Bart Starr was an ordinary quarterback until teaming

with Vince Lombardi on the powerhouse Green Bay Packers teams that ruled the 1960s and ushered in the NFL as America’s most popular sport.The quarterback’s graceful throws helped turn a run-heavy league into a passing spectacle https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Jamaa … ams-Jersey , yet it’s a run for which he’s most famous: the sneak that won the famed “Ice Bowl” in 1967.Starr died Sunday at age 85 in Birmingham, Alabama, the Packers said. He had been in failing health since suffering two strokes and a heart attack in 2014.Packers CoveragePhotos of the Week: 7/21/19 – 7/27/19Packers rookie Gary’s biggest critic is himselfTop Tweets: Former Badger TJ Watt has impressive four-year transformationPHOTOS: 2019 Green Bay Packers training campPackers’ Rodgers, LaFleur ironing out offense, building chemistryPlayers to watch at Green Bay Packers 2019 training campLaFleur: Offense still a work in progress as Packers open campPackers release defensive tackle Mike DanielsGreen Bay Packers 2019 training camp primerPackers’ Rodgers not ranked as a top-5 quarterback in Madden 20Starr is the third of Lombardi’s dozen Hall of Famers to die in the past eight months. Fullback Jim Taylor died in October and offensive tackle Forrest Gregg died last month.“A champion on and off the field, Bart epitomized class and was beloved by generations of Packers fans,” Packers President Mark Murphy said in a statement. “A clutch player who led his team to five NFL titles, Bart could still fill Lambeau Field with electricity decades later during his many visits.”The Packers selected Starr out of the University of Alabama with the 200th pick in the 1956 draft. He led Green Bay to six division titles, five NFL championships and wins in the first two Super Bowls.“Bart Starr was one of the most genuine, sincere people I knew,” NFL Commissioner Roger Godell said in a statement. “He personified the values of our league as a football player, a family man, and a tireless philanthropist who cared deeply about helping at-risk kids. Above all, he was a wonderful human being who will be remembered for his kindness and compassion.”Until Brett Favre came along, Starr was known as the best Packer ever. The team retired his No. 15 jersey in 1973, making him just the third player to receive that honor. Four years later, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.After losing the 1960 NFL title game in his first playoff appearance, the Packers never lost another playoff game under Starr, going 9-0, including wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in the first two Super Bowls.Starr’s college career wasn’t very noteworthy and it wasn’t until Lombardi’s arrival in Green Bay in 1959 that Starr, living by his motto “desire and dedication are everything,” began to blossom.Lombardi liked Starr’s mechanics, his arm strength and especially his decision-making abilities. Under Lombardi’s nurturing, Starr became one of the league’s top quarterbacks.“If you work harder than somebody else, chances are you’ll beat him though he has more talent than you,” Starr once said. He credited Lombardi for showing him “that by working hard and using my mind, I could overcome my weakness to the point where I could be one of the best.”The gentlemanly quarterback’s status as a Packers icon was tested by his struggles as the team’s head coach. In nine seasons from 1975-83, he won just 41 percent of his games, going 53-77-3, including 1-1 in the playoffs, part of three decades of futility that followed the glory years.After football, Starr, became a successful businessman in Birmingham, not far from his hometown of Montgomery, where he was born on Jan. 9, 1934.Starr was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro. He won NFL titles in 1961, ’62, ’65, ’67 and ’68. He was the 1966 NFL MVP and was named to the 1960s All-Decade team. He also was named MVP of the first two Super Bowls.“Bart was a true gentleman Dean Lowry Jersey , a great player and a great pioneer for the NFL,” fellow Hall of Famer John Elway tweeted. “He set a tremendous example for all QBs to emulate.”10<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:Things to watch at Packers 2019 OTAsMatt Ludtke | APWhen Starr retired following the 1971 season, his career completion rate of 57.4 percent was tops in the run-heavy NFL, and his passer rating of 80.5 was second-best ever, behind only Otto Graham.But the play he was most famous for was a run.In the NFL championship on Dec. 31, 1967, Starr knifed into the end zone behind guard Jerry Kramer and center Ken Bowman with 16 seconds left to lift the Packers over the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 in what became known as the “Ice Bowl.”The Packers had spent $80,000 for a heating coil system that was to have kept the field soft and warm, and forecasters said not to worry because the approaching cold front wouldn’t arrive until after the game.