By Mike Jacquart
In celebrating the Green Bay Packers’ 100th anniversary, one thought kept coming to mind: Who are the 100 greatest Packers of all time? Nos. 100-90 were listed in the first post in this regular series. (Asterisk indicates the player is in the Packers Hall of Fame.) Without further ado, here are numbers 89-80.
89. Doug Evans, CB (1993-97). A sixth-round pick out of Louisiana Tech, Evans’s pick-six in a 1996 regular season win over the Rams jump started the Packers from an 8-3 free fall to an eventual title
88 * Mark Chmura, TE (1993-99). A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Chmura scored the final points of Super Bowl XXXI on a 2-point conversion catch.
87. * Irv Comp, back (1943-49). A Milwaukee native, Comp still holds the Packers record for most interceptions in a season with 10 in 1944.
86. * Ron Kostelnik, DT (1961-68). An unheralded member of the Packers’ vaunted defensive line during the Lombardi years, Kostelnik did the “dirty work” that allowed others to make big plays. He was only 53 when he died in an auto accident in 1993.
85. Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston, G (1959-69). A two-time All-Pro, the left guard paired with RG Jerry Kramer to lead the vaunted Packers’ sweep during the Lombardi championship years.
84. * Hank Gremminger, CB (1956-65). Gremminger played for the Packers for 10 seasons, three of which were championship years (’61, ’62 and ’65).
83. * Greg Koch, G-T (1977-85). A standout right tackle, Koch was a fixture in the Packers’ high-powered offenses of the early 1980s.
82. * Ezra Johnson, DE (1977-87). While perhaps better known for eating a hot dog on the sidelines during a Packers preseason game, the number-one draft pick’s on-field contributions were significant – including an unofficial 20-1/2 sacks in 1978 and 14-1/2 sacks in 1983.
81. * Johnny Holland, LB (1987-93). The steady Holland, a second-round draft pick in ’87, posted 100-plus tackles for six-consecutive years.
80.* John Anderson, LB (1978-89). Anderson retired from the Packers as the team’s all-time leader in tackles, and was tied with Ray Nitschke for the Packers’ career interception leader for a linebacker.
Mike Jacquart is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Iola, Wisconsin with his wife, Debra and dog, Pepper Ann. He can be reached at [email protected].