Ray Nitschke, the Green Bay Packers legend who won championships during the Vince Lombardi era in the 1960s, was one of those players who struggled early in his career, both on and off the field, found the meaning of life, and became one of the best ever.
In our most recent post as part of our numbers countdown here on Lombardi Ave, we took a look at #67, a number that has been worn by a rag-tag list of players you and I wouldn’t recognize.
And while there have been only six players, Nitschke included, who have worn the number since 1950, it was the toothless, horn-rimmed-wearing middle linebacker who made the number legendary.