Legends of Lambeau: The Green Bay Packers’ All-Time Offense

Selecting the All-time Packers Team on offense was no simple task. With 12 world championships in its glorious history, Green Bay, WI., has been home to many of the best to ever play in the NFL. A visit to the Packers Hall of Fame is second only to Canton itself.

The Packers have, seemingly, always been rather progressive on the offensive side of the ball. Whether it was Curly Lambeau’s passing attack, Vince Lombardi’s power sweep, or Mike Holmgren’s modified West Coast offense, Green Bay have been NFL offensive pioneers on many occasions.The end result is an enormously talented pool of players to choose from. Some of these picks will be obvious. Some will be controversial. But they were all the best of the best in different ways for different reasons.

Let’s proceed to the All-time Green Bay Packers offense:

Center: Jim Ringo
131 games as a Packer
15 seasons:
1953-63, Green Bay Packers
1964-67, Philadelphia Eagles
10 Pro Bowls
Seven-time first-team All-Pro
1960s All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame Member
Two NFL Championship rings

Out of Phillipsburg, New Jersey via Syracuse University, Jim Ringo came to the Packers as a 20-year-old seventh round draft choice in 1953.

At the time, the 6′2″ Ringo weighed only 211 pounds, which even then was vastly undersized for an NFL lineman. Intimidated by the size of his competition, Ringo tried to quit during his first training camp, but his family promptly sent him back to camp, unwilling to take in a “quitter.”

Ringo soon found he could use his speed and intelligence to dominate players much larger than himself. He played in five games that first season and then played in every game for the next 14 seasons, never weighing more than 235 lbs. When Ringo retired, his 182 consecutive games played was a new NFL record.

Jim Ringo was the only Pro-Bowl player on the roster when Vince Lombardi arrived in 1959. Lombardi quickly recognized Ringo’s value and built the offense around him. His speed was essential in getting out and cutting off linebackers pursuing the Packer sweep. Lombardi once said of Ringo, “The reason he’s the best in the league is because he’s quick and he’s smart. He runs the offensive line, calls the blocks and he knows what every lineman does on every play.”

Ringo played on Lombardi’s first two championship teams in 1961 and 1962. After the 1963 season, he was traded by Lombardi to the Eagles for linebacker Lee Roy Caffey and a first round draft pick that would become Donnie Anderson. Ringo continued his outstanding play four more years with the Eagles.

Jim Ringo was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

Honorable Mention: Ken Bowman, Larry McCarren, Frank Winters

Guard: Jerry Kramer
130 games as a Packer
11 Seasons:
1958-1968, Green Bay Packers
Five-Time All-Pro and Three Pro Bowls
1960s All-Decade Team
NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time team
Five NFL Championship rings

Out of Sandpoint, Idaho via the University of Idaho, Jerry Kramer came to the Packers as a fourth-round draft pick and was an immediate starter. As a rookie, the 6′ 3″, 250-pound Kramer quickly gained the reputation as a tenacious player who could hold his own against the best defensive tackles.

In 1959, a new coach came to town and quickly recognized Kramer’s talent. Vince Lombardi would later say of Kramer, “He didn’t know how good he was…”

Lombardi helped develop Kramer into an All-Pro NFL guard. Along with fellow guard Fuzzy Thurston, it was Kramer’s job to provide the inside “seal” Vince Lombardi famously talked about, keeping the middle linebacker away from Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung.

Kramer also filled in as kicker for two seasons. His three field goals helped the Packers win the 1962 championship game against the New York Giants, 16-7. He scored 65 points in 1962 and was the team’s leading scorer with 91 points in 1963.

Jerry Kramer is a 10-time finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is the only 10-time finalist to have not been voted in. Hornung was named to the NFL’s 50th Anniversary All-Time team. He is the only member of that team who is not in the Hall of Fame. He belongs.

Honorable Mention: Gale Gillingham

Guard: Mike Michalske
95 games as a Packer
11 seasons:
1926-1928, NY Yankees
1929-1935, 1937 Green Bay Packers
Six-time first team All-Pro
1920s All-Decade Team
Three NFL championship rings
First guard elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Out of Cleveland, Ohio via an All-American career as a fullback at Penn State University, Mike Michalske came to the Packers after playing three seasons blocking for Red Grange on the NY Yankees’ professional football team.

When he came to the Packers, the 6-foot, 210-pound Michalske convinced legendary Packers coach Curly Lambeau to use him on the offensive line. Lambeau wisely listened, and the first great guard in NFL history was born.