“It was 20 degrees the day before,” the late Tom Landry once recalled. “It was great. Vince and I were together that night and we talked about how good the conditions were and what a great game it would be.”They were half-right. When the grounds crew rolled up the tarpaulin, a layer of condensation had formed underneath and, with 40 mph wind, the field promptly froze like an ice rink. Packers running back Chuck Mercein would later compare the ground to “jagged concrete.”With a temperature of minus-14 and a wind chill of minus-49, it was the coldest NFL game ever recorded. The wind chill had dipped another 20 degrees by the time the Packers got the ball at their 32 trailing 17-14 with five minutes left.With one last chance for an aging dynasty to win a fifth NFL title in seven seasons, Starr took the field as linebacker Ray Nitschke hollered, “Don’t let me down!”Starr wouldn’t, completing all five of his passes and directing one of the most memorable drives in NFL history.“We all have a capacity to focus and to concentrate to a unique degree when we’re called upon to do it,” Starr said on the 30th anniversary of that game. “That’s exactly what I did that day. And I think the same was true of the Cowboys. Let’s face it, they obviously were not accustomed to something like that and yet they were the team which had surged and come back in the second half and were in a position to win it.”With 1:11 remaining, tackle Bob Skoronski opened a hole and Mercein charged through the middle for 8 yards to the Dallas 3.Halfback Donny Anderson slipped twice on handoffs, so Starr called timeout, went to the sideline and suggested a sneak because of the poor traction.“Then run it and let’s get the hell out of here,” Lombardi barked.The play worked perfectly, a flawless finish to that coldest of games so frozen in time.“I’ve never been in a huddle where there was greater composure and where there was a higher level of intensity and concentration,” Mercein once told The Associated Press.Mercein is the one in the famous photograph of the play diving into the end zone behind Starr with his hands held high, as though he’s signaling “Touchdown!”“But what I’m actually doing is I’m showing the officials that I’m not assisting or aiding Bart into the end zone,” Mercein said.That would have been a penalty and it would have negated history’s most famous quarterback sneak.11<button class="view-gallery">View Gallery</button> Gallery:Packers 2019 undrafted free agent capsulesMercein and the rest of his teammates thought he was going to get the handoff on the play. Nobody knew but Starr and Lombardi that it was to be a quarterback sneak. So, Mercein dug in, thinking he was getting the ball, and he got a great takeoff on the frozen field.“As a matter of fact too good because after a couple of steps I realized I wasn’t going to get the ball. But I couldn’t really pull up because it was so icy,” Mercein said. “So that’s why I dive over the play and I have my arms upraised, which appears to everyone in that famous picture that I’m signaling touchdown.”Two weeks later in sunny Miami, the Packers defeated the AFL champion Raiders 33-14 in Lombardi’s final game as head coach of the Packers.Starr replaced Dan Devine as Packers head coach in 1975 and would be replaced himself by former teammate Forrest Gregg in 1984 after failing to lead the franchise to the kind of success he did as a player.In 1965, Starr and his wife, Cherry, helped co-found Rawhide Boys Ranch in New London, Wisconsin, a facility designed to help at-risk and troubled boys throughout the state.The couple dealt with tragedy in 1988 when their son Brett died at 24 due to complications from cocaine addiction. They also had another son, Bart Jr.“While he may always be best known for his success as the Packers quarterback for 16 years, his true legacy will always be the respectful manner in which he treated every person he met Kentrell Brice Color Rush Jersey , his humble demeanor and his generous spirit,” Starr’s family said in a statement.“His love for all of humanity is well known, and his affection toward the residents of Alabama and of Wisconsin filled him with gratitude. He had hoped to make one last trip to Green Bay to watch the Packers this fall, but he shall forever be there in spirit.”Starr has an NFL award named after him, given annually to a player of outstanding character. Enough of this.If the Eagles are going to make a respectable showing after their first Super Bowl title, it’s time to do so. They have lost three of four. They turn over the ball too often and can’t make big defensive stops.They are heavily injured physically and, perhaps psychologically, by a 4-6 record as they host the New York Giants (3-7) on Sunday.