This the next in my continuing series of articles of the best Green Bay Packers players of all-time by jersey number. This includes players from all 101 years of Packers football. Over the course of the franchise’s history, some of the greatest players in NFL history have suited up for the Packers and made their mark on the team and the league.
This article will examine numbers 61-65. You can find 1-5 here, 6-10 here, 11-15 here, 16-20 here, 21-25 here, 26-30 here, 31-35 here, 36-40 here, 41-45 here, 46-50 here, 51-55 here and 56-60 here.
Keep in mind the players are listed by how they performed for the Packers only. Many players wore more than one number during their career. On this list, they are considered primarily for how long they wore each specific number and what they did while they wore it.
When possible, other great players who wore each number will get honorable mention. Feel free to comment and say who you feel belongs on this list.
I will release more articles in this series throughout the offseason.
61. Brett Goode LS (2008-17)
Yes, a long snapper made this list. Goode signed with the Packers as a free agent after being waived by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He spent a decade as the Packers long snapper and gave the team consistent play at a position that only gets attention when a mistake is made.
Goode was the Packers long snapper during the 2010 season when the team won Super Bowl XLV. He played in 14 career playoff games with the Packers.
Goode was credited with 14 total tackles and one fumble recovery in 152 career games with the Packers. His last season with the Packers was 2017.
Other notable Packers to wear number 61 include nose tackle Jerry Boyarski (1986-89) who was a solid run stopper for the team in the late 80s and guard Bruce Van Dyke (1974-76) who gave the Packers a veteran presence on their offensive line in the mid-70s.
62. Marco Rivera G (1997-2004)
Brooklyn native Marco Rivera spent eight seasons with the Packers after the team selected him in the sixth round of the 1996 NFL Draft out of Penn State. He was inactive in 1996 and then assigned to the Scottish Claymores of the WLAF in 1997 before joining the Packers that fall. He contributed on special teams and as a backup lineman in the team’s run to Super Bowl XXXII.
By 1998, Rivera was a starter and he gradually developed into an outstanding player. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his final three seasons in Green Bay, 2002-04 while starting at right guard.
During his Packers career, Rivera played in 10 playoff games with the Packers, starting seven of them.
Rivera was a strong, mobile lineman who demonstrated toughness and intelligence during his time in Green Bay. He played in 106 consecutive games for the Packers, often still taking the field despite nagging injuries.
Other prominent Packers to wear 62 include guard Bill Lueck (1968-74) who was a steady performer and a key part of the Pack’s division winning team in 1972.
63. Fuzzy Thurston G (1959-67)
The Packers acquired Fred “Fuzzy” Thurston in a trade with the Baltimore Colts before the start of the 1959 season. The former Valparaiso star is one of the few NFL players to play on six championship teams as he went on to win five titles with Lombardi’s Packers after playing the Colts title winning team in 1958.
Thurston was a popular and fun-loving man off the field and a smart and strong player on the field. As the Packers left guard, he was a key component of the Packers power sweep, Lombardi’s signature play.
Thurston was considered a strong pass blocker and in his 1963 book, “Run to Daylight,” Lombardi said Fuzzy was “as good as anyone in the league” at that skill.
He was voted to the 1961 All Pro team during the season the Packers won their first championship under Lombardi.
Thurston retired after the 1967 season. He remained in Green Bay and ran a popular bar and was a big part of the game day scene for the remainder of his life.
Thurston was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1975. He died on December 14, 2014, at the age of 80.
Other prominent Packers to wear 63 include center Scott Wells (2004-11) who provided the Packers with consistent play for eight seasons including during the Super Bowl XLV season and current center Corey Linsley (2014-present).
64. Jerry Kramer G (1958-68)
The Packers selected guard Jerry Kramer in the fourth round of the famous 1958 NFL Draft out of Idaho. Kramer became an instant starter as a rookie but the Packers struggled to a 1-10-1 season. The following season, the Packers hired Vince Lombardi as coach and the team started to win.
Kramer was named All-Pro five times and was selected to three Pro Bowls. He played on all five of Lombardi’s title teams including the first two Super Bowl winners.
In addition to playing guard, Kramer also kicked for the Packers in 1962 and 1963. He booted three field goals and an extra point in the Packers 16-7 win over the New York Giants in the 1962 NFL Championship Game.
Kramer was the perfect player to execute Lombardi’s power sweep because of his mix of athleticism and intelligence.
In 1967, Kramer executed the most famous block in NFL history when he and Ken Bowman combined to neutralize Dallas’ Jethro Pugh during Bart Starr’s game-winning quarterback sneak in the Ice Bowl. The play clinched the Packers unmatched third straight championship and sent the Pack to Super Bowl II.
Kramer became a famous speaker and author after his playing career. His book, “Instant Replay” focused on the 1967 season and was a groundbreaking insight into the world of pro football. He later wrote other books including “Farewell to Football” and “Distant Replay.”
Kramer was named to the NFL’s 50th Anniversary Team. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Other prominent Packers to wear 64 include back Ted Fritsch (1942-50) who led the NFL with nine rushing touchdowns in 1946 and was a part of the Packers 1944 NFL title team.
65. Mark Tauscher T (2000-10)
Mark Tauscher started his NFL career off as a late-round draft pick but ended up in the Packers Hall of Fame. The Packers drafted the former Wisconsin Badgers star in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft but he became a starter at right tackle as a rookie.
Tauscher spent 11 seasons with the Packers, playing in 134 games and starting 132 of them. He was on the Packers 2010 Super Bowl-winning team but suffered a shoulder injury that ended his season after Week 4.
Tauscher’s toughness was unquestioned. He played through several injuries during his career but always gave the Packers consistent performances at right tackle.
Tauscher was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2018 and presently serves as a broadcaster on Badgers and Packers games as well as on the Wilde & Tausch show on a Milwaukee radio station.
Other prominent Packers to wear 65 include guard Ron Hallstrom G (1982-93), the former first-round pick out of Iowa who gave the Packers strong offensive line play for 12 seasons and LB Tom Bettis (1956-61) who played on Lombardi’s first title team in 1961.
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