In a poll conducted in conjunction with the NFLs 50th anniversary, Nitschke was voted the all-time best linebacker. He'd play cornerback. If you don't like it go to the Canadian Football League. Do I need to get an agent?' When he walked off the field and put on his horn-rimmed glasses, Robinson said, youd think he was a CPA unless he took his teeth out.. And whenever Nitschke met any of his admirers, he rewarded them handsomely for their loyalty. We became best friends after that. ", Comparing Bratkowski to Starr: "Zeke had the arm. As publisher of the "Ray Nitschke Packer Report," Nitschke was able to enjoy the team's return to glory, but he never allowed the new heroes the luxury of becoming too fond of themselves. I liked Schnelker. The gravitas is unmistakable. Related Quizzes and Features Quiz Great Moments in Sports Quiz Sports Quiz Bobby Bell, for instance, will make a comment to everyone in the room for them to look around closely and acknowledge the others they see, Lanier said, because next year a certain number will not be here. I wont mention any names, Robinson said, but there are some people that come in and get the gold jacket and never come back. [29] The only other Lombardi-era player to have his number retired is quarterback Bart Starr, whose number 15 was retired in 1973. None. While he wasnt bombing his classes or getting into fistfights, he played quarterback and safety at Proviso High in suburban Chicago. Nitschke had a remarkable knack of being where the football was. Reality becomes difficult to fathom. The Green Bay Packers legend played 15 seasons in the green and yellow and led the team to five NFL championships. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. 1 draft choice? AKA Raymond Ernest Nitschke. Follow Tim on Twitter @ByTimGraham, Nitschke recorded 25 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons. The contact he made with Larry Csonka impressed me, but what I remember was Ray Nitschke getting up and laughing like he just won the $1 million lottery. ", On practicing against future Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Henry Jordan upon arrival in training camp as a rookie following the College All-Star Game: "He could move and he had a good head slap. Was it a mistake or an act of hate? The men who speak try to recapture Nitschkes message. In Super Bowl II, Nitschke led Green Bay's defense with nine tackles. He could throw the ball. 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. We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 29 December. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Just a few of the recognitions Ray had, he was voted the . That was when I got Gale. '", On any special memories of farm life: "I used to rope steers. Ray Nitschke was 6 ft 3 inches, 235 lb (1.90 m, 106 kg). So the World League offered me $45,000, $55,000, $75,000 on a three-year contract. Keep updated on the latest news and information. Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke comes in at number 47 on NFL Films' "The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players" list produced in 2010.Subscribe t. Fred could do anything. Nitschke was selected in 1964. Guess what? We stopped at a service station and I went in for water and a soft drink. On the field or off, though, Packer fans had an unwavering love affair with Nitschke. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 1 player to be crowned on Wednesday, Sept. 8. He said, 'Bill, you don't know the AFL and NFL have merged? His wife is 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. But he was a Hall of Famer from the tip of his toes to the top of his head. He had been the Buffalo News' enterprise reporter and previously covered the AFC East at ESPN and the Miami Dolphins at the Palm Beach Post. We laughed about that comment. Ray and Jackie had a winter home in Naples, Florida. In 1998, Ray Nitschke was living comfortably in Naples, Fla. Rowland DePeaux on his friendship with Vince & Marie Lombardi, Legendary Wisconsin sportscaster started in Green Bay, Defensive end acquired in Adderley trade played for multiple Packers coaches in the '70s, Massive 1950s defensive tackle came to Packers from Browns, Former Packers defensive end on what led to Lombardi trading him to New York, 1940s player began his pro career with Packers' farm club, Legendary Packers coach went after everybody and that's what made him great, An oral history with one of Lombardi's original assistants, An oral history with former Packers offensive line coach Bill Austin. Nitschke made only one Pro Bowl team because Detroit Lions middle linebacker Joe Schmidt was a perennial selection from 1954 to 1963. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that day. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Get back to work!". He lost both his parents by the age of 14, causing a lot of trouble in school. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He also was a humanitarian, loved children and relished being an ambassador for Green Bay and the NFL. Maybe it was the missing teeth or the oversized facemask, but no NFL player wanted to meet No. Ray Nitschke had a style of play, a personality, a consciousness about being fully imbued into that which brought life to something called professional football, said Hall of Fame linebacker Willie Lanier, the current Nitschke Luncheon master of ceremonies. Nowadays, NFL players swap teams seemingly as often as they get new haircuts. He was 61. 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. But Nitschke wasnt just an incredible player and a fiery leader. Packers fans around the world will never forget the gentle giant that was Ray Nitschke. We would stay at the Elberta beach until darkness. . He played for 15 seasons before retiring in 1972. pic.twitter.com/vf59f532Sw. When he got up to speak, you knew he was speaking from the heart. Ray Nitschke attended the University of Illinois. Every day until the season begins, well unveil new members of the list, with the No. (Complete Story). They said, 'Bill, we'll send you the paperwork and it will be done.' It was during those four hours that I first learned much more about the great Packer. The late Jackie Nitschke was married to Lombardi-era Packer Ray Nitschke. Nitschke accused Ditka of a cheap shot in a game, and the two nearly came to blows later that night in a restaurant. Biography. Yeah. Discover Ray Nitschke's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. , money, salary, income, and assets. "I can remember Nitschke breaking his arm, busting his knee up and playing a whole half without even saying anything," Wood said. Ray and Jackie had a winter home in Naples, Florida. (George) Halas didn't draft me, so I was always ready to go against the Bears," Nitschke often said. He had some of the best football instincts. Then what year did the World Football League come in? 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. His Father passed away when he was 3, and his Mother passed away when he was 13. 42 on the NFL 100 list. The review in Kirkus Reviews concluded, "This lacks the wider appeal of, say, an Instant Replay and it's antithetical to the juicy Ball Four genre. He had football smarts. Jackie Forchette (26 June1961 - 1996)( her death)( 3 children). In Super Bowl I, Nitschke contributed six tackles and a sack. Watch the trailer for the documentary below: For questions or comments, contact WPRs Audience Services at 1-800-747-7444, email listener@wpr.org or use our Listener Feedback form. [33] The bridge was constructed in 1998 to replace the former Main Street Bridge built in 1923. Nitschke left his savage persona on the field and occasionally on camera for The Longest Yard and Miller Lite commercials. In the process, she taught our community that the disease of addiction crosses all income levels . Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. The Packers won 167 and finished the season with a 141 record. As for Ray Nitschke, you could never question where his allegiance stood. Ray Nitschke played linebacker. I thought (Nitschke) was more versatile, the way he could cover and everything. [27] Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. So it was a volatile relationship.. He protected his turf.. $17,500. With a choice acquired from New Orleans, the Packers drafted linebacker Fred Carr No. 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. [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. Actor: The Longest Yard. There are too many guys who think it was a privilege for the league to have them., That was years and years ago, but I can hear him say it like it was yesterday. Nitschke was taken to Venice Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 1:30 p.m. (EST). He always tried to intimidate offensive guys. Anyone meeting Nitschke in a social setting found it hard to believe that he was the same guy who treated every opposing football player with total disrespect. He was a poor student and his grades eventually caught up with him as he was declared academically ineligible to play sports his sophomore year. As his wife was dying of cancer he had become a member of a Christian Church in Green Bay. So I started beating him down and they didn't pull me off of him until I had him on the ground. They always listed me at 240. He starred on the varsity football team, playing quarterback on offense and safety on defense for coach Andy Puplis. The personification of gruff and tough, the bald-headed Nitschke's voice and manner remained intimidating 25 years after he left the field. We played basketball together. The linebackers wore helmets. 