I came out of the locker room and my wife is standing there, and this older gentleman has his arm around her. Nitschke leaves three adopted children: John, 34; Richard, 32; and Amy, 26, and one granddaughter, Jacqueline Rae, 17 months. He almost always went after Bob Hyland. The University of Illinois converted him to fullback and linebacker. So I go through and sure enough, Ray goes bam across my forehead. He was the MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game, accepting the prize of a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette. pic.twitter.com/vf59f532Sw. If you thought Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke was tough, you should get to know his wife Jackie. His No. But he had a sense about him. https://www.britannica.com/facts/Ray-Nitschke, 66 (Green Bay Packers, 19591972) 33 (Green Bay Packers, 1958). You don't need an agent. Ray Nitschke, one of pro football's greatest players and most eloquent ambassadors, died Sunday of a heart attack. It was his passion for the game, and the way he could flip a switch once he walked over the painted sideline. At 62 years old, Ray Nitschke height None. He played for 15 seasons before retiring in 1972. Remembering the mean, tough Packer Ray Nitschke, who loved Frankfort. Never a good student in high school, his grades suffered at college. Jackie Forchette (26 June1961 - 1996)( her death)( 3 children). He played varsity basketball and was a pitcher and left fielder for the varsity baseball team. Nitschke started to feel sharp chest pains during the drive, and he pulled over to a nearby rest stop. Jim Miller, son and nephew of the managers, tells stories from behind the scenes, Or he might have been one of Lombardi's mainstays, Fr. (It was erroneously first reported as 5,000lb (2,270kg). Your email address will not be published. Andre Reed finally got to his first Nitschke Luncheon in 2014 after eight years of being a finalist. Ray Nitschke, according to Hall of Fame quarterback and teammate Bart Starr, was a "classic example of Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde." Off the field he was a thoughtful caring person. In 2019, USA TODAY compiled a group of 19 veteran reporters to vote on and rank the 100 greatest NFL players of all time. "Ray was a ballplayer's ballplayer," former teammate Willie Wood said. He could play quarterback if he had to. The helmet (with the hole) is currently on display in the Packer Hall of Fame in Green Bay. He was also a great family man, a devoted father to his three children. ?? Death Nitschke died of a heart attack in Venice, FL, at the age of 61 in 1998. [31] Every year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has a luncheon the day before its induction ceremony, attended by most of the living members and honoring the new inductees. ", On how his friendship with fellow guard Gale Gillingham got started: "Weightlifting. 5 overall. 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. Nitschke was the leader and captain of the Packers defense throughout the entire 1960s. Nitschke was drafted in the third round of the 1958 NFL draft by the Packers, and he never looked back. Packers Experiences powered by QuintEvents. Lee Remmel, the Packers public relations director and a former beat writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, recalled how well Nitschke treated fans. Lionel Aldridge, a defensive end, died Feb. 12 at age 57. That was a statement about how much he loved the game.. He was 61. I want him to remember Ray Nitschke, even in his dreams.". Nitschke became a full-time starter in 1962, the anchor of a disciplined defense that helped win five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowls in the 1960s. Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Anthony Munoz didnt get to hear Nitschke speak at the luncheon. As soon as he forearmed me, I got my hand under his helmet and pulled it up, and yanked his chinstrap off and I've got it in my hand. Get back to work!" As a rookie, he backed up both left guard Gale Gillingham and right guard Jerry Kramer. You're a starter now.' The helmet (with the hole) is currently on display in the Packer Hall of Fame in Green Bay. Green Bay Packer, Hall of Famer. While he wasnt bombing his classes or getting into fistfights, he played quarterback and safety at Proviso High in suburban Chicago. Nitschke also appeared in the 1974 football comedy The Longest Yard as Guard Bogdanski. When Ray met and married his wife, Jackie, he made an outstanding decision. He'd get up and his helmet was over here to the side of his face. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. As a microphone is passed around the room, elders explain the magnitude of the honor. [2], His No. Ray Nitschke was born on December 29, 1936, in Elmwood Park, Illinois, United States. Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. Ray and Jackie had a winter home in Naples, Florida. He was your regular neighborhood nice guy living in Green Bay, the ultimate small town city of professional sports, and even after his retirement, his phone number and home address were always published in the citys telephone book and he would answer his phone personally. Discover Ray Nitschke's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. , money, salary, income, and assets. According to Nitschke's biography, the tower drove a spike into his helmet, but didn't injure him. With his bald head, horn-rimmed glasses and impeccable attire, he could have passed for a business executive or a college professor. Even when he was relegated to backup duty in the twilight of his 15-year career, they cheered his every move. "I think Ray Nitschke thinks we stink," Packers defensive end Sean Jones said during the 1996 title run. [29] The only other Lombardi-era player to have his number retired is quarterback Bart Starr, whose number 15 was retired in 1973. The film's executive producer, Jim Rivett, said that Nitschke was the first Packer Wife to publicly acknowledge her alcoholism. I've just had a rough day. In 1973, Mean on Sunday: The Autobiography of Ray Nitschke ("as told to Robert W. Wells") was published by Doubleday. Nitschke guided a Packers defense that won five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Nitschke appeared on the television show, Whats My Line following the 1962 NFL championship game, wearing his standard black rimmed glasses and not looking at all like one of the most feared players in pro football. At a luncheon for new inductees and members, Nitschke hailed football and the Hall in a way few could articulate. Raymond Ernest Nitschke was a middle linebacker that spent his entire 15-year career with the Green Bay Packers. Biography in: "American National Biography". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Those are the ones that would piss Ray off. He was famous for being a Football Player. ", On whether Nitschke ever messed with Gillingham on the practice field: "Never. On March 8, Nitschke took a drive with his daughter, Amy Klaas, and her one-year-old daughter to a friends house. Heres a guy, after all these years, in an exhibition game. Hed be the first to tell you not to put him on a pedestal above all the other linebackers, Robinson said. 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, Amy Klaas, and granddaughter, Jacqueline, from his summer home in Naples, Fla. to visit friends. The excerpt above was from a 2019 interview. But in 1969, when Hall of Fame voters honored the NFLs 50th anniversary by naming its 16 best players, Nitschke was one of only five defenders and the lone linebacker. He lost both his parents by the age of 14, causing a lot of trouble in school. 1 draft choice? Follow Tim on Twitter @ByTimGraham, Nitschke recorded 25 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons. ", On his relationship with fellow No. He loved it. The NFL legend was twice named a First-Team All-Pro, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He feuded with Mike Ditka and scoffed at the notion that Butkus was a younger, improved version of himself. In the game, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted. When a certain message needs to be delivered, Lanier knows who to call upon. Here was a guy, who made a living for 15 years in the pros being a mean, tough linebacker, in awe of these young adults flying off from the bluffs. Guess what I got my second year? I was scared to death. I liked Schnelker. 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. His was pierced by a bolt from the tower. He said, 'Bill, you don't know the AFL and NFL have merged? He was a wonderful human being. Those are the ones that dont understand what this is all about.. Emotionally impactful is just what Nitschke would appreciate in order to hammer home as forcefully as stuffing Joe Don Looney in the backfield what it means to be a Hall of Famer. [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 played linebacker. Gale said, 'Bill, it's coming up on your turn. Nitschke was born Dec. 29, 1936, in Elmwood Park. He thought that was a privilege. 66 dash onto the field. They always listed me at 240. The linebackers wore helmets. www.jackienitschkecenter.com. Nitschke was known for his strength and toughness, exhibited prior to his third season in 1960. Jackie Nitschke's influence transformed this football madman into a loving husband and father of three adopted children. [6], Nitschke entered Proviso Township High School in Maywood shortly before his mother's death. Then Chicago Bears middle linebacker Dick Butkus went to eight straight. His tragic death in 1998 shook the organization to its core. However, he was chosen by the Green Bay Packers late in the third round (36th overall) of what is considered the greatest draft in the franchise's history. Coming up the middle or filling a hole on a running play, I thought Nitschke was better than Butkus. They said, 'You'll make more in the dairy business. The Green Bay Packers legend played 15 seasons in the green and yellow and led the team to five NFL championships. He was the one player who most represented legendary coach Vince Lombardis toughness. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. On March 8, Nitschke took a drive with his daughter, Amy Klaas, and her one-year-old daughter to a friend's house. Excerpts from those interviews will be periodically posted at www.packers.com. Grabo (Jim Grabowski) got $450,000. Wanting to play at a Big Ten university, with a chance to appear in the Rose Bowl, he accepted a football scholarship to the University of Illinois in 1954. 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