“It’s uncharted territory a little bit,” coach Doug Pederson says. “I think the guys have really handled it well. They’re disappointed, they’re frustrated, quite frankly, as we all are. We haven’t played up to the caliber that we’re capable of playing.“Nobody is going to feel sorry for us, and we’re not going to do the same. We just have to come to work ready and practice, and prepare, and as they say, try to go 1-0 each week.”Six weeks of 1-0 might be good enough to win the NFC East, in which they trail Washington by two games and Dallas by one. The Eagles have two games left with the Redskins and one with the Cowboys, to whom they have lost in Philly.New York has won two in a row to temporarily quiet the social media and tabloid complaints about Eli Manning. The veteran quarterback has shown that given time to throw — the O-line has vastly improved the past two weeks — he still can produce. And he has talented teammates in Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., Evan Engram and Sterling Shepard.“I think we’re running the ball better than we did, so I feel like we’re playing better football, but we got to continue doing that,” Manning says. “They’re a good team, they’re a good defense, they got a good front four and they’re a little banged-up in the secondary, but they’ll have a good plan and we just got to go execute.”The weekend began with the Thanksgiving Day tripleheader.At New Orleans, Drew Brees threw four touchdown passes to inexperienced receivers and the Saints (10-1) won their 10th straight game with a 31-17 victory over Atlanta (4-7) that eliminated the Falcons from contention in the NFC South.At Dallas, Amari Cooper had a 90-yard touchdown catch while finishing with 180 yards receiving and two scores and Dallas pulled even with Washington atop the NFC East at6-5 with a 31-23 Thanksgiving victory over the Redskins.At Detroit, Chase Daniel set career highs with 230 yards passing and two touchdowns to keep Chicago (8-3) rolling with a 23-16 win over the Lions (4-7).Off this week are the Chiefs and Rams, the final byes of the season. They are probably exhausted after that 54-51 Monday night affair in which Los Angeles improved to 10-1 and Kansas City fell to 9-2.Seattle (5-5) at Carolina (6-4)The winner could place itself in strong position for a wild card. Neither the Seahawks nor Panthers figures to catch their division leaders, the Rams and Saints, respectively. A Seahawks loss clinches the NFC West for LA.Carolina has lost two straight in entirely different manners, a blowout at the hands of Pittsburgh and then a one-point defeat at Detroit when a 2-point conversion failed .Both teams will want to run; Seattle leads the league in yards on the ground despite not having a standout running back.Tennessee (5-5) at Houston (7-3), Monday nightNot only are the Texans, winners of seven in a row, in charge of the AFC South, they’ve become a factor for a potential playoff bye. They’ll need to keep up the excellent work on both sides of the ball.J.J. Watt has made an impressive comeback from basically two wasted seasons with 10 sacks and a seemingly non-stop presence around the ball. He could be particularly destructive if the Titans need to play Blaine Gabbert for the injured starting QB, Marcus Mariota.The Titans have been maddeningly inconsistent. They dominate New England, then get blown out at Indianapolis. This is a rare difficult matchup for the rest of their schedule.Pittsburgh (7-2-1) at Denver (4-6)A sign of a contender is playing poorly — very poorly at times — and still winning. The Steelers did that last week at Jacksonville, a game that could catapult them to bigger things in a division they already control.Antonio Brown is tied for the league lead with 11 touchdown receptions and has at least one touchdown catch in eight consecutive games. With a TD reception on Sunday https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Geron … son-Jersey , Brown would tie Hall of Famer Lance Alworth (in 1963) and A.J. Green (in 2012) for the third-longest streak of games with a touchdown catch in a single season. Jerry Rice has the mark with 12 in 1987.Denver comes off a stirring comeback victory at the Chargers and linebacker Von Miller comes off another one of his dominant performances with a key interception and his 100th sack.Miami (5-5) at Indianapolis (5-5)A pair of .500 teams headed