thompson's Oilers teammates included Pro Football Hall of Famers Earl Campbell, Mike Munchak and Elvin Bethea.
- Was a three-year starter (1972-74) at linebacker and team captain ('74) for Southern Methodist University. He gained Academic All-Southwest Conference honors and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Also lettered in baseball as a senior.
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