Jerry Kramer
Encyclopedia
Gerald Louis "Jerry" Kramer (born January 23, 1936, in Jordan, Montana
) is a former professional football
player, author and sports commentator, best remembered for his 11-year NFL
career with the Green Bay Packers
as an offensive lineman. As a 6'3", 250 pound right guard
, Kramer was an integral part of the famous "Packer Sweep
", a signature play in which both guards rapidly pull out from their normal positions and lead block for the running back going around the end. Kramer was an All-Pro
five times, and a member of the NFL's 50th anniversary team in 1969, but surprisingly, even after appearing on the list of finalists ten times since becoming eligible, has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
. He was rated #1 in NFL Network
's Top 10
list of players not in the Hall of Fame.
, Jerry Kramer moved with his parents and five siblings from northern Utah
to northern Idaho
when he was in the fourth grade, settling in Sandpoint
. After graduating from Sandpoint High School
in 1954, he accepted a football scholarship to the University of Idaho
to play for new coach Skip Stahley
. In that era, Idaho was a member of the Pacific Coast Conference
, the forerunner of the Pac-10
.
Kramer was a standout player for the Vandals
, along with teammate (and roommate) Wayne Walker
of Boise
, a future All-Pro linebacker with the Detroit Lions
. Both played in the East-West Shrine Game
and the College All-Star Game
that summer, in which they defeated the defending NFL champion Lions. Kramer would have his uniform number 64 retired by the university.
While at Idaho, Kramer joined Sigma Nu
fraternity
.
, taken in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers
. Two Hall-of-Famers
for the Packers
were taken in this draft: fullback Jim Taylor of LSU
in the second round (15th overall), and linebacker Ray Nitschke
of Illinois
in the third round (36th overall). Kramer played every game in his rookie season of 1958
but the Packers finished with the worst record (1-10-1) in the 12-team league. In January 1959
, the Packers hired a new head coach, Vince Lombardi
, the offensive coach
of the New York Giants
.
With Kramer playing right guard
, the Packers won five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowl
s. Kramer also served as the team's place kicker in 1962
, 1963
, and part of 1968
. As a kicker, he kicked 29 field goals, 90 extra points
, for a total of 177 points. He also kicked 3 field goals and 1 extra point in the Packers 16-7 victory over the New York Giants
in the 1962
NFL title game. In college at Idaho, he was also a kicker, with Wayne Walker
as his long snapper
.
During his career, Kramer was often injured. Among these were surgery to remove sizable wood fragments embedded in his abdomen from a teenage accident, and a badly injured ankle suffered in 1961
. In all, Kramer played in 129 regular season games; he also had 22 surgeries in 11 seasons, including a colostomy
, which he described as "a horror movie that hasn't been made yet." Despite these setbacks, Kramer was selected as an All-Pro five times (1960
, 1962
, 1963
, 1966
, and 1967
). He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
in 1993. He is a member of the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time team <, and the only member of that team not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
, Kramer collaborated with Dick Schaap
on his first book, the best-selling Instant Replay, a diary of the season which chronicled the life of a professional football player offensive lineman. The book climaxed with Kramer's lead block
in front of Bart Starr
to win the "Ice Bowl
" championship game. Kramer and Schaap would write two more books together. Kramer played one more year, under new head coach
Phil Bengtson
in 1968
. After that season, which saw the aging Packers fall to a losing record of 6-7-1, Kramer wrote a second book, Farewell to Football. After retiring, Kramer briefly worked as a color commentator
on CBS
National Football League telecasts.
In 1985, Kramer wrote Distant Replay, which updated the whereabouts of the members of the Packers' Super Bowl I
championship team following a team reunion at Lambeau Field
during the 1984
season.
In October 2005, he released Inside the Locker Room a CD
set that includes Vince Lombardi
’s final locker room address as the head coach
of the Green Bay Packers
, immediately after Super Bowl II
. In September 2006, Kramer re-released his 1968 best seller, Instant Replay.
in southwestern
Idaho
with his second wife, Edwina (Wink) and their three children, but now live in Boise
. Kramer has 6 children and 4 grandchildren. His youngest sons, Matt and Jordan, also played college football
at Idaho
. Jordan, named in memory of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Henry Jordan
, played two seasons in the NFL as a linebacker with the Tennessee Titans
in 2003
and 2004
.
