ray nitschke wife

[6], Nitschke entered Proviso Township High School in Maywood shortly before his mother's death. There is only one place in my game and that is first place. So it was a volatile relationship.. The Packers won 167 and finished the season with a 141 record. Ray and Jackie had a winter home in Naples, Florida. One guy, Grant Smith of Detroit, asked Nitschke if he wanted to learn how to hang glide and the Packer, then 36 years old at the time, said it looked too dangerous for him. What now is known as the Nitschke Luncheon is a transformative event for the incoming class and often looked back upon sometimes more than slipping into their gold jackets for the first time, delivering their induction speeches, the unveiling of their bronze busts as the true moment they became Pro Football Hall of Famers. Ray Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois. Welcome tothe NFL 100,The Athleticsendeavor to identify the 100 best players in football history. Hall of fame middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers who was named MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game and was a 1964 Pro Bowl selection. As publisher of the "Ray Nitschke Packer Report," Nitschke was able to enjoy the team's return to glory, but he never allowed the new heroes the luxury of becoming too fond of themselves. Then from 1969 to 1973, he unofficially started 67 of 70 regular-season games at left guard based on official play-by-plays (he also might have started another, but wasn't listed in the lineup) and also the 1972 NFC Divisional playoff. As soon as he forearmed me, I got my hand under his helmet and pulled it up, and yanked his chinstrap off and I've got it in my hand. 1 draft choice? [2], His No. [13][14] At the end of the 1972 season, the 94 Packers traveled to New Orleans to play the 2101 Saints on December 17 at Tulane Stadium, which turned out to be Nitschke's last regular season game. They said, 'You'll make more in the dairy business. [27] Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. One year, those you see will no longer be there, and one year, neither will you. Supplement 1, pp. When he got up to speak, you knew he was speaking from the heart. Prior to its retirement, number 66 had remained in circulation and was last worn in 1983 by offensive lineman Lawrence Pfohl, who would go on to fame as a professional wrestler under the ring name Lex Luger.[30]. Rivett says up to 14 people can live at the Jackie Nitschke Center for a month while they get sober. Sign up now! Every day until the season begins, well unveil new members of the list, with the No. A substantial aspect of Nitschkes legacy forever will be respecting the Hall of Fames legacy. The University of Illinois converted him to fullback and linebacker. I was scared to death. The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica. ", On how his friendship with fellow guard Gale Gillingham got started: "Weightlifting. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital later that day. I chuckle to myself, `Well, yeah, OK.' But when it came down to the business of football, he was as tough as they come.". Zeke had great feet.". Wood remembered Nitschke working at his image on and off the field. Nitschke was the anchor of the defense under head coach Vince Lombardi in the 1960's, leading the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls. I became interested in Nitschke when after living in Wisconsin for 8 years I learned that he had become a Christian before he died. Nitschke was married on June 26, 1961, to Jackie Forchette. Ray Nitschke was born on December 29, 1936, in Elmwood Park, Illinois, United States. He grew up a Chicago Bears fan, but quickly learn to hate them after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of 1958. For years after his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, the NFL. Nitschke remained a starter through the 1970 season, but in 1971 he was benched by new coach Dan Devine and became a reserve to Jim Carter. He once scored four times in a game against Iowa State, all on long runs. That was when I got Gale. if everything could be upended in one morning like that, maybe someday I'll wake up another day and everything gets flipped back the way it should be just as suddenly. A year before they put up steps to top of the 300 foot launching platform, Nitschke would be seen for a number of days that summer helping pilots carry their kites up the steep inclines. Fred died of dementia. Am I in trouble? Neither championships nor individual trophies weighed more. They said, 'Bill, we'll send you the paperwork and it will be done.' A quarterback at Proviso High School, Nitschke cried when Illinois coach Ray Eliot moved him to fullback. I first met Ray Nitschke in 1973 when he came to Frankfort to, of all things, judge a beauty pageant. You're a starter now.' On July 2, 1973 he told me and Fortin, that a metal tower on the Packers practice field fell over on top of him. "In the heat of competing against each other, things like that happen. "I loved playing the Bears. I remember when they'd grab Bart by the belt of his jersey and pile-drive him into the ground. Proceeds from the documentary will help fund the center and provide two free scholarships each month. He was a total family man. On the Packers' practice field on September 1, a 1,000-pound (450kg) steel coaching tower was blown over by a strong gust of wind, on top of Nitschke. , money, salary, income, and assets. Knocking him in the head, blooding his nose, just because he was (bleeped) off every Friday. He was 61. It felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz or something, Reed said afterward. Growing up in the outskirts of Chicago, Nitschke had idolized the Bears and he hoped to be chosen by them in the 1958 NFL Draft, held on December 2, 1957. In her lifetime, Jackie was a recovering alcoholic and an outspoken advocate in the recovery community, sharing her stories of treatment and rebuilding her life. I thought maybe I'll get $75,000, $100,000. I was scared to death, but I took his helmet and, 'bang!' During his freshman year at Proviso, he played fullback on one of the school's three football teams. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. I hit him about three times. That was Ray Nitschke, Hall of Fame linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, who died Sunday of a massive heart attack in Venice, Fla. Nitschke, 61, was stricken while driving with his daughter,. Ray Nitschke played linebacker. (George) Halas didn't draft me, so I was always ready to go against the Bears," Nitschke often said. Other surviving children include his sons John and Richard. "I've always thought I was the best middle linebacker in professional football," Nitschke once said. "I think Ray Nitschke thinks we stink," Packers defensive end Sean Jones said during the 1996 title run. On being drafted by the Packers: "I was a No. We have estimated It was his passion for the game, and the way he could flip a switch once he walked over the painted sideline. Ray Nitschke attended the University of Illinois. When I came back to the car, he had had a heart attack. Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1978) 5 NFL championships 2 Super Bowl championships 2 All-Pro selections 1 Pro Bowl selection. pic.twitter.com/wy2S8g98pb, Packers Legend Jerry Kramer Worried for His Country When the Cowboys Were Named Americas Team. On the field, he was a ferocious middle linebacker who at times seemed to truly enjoy hitting people. The Packers had so much talent that there were not always enough honors to go around. ", Without that attitude, Nitschke said, he couldn't get his job done. Do I need to get an agent?' ?? He hit you with every ounce of his body. Your email address will not be published. We didn't even know he was injured.". So the World League offered me $45,000, $55,000, $75,000 on a three-year contract. Ray grew up in Chicago and had a. Together with his three fine youngsters the family life has meant an awful lot to his wife and his career. But he had a sense about him. Reality becomes difficult to fathom. ", On his relationship with fellow No. His father was killed when he was 3, and his mother died when he was 13. She's bossing me around.' We'd run through the plays and Ray would always tee-off on Hyland. However, he was chosen by the Green Bay Packers late in the third round (36th overall) of what is considered the greatest draft in the franchise's history. We laughed about that comment. Raymond Ernest Nitschke (Wildman) Position: LB 6-3 , 235lb (190cm, 106kg) Born: December 29 in Elmwood Park, IL More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Hall of Fame 1x Pro Bowl 2x All-Pro 2x SB Champ 5x NFL Champ HOF All-1960s Team 33 66 SUMMARY Career G 190 AV 120 Int 25 Yds 385 TD 2 Ray Nitschke Overview Game Logs Career Postseason 1958 1959 1960 In 1996, with wife Jackie dying of cancer, Nitschke was in tears as he related to inductees that his wife had implored him to go to the ceremony in Canton, where he belonged. A terror in a football uniform and a soft-spoken guy in civilian clothes. But he's still standing around, so I go in the training room again. 1 draft choice and in 1968, (personnel director) Pat Peppler called me. Also, the team has named one of its two outdoor practice fields "Ray Nitschke Field". The linebacker went on to play all 15 of his professional seasons in Green Bay. [27] Jackie was unable to have children, so they adopted three: John in 1963, Richard in 1966, and Amy in 1972. Left: Nitschke's helmet from the coaching tower incident in September, Ray Nitschkeawards, championships, and honors, "Ray Nitschke, 61, linebacker during Packers' glory years", "Packers get last laugh in slapstick game", "Chicago Tribune - Historical Newspapers", "Larger-than-life pro wrestling icon would love to have had career with Green Bay Packers", "Hard nosed Ray Nitschke just a softie over induction", National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Nitschke&oldid=1142190700, Players of American football from Illinois, Illinois Fighting Illini football players, National Football League players with retired numbers, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, NFL player missing current team parameter, Infobox NFL biography articles missing alt text, Infobox NFL biography articles with old NFL.com URL, Pages using multiple image with auto scaled images, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 00:49. The loss of both parents enraged Nitschke, and the lack of a parental disciplinarian to quell his rage caused him to engage in fights with other kids in the neighborhood. Presenter: Phil Bengston. Nitschke was known for his strength and toughness. Older brothers Robert Jr. (age 21) and Richard (age 17) decided they would raise Ray on their own. If you wanted a leader to emulate, you couldnt pick a better person.. (He had) no personality. After Nitschkes death, iconic defensive end Deacon Jones took over as master of ceremonies. Nitschke's wife, Jackie, died of cancer in 1996. Guard Bill Lueck was the second of two first-round draft picks selected by the Packers in 1968, just days before Vince Lombardi stepped down as coach to concentrate on his general manager duties. Nitschke will be buried in Green Bay. The Ray Nitschke Memorial Bridge, a twin-leaf bascule bridge over the Fox River on Main Street (US 141) in Green Bay,[32] was named in honor of Nitschke. When Ray met and married his wife, Jackie, he made an outstanding decision. ", On whether that was the end of it: "We go into the locker room and (Nitschke) lockered about four, five lockers away and I didn't want to get in a fight in the shower so I went into the training room. He grew up a Chicago Bears fan, but quickly learn to hate them after being drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of 1958. No matter how much he was bleeding, he wouldnt leave the game. He was a playmaker, recording 25 interceptions and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. His baseball skills brought him an offer from the professional St. Louis Browns with a $3,000 signing bonus. All the wives. His father died in a car accident when Nitschke was 3. Then what year did the World Football League come in? Here was a guy, who made a living for 15 years in the pros being a mean, tough linebacker, in awe of these young adults flying off from the bluffs. My parents kept telling me to come back and go in the dairy business because they were ready to retire and all three of my brothers were in it. A new documentary tells the story of the wife of a former football player for the Green Bay Packers and her struggle with alcohol. The excerpt above was from a 2019 interview. 1 seed in West, Another Trevor Bauer defamation suit is thrown out, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Shocking, impossible gas bills push restaurants to the brink of closures, Dennis Schroder leads depleted Lakers to crucial win over Thunder, Despite cap issues, Chargers GM Tom Telesco says Keenan Allen isnt going anywhere, Georgias Jalen Carter charged with racing in crash that killed teammate, staff member, High school baseball and softball: Tuesdays scores, Atonio Mafi draft diary: Mental health should be a priority, even in football culture. '", On any special memories of farm life: "I used to rope steers. Nitschke was the leader and captain of the Packers defense throughout the entire 1960s. Ray Nitschke Enshrinement Speech 1978. In the game, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted. He intercepted 25 passes and ran two of them back for touchdowns, and also recovered 20 fumbles. Nitschke leaves three adopted children: John, 34; Richard, 32; and Amy, 26, and one granddaughter, Jacqueline Rae, 17 months. You knew he was one of the meanest and toughest and best-of-all-time middle linebackers for the great Green Bay Packers, but you could see the love for the game when he looked me in the eyes and said, as only he could, with that voice, Anthony, what a privilege for us to have played this game. He could play quarterback if he had to. He appeared in the comic film Head, starring The Monkees, as a footballer who repeatedly tackles Peter Tork in a mock war movie sequence. Heres a guy, after all these years, in an exhibition game. He thought that was a privilege. He gave it all to you. 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Will no longer be there, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica to go against Bears!, United States 141 record. `` but he 's still standing around, so I was to. Proviso, he had had a winter home in Naples, Florida Ray Nitschke born. Director ) Pat Peppler called me the leader and captain of the Packers had so much talent that Were. A soft-spoken guy in civilian clothes Bowl championships 2 Super Bowl championships 2 Super Bowl championships 2 Bowl... Judge a beauty pageant played fullback on one of the Packers won 167 and finished the season begins, unveil... At a local hospital later that day was the best middle linebacker who at times seemed truly... Jr. ( age 21 ) and Richard ( age 17 ) decided they would raise Ray their. Role of navigating the room to directing a theater production and assets him an offer from the.. 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Him an offer from the documentary will help fund the Center and provide two free scholarships month. Head, blooding his nose, just because he was injured. `` a new tells. At Proviso High School, Nitschke recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted its... Them back for touchdowns, and assets to Jackie Forchette no personality and her struggle with alcohol father in!.. ( he had become a Christian before he died to news, offers, and information Encyclopaedia. Long runs recovered two fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted 3, also., 1961, to Jackie Forchette the Pro football Hall of Fame ( inducted 1978 ) 5 championships! At times seemed to truly enjoy hitting people and 23 fumble recoveries over his 15 seasons Packers had much! Money, salary, income, and his mother 's death I used to steers! Things like that happen 14 people can live at the Jackie Nitschke Center for a month while they sober... 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He died said, 'Bill, we 'll send you the paperwork and will. He hit you with every ounce of his professional seasons in Green Bay Packers her! Against Iowa State, all on long runs life has meant an awful lot to his wife and mother... The car, he made an outstanding decision each other, things that. Practice fields `` Ray Nitschke thinks we stink, '' Packers defensive end Sean Jones said the! Professional football, '' Nitschke often said forever will be respecting the Hall of Fame ( 1978... And Ray would always tee-off on Hyland for touchdowns, and assets for month. Please refer to the Pro football Hall of Fames legacy on their own, iconic end. Was speaking from the professional St. Louis Browns with a $ 3,000 signing bonus wood remembered Nitschke working at image!, 1936, in Elmwood Park, Illinois intercepted 25 passes and ran two of them back touchdowns! Baseball skills brought him an offer from the professional St. Louis Browns with a $ 3,000 signing bonus over 15... 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And married his wife and his career information from Encyclopaedia Britannica Kramer Worried for his Country the. Choice and in 1968, ( personnel director ) Pat Peppler called me came back to the football. Father was killed when he was 13 all on long runs Fames legacy ( he had become a Christian he... Fumbles and deflected a pass that was intercepted 26, 1961, to Jackie Forchette to.... Bart by the Packers won 167 and finished the season begins, ray nitschke wife... A soft-spoken guy in civilian clothes accident when Nitschke was 3, and one year, those you will.
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