ON-FIELD PREGAME INTRODUCTION, SATURDAY TV SHOW AMONG HIGHLIGHTS; REGGIE WHITE'S NAME TO BE UNVEILED ON STADIUM FACADE
The Green Bay Packers' home opener, Sept. 10 vs. the Chicago Bears, will feature a special gathering of more than 30 players from the Super Bowl XXXI team, the team announced Thursday. The reunion fittingly takes place on the team's annual alumni weekend.
In a special pregame ceremony, the members of the Super Bowl XXXI championship team will be introduced on the field and brought to the 50-yard line for recognition by the organization and its fans for their tremendous accomplishment during the 1996 season.
The ceremony then will conclude with attention directed to Lambeau Field's east side façade where the name of the late Reggie White, who was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Aug. 5, will be unveiled and join the other 20 former Packers who have received professional football's ultimate honor.
"Alumni weekend is always a special time during the season and having the Super Bowl XXXI team here to be recognized certainly will make this year's weekend a very memorable one," said Packers Chairman/CEO Bob Harlan. "I know the fans will enjoy seeing the players again, and with the unveiling of Reggie White's name on the stadium, it will be a very special day indeed."
Among the players scheduled to participate in the weekend are Don Beebe, Robert Brooks, LeRoy Butler, Mark Chmura, Doug Evans, Antonio Freeman, Chris Jacke, Keith Jackson, Sean Jones, Dorsey Levens, Aaron Taylor and Frank Winters. The weekend itinerary includes a tour of Lambeau Field and a private reception Saturday night for the players to mingle and share memories.
Other alumni present for the annual weekend customarily will be introduced at halftime in what has become a fan-favorite tradition.
Super Bowl XXXI TV Special: Packers fans not attending the game will have an opportunity to relive the memories and share special moments through 10th Anniversary of Super Bowl XXXI, a live television program that will air statewide Saturday, Sept. 9, from 6:30 to 7 p.m. on the Packers Television Network. Hosted by Larry McCarren, the team's radio analyst and sports director at CBS 5 WFRV-TV, the show will originate from Curly's Pub in the Lambeau Field Atrium and feature a number of players from the team looking back at the special season.
The show will air statewide on these stations: WFRV/CBS, Green Bay, Wis.; WTMJ/NBC, Milwaukee; WKOW/ABC, Madison, Wis.; WAOW/ABC, Wausau/Rhinelander, Wis.; WXOW/ABC, La Crosse, Wis.; WQOW/ABC, Eau Claire; WYOW/ABC, Eagle River, Wis.; and WJMN/CBS, Marquette, Mich.
The reunion of the 1996 team is among the several ways the 10th anniversary of the Super Bowl season is being celebrated this year. Also featured is a commemorative logo that appears on game tickets, programs and merchandise, as well as a commemorative pin program, a re-release of the season's highlight film on DVD and look-back stories on the team's Web site, www.packers.com.
