Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer and author Bob Fox. The two men recently collaborated on Run to Win, Jerry’s latest book.
A native of Montana, Jerry starred at the University of Idaho, before being selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 4th round of the 1958 NFL draft. Jerry went on to play guard for 11 seasons with the Packers. He also kicked for several seasons.
Jerry played 130 games in his career, starting 120. He racked up quite a few awards and honors, including:
- 3 Pro Bowls
- 5 First Team All Pro selections
- Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1960s Team
- Pro Football Reference 1st team All-1960s Team
- 2 Super Bowl wins
Most impressive, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018.
Run to Win isn’t Jerry’s first book, nor is it all about stats and accolades. He has written a few, starting with Instant Replay in 1968. That book focuses on the 1967 season, including the famous Ice Bowl, a game Green Bay won with one iconic block by Jerry. Instant Replay was one of the first sports books I ever read and still ranks among my favorites.
Photo courtesy of Jerry Kramer and Bob Fox.
In Run to Win, Jerry and Bob do a fantastic job in telling more of Jerry’s story. There are also awesome photos. Together they combine to reveal much more about Jerry than mere stats.
Of course both men discussed the book in our interview, but mostly Jerry told great football stories. Those are the kind of stories in the book. Jerry is a legitimate NFL legend and his stories are legendary.
Being a Chicagoan, I had to ask Jerry about Ray Nitschke and Dick Butkus. I did not ask him to pick the better player, but rather just talk about both, which he did. Jerry had a great answer, before spinning into more great stories. At times, I felt like I was right in the huddle with him.
This was a thrill for me, even though I am a lifelong Bears fan. The Packers-Bears rivalry is perhaps the great sports team rivalry. I will always love my Bears, but I have immense respect for the Packers, especially men like Jerry.
At 87, Jerry is as sharp as ever. Unfortunately, the video was not working on his end, Not wanting to pass this opportunity, we plowed through and had one of my favorite interviews.
