Nitschke was a third-round choice of the Packers in the 1958 draft that also landed Jim Taylor and Jerry Kramer a year before Lombardi arrived. Every day until the season begins, well unveil new members of the list, with the No. She was a widely-known figure in the movement toward creating better drug and alcohol treatment options in Northeastern Wisconsin. If you thought Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke was tough, you should get to know his wife Jackie. In a poll taken recently to pick the Packers greatest player ever, he placed fourth behind Don Hutson, Brett Favre and Bart Starr. if everything could be upended in one morning like that, maybe someday I'll wake up another day and everything gets flipped back the way it should be just as suddenly. What position did Ray Nitschke play? ", Without that attitude, Nitschke said, he couldn't get his job done. He wasnt the biggest or the strongest or the smartest, Robinson said. I got the $15,000 signing bonus and they paid us every two weeks and I got seven paychecks. He was a total family man. * He would be drafted by the Packers in 1958 along with Taylor and Kramer and Green Bay would win one game their first year before Lombardi was hired as the head coach. The Nitschke Luncheon is like a family reunion and for many Hall of Famers ranks as the favorite part of induction weekend. You cant have a conversation about the greatest NFL linebackers of all time without Ray Nitschke. He performed several of his own TV commercials in which he brought out his dog, "Butkus", named in honor of his Chicago Bears nemesis, Dick Butkus (who like Nitschke, grew up in the Chicago area and played for the Illinois Fighting Illini). A native of Elmwood Park, Nitschke lived in Green Bay, where he played middle linebacker from 1958-72 and became one of sport's few legends instantly identified solely by their last names. He feuded with Mike Ditka and scoffed at the notion that Butkus was a younger, improved version of himself. Ray Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois. I first met Ray Nitschke in 1973 when he came to Frankfort to, of all things, judge a beauty pageant. You cant go any higher.. In her lifetime, Jackie was a recovering alcoholic and an outspoken advocate in the recovery community, sharing her stories of treatment and rebuilding her life. Every year, in a private space only Hall of Famers may enter, Nitschke presided on the first afternoon of induction weekend until his death in March 1998. Wife: Jackie Forchette (waitress, m. 26-Jun-1961, d. 1996, two sons, one daughter) Son: John (adopted in 1963) Son: Richard (adopted in 1966) Daughter: Amy (adopted in 1972 . Green Bay Packer, Hall of Famer. Rivett says up to 14 people can live at the Jackie Nitschke Center for a month while they get sober. As his wife was dying of cancer he had become a member of a Christian Church in Green Bay. $17,500. [9] Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John (in 1963), Richard (in 1966), and Amy (in 1972). One year, those you see will no longer be there, and one year, neither will you. Yet while Nitschke himself would protest the notion, he did rise above the room. While at Illinois, Nitschke smoked, drank heavily, and fought at the drop of a hat. "The Hall of Fame meant more to him than it did to anybody," an emotional Hall of Fame Vice President Don Smith said upon hearing of Nitschke's death. Sure. He didn't always follow the defense. Together with his three fine youngsters the family life has meant an awful lot to his wife and his career. That was Ray Nitschke, Hall of Fame linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, who died Sunday of a massive heart attack in Venice, Fla. Nitschke, 61, was stricken while driving with his daughter,. Hit him on the head. 26 overall in what was the second common draft following the merger agreement between the NFL and AFL. His humility and appreciation for having had the opportunity to play the NFL will always stick in my mind.. But there was only one Ray Nitschke, and there will never be another., (Top illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photo: Focus on Sport / Getty Images). I want him to remember Ray Nitschke, even in his dreams.". "I can remember Nitschke breaking his arm, busting his knee up and playing a whole half without even saying anything," Wood said. Nitschke was the leader and captain of the Packers defense throughout the entire 1960s. He is from USA. Biography in: "American National Biography". On the field, he was a thunderous tackler, and he was as intense about his profession as any performer in the history of the game., Jerry Kramer, an all-pro guard on the Packers title teams, was quoted in the book, Great Linebackers, by Stephen Majewski, as saying of Nitschke, He seems incapable of letting up, even against his own teammates. Nitschke