One of the biggest names committed to Green Bay Packers Alumni Fishing Outing hosted by the Lodge at Leathem Smith Jerry Kramer is getting a major push towards the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Sturgeon Bay community will be hosting over 20 NFL alumni July 18th and 19th with a banquet to be held Wednesday and the Green Bay and Lake Michigan outing on Thursday.
As the event nears, Kramer is being endorsed by what seems like more Hall of Famers every day. Their endorsements all echo the sentiment of many Packers fans that Kramer's induction is long overdue.
Twenty-five current members of the Pro Football League Hall of Fame, including legends like Bart Starr, Roger Staubach and Frank Gifford, are now on record supporting the Hall of Fame selection of former Green Bay Packer great Jerry Kramer.
Kramer, a five-time NFL All-Pro offensive lineman, played for the Packers for 11 years and helped Green Bay win five NFL titles as well as the first two Super Bowl games. Kramer was selected as one of the 50 greatest players of the NFL’s first 50 years and is the only member of that group not in the Hall of Fame. He retired after the 1968 season.
On her own, Kramer’s daughter Alicia has mounted a grassroots campaign to try and convince the Senior Selection Committee of the Hall of Fame to nominate her father. The 25 Hall of Fame endorsements to date are supplemented by on-line petitions, a letter writing campaign to the Hall and social media outreach. The Governor of Idaho has proclaimed Jerry Kramer Hall of Fame Day and supportive letters have been entered into the Congressional Record by Idaho’s two United States Senators as well as Rep. Mike Simpson. The University of Idaho, where Kramer played his college football, has urged it’s alums to write in support of Kramer and the president of Boise State University, a long-time gridiron rival of the University of Idaho, has written to the Hall of Fame urging Kramer’s nomination.
“The outpouring of support for my Dad has been unbelievable,” said Alicia Kramer. “To have so many great players who played with and against him speak up in support of his induction into the Hall of Fame is pretty overwhelming.”
To date, those who have endorsed Jerry Kramer include:
Bart Starr, Green Bay quarterback, HOF 1977
Roger Staubach, Dallas quarterback, HOF 1985
Frank Gifford, New York (Giants) halfback, flanker, HOF 1977
Raymond Berry, Baltimore (Colts) end, HOF 1973
Willie Davis , Cleveland and Green Bay defensive end, HOF 1981
Bob Lilly, Dallas defensive tackle, HOF 1980
Dan Dierdorf, St. Louis (Cardinals) tackle, HOF 1996
Doug Atkins, Cleveland, Chicago and New Orleans defensive end, HOF 1982
Joe Gibbs, Washington coach, HOF 1996
Chuck Bednarik, Philadelphia center/linebacker, HOF 1967
Jan Stenerud, Kansas City, Green Bay, Minnesota Kicker, HOF 1991
Alan Page, Minnesota and Chicago defensive tackle, HOF 1988
Fred Dean, San Diego and San Francisco defensive end, HOF 2008
Joe Schmidt, Detroit linebacker, HOF 1973
Mel Renfro, Dallas cornerback, HOF 1996
Bob St. Clair, San Francisco tackle, HOF 1990
Paul Hornung, Green Bay halfback, HOF 1986
Chris Hanburger, Washington linebacker, HOF 2011
Gino Marchetti, Dallas (Texans) and Baltimore (Colts) defensive end, HOF 1972
Jim Otto, Oakland center, HOF 1980
Larry Csonka, Miami and New York (Giants) fullback, HOF 1987
Charley Trippi, Chicago (Cardinals) halfback/quarterback, HOF 1968
John Mackey, Baltimore (Colts) and San Diego tight end, HOF 1992
Warren Moon, Houston(Oilers), Minnesota, Seattle and Kansas City quarterback, HOF 2006
Mike Ditka, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas tight end, HOF 1988
