WEBVTT - Remembering Willie Davis

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<v Speaker 1>Hi, everybody. Mike and West joining you here quickly. We

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<v Speaker 1>just got the news, unfortunately that Packers legend Hall of

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<v Speaker 1>Fame defensive end Willie Davis has passed away at the

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<v Speaker 1>age of eighty five. We just wanted to take a

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<v Speaker 1>couple of minutes to reflect on that and pay our respects,

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<v Speaker 1>certainly our condolences to the Davis family and friends Wes

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<v Speaker 1>Willie Davis Um. A lot of people talk about Brett

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<v Speaker 1>Farve as being maybe the greatest trade in Packer's history.

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<v Speaker 1>The trade for Willie Davis, that one ranks right up

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<v Speaker 1>there too. It really has to, especially when you consider

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<v Speaker 1>they didn't have to give like a big first round

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<v Speaker 1>pick for him. I mean, this is one of the

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<v Speaker 1>biggest fleecings I think you're ever going to see an

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<v Speaker 1>NFL history. But here's the beautiful thing about Willie Davis.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not just the player he was. It's not the

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<v Speaker 1>fact he was a Hall of Famer. It's what he

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<v Speaker 1>stood for and what he you know, made his life

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<v Speaker 1>into and the contributions that he made well passed, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>his playing career, but that playing career was very notable,

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<v Speaker 1>as first ten years with the Green Bay Packers played

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<v Speaker 1>in every single game, the first African American team captain.

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<v Speaker 1>Just remarkable contribution that he made to the Green Bay

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<v Speaker 1>Packers organization. And then also throwing the fact that you

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<v Speaker 1>can make an argument although there weren't all the great

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<v Speaker 1>defensive statistics that there are now, he's probably one of

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<v Speaker 1>the most prolific defensive performers in Super Bowl history. Five

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<v Speaker 1>sacks in Super Bowl one and two unofficially, but if

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<v Speaker 1>those numbers were galvanized, if they were you know, concrete,

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<v Speaker 1>that would put him up there with the greatest of

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<v Speaker 1>all times. So just it'sn't terribly sad, and certainly a

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<v Speaker 1>great life well lived. Um and you know, the contributions

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<v Speaker 1>he's made to this game and the Green Bay Packers

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<v Speaker 1>will live on forever. Yeah. If there's something I'll remember

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<v Speaker 1>about Davis, it was seeing him be a part of

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<v Speaker 1>that Hollis Trophy presentation in the Soldier Field locker room

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<v Speaker 1>after the Packers beat the Bears for the two thousand

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<v Speaker 1>ten NFC championship. You know, that rivalry in the Lombardi

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<v Speaker 1>Area era was as fierce as it gets. I'm sure

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<v Speaker 1>that was incredibly special for him to be part of

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<v Speaker 1>that trophy presentation with the packers beating the airs to

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<v Speaker 1>get back to the Super Bowl, and unfortunately West. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, these things are inevitable, obviously, but we're in

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<v Speaker 1>a stretch here. The last eighteen months or so, a

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<v Speaker 1>handful of the Lombardi Hall of Famers unfortunately have passed away.

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<v Speaker 1>Jim Taylor back in the fall of and then Forest,

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<v Speaker 1>Greg bart Star, Willie Wood, all within the last eighteen months.

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<v Speaker 1>And uh. The number of Lombardi Hall of Famers that

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<v Speaker 1>are still with us, unfortunately is a is a small number. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>it's just down to four. I believe it's Jerry Kramer, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>if I check my notes here, Paul Hornig, herb Adderley,

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<v Speaker 1>and Dave Robinson. So um, but a dozen Hall of

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<v Speaker 1>famers from on the from the playing field, along with

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<v Speaker 1>the legendary coach obviously. And uh and yeah, unfortunately another

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<v Speaker 1>one has left us. Yeah, and Willie Davis too. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>you go back and I was reading Cliff Crystal story

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<v Speaker 1>and some of the great memories that were shared in that. Uh.

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<v Speaker 1>The fact that I mean this guy actually one of

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<v Speaker 1>the defensive stats that they do still keep from those

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<v Speaker 1>eras where fumble recoveries twenty one of them leads the

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<v Speaker 1>team in franchise history when he retired. He retired his

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<v Speaker 1>last game Willie Davis Day in nineteen sixty nine, and

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<v Speaker 1>as you also mentioned, Mike, you know, he was involved

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<v Speaker 1>with the House Trophy presentation two thousand ten, served on

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<v Speaker 1>the Packers Board of the Records Board of Directors for

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<v Speaker 1>over a decade, and then was obviously a meritis status

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<v Speaker 1>after that. UM, terribly sad and obviously are well wishes

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<v Speaker 1>and thoughts go out to Willie's family and his friends.

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<v Speaker 1>But like I said before, I mean, what this man

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<v Speaker 1>did in his eighty five years. Can't say enough about it. Yeah, absolutely,

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<v Speaker 1>and uh certainly the Packers will and I think his family.

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<v Speaker 1>It sounds like they're going to put together quite a

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<v Speaker 1>celebration of a life, as you said, a life well

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<v Speaker 1>lived and uh, just a great ambassador for the Packers

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<v Speaker 1>for their history, not only the Lombardi era, but then

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<v Speaker 1>how he stayed involved with the organization in many ways,

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<v Speaker 1>an honorary captain for a couple of big NFC Champion

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<v Speaker 1>and ship games. As we mentioned so, UM, Willie Davis

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<v Speaker 1>a a big, big part of the Packers organization for

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<v Speaker 1>a very long time.