Known for his combination of speed, agility, and power, Michalske opened holes for Johnny “Blood” McNally and other Packers. It was no coincidence that the Packers won three straight championships after Michalske’s arrival.

Besides transforming the offensive guard position, Michalske was also an NFL pioneer on the defensive line. With his speed and elusiveness, he was the first player to be used as a blitzer and was an early version of an NFL linebacker, a position that did not exist at that time.

Michalske was a two-way 60-minute player who never came off the field. He earned the nickname “Iron Mike” for his incredible endurance throughout the years, despite playing his entire career with an untreated abdominal hernia.

Michalske was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1964.

Honorable Mention: Fuzzy Thurston

Tackle: Forrest Gregg
187 games as a Packer
15 seasons:
1956, 1958-1970 Green Bay Packers
1971 Dallas Cowboys
Nine Pro Bowls
Seven-time first team All-Pro
1960s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time team
Pro Football Hall of Fame Member
Six NFL Championship rings

Out of Birthright, Tex., via Southern Methodist University, Forrest Gregg came to the Packers as a second-round draft pick and made an immediate impact at right tackle. Despite being undersized at 6′4″ and only 249 pounds, Gregg became a film room junkie and knew every move his opponents would try to use. He learned how to use athleticism, leverage, and finesse to take his opponent out of the play.

Forrest Gregg was one of the greatest players on all five of Vince Lombardi’s championship teams. Yet he was the consummate team player. In 1961 and 1965, he selflessly switched to guard when injuries hit the Packers’ offensive line. In 1965, one major wire service named him All-NFL at guard, while another other picked him as its All-league tackle.

Gregg played 187 consecutive games in 14 seasons with the Packers, a record he held until Brett Favre eclipsed it in 2003. Gregg earned a sixth championship ring with the Dallas Cowboys in 1971, only one of three players to have played on six championship teams. In 1999, he was ranked No. 28 on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

In 1977, Forrest Gregg was rightfully inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but perhaps his greatest honor came from Vince Lombardi, who called Gregg “the finest player I have ever coached.”

Forest Gregg was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

Honorable Mention: Ken Ruettgers

Tackle: Robert “Cal” Hubbard
75 games as a Packer
Nine Seasons:
1927-1928 New York Giants
1929-1933,1935 Green Bay Packers
1936 New York Giants
1936 Pittsburgh Pirates
Six-time ALL-NFL Team
1920s All-Decade Team
NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time team, voted the greatest tackle of the NFL’s first 50 years
Pro Football Hall of Fame Charter Member
Four NFL Championship rings

Out of Keytesville, Missouri via Geneva College in Pennsylvania, Cal Hubbard played his first two years for the New York Giants, helping them win a championship in his rookie year. Not comfortable with big city life, Hubbard became enamored with tiny Green Bay after a road trip there in 1928. After that season was over, he requested a trade to Green Bay or he would retire. The Giants obliged him, and Hubbard quickly found that he and Green Bay were perfect for each other.

It was a move the Giants would soon regret. In Hubbard’s first season with Green Bay, the 12-0-1 Packers edged out the Giants for the NFL Championship and handed them their only defeat of the season.

Hubbard helped the Packers win three consecutive NFL championships. A two-way player, Hubbard was often double-teamed on defense and was known for his devastating blocks on the Packers’ offensive line. He was a physical specimen like no other in the NFL at the time. At 6′5″ and 250 pounds, Hubbard was one of the larger players in the league, yet he was as agile and faster than most backs.

Hubbard became known as the “Policeman,” protecting his teammates from taking dirty hits. Opposing players wouldn’t dare do anything illegal with the “Policeman” around. Red Grange called him “the greatest tackle I’ve ever seen.” “There was never a better lineman,” added George Halas.

After his football career was over, Hubbard became a baseball umpire known as “The Walking Rule Book.” He is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.

Hubbard was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1963.

Honorable Mention: Bob Skoronski

Tight End: Paul Coffman
119 games as a Packer
10 seasons:
1978-1985 Green Bay Packers
1986-1987 Kansas City Chiefs
Three Pro Bowls
Packers Hall of Fame Member

Out of St. Louis, Missouri via Kansas State University, Paul Coffman was not drafted by any NFL team. When a Packers assistant coach came to Kansas State to work out one of his teammates, Coffman decided to ask for a tryout with the Packers. Coffman’s request was granted, and he surprised everyone by making the team.