in opposite directions.The Dolphins are reeling, coming off a bye after losses in three of four, but expect to have starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill back from a shoulder injury. The Miami offense has gone nine quarters without a touchdown.Indy is one of the NFL’s hottest teams with four consecutive victories. Andrew Luck has thrown a TD pass in a league-high 33 straight games, and at least three TD passes in seven straight, tying Dan Marino for the third-longest streak in NFL history. Luck can tie Peyton Manning (eight) for No. 2 against Miami.He also has not been sacked since Oct. 4, a career-best 214 attempts. That five-game string without a sack is tied for third longest since 1982.Green Bay (4-5-1) at Minnesota (5-4-1)Yet another prime-time appearance for the Vikings, who are 0-3 at night. Both teams are chasing the Bears, of course, and have wild-card aspirations, too.If Minnesota doesn’t find a ground game, it’s likely doomed to being home in January; it ranks 31st. Green Bay allowed 173 rushing yards to the Seahawks last week.Green Bay doesn’t have that problem. Aaron Jones, who missed the early season tie between these clubs while suspended, has 342 rushing yards and four TDs in the past four games, plus 12 receptions for 100 yards and one TD. Jones leads the league with 6.4 yards per rush.But the Packers have lost seven straight regular-season road games since winning in overtime at Cleveland last Dec. 10.New England (7-3) at New York Jets (3-7)Just what the spiraling Jets need: Tom Brady and the very annoyed Patriots making a visit.New England played poorly at Tennessee before its bye, but wasn’t within light years of how badly the Jets performed in their loss to Buffalo. While the Patriots are on pace for their millionth straight AFC East title (actually their 10th), the heat on Jets coach Todd Bowles has intensified. New York has lost four in a row and has beaten New England once in the past eight tries.Brady needs 147 passing yards and four touchdown passes to surpass Peyton Manning (79,279 passing yards and 579 touchdown passes) for the most in each category in NFL history, including the postseason.Jacksonville (3-7) at Buffalo (3-7)The Jaguars had a chance to turn around their disappointing season when they led Pittsburgh 16-0 last week. They folded, and now the questions intensify about the security of the coaching staff and quarterback Blake Bortles.Still, though Jacksonville has dropped six in a row, it’s remaining schedule is anything but difficult. To not make some sort of turnaround would be inexcusable.One thing worth noting about the Bills: They keep coming at you, despite perhaps the least-talented offensive roster in the league. Their defense makes them competitive.Arizona (2-8) at Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)The Chargers blew a chance to be tied for the AFC West lead with some suspect play calls and play-not-to-lose mentality late against Denver. Still, they are in excellent shape for a playoff berth, particularly if Philip Rivers makes better decisions with a game on the line.Rivers has 23 touchdown passes and has thrown for at least 25 in 10 consecutive seasons. He needs two TD throws to tie former teammate Drew Brees for the second-longest streak. Peyton Manning had 13.Like LA, the Cardinals come off a late-game fold, against Oakland.Oakland (2-8) at Baltimore (5-5)With Joe Flacco sidelined against Cincinnati, first-round pick Lamar Jackson brought a running game to the QB position, something Flacco won’t be doing when he returns.The Ravens rushed for 265 yards as Jackson ran 27 times for 117 yards, Gus Edwards had 115 yards on the ground and both rookies rushed for seven first downs.“Oh, he had 27 carries,” coach John Harbaugh said. “You know what he did? He won the game. He played his tail off. Celebrate that, and move on.”The Raiders hadn’t celebrated a victory since Sept. 30. They ranked 31st in run defense, so another win here seems unlikely.Cleveland (3-6-1) at Cincinnati (5-5)The Bengals have been ravaged by injuries and seem headed for yet another disappointing season. But a win Sunday would keep them in the wild-card chase.Neither team plays much defense, so while this won’t be Chiefs-Rams, it could keep the scoreboard lit.San Francisco (2-8) at Tampa Bay (3-7)Not much to recommend here.Bucs receiver Mike Evans has 957 yards receiving and can join Hall of Famer Randy Moss (six consecutive seasons) and A.J. Green (five) as the only players in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first five seasons. He figures to get it against the 49ers whether Jameis Winston returns to starting duty at quarterback or Ryan Fitzpatrick goes.