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. In retirement, Nitschke became an inner voice for Hall of Famers. Sure. Ray Nitschke Enshrinement speech. I would journey with him and longtime TV 7 & 4 news and weatherman Dave Fortin to the Elberta beach to watch the hang gliders fly off the bluffs. Ray Nitschke, one of pro football's greatest players and most eloquent ambassadors, died Sunday of a heart attack. So I said (to Peppler), 'Well, do I need to come back there?' Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? He is a member of famous Actor with the age 62 years old group. )[22][23] Lombardi ran over to see what had happened, but when told it had fallen on Nitschke, said, "He'll be fine. All the wives. An all-time great Packer/NFL player. Cliff Christl started gathering oral histories with former Packers and others associated with the team in 2000 and will continue to gather them as Packers historian. His wife, Jackie, died of cancer in 1996. A fullback and linebacker at the University of Illinois, Nitschke was a member of the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team. [17] In the divisional round of the playoffs on Christmas Eve, Green Bay lost 163 at Washington. He took time for anybody.. Nitschke died of a heart attack in Venice, Florida at the age of 61 in 1998. "In the heat of competing against each other, things like that happen. If you thought Green Bay Packers legend Ray Nitschke was tough, you should get to know his wife Jackie. I look out and see he's gone. My parents kept telling me to come back and go in the dairy business because they were ready to retire and all three of my brothers were in it. At 62 years old, Ray Nitschke height [12] It included three other significant Packers of the 1960s, linebacker Dan Currie of Michigan State (3rd overall), fullback Jim Taylor of LSU (15th overall) and right guard Jerry Kramer of Idaho (39th overall). They couldnt wait until they saw No. Ray Nitschke (Raymond Edward Nitschke) was born on 29 December, 1936 in Elmwood Park, Illinois, USA, is an Actor. Ray Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois. 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. He was also a great family man, a devoted father to his three children. His bad grades and temper couldnt derail such a phenomenal athlete. He was a wonderful human being. [2][3], Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois,[4] the youngest of three sons to Robert and Anna Nitschke. MILWAUKEE (AP) _ Ray Nitschke, the bald-headed, tough-as-nails linebacker on Vince Lombardi's title teams of the 1960s, will be remembered for his off-the-field kindness as much as his dominating play, friends say. The Nitschke Luncheon is a solemn initiation for the new inductees, who are not allowed to speak. Lombardi gave partial credit to Nitschke's success to Ray's wife, whose calming influence helped him focus on his career. On March 8, Nitschke took a drive with his daughter, Amy Klaas, and her one-year-old daughter to a friends house. Ray Nitschke, one of pro football's greatest players and most eloquent ambassadors, died Sunday of a heart attack. In the game, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted. So we ran the slip block where Bowman would block the defensive tackle and I'd slip and block the middle linebacker. In the book, The Defenders, author Murray Olderman quoted Nitschke as saying: I took it out on all the other kids in the neighborhood.. I used to be a bouncer in a bar and so I knew you can't let a guy up. He grew up a Chicago Bears fan, but quickly learn to hate them after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of 1958. (Carr) could play every position. Although Nitschke was known for his hard hitting, he was an athletic all-around linebacker who also intercepted 25 passes over his career. Nitschke and his family, who were staying at the PAC Inn and the Crystal Beach Resort that week, fell in love with the town and in particular, the sport of hang gliding. "I loved playing the Bears. He feuded with Mike Ditka and scoffed at the notion that Butkus was a younger, improved version of himself. Coming up the middle or filling a hole on a running play, I thought Nitschke was better than Butkus. 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. 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. But, let me tell you, off the field, Ray Nitschke, who was selected as a linebacker on both the 50th and 75th anniversary all-time National Football League teams was a pussycat. He gave it all to you. [6], Nitschke entered Proviso Township High School in Maywood shortly before his mother's death. premiered in Green Bay this week. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. Zeke had great feet.". "In fact, he's as mild and as meek as they come, a sweet guy," Wood said. His No. During his freshman year at Proviso, he played fullback on one of the school's three football teams. In this day and age of egotistical professional athletes, my friend Ray Nitschke would also have been a unanimous selection for the Nice Guy Hall of Fame. Lee Remmel, the Packers public relations director and a former beat writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, recalled how well Nitschke treated fans. But he had a sense about him. His baseball skills brought him an offer from the professional St. Louis Browns with a $3,000 signing bonus. She's bossing me around.' Mean In The Middle smiled down from heaven as the Green Bay Packers were about to win the Super Bowl. Raymond Ernest Nitschke (Wildman) Position: LB 6-3 , 235lb (190cm, 106kg) Born: December 29 in Elmwood Park, IL More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 1x Pro Bowl 2x All-Pro 2x SB Champ 5x NFL Champ HOF All-1960s Team 33 66 SUMMARY Career G 190 AV 120 Int 25 Yds 385 TD 2 Ray Nitschke Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1958 1959 1960 What college did Ray Nitschke attend? So, how much is Ray Nitschke worth at the age of 62 years old? He played varsity basketball and was a pitcher and left fielder for the varsity baseball team. In 1998, Ray Nitschke was living comfortably in Naples, Fla. In 2019, USA TODAY compiled a group of 19 veteran reporters to vote on and rank the 100 greatest NFL players of all time. I just want to get along.' In 1974, when he came back to Frankfort, he had become a movie star playing in The Longest Yard with Burt Reynolds. In 1969, he was named the NFL's all-time top Linebacker by the NFL in honor of the NFL's 50th Anniversary. "But it turned out all right," Remmel said. This must be the 1st quarter because Ray Nitschke barely has any blood on him yet. I want him to remember Ray Nitschke, even in his dreams.". Zeke Bratkowski same thing. 66 dash onto the field. They called me a mezzanine rookie the second year until you played in a certain number of games. The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Older brothers Robert Jr. (age 21) and Richard (age 17) decided they would raise Ray on their own. Image courtesy of "Champion" trailer. Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1978) 5 NFL championships 2 Super Bowl championships 2 All-Pro selections 1 Pro Bowl selection. The film's executive producer, Jim Rivett, said that Nitschke was the first Packer Wife to publicly acknowledge her alcoholism. Congressman Steve Largent, who ended the pregame ceremonies by flipping the coin. Nitschkes death was the second to strike the ranks of Lombardis great Packer teams in the last month. Thus he is the only linebacker to have made both the NFL's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams. A terror in a football uniform and a soft-spoken guy in civilian clothes. I was scared to death. I'm like, 'I guess I better get ready.' A lot of times we had to guide him into the huddle. He was probably remembering another Coach Lombardi quote: There is no room for second place. His part was of the tough prison guard named Bogdanski. We have estimated It felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz or something, Reed said afterward. We're going to pay you a $15,000 signing bonus and a $15,000 salary your rookie year. [15][16] Green Bay had clinched the NFC Central division title the week before at Minnesota for their first playoff berth in five seasons. 26 overall in what was the second common draft following the merger agreement between the NFL and AFL. In such a violent sport, thats a pretty elusive title to hold. (Gillingham) was probably 275, 280. Ray Nitschke's income source is mostly from being a successful Actor. I'm thinking I'm not going to get what we called, 'punked,' like Hyland did every Friday. But along the way, Nitschke became an all-around athlete, and turned down a $3,000 bonus from baseballs St. Louis Browns to accept a football scholarship to Illinois. 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 . Nitschke will be buried in Green Bay. 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. And certainly, a week ago Sunday, he was smiling down on Cowboy Stadium and the Green Bay Packers Super Bowl victory. His humility and appreciation for having had the opportunity to play the NFL will always stick in my mind.. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961, to Jackie Forchette. "I've always thought I was the best middle linebacker in professional football," Nitschke once said. On the Packers' practice field on September 1, a 1,000-pound (450kg) steel coaching tower was blown over by a strong gust of wind, on top of Nitschke. 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