By Mike Jacquart
- Randall Cobb, WR, 2011-. Not many players break onto the scene the way Cobb did, as he broke a Packers’ record with a 108-yard kickoff return in 2011 against the Saints. Cobb already ranks seventh in pass receptions in team annals – including the winning TD in the 2018 season opener. Who knows where he might end up?
- * Chester Marcol, K, 1972-80. Marcol, a native of Poland, drilled 33 field goals in ’72, a season-high number that remains tied for first in team history. Who could ever forget him grabbing a blocked kick that bounced back at him, and running in for a touchdown against the Bears in 1980? But perhaps Marcol’s greatest feat was his post-NFL comeback from drug and alcohol addiction.
- * Ron Kramer, TE, 1957, 59-64. Kramer was one of the first outstanding tight ends in the NFL. Kramer, an integral member of Lombardi’s early championship years, caught 37 passes and 7 TDs in ’62, good enough to be named to the Pro Bowl. In 1965, he asked to be traded to the Lions to be closer to his wife and family.
- * Gerry Ellis, RB, 1980-86. Ellis, a feared dual threat, could run AND catch. His versatility helped him snare 267 passes (19th in team history), and 3,826 rushing yards, which ranks 8th.
- Brian Noble, LB, 1985-93. Often overlooked in team annals, all Noble did was tackle. Four times in his nine-year history in GB, he paced the team in tackles. The steady Noble also had five fumble recoveries in the strike-shortened ’87. Alas, with a bad knee injury, his career ended just as the Packers were becoming steady winners.
- * Edgar Bennett, RB, 1992-96. Bennett started his Packers career as a fullback, but he became a starting RB in ’95 and topped 1,000 yards rushing. Like Ellis, Bennett was an excellent receiver. Bennett, a reliable runner who rarely fumbled, ranks 11th as a Packers rusher.
- * Paul Coffman, TE, 1978-85. Few tight ends have a made a bigger contribution than Coffman did as one of the NFL’s premiere TEs. Undrafted out of Kansas State, Coffman was a three-time Pro Bowl TE on some of the highest-scoring offenses in Packers history.
- * Max McGee, WR, 1954, 57-67. The colorful McGee famously caught seven passes, two of which went for TDs, in Green Bay’s 35-10 win over Kansas City in the first Super Bowl. He was also an accomplished punter. (His 41.6-yd gross average still ranks fifth in team annals.)
- * Vern Lewellen, back, punter, 1924-32. Many believe Lewellen, a star on Curly Lambeau’s early teams, belongs in the NFL HOF. But Lewellen had the misfortune of playing all but his last season before the NFL kept statistics, making it easy to overlook his importance in Packers’ lore.
- * Chris Jacke K, 1989-96. Even as a rookie, Jacke was clutch as the “Cardiac Pack” pulled out numerous, narrow wins. But perhaps his most exciting kick was his overtime boot that upended the 49ers on Monday night in 1996. His 820 points ranks 4th in team history.
Mike Jacquart, a Packers fan since the 1970s, 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].