A Starr is Born: How Bart Starr Made the Packers One of the Greatest NFL Dynasties | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Sports

A Starr is Born: How Bart Starr Made the Packers One of the Greatest NFL Dynasties

Bart Starr may've passed away May 26th, but his legacy lives on.

108
A Starr is Born: How Bart Starr Made the Packers One of the Greatest NFL Dynasties
Instagram

Bart Starr, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, passed away on May 26th, 2019. He was 85 years old.

My cheesy title aside, there is no denying the integral positioning of Starr in conferring success upon the Lombardi-era Packers. An unheralded quarterback out of Alabama, Starr was chosen 200th overall in the NFL draft (one selection later than Tom Brady was taken in the 2000 NFL draft). He is the only quarterback in the Hall of Fame to have his number called that late, going in what was then the 17th round in 1956.

Playing in Green Bay for 16 seasons, Starr's success was unparalleled, but far from gaudy. While flashier players like Joe Namath and Johnny Unitas grabbed headlines, Starr grabbed titles. Winning five championships in seven years, including the first two Super Bowls, Starr's execution on the field was legendary.

He played in only 10 playoff games given the limited nature of the NFL playoffs at the time but won nine of them. Amazingly, in an era where passing the ball was still treated with a high degree of uncertainty, Starr set the record for best passer rating in the postseason at 104.8.

This is a record that still stands today.

Most telling, I think, of Starr's determination and overwhelming drive, is the final play of the 1967 NFL Championship. Facing off against their nemesis in the Dallas Cowboys, the Packers were down by three in a game that, as it remains the coldest game in NFL history, is fittingly called the Ice Bowl.

The Packers had the ball on the one-yard line. Field conditions were atrocious, as the heating system underneath Lambeau Field had malfunctioned in the extreme cold. Ice crusted everywhere, especially as the UW-Lacrosse marching band (which had been scheduled to play) canceled due to the hazardous conditions.

It is in this scene that Starr, normally content to take Vince Lombardi's orders, defied his coach.

Huddling on the sideline, Starr was instructed to hand the ball off to fullback Chuck Mercein on a dive play. Starr, knowing the conditions of the field and knowing that handing off would require turning to Mercein, planting, and then hoping the back got enough momentum to break the goal line.

It wouldn't work. So Starr kept the ball himself.

Slipping behind the block of right guard Jerry Kramer, Starr dodged the attempted tackle of Jethro Pugh and scored. Game over. Packers win. Final score 21-17.

Two weeks later, the Packers would go on to win Super Bowl II. Starr would be named the MVP of that game, just as he had been for Super Bowl I.

Starr continued to play after that season and through the departure of Lombardi from the organization in 1968 (he had concluded his time as head coach following the Super Bowl II victory). When he finally retired in 1971 though, he wasn't done yet.

Although his time as the Packers head coach in the 1970s and early 1980s will be remembered ignominiously for their losing ways (he had a wining percentage of .408), Bart Starr and his wife, Cherry, were deeply committed to service. They started the Rawhide Boys Ranch in New London, Wisconsin in 1965 to help troubled, at-risk youth through the provision of live-in facilities and mental health programs. In 1971 they founded the Vince Lombardi Cancer Foundation in honor of the late coach.

And of course, despite residing in his native Alabama, Starr remained a force in the Green Bay community for many, many years, including making an appearance at the number retirement ceremony for Brett Favre in 2015. That instance marked perhaps the only time that all three of the Packers' legendary quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers, Favre, and Starr) appeared on the field at the same time.

In short, ESPN's Sal Paolantonio was right when he said that Bart Starr is perhaps the most underrated Hall of Fame quarterback, especially in comparison to his contemporaries. The only quarterback to win three consecutive championships and the only one to win five in a single decade, Starr was nothing short of illustrious.

In a way it is fitting that he fought for so long. One of football's toughest in a game that is all about toughness, Starr suffered multiple strokes, a heart attack, four seizures, and significant brain damage among other ailments in his final years. It was widely believed that he wouldn't be able to make Favre's number retirement after being wracked by illness the previous year.

But make it he did, standing proud on Lambeau Field one last time.

In a career chock-full of storied greatness, Starr is well at home with the Green Bay Packers. The greatest gift was that all of us got to be a part of the journey along the way.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

181288
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

8195
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

453174
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

23717
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments