WEBVTT - #583 Packers Unscripted: Celebrating a legacy 0:00:00.800 --> 0:00:14.360 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:14.360 --> 0:00:17.680 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spofford, joined as always 0:00:17.760 --> 0:00:20.959 by my trusted colleague Western hot Coitz. Were coming to 0:00:21.000 --> 0:00:24.760 you from socially distant locations at lambeau Field, and we 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:28.200 thought we were going to focus this show on Matt 0:00:28.280 --> 0:00:32.640 Lafleur's season ending news conference, but at the time we 0:00:32.680 --> 0:00:35.599 are taping this on Thursday morning, that has not yet occurred. 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:39.160 So and there are reports out there of some potential 0:00:39.240 --> 0:00:42.040 coaching changes on the staff and whatnot, but we are 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:44.159 going to hold off on that discussion until we do 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:46.720 hear from the head coach and possibly from general manager 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:50.559 Brian Guda Kunst as well, So we will table that 0:00:50.640 --> 0:00:53.960 discussion for now. And it's probably a good thing because 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:58.960 there is one significant topic that we have not yet 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:02.520 discussed west Um, mostly due to timing of our shows 0:01:02.600 --> 0:01:05.720 and the NFC Championship game. But about a week ago, 0:01:05.959 --> 0:01:10.080 general manager, former general manager Ted Thompson passed away at 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:14.119 the age of sixty eight, and uh, you talk about 0:01:14.120 --> 0:01:18.319 a man who left a whale of a legacy at 0:01:18.360 --> 0:01:22.440 twelve sixty five Lombardi Avenue, a legacy that was still 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:27.440 being felt with the team and the players that he acquired. Um, 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:30.920 it's uh. It was certainly a sad time to hear 0:01:30.959 --> 0:01:35.039 about his passing, but but also a lot of a 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:38.240 lot of really fun discussion and celebration of of what 0:01:38.360 --> 0:01:41.840 was really an iconic figure in this franchise's history. Yeah, 0:01:41.880 --> 0:01:43.920 and icon of figure Mike that I also don't think 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:47.039 ever really got enough credit or enough to do for 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:50.160 everything that he's added to the organization too, to all 0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:52.520 the winning that has come after it, and the fact 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:55.120 that there's only four Lombardi Trophies down there in the 0:01:55.160 --> 0:01:59.240 players lobby, and Ted Thompson in his work as the 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:03.120 Packers g um during those first five years, helped put 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:07.280 that trophy there. He made the biggest decision, I feel 0:02:07.600 --> 0:02:11.280 in pro sports history. I don't know if any other 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:14.680 general manager, I'd be interested in having a debate with 0:02:14.720 --> 0:02:16.640 people about any general manager that had to make a 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:20.040 more difficult decision than what Ted did in the summer 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:22.680 of two thousand eight, where you have not only just 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:25.040 a future Hall of Famer, not just a three time 0:02:25.120 --> 0:02:29.240 m VP quarterback, but a guy that really was the 0:02:29.320 --> 0:02:33.160 face of the Packers resurgence in the nineties and you 0:02:33.200 --> 0:02:36.839 have to make the decision to move forward with your 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:40.760 draft pick with a guy that you took that raised 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:44.079 eyebrows three years earlier. It was the ultimate wager. And 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.800 it wasn't just a wager of his job, right. It 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:50.040 wasn't just that Ted Thompson said, Okay, this is the 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:54.640 guy I'm going with and whatever happens happens. He would 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:59.399 have went down in infamy among Packer fans if that 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:03.040 move didn't work out the way it did. The stakes 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:07.160 were so high for Ted and he put it all 0:03:07.240 --> 0:03:11.000 on red and read is how it came up on 0:03:11.040 --> 0:03:16.160 the table for Aaron Rodgers to not only follow a 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:20.120 Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback, but then become arguably 0:03:20.160 --> 0:03:22.280 the best player to ever play the position in the 0:03:22.360 --> 0:03:26.640 National Football League, the most talented, the smartest, you know, 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:30.760 soon to be three time m v P. Ted had 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:33.320 to make a really tough call. And as I said, 0:03:33.360 --> 0:03:35.120 and I tweeted it, and I mentioned this in some 0:03:35.160 --> 0:03:38.000 of our insider in boxes. Not once Mike in the 0:03:38.040 --> 0:03:41.440 ten years that followed did Ted ever go before a microphone, 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:45.720 did he ever say hey, good call. On my part, 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:48.880 he was all about the team. He was all about 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:51.760 the organization, and he made a decision Mike that set 0:03:51.840 --> 0:03:54.160 up the organization for twelve years of success. That is 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:57.320 what has followed. Yeah. Absolutely. I think the phrase that 0:03:57.400 --> 0:04:00.960 I had used in Insider Inbox put it in the headline, 0:04:01.000 --> 0:04:04.640 was that he personified stewardship, and uh he really felt 0:04:05.160 --> 0:04:08.080 that his his duty as general manager the Green Bay 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:11.480 Packers was to be a steward of the franchise, not 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:14.200 only of the roster and the football team, but really 0:04:14.240 --> 0:04:16.920 of the organization as a whole, of the position that 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:20.440 he held to uh, as you had written about, to 0:04:20.560 --> 0:04:24.640 continue the prestige of being the general manager of the 0:04:24.640 --> 0:04:28.560 Green Bay Packers and all the responsibility that goes along 0:04:28.600 --> 0:04:32.159 with that. And I think I think the um, you know, 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:36.400 we lots of lots of past comments that that you know, 0:04:36.560 --> 0:04:39.400 you and I were digging out from people that that 0:04:39.520 --> 0:04:41.320 knew him so well, and I think one of the 0:04:41.360 --> 0:04:44.800 one of the best ones was from John Schneider, who 0:04:44.839 --> 0:04:47.720 worked under Ted as a personnel executive here with the 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:49.640 Packers and then of course has gone on for several 0:04:49.760 --> 0:04:52.359 years to be the general manager and built, you know, 0:04:52.400 --> 0:04:55.039 helped build his own Super Bowl team with the Seattle Seahawks. 0:04:55.480 --> 0:04:58.800 But He always talked about Ted as both doing it 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:01.840 the right way, it also doing it his own way. 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:05.800 And um, we heard a lot about you know, integrity 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:09.040 and character and everything that was part of the man 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:11.919 of Ted Thompson in terms of always doing things the 0:05:12.080 --> 0:05:16.640 right way. Um, never any flaws or blemishes in that regard, 0:05:17.000 --> 0:05:19.760 but also but also doing it his own way. He 0:05:19.760 --> 0:05:23.159 he he felt he made decisions that were in the 0:05:23.200 --> 0:05:25.640 best interests of the Green Bay Packers. It wasn't about 0:05:25.640 --> 0:05:27.440 trying to be the smartest guy in the room. It 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.800 wasn't about trying to um, you know, trying to to 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:34.359 bolster his own reputation or legacy in any way. It 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:36.360 was always about what was best for the team. And 0:05:36.400 --> 0:05:39.560 that's what everybody respected about him. Does every single move 0:05:39.680 --> 0:05:42.120 work out the way you wanted to know? But his 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:46.200 motivations could never be questioned in terms of in terms 0:05:46.200 --> 0:05:49.560 of the rationale behind his decisions. And I think that's 0:05:49.600 --> 0:05:52.960 what everyone respected the most about him. Yeah, And then 0:05:53.040 --> 0:05:54.920 we live in a day and age, Mike now where 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:58.000 especially people from my generation and in those beneath me, 0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:01.440 it's all about look at what I do, Uh, give 0:06:01.520 --> 0:06:08.400 me credit for this. I need to feel vindicated for anything, 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:10.159 not even if you had any skin in the game. 0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:13.280 If you're just making you know, content or whatever, hey 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:18.240 like me, retweet me, love me. And Ted never asked 0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:20.680 for any of that, And that's what I've always respected 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:22.520 he was. He was the last of the dying breed 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:26.599 in that way. And once more, another thing that I 0:06:26.640 --> 0:06:29.040 just I feel like I I touched on this in 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:33.200 the Packers pregame show before the game against the Buccaneers. 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:37.960 One thing that always gets lost with Ted is people 0:06:38.000 --> 0:06:41.440 talk about he didn't sign enough free agents. But and 0:06:41.480 --> 0:06:44.400 I said this to James Jones, and I meant this, Mike, 0:06:44.440 --> 0:06:49.760 you show me from two thousand and five to two 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:53.000 thousand and seventeen, how many instances there were of a 0:06:53.080 --> 0:07:00.640 Packers player who earned his contract with the team, played well, 0:07:01.960 --> 0:07:04.679 and the Packers at some point because of clerical issues 0:07:04.800 --> 0:07:07.440 or whatnot, they had to release them because it just 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:10.520 it wasn't gonna work out with the cap the way 0:07:10.560 --> 0:07:13.840 that Ted lead in how he kept a balanced budget. Now, 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:16.040 a lot of the credit to goes to russ Ball 0:07:16.560 --> 0:07:19.160 for being able to negotiate these deals and get everything working. 0:07:19.200 --> 0:07:22.160 But if Truman Williams signed a five year contract, with 0:07:22.200 --> 0:07:24.520 the Green Bay Packers. He knew he was going to 0:07:24.600 --> 0:07:27.320 get that five year contract if he played well. Ryan Pickett, 0:07:27.840 --> 0:07:31.640 all these guys, Jordy Nelson, they took care of their own. 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:33.480 It's one thing to sign him. It's one thing to 0:07:33.480 --> 0:07:36.240 put out that press release and everybody's really happy about it. 0:07:36.320 --> 0:07:38.920 You have a press conference and it's it's a joyous occasion. 0:07:39.760 --> 0:07:41.800 But if the bill comes due in a couple of 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:45.440 years and you can't afford it, no one ever really 0:07:45.440 --> 0:07:47.440 talks about the fact that that's actually a human being 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:49.600 there that is going to have to go find new 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:50.920 work and it's gonna have to find a way to 0:07:50.920 --> 0:07:53.840 get the rest of that money. That never happened with Ted. 0:07:53.880 --> 0:07:56.040 If a guy earned the contract and he played well 0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:58.440 on the contract, he saw the end of that contract. 0:07:58.480 --> 0:08:01.320 Clay Matthews. The list goes on and on, and I 0:08:01.360 --> 0:08:03.280 think he needs to get some more credit for that. 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:07.480 He did sign some free agents, Ryan Pickett, Charles Woodson, 0:08:07.480 --> 0:08:08.880 who's going to probably be in the Hall of Fame 0:08:08.920 --> 0:08:13.920 here in a week, Julius Peppers. There was a list there. 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:16.680 But they also did such a good job of drafting 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:21.080 guys in taking care of those players needs to get 0:08:21.120 --> 0:08:23.440 a little bit more credit for that. In my opinion, yeah, 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:28.080 I would. I would certainly agree any personal memories that 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:30.520 you have, just a personal story that you want to share, 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:32.800 any interaction with Ted that comes to mind. I have 0:08:32.920 --> 0:08:35.360 one that a story I've told before an insider inbox, 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:36.880 So I will tell it again, but I will let 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:39.800 you go first. There's a few I I joked about 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:41.959 this an inbox too. I wasn't in that circle of trust. 0:08:42.040 --> 0:08:44.360 John Snyder always likes to talk about the circle of trust. 0:08:44.400 --> 0:08:46.160 So we're in the circle of trust here, right. I 0:08:46.200 --> 0:08:48.840 was never in that with Ted, but I got to 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:50.360 cover him at the Press Gazette, and I got to 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:53.079 cover him here for two and a half years with 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:56.160 the Green Bay Packers, and uh, the couple of things 0:08:56.200 --> 0:08:58.720 that the one story I really always appreciate is if 0:08:58.760 --> 0:09:02.480 you if you ever interviewed Ted in the building times 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:04.360 out of ninety six, he always had a cup of 0:09:04.360 --> 0:09:07.319 coffee on him. And I remember sitting down with him 0:09:07.320 --> 0:09:10.360 in sixteen, uh for what was gonna be the game 0:09:10.800 --> 0:09:13.320 or the yearbook story on him and Mike, and he 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:15.040 comes and he gets ready to do interview, and he's like, 0:09:15.080 --> 0:09:17.240 hold on one second. I gotta get coffee, and he 0:09:17.400 --> 0:09:19.760 left and it was like ten minutes past and he 0:09:19.840 --> 0:09:23.240 comes back with the coffee, and you know, he'd see 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:25.200 him in the hallway, always filling up and stuff like that. 0:09:25.240 --> 0:09:27.840 Always very nice. There was another time too, where we 0:09:27.840 --> 0:09:29.760 were on the road. I said this story and inbox. 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:33.200 We were on the road and it was myself, Duke 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:35.640 Bober and Ryan Hartwick. We're all going into an elevator 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:40.959 and this just shows you Ted's really really, really dry 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:43.360 sense of humor, a very dark humor that he had. 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:48.040 And he's on the phone with somebody, and Duke, myself 0:09:48.120 --> 0:09:50.720 and Ryan in a line, not all together, but in 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:53.240 a line one after another, got into the elevator and 0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:58.880 as each of us came in, Ted goes, Hi, Hi, Hi, 0:09:59.160 --> 0:10:00.920 And you can tell we're like, oh, hey, Ted, how's 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:03.280 it going. You can tell whoever was on the phone 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:06.000 with was like Ted, what what because they didn't break 0:10:06.080 --> 0:10:08.440 up the conversation. He just said it. You could tell 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:10.120 the person was like, Ted, what's going on? And he goes, 0:10:10.440 --> 0:10:13.480 I was just saying hi. And it's just that was 0:10:13.559 --> 0:10:17.000 Ted Thompson. He just he just he had such a 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:20.560 unique sense of humor and and also I mean, just 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.840 a really interesting philosophy. You know, the last interview I 0:10:23.840 --> 0:10:25.880 ever did with him, Mike, it was in seventeen. It 0:10:25.920 --> 0:10:27.720 was up in the fourth floor which is now Brian 0:10:27.760 --> 0:10:32.760 Gudkin's office, the g MS office, and Ted. I walked 0:10:32.800 --> 0:10:35.480 in and Ted had everything all laid out, He had 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:39.079 his luggage all set, he was wearing a blazer, and 0:10:39.200 --> 0:10:42.440 he was about to go out scouting again right after 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:46.720 the interview was done, and I recited this quote on Twitter. 0:10:46.840 --> 0:10:48.400 I think I might have put in an inbox two 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:51.120 and you already touched on it. But he had such 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:54.680 an insightful moment there when he was talking about the 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:56.600 run that they had been on to that point again 0:10:56.679 --> 0:11:00.200 just coming off the NFC Championship game again, and he's said, 0:11:00.840 --> 0:11:04.040 we are here for just such a short time, and 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:06.760 it's important to realize that this is a special place 0:11:06.920 --> 0:11:09.280 and we are stewards of it, and when our time 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:13.280 is up, our time is up, and there's never gonna 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:16.040 be another one like Ted Thompson. Yeah, he was. He 0:11:16.160 --> 0:11:18.360 was a hell of a human being. Yeah. Well, I 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:22.120 arrived here at Packers dot Com in two thousand and six, 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:26.400 basically one year into Ted Thompson's tenure as the general manager, 0:11:26.840 --> 0:11:29.880 and for about the first I would say five to 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:33.920 six seven, I'm not sure exactly how many years that 0:11:34.040 --> 0:11:38.600 I was here on road trips, I happened to be 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:41.599 the one who would sit next to Ted Thompson in 0:11:41.640 --> 0:11:47.320 the press box, which always led to some interesting moments 0:11:47.400 --> 0:11:49.800 because I would just keep you know, when things were 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:52.240 going bad, I would just keep my head in my computer. 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:55.200 I wasn't going to engage in conversation or anything like that. 0:11:55.480 --> 0:12:01.800 As you know, Ted publicly could be very stoic and emotionless, 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:04.520 and he would, you know, always always try to stay calm. Well. 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:06.600 One of the games that I happened to be sitting 0:12:06.640 --> 0:12:08.760 next to Ted Thompson in the press box was Super 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:14.680 Bowl forty five at it down in uh in Arlington, Texas. 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:18.880 And I will never forget this. I will take this 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:22.760 with me forever. Um where that press but the press 0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:25.320 box is sort of above around the corner of the 0:12:25.360 --> 0:12:28.320 one end zone, the end zone actually to the right. 0:12:28.480 --> 0:12:31.439 As you're watching Super Bowl forty five or any games 0:12:31.440 --> 0:12:35.440 from Dallas on television, that was the end zone where 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:38.040 Ben Roethlisberger went back to pass and got his arm 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.120 hit by Howard Green when he was trying to go 0:12:40.200 --> 0:12:43.640 deep down the sideline right, and so we had a 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:45.720 very good view of what was going on. And as 0:12:45.760 --> 0:12:49.040 soon as Roethlisberger's arm was hit and that ball started 0:12:49.080 --> 0:12:52.520 to flutter into the air down the field, Ted actually 0:12:52.559 --> 0:12:55.240 started to stand up in his you know, from his 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:57.640 seat in the press box, and he was saying, that's 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:02.120 our ball, that's our ball, as Nick Collins was swooping 0:13:02.160 --> 0:13:05.120 over to intercept it. And then, as you know, Collins 0:13:05.120 --> 0:13:07.440 weaves his way through and actually gets a touchdown and 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:09.360 gets a pick six right down in front of us, 0:13:10.160 --> 0:13:13.200 and and and then you know, Ted, knowing that there's 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:16.080 decorum in the press box, obviously he was he was 0:13:16.160 --> 0:13:19.000 restraining himself quite well. But then as he went to 0:13:19.000 --> 0:13:21.840 sit back down, I put out my fist like this, 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:24.600 and he sat down and gave me a little fist bump, 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:29.320 and you know, I'll just I'll never forget that. And 0:13:29.360 --> 0:13:31.960 obviously the Packers end up winning that game. By the 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:34.600 fourth quarter, Ted Thompson was gone, not sitting next to 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:36.360 me anymore because he had to be ready to go 0:13:36.400 --> 0:13:38.680 down on the field for the trophy celebration and all that. 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:40.319 If the Packers were going to hang on and win, 0:13:40.360 --> 0:13:44.080 which they did. But um, but you don't see you 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:48.400 don't see Ted Thompson break any sort of decorum publicly 0:13:48.440 --> 0:13:51.160 at all. And for that brief moment when that ball 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:54.040 was in the air towards Nick Collins, he did. But 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:56.960 yet he gathered himself and uh and he and I 0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:59.520 shared a little fist bump there on on an iconic 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:03.240 play and Packers history. So I will always, um, I 0:14:03.240 --> 0:14:05.440 will always certainly remember that. I want to throw some 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:07.360 questions at you, though, just to have a little fun 0:14:07.440 --> 0:14:11.280 here in celebrating his legacy. We all know Aaron Rodgers 0:14:11.320 --> 0:14:13.800 was his best draft pick. Charles Woodson was his best 0:14:13.840 --> 0:14:17.280 free agent signing. There's no debating you know, any of that. 0:14:17.440 --> 0:14:20.880 So we won't go down that road. But I want 0:14:20.880 --> 0:14:23.680 to ask you a couple of things. One, we saw 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:26.280 Ted Thompson select a heck of a lot of really 0:14:26.320 --> 0:14:29.160 really good football players in the second round of the 0:14:29.280 --> 0:14:31.160 NFL Draft, So I want to ask you who do 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:34.320 you think was his best second round draft? Jordy Nelson. 0:14:34.400 --> 0:14:38.080 And I love this story that Brian Goodkin said when 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:40.960 he was talking to the media about Ted last week, 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:44.800 because everybody always talks about that first round deal, about 0:14:44.840 --> 0:14:47.600 all the Packers. Rogers has never thrown any first round 0:14:47.640 --> 0:14:50.200 picks before. Mercedes Lewis is the only first round pick 0:14:50.240 --> 0:14:53.760 that's ever caught a touchdown. Whatever that bs is. Good 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:56.240 Coins had such an interesting story and some of you 0:14:56.320 --> 0:14:57.800 might have already heard it, but I'm gonna recite it 0:14:57.840 --> 0:15:02.240 if you have it, where Ted would bury players he 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:05.080 really liked on the draft board. You think Ted Thompson 0:15:05.120 --> 0:15:07.240 played things close to the vest with the media. He 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:09.960 did it with his own scouts. There were a few 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:12.600 guys he really liked. He wouldn't let on with the 0:15:12.640 --> 0:15:15.200 scouts because he didn't want that getting out to an 0:15:15.240 --> 0:15:19.160 agent getting out whoever. And it was funny. Goodkins recited 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:22.160 a story where that was the first player that he 0:15:22.200 --> 0:15:24.840 was able to peg that Ted really liked that He 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:28.080 didn't maybe have him where he would think you'd have 0:15:28.200 --> 0:15:31.080 him on a draft board because he mentioned how you know, 0:15:31.120 --> 0:15:33.880 they were sitting in a meeting together and he's like, man, 0:15:33.920 --> 0:15:36.080 this guy is really good. This can this can you know? 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:38.280 Kansas State guys really good? And Ted was just poker 0:15:38.280 --> 0:15:41.200 face the entire time. So not only this tells you 0:15:41.240 --> 0:15:43.200 Ted Thompson the GM just what kind of guy this 0:15:43.240 --> 0:15:46.200 guy was? Not only was he gonna draft Jordy Nelson, 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:48.680 it could have probably got him in the first round, 0:15:49.240 --> 0:15:52.680 Ted decides to trade back and get him in the 0:15:52.800 --> 0:15:55.760 second round. So the reason I liked that story one, 0:15:55.880 --> 0:15:58.840 Jordy Nelson was a fantastic player and ended up having 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.000 a big, poor, big part in their Super Bowl championship 0:16:02.040 --> 0:16:05.040 in two thousand ten. But he also was the first 0:16:05.120 --> 0:16:07.560 round pick that no one wants to give the Packers 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:10.000 credit for because Ted Thompson would have taken him, but 0:16:10.000 --> 0:16:13.800 he moved back, got the extra draft equity in the 0:16:13.840 --> 0:16:16.480 second round of the two thousand eight draft, and then 0:16:16.880 --> 0:16:19.080 was able to still get the player that he wanted. 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:21.240 So for that reason, I'm gonna say, Jordy Nelson, Yeah, 0:16:21.320 --> 0:16:23.960 trading back six spots if I remember right, from thirty 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:26.840 to thirty six to get to get Jordy Nelson near 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:30.400 the top of the second round. With you picking Nelson, 0:16:30.560 --> 0:16:33.520 you left me with a tough call because now I 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:36.880 don't know, um there there are so many to choose 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:39.480 from here, as we all know, but it's really hard 0:16:39.520 --> 0:16:43.680 for me to decide between Nick Collins and Davante Adams 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:46.920 and expectually, I probably should have taken one of the two. 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:48.800 But I wanted to say that Nelson, No, you needed 0:16:48.800 --> 0:16:51.440 to tell the Nelson story and that's okay, and and 0:16:51.440 --> 0:16:53.400 and to say that, you know, and not to take 0:16:53.440 --> 0:16:56.000 anything away from Greg Jennings being a second round pick 0:16:56.480 --> 0:17:01.160 back in two thousand and six as well, but finding 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:05.639 Nick Collins at Bethune Cookman, um, you know, small school, 0:17:05.680 --> 0:17:10.160 historically black college, um. And uh, you know, I mean 0:17:10.200 --> 0:17:12.719 at the time that Nick Collins was drafted, everybody's like, 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:15.680 who is this guy? You know? And I actually tried 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:17.840 to press Ted on that once when I had a 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:20.040 one on one interview with him for a yearbook story 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.920 similar to the you know what you were describing before 0:17:22.960 --> 0:17:24.560 when you were going to sit down in his office 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:27.920 and he and he was like, oh, everybody everybody knew 0:17:27.960 --> 0:17:30.080 who Nick Collins was. We didn't find we didn't find 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:32.680 anybody special there. And it's it's like, well, I'm I'm 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:35.960 not so sure talk about that too. I mean, it 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:39.159 was that was Ted's guy. I mean, he he he, 0:17:39.440 --> 0:17:41.840 he pegged Nick Collins and he got him. He got 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:44.320 him in the second round. And a couple of years 0:17:44.320 --> 0:17:47.359 ago I probably would have for sure, said Nick Collins 0:17:47.440 --> 0:17:49.560 over Davante Adams if I had to rank them. But 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:53.119 now with where Davantae Adams is in his career, second 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:57.040 round pick in and uh, you know, looking like he 0:17:57.040 --> 0:18:00.320 he uh, he could go down. He could end up 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:04.320 surpassing He's already surpassed many Packers players in terms of 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:06.240 what he's done in the postseason, and he's going to 0:18:06.359 --> 0:18:10.560 just continue to climb the ranks of of a long 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:13.720 list of great all time Packers wide receivers. So it's 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:16.440 a tough call for me to pick between those two, 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:18.800 and it probably is. If you talk about pound for 0:18:18.880 --> 0:18:21.840 pound value of the draft choice, it probably is Devonte 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:24.359 because he got him. I think at what fifty three. 