Although he sat the bench as a rookie, Coffman exploded onto the NFL scene his second season, starting all 16 games and catching 56 passes, breaking the Packers’ record previously held by Ron Kramer. Coffman would go on to catch 322 passes and score 39 touchdowns for the Packers, while averaging an outstanding 13.1 yards per catch.

Having played for some very average Packers teams, Coffman’s achievements are sometimes overlooked. While James Lofton, James Jefferson, and others received most of the attention during those years, Coffman was the favorite target of Packers quarterback and fellow Kansas State alumni Lynn Dickey.

Whenever there was a big first down to be made, Coffman could be depended on to get open and secure the catch.

Over his seven prime years with the Packers, Coffman averaged 46 catches per year. He was known for his precise routes, great hands, and ability to make catches with defenders draped all over him. He worked hard on his blocking, and with the help of his coaches, also developed into one of the better blocking tight ends in the league.

Paul Coffman is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention: Ron Kramer, Mark Chmura, Bubba Franks

This one was pretty close. While Ron Kramer was a great player and helped define the new role of tight ends in the NFL, his overall impact on the Packers just does not measure up to Paul Coffman’s.

Wide Receiver: Don Hutson
116 games as a Packer
11 Seasons:
1935-1945 Green Bay Packers
Eight-time All-Pro
Two-time League MVP
1930s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time team
Pro Football Hall of Fame Charter Member
One of only five Packer players with their numbers retired.
Three NFL Championship rings

Out of Pine Bluff, Arkansas via the University of Alabama, Don Hutson came to the Packers via a 17-minute stroke of luck. In those pre-NFL Draft days, players were free to sign with whomever they wanted. Hutson signed contracts with two teams, the Packers and the NFL’s Brooklyn Dodgers.

The NFL awarded Hutson to the Packers because the envelope his contract had been mailed in was postmarked 17 minutes before the Dodger’s contract.

The first pass Hutson caught for the Packers was an 83-yard touchdown pass from Arnie Herber. It was the first of 99 receiving touchdowns, an NFL record that would stand until 1989.

Don Hutson played 11 seasons in the NFL and was a pioneer of the modern passing game. He is credited with creating Z-outs, button-hooks, hook-and-gos, and many other pass patterns still used today.

Ask to describe what made him so good, Hutson once said, “I don’t think it was my speed alone. Although I ran 9.7 hundred, which was good speed for those days. I’d say it was my moves. I was running slant patterns when most other receivers were running in circles. I would experiment with new patterns every day in practice.”

He led the NFL in receptions eight times, in receiving yards seven times, and in touchdown receptions nine times. During the 1940s, Hutson also kicked extra points and short field goals.

He finished his career with 488 catches for 7,991 yards and 99 touchdowns. He also ran the ball 62 times for 264 yards and three touchdowns, was 7-17 on field goals, 172-183 on extra points, and had 30 interceptions for 389 yards and a touchdown as a safety on defense.

When he retired after the 1945 season, he held virtually every NFL pass receiving record: most receptions in a game, 14; in a season, 74 in 1942; and in a career, 488; most touchdown receptions in a game, four; in a season, 17 in 1942; and in a career, 99; most yards receiving in a game, 237; in a season, 1,211 in 1942; and in a career, 7,991; and most touchdown receptions in championship playoff games, nine.

Hutson also held three major scoring records: most consecutive games scoring at least one point, 41; most points in a season, 138; and most points in a career, 825. He scored 31 points in one game, the second-highest total in NFL history.

His 99 career-receiving touchdowns stood until Steve Largent came along in the 1980s. Over Don Hutson’s career, he averaged a touchdown every 4.9 catches. All despite being a marked man, normally receiving double and triple coverage. “I always had two or three men covering me on every play,” Hutson once said in an interview.

In 1999, he was ranked sixth on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, the highest-ranking Packer and the highest-ranking pre-World War II player.

In 1963, Don Hutson was elected as a charter member to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Honorable Mention: Boyd Dowler, Carroll Dale

Wide Receiver: Sterling Sharpe
112 games as a Packer
Seven Seasons:
1988-1994, Green Bay Packers
Five-time Pro Bowler
Three-Time First Team All-Pro
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame member

Out of Glenville, Ga., via the University of South Carolina, Sterling Sharpe came to the Packers as a No. 1 draft pick (No. 7 overall) in 1988. Undoubtedly Tom Braatz’s greatest move as Packers GM, Sharpe stepped right into a starting role as a rookie and led the Packers in receptions with 55. Sharpe would go on to achieve that status every season he played.