ranked ahead of Chuck Bednarik, Mike Singletary, and Roger Staubach on the list. The guy (Nitschke) was a talented basketball player. The film's executive producer, Jim Rivett, said that Nitschke was the first "Packer Wife" to publicly acknowledge her alcoholism. "I thought I was the best middle linebacker even when I was a rookie, trying to beat my good friend Tom Bettis out of a starting job. ProFootballHistory.com. 66 was retired in 1983, the fourth of six numbers retired by the Packers. (Nitschke) would test guys. ", On whether that was the end of it: "We go into the locker room and (Nitschke) lockered about four, five lockers away and I didn't want to get in a fight in the shower so I went into the training room. A native of Elmwood Park, Nitschke lived in Green Bay, where he. The linebackers wore helmets. We always wondered why Zeke wasn't with another team starting. Then what year did the World Football League come in? Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1978) 5 NFL championships 2 Super Bowl championships 2 All-Pro selections 1 Pro Bowl selection. Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. Nitschke always spoke at this luncheon, telling the new inductees what a great honor they were receiving, and that they were now members of the greatest team of them all. At a luncheon for new inductees and members, Nitschke hailed football and the Hall in a way few could articulate. Tags: Video. Nitschke made only one Pro Bowl team because Detroit Lions middle linebacker Joe Schmidt was a perennial selection from 1954 to 1963. We would stay at the Elberta beach until darkness. Ray Nitschke played linebacker. Nitschke never wore a face mask and one of the Buckeye's player's helmets hit him in the mouth knocking out two teeth initially; the other two were hanging by the roots. Nitschke remained a starter through the 1970 season, but in 1971 he was benched by new coach Dan Devine and became a reserve to Jim Carter. Nitschke remained popular in Green Bay after retiring, even having his phone number and home address published in the Green Bay phone book. He told them how important it was and emphasized theres no one in the Hall of Fame better than anyone else, said fellow Hall of Famer and Green Bay Packers linebacker Dave Robinson. Lombardi molded the Bart Starrs, Jerry Kramers, Paul Hornungs, Jim Taylors and Nitschkes into the best football teams of the 1960s. At this time, college football had reverted to primarily single-platoon football, meaning those players that were on offense had to switch to defense, and vice versa, when ball possession changed. Ray Nitschke attended the University of Illinois. Finally, the coaches pulled me off of him and everybody was laughing. Although Nitschke was known for his hard hitting, he was an athletic all-around linebacker who also intercepted 25 passes over his career. Ray Nitschke most personified what the Hall of Fame really meant, Robinson said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that day. In the game, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted. No one ever instilled fear in their opponents quite as Nitschke did. Grabo (Jim Grabowski) got $450,000. [1] Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, he was the anchor of the defense for head coach Vince Lombardi in the 1960s, leading the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. Ray Nitschke Enshrinement speech. So I go through and sure enough, Ray goes bam across my forehead. When a certain message needs to be delivered, Lanier knows who to call upon. All wear gold jackets, the lone standard for greatness. But Nitschke wasnt just an incredible player and a fiery leader. 42 on the NFL 100 list. He took time for anybody.. So I started beating him down and they didn't pull me off of him until I had him on the ground. [33] The bridge was constructed in 1998 to replace the former Main Street Bridge built in 1923. After Nitschkes death, iconic defensive end Deacon Jones took over as master of ceremonies. I had the pleasure of meeting him when I was younger before he passed. The Packers won the first two Super Bowls in NFL history thanks in large part to Nitschke. He had football smarts. * In high school, he played quarterback and at the University of Illinois actually played fullback, along with the linebacker position. Nitschkes mother died from a blood clot when he was 13. A quarterback at Proviso High School, Nitschke cried when Illinois coach Ray Eliot moved him to fullback. Keep updated on the latest news and information. I know your brother is with the Calgary Stampeders.' But he had a sense about him. Nitschke is considered one of the toughest NFL players to ever live. Sign up now! Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Hell, even Tom Brady moved on from the New England Patriot after 20 historic years. So we ran the slip block where Bowman would block the defensive tackle and I'd slip and block the middle linebacker. Prior to its retirement, number 66 had remained in circulation and was last worn in 1983 by offensive lineman Lawrence Pfohl, who would go on to fame as a professional wrestler under the ring name Lex Luger.[30]. In the first Super Bowls, Nitschke had 15 tackles total and a quarterback sack. Lueck played in 90 games for the Packers over seven seasons. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981. Ray Nitschke attended the University of Illinois. We played basketball together. "I've always thought I was the best middle linebacker in professional football," Nitschke once said. No matter how much he was bleeding, he wouldnt leave the game. ", On other members of a defensive unit coming off a third straight NFL championship: "I'll tell you the guy who did the most damage to the head was Ray Nitschke. Klaas walked inside to grab a few drinks, but Nitschke suffered a heart attack while sitting in the parked car. Knocking him in the head, blooding his nose, just because he was (bleeped) off every Friday. 1 pick Fred Carr: "We roomed together as rookies. In 1998, Ray Nitschke was living comfortably in Naples, Fla. What is said in the room stays in the room. Welcome tothe NFL 100,The Athleticsendeavor to identify the 100 best players in football history. Jackie Forchette (26 June1961 - 1996)( her death)( 3 children). I'm drying off and he's four, five lockers away and he's drying off. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. (pre-1974). Left: Nitschke's helmet from the coaching tower incident in September, Ray Nitschkeawards, championships, and honors, "Ray Nitschke, 61, linebacker during Packers' glory years", "Packers get last laugh in slapstick game", "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers", "Larger-than-life pro wrestling icon would love to have had career with Green Bay Packers", "Hard nosed Ray Nitschke just a softie over induction", National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Nitschke&oldid=1142190700, Players of American football from Illinois, Illinois Fighting Illini football players, National Football League players with retired numbers, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, NFL player missing current team parameter, Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text, Infobox NFL biography articles with old NFL.com URL, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 00:49. How tough was Nitschke? Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Also, the team has named one of its two outdoor practice fields "Ray Nitschke Field". We became best friends after that. He was a playmaker, recording 25 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons. Wood remembered Nitschke working at his image on and off the field. Lombardi, as most ole football followers knew or are learning from a recent Broadway production, was a screamer and a drill sergeant as the Packer coach. Neither championships nor individual trophies weighed more. Upon the election of former teammate Henry Jordan to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the eve of Super Bowl XXIX in Miami Gardens, Florida, Nitschke flew down to Florida to participate in the game's coin-toss ceremonies, joining three other 75th Anniversary Team representatives--Otto Graham (1950s), Mean Joe Greene (1970s) and Gale Sayers (1960s), all three of whom had been announced as representatives of their respective decades in the ceremony months prior to the PFHOF electionas well as three of Jordan's fellow Class of 1995 newcomers, all of whom represented the 1980s: Kellen Winslow, Lee Roy Selmon, and then-U.S. [2], His No. He was pronounced dead at Venice Hospital. They've been kind of the best-kept secret in Green Bay for a long time, said Rivett. If you thought Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke was tough, you should get to know his wife Jackie. "And not just because the National Football League picked me as the top man at that job in the league's first 50 years. Nitschke was 61 years old. In that years Chicago College All-Star Game, played against the reigning NFL champs, a maniacal Nitschke gave Yary a glimpse of what lie ahead in the pros. Ray grew up in Chicago and had a. The Associated Press contributed to this story. He didn't know who I was. His father was killed in a car accident in 1940,[5] and his mother died of a blood clot when Ray was 13. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The helmet (with the hole) is currently on display in the Packer Hall of Fame in Green Bay. When we got back into Frankfort, Nitschke, Fortin and myself settled into the Pac Inns watering hole area and there we were with bartender Sherm Blood, who was entertaining us playing the spoons, until 2 a.m. Nitschke was the anchor of the defense under head coach Vince Lombardi in the 1960's, leading the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. He lost both his parents by the age of 14, causing a lot of trouble in school. But he's still standing around, so I go in the training room again. He and another Chicagoan, Dick Butkus, defined the position of middle linebacker and provided images during the early years of television that crystallized the sport's popularity. I came out of the locker room and my wife is standing there, and this older gentleman has his arm around her. When I told Green Bay what I was offered, they matched it. Fred died of dementia. He gets dressed. Nitschke was drafted in the third round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Packers, and he never looked back. Of ballcarriers, he said: "I don't intend that he'll make an inch, let alone a touchdown, and then I want him to go back to the huddle shaking his head and thinking about Ray Nitschke. When was Ray Nitschke inducted to the Hall of Fame? He was the one player who most represented legendary coach Vince Lombardis toughness. Ray Nitschke's life was the embodiment of the power of love, the power of family, and the power of an individual to transform himself into a better person. Many never knew who this man, one of the greatest NFL players of all time, was. How many Super Bowls did Ray Nitschke win? That was the first year I started making money. My wife and I got in an argument this morning before I left home. Get back to work!". I was scared to death. $750,000. Heres a guy, after all these years, in an exhibition game. The University of Illinois converted him to fullback and linebacker. Excerpts from those interviews will be periodically posted at www.packers.com. [8] Nitschke was also offered scholarships from college football programs around the country. Try a week on us. He'd get in the huddle and he doesn't know where he is. Everybody loved (Lombardi). We have estimated Nitschke guided a Packers defense that won five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. [15][16] Green Bay had clinched the NFC Central division title the week before at Minnesota for their first playoff berth in five seasons. The Hall of Famers want to say whatever is on their minds. They couldnt wait until they saw No. Thus he is the only linebacker to have made both the NFL's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. Those are the ones that dont understand what this is all about.. In 1997, the Green Bay Packers named one of their practice fields after him. Mean In The Middle smiled down from heaven as the Green Bay Packers were about to win the Super Bowl. It was a big-time hit, Yary said. That was a statement about how much he loved the game.. On the field, he was a ferocious middle linebacker who at times seemed to truly enjoy hitting people. He'd get up and his helmet was over here to the side of his face. Nitschke, his wife and family would come back to Frankfort every summer for a number of years and a few weeks before he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 1978 he sent me a personal invitation to join him for the ceremonies. Drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (36th overall) of the 1958 NFL draft. (Focus on Sport / Getty Images). Even when he was relegated to backup duty in the twilight of his 15-year career, they cheered his every move. He proved to be a very skilled player and tackler as a linebacker, so much so that, by his senior year, Paul Brown considered him the best linebacker in college football. The heaviest I ever got there was a little over 260. His No. It wasnt just the All-Pro honors or the five championships that made Nitschke great. This is the only team you cant get cut from or traded from, Robinson said. The linebacker went on to play all 15 of his professional seasons in Green Bay. Munoz was elected in January 1998, six weeks before Nitschke died of a heart attack at 61. Hes always grabbing people, hitting people, throwing elbows.. Having played with the Green Bay Packers and the number of championships they won, the number of Hall of Famers that played for (coach Vince) Lombardi, who happens to have his name on the trophy, seemed to signify a purity of someone who accepted his role in the game and played it with a fervor.. 1 seed in West, Another Trevor Bauer defamation suit is thrown out, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Dennis Schroder leads depleted Lakers to crucial win over Thunder, Despite cap issues, Chargers GM Tom Telesco says Keenan Allen isnt going anywhere, Georgias Jalen Carter charged with racing in crash that killed teammate, staff member, High school baseball and softball: Tuesdays scores, Atonio Mafi draft diary: Mental health should be a priority, even in football culture. 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