Jordan, Montana
Jordan is a town in and the county seat of Garfield County, Montana, United States. The population was 364 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally settled in 1896, Jordan received a post office on July 11, 1899...
) is a former professional football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, author and sports commentator, best remembered for his 11-year NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
career with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
as an offensive lineman. As a 6'3", 250 pound right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, Kramer was an integral part of the famous "Packer Sweep
Sweep (American football)
A sweep is a running play in American football where the running back takes a pitch or handoff from the quarterback and starts running parallel to the line of scrimmage, allowing for the offensive linemen and fullback to get in front of him to block defenders before he turns upfield.- QB sweep :A...
", a signature play in which both guards rapidly pull out from their normal positions and lead block for the running back going around the end. Kramer was an All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
five times, and a member of the NFL's 50th anniversary team in 1969, but surprisingly, even after appearing on the list of finalists ten times since becoming eligible, has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. He was rated #1 in NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
's Top 10
NFL Top 10
NFL Top 10 is a documentary program produced by NFL Films for airing on the NFL Network. The host and narrator is Derrin Horton.The program counts down 10 items directly related to the players, coaches, and events of the National Football League, with former players, NFL Network personalities, and...
list of players not in the Hall of Fame.
Early years
Born in eastern MontanaMontana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, Jerry Kramer moved with his parents and five siblings from northern Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
to northern Idaho
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
when he was in the fourth grade, settling in Sandpoint
Sandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 7,365 at the 2010 census.Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products and light manufacturing, tourism and recreation and government services...
. After graduating from Sandpoint High School
Sandpoint High School
Sandpoint High School is a public high school in Sandpoint, Idaho, United States.-Academic Decathlon :The school's Academic Decathlon has been successful in statewide and national competitions...
in 1954, he accepted a football scholarship to the University of Idaho
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
to play for new coach Skip Stahley
Skip Stahley
J. Neil "Skip" Stahley was a college football coach and athletic director. In sixteen seasons as a head coach, his overall record was 56–85–3 ....
. In that era, Idaho was a member of the Pacific Coast Conference
Pacific Coast Conference
The Pacific Coast Conference was a college athletic conference in the United States which existed from 1915 to 1959. Though the Pacific-12 Conference claims the PCC's history as part of its own, the older league had a completely different charter and was disbanded in 1959 due to a major crisis...
, the forerunner of the Pac-10
Pacific Ten Conference
The Pacific-12 Conference is a college athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition...
.
Kramer was a standout player for the Vandals
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
, along with teammate (and roommate) Wayne Walker
Wayne Walker
Wayne Harrison Walker is a former professional football player and sports broadcaster. He played in the NFL for fifteen seasons, from 1958-72 for the Detroit Lions. A starter throughout his career, #55 played in 200 regular season games as a 6'2", 225 lb...
of Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, a future All-Pro linebacker with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. Both played in the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
and the College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
that summer, in which they defeated the defending NFL champion Lions. Kramer would have his uniform number 64 retired by the university.
While at Idaho, Kramer joined Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
fraternity
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
.
NFL career
Kramer was the 39th player selected in the 1958 NFL Draft1958 NFL Draft
The 1958 National Football League Draft was held on December 2, 1957 and January 28, 1958 .This was the last year in which the Lottery Bonus pick was used.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:...