Sterling Sharpe enjoyed some of the greatest seasons ever by any NFL receiver, and was in his prime (age 29) when forced to retire because of a serious neck injury.

In only his second season, Sharpe would lead the NFL in receptions with 90. He also broke Don Hutson’s long-standing Packers records for receptions and receiving yards in a single season. Sharpe’s numbers would drop the next two years, as injuries to Packers QB Don Majowski resulted in weak-throwing backups Anthony Dilweg and Mike Tomczak playing almost half of the games.

Sharpe still caught 67 and 69 passes, respectively, but TD numbers dropped with those two quarterbacks just didn’t have the arms to hit Sharpe on deep routes to the end zone.

In 1992, his fifth season, everything changed for Sharpe. A brash, young, gunslinger quarterback named Brett Favre came to Green Bay and an incredible passing tandem was born. In their first year together, Sharpe would set a new NFL record for catches in a season, 108. He also led the league in receiving TDs (13) and receiving yards (1,461). This “receiving triple-crown” has only been achieved by six other players in NFL history; Don Hutson, Elroy Hirsch, Pete Pihos, Raymond Berry, Jerry Rice, and Steve Smith. Not bad company.

In 1993, Sharpe would break his own NFL record, catching 112 passes, while catching 11 TDs and gaining 1,274 receiving yards.

The Packers would make the playoffs that year for the first time in 10 seasons, winning their first game against Detroit when Brett Favre hit Sharpe with a 40-yard TD pass with 55 seconds left in the game, Sharpe’s third TD of the game.

1994 would be Sharpe’s third straight 100-catch season, the first time in NFL history a receiver had done that. He led the NFL in touchdowns that season with 18, and together with Brett Favre, led the Packers to their second straight playoff appearance.

His performance in the 1994 season was even more incredible, considering Sharpe played the last half of the season with a very painful case of turf toe. He wasn’t able to practice at all towards the end of the season, and in the next to last game, suffered a neck injury that was believed to be a stinger.

He was cleared to play the next game, but promptly suffered another neck injury. This time he he felt some numbness and tingling in his extremities and a more thorough diagnosis revealed two very loose vertebrae that would need to be fused by surgery.

Sharpe stubbornly insisted he could return after sitting out the next season, but soon realized neither the Packers nor any other team would be willing to clear him to play after such a surgery. Sharpe had no option but to retire for good.

Despite only playing seven seasons in the NFL, what he accomplished in those years makes him stand out as the second most talented receiver in Packers history. He retired as the all-time Packers leader in receptions, single-season receptions leader, single-season yardage leader, single-season touchdown leader, and most seasons of 1,000 or more yards.

Sterling Sharpe is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Honorable mention: James Lofton, Antonio Freeman, Donald Driver

Fullback: Jim Taylor
118 games as a Packer
10 Seasons:
1958-1966 Green Bay Packers
1967 New Orleans Saints
Five-time Pro Bowler
Six-time All-Pro
1962 League MVP
NFL 1960s All-Decade Team
Four NFL Championship rings
Pro Football Hall of Fame Member

Out of Baton Rouge, La., via LSU, Jim Taylor came to the Packers as a second-round draft pick (15th player overall) in 1958. When Vince Lombardi arrived in Green Bay the following year, he quickly decided that Jim Taylor would be the cornerstone of the Packers’ run game. The following year, Taylor would have the first of his five-straight 1,000 yard rushing seasons for the Packers.

Jim Taylor was the power in the Green Bay Packers’ power sweep. A bruising physical back, he could absorb a lot of punishment, but relished in doling it out, as well. His battles with opposing middle linebackers like Sam Huff are legendary, a nasty game of “last man standing.”

In college and then in the pros, Taylor was one of the early pioneers of year-round weight training. Most coaches at the time, including Vince Lombardi, frowned on weight-lifting. Taylor was an enthusiast, however, and sculpted his body into a weapon that made defenders’ knees quiver when they saw him coming.

Jim Taylor was Vince Lombardi’s go-to guy. When there was a tough yard to be made or a touchdown to be scored, more often than not, Taylor got the call. Vince Lombardi called Taylor the most determined runner he’d ever seen.

