B/R's Project 99: The Hearbeat of Ray Nitschke Lives On in Green Bay

The shouldering pathway that connects Dousman and Main Streets—deep within the mystical town of Green Bay, Wisconsin—is named after a man who himself, shouldered a team that exemplified dominance, pride, work ethic, and respect.

On the other side of Oneida Street, across from the historic Lambeau Field, is the East Practice Field, also named after the same man who was just as passionate in practice, as he was feared on Sundays in real time play.

His name was Ray, “Wildman” Nitschke.

In an era that afforded the Packers an identity defined by offensive dominance, Ray Nitschke quietly led a team that was equally feared for its defensive prowess; something that is seldom discussed.

At 6’3”, 235 pounds the old linebacker/fullback out of Illinois was known for his physical and mental toughness. He was viewed as one of the most feared middle linebackers of his time—15 years between 1958 and 1972 to be exact.

Nitschke wasn’t the typical linebacker that opposing offenses would say: “Hey, keep an eye on that guy, he’s pretty good.” rather, they would say: “Ok, if you see that guy coming, get the hell out of his way!”

Nitschke was a man with a classic duel identity that would make most cases of Multiple Personality Disorder seem like a simple case of mistaken identity.

When gametime came, the mild-mannered and highly regarded family man—who would often be adorned with his famed thick, dark-rimmed glasses and dark suits commonly worn by businessmen and lawyers—was replaced with a seething, foaming 235 pound freight train that was nearly unstoppable his entire career.

Len Dawson was quoted as saying: “When I approached the line and came face to face with Nitschke for the first time I thought, man this is the meanest looking guy I have ever seen.”

Bart Starr compared his duel personality to a “classic example of Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde.”

There's a story about an incident that took place during practice one day that perfectly illustrates how tough people thought Nitschke was. It's said a metal tower came crashing down on him and that when Lombardi found out it was Nitschke the tower had collapsed onto, he was quoted as saying: “He’ll be fine, get back to work.”

As they say now-a-days, “They don’t make ‘um like Nitschke anymore.”

The Packers were blessed to have someone who embodied the game, and who was at his core the epitome of the game in its rawest form. However, Ray's on-the-field talent was often overshadowed by an equally-talented offense led by Bart Starr. Yet, if not for the physically dominant play of the defense, which was led by Nitschke, things may have been very different for the Packers during the Lombardi era.

Nitschke, in his career, recorded 25 total INTs. He also recorded 20 fumble recoveries; which is second only to Willie Davis—who bettered him by one. His 190 consecutive games played for the Packers was only eclipsed by Bart Starr and Brett Favre; company any football player would be proud to keep.

Nitschke was a 3-time consecutive All-Pro from 1964-66 and was named MVP for his efforts in the 1962 championship game vs. the New York Giants. In that brutal matchup he had a deflected pass that went for a TD and two fumble recoveries—one that set up the only TD in the 16-7 affair, and one that set up a Green Bay field goal.

IN Super bowl 1 he recorded 6 tackles and a sack, only to better his performance in Super bowl 2 with a team-leading 9 tackles.

In the decade of the sixties, the Packers were touted as a team that gave up no more than 262 yards and 15 points per game; in the playoffs they bettered that average by allowing only 12 points per game.

Nitschke was at the forefront of that defense; a solid, old-time field general, who is unheralded in his craft to this day.

Nitschke is currently the only linebacker to be named to the NFL’s 50th and 75th Anniversary team and he was named to The Sporting News’ 100 Greatest Football Player list at 18.

All of these things exemplify not only the player, not only the man, but also the team.

Nitschke’s integral contribution to the Packers organization, as well as the Packers’ history, is unmatched and forever enshrined in the depths of Green Bay’s lengthy and historic existence.

But for all of his on-field accomplishments, it was Nitschke who also led what could be conceived a double life of sorts.

On Sundays, it was Mr. Hyde who would don his tattered and beat up “hat”, he would shout the defensive commands in a haunting, and raspy projection, and he would hunt down the opposition in a full-on effort to “knock their block off” at any given chance.

The other six days of the week was dedicated to the good doctor.

The feared defensive menace was also the foundational rock his family leaned on, the single-minded one man wrecking machine was the insightful student and scholar of the craft, and the player who cared very little for the opposition’s heath was the man who was the thoughtful soft spoken individual that very few knew.

Ray Nitschke was indeed a man of numerous identities.

For Packers’ fans young and old, Nitschke is the household name synonymous with greatness; he is the ghostly icon that lives within every breeze that kisses the face of the residents of Green Bay Wisconsin, and he is the constant reminder to the young modern day talent that proudly adorns a Packers jersey what it means to be a great player.

Even in death, Nitschke lives.

In 1972 the face of the Green Bay Packers defense retired, only to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978, and in 1998 the untimely loss of this iconic figure was felt worldwide like an earthquake of epic proportions.

When asked about a player—a man—who exemplifies the historic air of the Green Bay Packers, when asked about an individual whose heroics on and off-field actions still, to this day, set the bar far and wide, there is only one name that came to mind to this author.

His name is Ray Nitschke!

Quotes taken from the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Nitschke
http://www.packers.com/team/players/nitschke_ray/