GREEN BAY, Wis. — Mark Murphy played with such intelligence while with the Washington Redskins that their Hall of Fame coach, Joe Gibbs, didn’t need to give him much direction, the ultimate sign of respect.
Murphy watched, listened and learned during four seasons playing safety for Gibbs in the 1980s. The experience helped shape Murphy’s diverse career in sports, culminating in his tenure in one of the most influential positions in the N.F.L., president of the Green Bay Packers.
“Yeah, looking back on it, it was probably the best thing that happened to me in my career, because all of a sudden we became a very good team,” Murphy, 60, joked in a recent interview at Lambeau Field.