At the time of his retirement, Taylor’s 8,597 yards put him second on the all-time NFL rushing list. Until Ahman Green recently returned to the Packers, Taylor was still the Packers’ top all-time rusher with 8,207 yards.

Taylor still holds many Packers’ records, including total touchdowns, single-game touchdowns, and single-season touchdowns. As the league MVP, Taylor won the NFL rushing title in 1962, the only season that Jim Brown did not lead the league during his nine-year career. He is still the only Packers running back to have ever won the NFL rushing title.

Forever in Jim Brown’s shadow, the comparisons were many. In his book Run To Daylight, Vince Lombardi wrote, “Jim Brown will give you that leg and take it away from you. Taylor will give it to you and ram it through your chest.” Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff once summarized, “Brown is strong, but he doesn’t sting you like Taylor does.”

Jim Taylor was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976.

Honorable Mention: John Brockington, Clark Hinkle

Halfback: Tony Canadeo
116 games as a Packer
11 Seasons:
1941-1944 Green Bay Packers
1946-1952 Green Bay Packers
Three-time All-NFL
NFL 1940s All-Decade Team
One NFL Championship ring
One of only five Packer players with their numbers retired
Pro Football Hall of Fame Member

Out of Chicago, Ill., via little-known Gonzaga University, Tony Canadeo came to the Packers as an unheralded ninth-round draft pick. Known as the “Gray Ghost” because of his prematurely gray hair, Canadeo quickly made a name for himself at tailback, the precursor to the modern-day quarterback position.

Despite a lack of size at only 5′11″ and 195 pounds, Canadeo had a determination and will to succeed that helped him excel on the football field.

When Canadeo first came to Green Bay, Cecil Isbell and Clarke Hinkle were the team’s leading passer and rusher, respectively. Two years later, he was the team’s rushing and passing leader, gaining 489 yards rushing with three touchdowns while passing for 875 yards and nine touchdowns.

After returning from the service in 1946, Canadeo moved from tailback to halfback and became the Packers’ primary run threat.

While everyone was still a two-way player in the ’40s, Canadeo was a true “Mr. Everything” for the Packers. Canadeo would run, pass, catch passes, punt, return kickoffs and punts, and play defense, all at a very high level. Canadeo could easily be called the greatest all-around player in Green Bay Packers’ history.

Tony Canadeo was the first 1,000-yard rusher in Packers history and the third NFL player ever to have accomplished that feat.

Canadeo finished his career with 4,971 career rushing yards on 1,025 attempts—a 4.2 average. He also passed for 1,642 yards and caught 69 passes for 579 yards and finished with 2,249 return yards. Over the course of his career, he accounted for an average of 75 yards gained in every game.

Canadeo was the Packers’ all-time leading rusher at the time of his retirement. Fifty-eight years later, only Jim Taylor, Ahman Green, and John Brockington, respectively, have more career rushing yards than Canadeo. Considering the era he played in, this is a truly amazing feat.

Looking further through the Packer record books, Canadeo’s name is still prominent throughout:

Fifth in career rushing attempts
Fourth in career rushing yards
Fourth in most seasons as leading rusher
Fifth in career 100-yard games
Fifth in career rushing average

Tony Canadeo is a Lambeau Legend and one of only five Packers players to have had their jersey number retired. After his playing career was over, Canadeo worked as a Packer TV announcer, and was a member of the Packers Executive Committee, playing a key role in bringing Vince Lombardi to Green Bay.

Tony Canadeo was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

Honorable Mention: Ahman Green, Paul Hornung, Donny Anderson

I’m sure this selection will surprise many people, as it surprised me as well. I entered this process thinking it would be Paul Hornung, then Ahman Green, and then Tony Canadeo. After much research and contemplation, I ended up in the exact opposite order. My biggest surprise was Paul Hornung, who is hardly even mentioned in the Packers record books for rushing. Hornung was a point-producing machine with his field goals and extra points added to his touchdowns, but was very much overshadowed by Jim Taylor in the running department.

The name you will find near the top of every category is Ahman Green, who of course benefited from playing in the modern era of offense-minded football. That’s why I eventually gave the nod to Canadeo. To still be prominent in the Packer rushing records, despite having played 60 years ago, speaks volumes to what Canadeo accomplished in his time. Add to that the multiple other ways he contributed on the field and his overall value to the team, and I just had to name him the greatest Packer halfback ever.