0:18:24.400 --> 0:18:27.360 I think in the two thousand four NFL Draft, if 0:18:27.359 --> 0:18:30.119 you look at the picks around him, there were some 0:18:30.359 --> 0:18:33.080 there were a lot of misses at the receiver position. 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:37.000 Uh and Ted Thompson the Packers personnel department, they found 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:39.679 Davante Adams. Here was a guy who you know, he 0:18:39.720 --> 0:18:42.359 came out of Fresno State, had a prolific run, but 0:18:42.440 --> 0:18:44.960 was still really young. He was an early entrant into 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:49.320 the draft and as it turned out, has become a 0:18:49.400 --> 0:18:52.320 five tool player at the receiver position literally can do 0:18:52.359 --> 0:18:54.119 it all and has been the gift that keeps giving 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:57.199 for the Packers offense. Yeah, and and Collins. You know, 0:18:57.320 --> 0:18:59.840 unfortunately we all know about the neck injury that cut 0:18:59.880 --> 0:19:03.679 his sure cut his career short. Excuse me, and uh, 0:19:03.720 --> 0:19:06.000 you know you'll you'll always wonder. I'll always wonder if 0:19:06.080 --> 0:19:08.760 Nick Collins was potentially headed to a to a Pro 0:19:08.800 --> 0:19:11.359 Football Hall of Fame career, if he hadn't had to 0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:14.399 retire as as soon as he did. Alright, my next question, 0:19:14.440 --> 0:19:18.479 I have two more best value pick and we'll define 0:19:18.600 --> 0:19:21.639 value pick in this instance as what would be in 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:25.640 the modern day draft construction as a third day draft pick. 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:27.680 And I know who you're gonna say, but I'm gonna 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:30.840 let you go first. It's the greatest value pick arguably 0:19:30.920 --> 0:19:36.720 in modern NFL history. David Boxer. Uh, this is something, Mike, 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:39.720 where a couple of things to this. One, you find 0:19:39.720 --> 0:19:41.880 a franchise left tackle, you find a five time All 0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.639 Pro in the fourth round, hundred and ninth overall or 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:47.360 whatever it was, you already had yourself a pretty good 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:50.920 day at the office. But two, there were so many 0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:53.160 tackles that were taken that year. There were so many 0:19:53.200 --> 0:19:56.400 offensive linemen that were taking that year. Um you think 0:19:56.400 --> 0:19:58.800 of Luke Jokel was the second overall pick in the 0:19:58.880 --> 0:20:01.320 thirteen draft. Eric Fisher has gone on to have a 0:20:01.359 --> 0:20:05.879 fine career with Kansas City, But David Botr and also 0:20:05.960 --> 0:20:08.760 Tarin Armstead are the two best in my opinion, out 0:20:08.760 --> 0:20:10.600 of that draft, and they were taken in the third 0:20:10.600 --> 0:20:13.719 and fourth round. It just shows you with all the 0:20:13.800 --> 0:20:16.560 assets that people put into the left tackle position, the 0:20:16.680 --> 0:20:19.919 blind side block in your quarterback. The Packers went and 0:20:19.960 --> 0:20:22.040 found a guy they really liked, a guy that some 0:20:22.080 --> 0:20:24.000 scouts thought might end up being a center in the 0:20:24.080 --> 0:20:26.680 National Football League. Didn't think he was big enough. Oh 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:29.639 and then and then, by the way, Bo has to 0:20:29.680 --> 0:20:32.480 play that position from Jump Street, he has to come in, 0:20:32.880 --> 0:20:34.520 he looks like he's gonna end up being the starting 0:20:34.600 --> 0:20:38.119 right tackle. And then in that same family Family Knight 0:20:38.160 --> 0:20:40.880 scrimmage where he finally gets into the starting lineup, well, 0:20:40.920 --> 0:20:43.840 now he's over at left tackle in the weeks that follow. 0:20:43.880 --> 0:20:48.200 Because Brian Belogitor is a c L a remarkable value 0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:50.879 pick in my opinion. I mean, it obviously has to 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:54.720 be Aaron Rodgers for his best pick ever, but when 0:20:54.760 --> 0:20:56.600 you factor in that he was taken in the fourth 0:20:56.680 --> 0:20:58.960