As a part of "Packers Dynasty Week" on NFL Network, I was asked to select Green Bay's all-time team. Simple enough, right? I mean, they've only won 13 titles (including four of the Super Bowl variety) and been in existence for nearly 100 years ... Easy peasy. Or not.
With a franchise so rich in history, this is one difficult task. In fact, the most famous Packer ever -- socially, anyways -- didn't make the cut. Neither did a couple of the most productive, due to immense strength at their respective positions.
Of course, there is sure to be some dissent, especially on this project. Hit me up to share your thoughts: @HarrisonNFL is the place.
Essentially, though, this is an all-time starting lineup, complete with a fullback and a guy who could play nose tackle if needed. It is not the 25 greatest Packers, so there's just one QB to choose between Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers and ...
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Bart Starr
Starr has to be the choice here. He went 9-1 in the postseason and ultimately had the Packers on top five times, leading them to capture the pre-Super Bowl-era NFL Championship in 1961, 1962 and 1965, then directing them to victory in Super Bowls I and II. His legacy is that of a winner.
Running back: Jim Taylor
When he retired, Taylor was the NFL's second all-time leading rusher, topping 8,000 rushing yards and 90 touchdowns. He set a Packers record and led the league by rushing for 1,474 yards in 1962 -- the only year anyone ever beat out Jim Brown.
Fullback: Clarke Hinkle
Hinkle beats out Ahman Green and Tony Canadeo, as we are putting a true fullback on the squad. The Packers have almost always employed a fullback. Hinkle was the best, winning two NFL Championships while being in the second group of players enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wide receiver: Don Hutson
Perhaps the greatest wide receiver in NFL history prior to Jerry Rice, Hutson retired in 1945 as the NFL's all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Though Hutson played in a run-much, pass-little era, his career receiving touchdown mark stood for 44 years, until Steve Largent passed him up.
Wide receiver: James Lofton
Lofton beats out Sterling Sharpe on our list because he played longer, and because he was arguably the top wide receiver in the game in the early 1980s. Lofton topped 1,000 yards receiving five times in his Packer career -- and he would have done it six times if not for the players' strike in 1982.
Tight end: Paul Coffman
Though Coffman was one of the better players of the 1980s, a lot of people, frankly, don't know who the heck he is. The three-time Pro Bowler didn't always put up massive numbers, but he was very reliable. He averaged 15 yards per catch and scored 11 touchdowns in 1983.
Offensive tackle: Forrest Gregg
A member of the NFL's all-time team as selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994, Gregg was a Lombardi Packer who won five titles while being one of the top players to ever play his position. Even Deacon Jones said he was the best.
Offensive tackle: Cal Hubbard
A charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963, Hubbard was a dominant force on the 1930s Packers, playing both ways while being one of the first notable names, especially among linemen, of the "rag days" of pro football.
Offensive guard: Mike Michalske
Like Hubbard, Michalske was a top player of the 1930s, helping to make the Packers a threat to win the league title nearly every year. In fact, in 1931, Green Bay became the NFL's first team to three-peat, with Michalske being named All-Pro each year (earning a total of five selections over the course of his career).
Offensive guard: Jerry Kramer
Picking between Kramer, Fuzzy Thurston and 1970s stud Gale Gillingham was not easy, as all were standout players. Ultimately, Kramer gets the nod, considering his five first-team All-Pro selections -- and the fact that he threw the most famous block in NFL history.
Center: Jim Ringo
Although Vince Lombardi traded him to the Eagles before the 1964 season, Ringo was considered the finest offensive lineman on the early Lombardi Packers, part of the championship teams of 1961 and 1962. Ringo was named to 10 Pro Bowls and is enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
DEFENSE
Defensive end: Reggie White
Perhaps the greatest defensive lineman in NFL history, White was dominant as a Packer, even though he was in his 30s for all six of the seasons he spent in Green Bay. White's move from the Eagles to the Packers would go down as the first major signing in the annals of free agency, and it paid off for Green Bay in the form of 68.5 sacks and legendary play.
Defensive end: Willie Davis
A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team of the 1960s, Davis was a consistent performer who has, at times, gotten lost in the shuffle among the Deacon Joneses and Bob Lillys of that era. Davis made five straight Pro Bowls.
Defensive tackle: Henry Jordan
Coupled with Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, Jordan made it nearly impossible to gain any kind of ground yardage against the Packers, especially through the middle. Jordan was named first team All-Pro five straight times, from 1960 to 1964.
Defensive tackle: Gilbert Brown
Who doesn't remember big Gilbert? The dude played at around 350 pounds, but don't let that fool you ... Brown could play. He was an immovable object, anchoring the interior of the Packers' line over 10 years and participating in 13 playoff games.
Outside linebacker: Dave Robinson
Robinson finally made the Hall of Fame in 2013 after waiting more than 30 years. He also authored the finest defensive play in Packers lore, instinctively rushing the Cowboys' Don Meredith to force an interception that clinched a win in the 1966 NFL Championship Game.
Outside linebacker: Clay Matthews
Middle linebacker: Ray Nitschke
Nitschke embodied what the Packers of the 1960s -- and the old NFC Central -- were all about, playing a tough brand of football. A hard-nosed competitor who won five titles with the team, Nitschke is enshrined in the Hall of Fame and has his number retired in Green Bay.
Cornerback: Herb Adderley
The premier cover corner of the 1960s, Adderley was a rare breed -- a defender who was as elite athletically as the players on offense. He scored nine return touchdowns and twice led the NFL in interception return yards before landing in the Hall of Fame.
Cornerback: Charles Woodson
Woodson was as dynamic a corner as has ever played. He had Rod Woodson-esque athleticism, a Ronde Barber-esque ability to blitz and a Deion Sanders-esque knack for scoring. An eight-time Pro Bowler, Woodson was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.
Safety: Willie Wood
He might not be the greatest safety to ever play, but as Bum Phillips once said, "It wouldn't take long to call roll." Wood made eight Pro Bowls, becoming one of Lombardi's top players by his second season. During a 12-year span in Green Bay, Wood didn't miss a single game.
Safety: LeRoy Butler
When you think of the Mike Holmgren Packer teams, it's hard not to see images of Butler making plays or stirring it up with the fans. He created the "Lambeau Leap." A member of the 1990s All-Decade Team, Butler was named first-team All-Pro four times.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Ryan Longwell
The greatest kicker in Green Bay history played for the team relatively recently. From 1997 to 2005, Longwell was quite reliable in Titletown. Longwell led the NFL in extra points as a rookie and is the only Packer player to have scored more than 1,000 points thus far.
Punter: Craig Hentrich
Hentrich only punted in Green Bay from 1994 to 1997, but in that time, he averaged 42.8 yards per punt. One of the top punters in the 1990s, Hentrich even doubled as a kicker in 1995 when Chris Jacke couldn't go.
Returner: Travis Williams
Williams is a Lombardi-era Packer who did not make the Hall of Fame, and who actually only played for the club from 1967 to 1970. However, two marks that he set in 1967 -- 41.1 yards per kick return and four return touchdowns on kickoffs -- still stand as single-season records 47 years later.
Follow Elliot Harrison on Twitter @HarrisonNFL.