Quarterback: Bart Starr
196 games as a Packer
16 Seasons:
1956-1971, Green Bay Packers
Packers Head Coach-1975-1983
Four-time Pro Bowler, Four-time All-Pro
1966 League MVP
Two-time Super Bowl MVP
Four-time League passing percentage leader
1960s All-Decade Team
Five NFL Championship rings
One of only five Packer players with their numbers retired
Pro Football Hall of Fame Member

Out of Montgomery, Ala., via the University of Alabama, Bart Starr came to the Packers as an unheralded 17th-round draft pick in 1956. Held back by injuries and some questionable coaching decisions at Alabama, Starr was also considered too small at only 6′ 1″ and 197 pounds.

Few NFL executives knew of the competitive fire that burned inside of the ultra-quiet Starr or of his dedication and desire to be a great NFL quarterback. Playing on some awful Packer teams his first few years and bouncing in and out of the lineup, Starr had little chance to show off the skills he knew he had.

When Vince Lombardi came to Green Bay in 1959, that all changed. Starr started out as third-string that season, but by the middle of the year he was starting and helped lead the Packers to their first winning season in 12 years. The following year, Starr led the Packers to the playoffs for the first time in 16 years, losing the first and only playoff game of his career. In 1961, Starr led the Packers to the NFL championship, the first of five.

Vince Lombardi was enamored with Starr’s dedication to study film and his ability to pinpoint how to attack opposing defenses. Lombardi had complete confidence in Starr. So much so, that he let Starr call ALL of the plays on the field.

Bart Starr was arguably the finest field general the league had ever seen. While many feel that the Green Bay Packer dynasty made Starr, his teammates will tell you it was the other way around. So many of his Packer teammates have said that without Starr, the talented Packers would not have won five championships. He was their leader, and with Starr at the helm, the Packers felt they could score every time they had the ball.

Deadly quiet and reserved off the field, Starr was known to his teammates as a fierce competitor who would do anything to win a game.

From 1960-1967, Starr led the Packers to a 62-24-4 record, six divisional titles and five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Starr was named Super Bowl MVP in both of those games, as well as NFL MVP in 1966.

Bart Starr is the Packers’ greatest all-time quarterback because he was at his best when it counted the most—the playoffs. Starr’s career playoff record is 9-1. His postseason passer rating of 104.8 (in an era when 80 was considered very good) remains No. 1 all time—better than Montana, Unitas, Favre, Bradshaw, Aikman, and a slew of other legendary modern QBs.

And remember, Starr played in an era dominated by defense when current pass interference rules did not exist. Starr retired as the NFL’s most accurate passer of all-time.

As Cold Hard Football Facts points out in its excellent article, Starr ’s greatness can be measured in his career Yards Per Attempt (YPA) numbers. “Starr averaged a remarkable 7.85 YPA over the course of his entire career, the eighth-best mark in history, and better than that of a slate of quarterbacks who are generally regarded as the best passers in history, including Dan Marino (7.37), Joe Montana (7.52), Roger Staubach (7.67), Dan Fouts (7.68), Sonny Jurgensen (7.56), Fran Tarkenton (7.27), Y.A. Tittle (7.52), Terry Bradshaw (7.17), and Joe Namath (7.35).”

They further go on to say, “Six times in the 1960s, Starr surpassed 8.2 YPA for a season. To put that into context, Peyton Manning has surpassed 8.2 YPA just twice in his career. When it comes to a combination of leadership, victories, big-game performances, and statistical supremacy nobody—NOBODY—put together a more total package than Bart Starr, the greatest quarterback in NFL history.”

Bart Starr was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

Honorable Mention: Brett Favre

The greatest measure of a quarterback is how many championships you lead your team to. That’s why Brett Favre is still playing the game; he wants more than just one ring. What affects a quarterback’s chances of winning championships most is how he performs in the playoffs. Bart Starr’s playoff passer rating is 20 points higher than Bret Favre’s. Bart Starr’s playoff record is 9-1, Brett Favre’s is 12-10. Bart Starr threw three interceptions in 10 playoff games, Brett Favre threw 28 interceptions in 22 playoff games.

I’m not looking to denigrate Favre in any way, but these were the criteria I used to make my choice. While Brett Favre might be the most dynamic and entertaining quarterback to have played the game of football, the true measure of greatness in sports is winning. That’s why Bart Starr is my greatest Packer quarterback of all-time.

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Jersey Al Bracco is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com. You can find more of Jersey Al ’s articles on several sports web sites: NFL Touchdown , Packers Lounge , Packer Chatters & Bleacher Report .