, taken in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Two Hall-of-Famers
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
for the Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
were taken in this draft: fullback Jim Taylor of LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
in the second round (15th overall), and linebacker Ray Nitschke
Ray Nitschke
Raymond Ernest "Ray" Nitschke was a professional football player who played his entire career as a middle linebacker for the Green Bay Packers of the NFL. Wearing #66, he played fifteen seasons, from 1958-72....
of Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
in the third round (36th overall). Kramer played every game in his rookie season of 1958
1958 NFL season
The 1958 NFL season was the 39th regular season of the National Football League.The Baltimore Colts defeated the New York Giants, 23–17, in the first sudden-death overtime in an NFL Championship Game...
but the Packers finished with the worst record (1-10-1) in the 12-team league. In January 1959
1959 NFL season
The 1959 NFL season was the 40th regular season of the National Football League. Tragedy struck as NFL Commissioner Bert Bell died of a heart attack on October 11 at Philadelphia's Franklin Field while watching the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers play...
, the Packers hired a new head coach, Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
, the offensive coach
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
| “Jerry Kramer did not know how good he was when he first joined the Green Bay Packers. You'd be surprised how much confidence a little success will bring.” |
| Vince Lombardi Vince Lombardi Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and... |
With Kramer playing right guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
, the Packers won five NFL titles and the first two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s. Kramer also served as the team's place kicker in 1962
1962 Green Bay Packers season
The 1962 Green Bay Packers season was their 42nd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 13-1 record under coach Vince Lombardi, earning them a first-place finish in the Western Conference. The Packers ended the season by defeating the New York Giants 16-7 in the NFL Championship...
, 1963
1963 Green Bay Packers season
The 1963 Green Bay Packers season was their 43rd season in the National Football League. The club posted a 11-2-1 record under coach Vince Lombardi, earning them a second-place finish in the Western Conference. Both losses were inflicted by the eventual 1963 NFL Champions, the Chicago...
, and part of 1968
1968 Green Bay Packers season
The 1968 Green Bay Packers season was their 50th overall and the 48th as members of the National Football League. The club posted a 6-7-1 record under first-year head coach Phil Bengston, earning them a third-place finish in the NFC Central division. It was also the Packers' first losing season...
. As a kicker, he kicked 29 field goals, 90 extra points
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
, for a total of 177 points. He also kicked 3 field goals and 1 extra point in the Packers 16-7 victory over the New York Giants
1962 New York Giants season
The 1962 New York Giants season was the 38th season for the club in the National Football League.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-Awards and honors:* Andy Robustelli, Bert Bell Award...
in the 1962
1962 NFL season
The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee....
NFL title game. In college at Idaho, he was also a kicker, with Wayne Walker
Wayne Walker
Wayne Harrison Walker is a former professional football player and sports broadcaster. He played in the NFL for fifteen seasons, from 1958-72 for the Detroit Lions. A starter throughout his career, #55 played in 200 regular season games as a 6'2", 225 lb...
as his long snapper
Long snapper
In American football and Canadian football, the term long snapper refers to a player who is a specialized center during punts, field goals, and extra point attempts. His job is to snap the ball as quickly and accurately as possible....
.
During his career, Kramer was often injured. Among these were surgery to remove sizable wood fragments embedded in his abdomen from a teenage accident, and a badly injured ankle suffered in 1961
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
. In all, Kramer played in 129 regular season games; he also had 22 surgeries in 11 seasons, including a colostomy
Colostomy
A colostomy is a surgical procedure in which a stoma is formed by drawing the healthy end of the large intestine or colon through an incision in the anterior abdominal wall and suturing it into place. This opening, in conjunction with the attached stoma appliance, provides an alternative channel...
, which he described as "a horror movie that hasn't been made yet." Despite these setbacks, Kramer was selected as an All-Pro five times (1960
1960 NFL season
The 1960 NFL season was the 41st regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, Pete Rozelle was elected NFL commissioner as a compromise choice on the twenty-third ballot. Meanwhile, the league expanded to 13 teams with the addition of the Dallas Cowboys. Also, the Cardinals...
, 1962
1962 NFL season
The 1962 NFL season was the 43rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, CBS signed a contract with the league to televise all regular-season games for a $4.65 million annual fee....
, 1963
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
, 1966
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
, and 1967
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
). He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame is a promenade in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dedicated to honoring distinguished members of Wisconsin's sports history. New members are honored at a biennial banquet.-History:...
in 1993. He is a member of the NFL's 50th Anniversary All-Time team <, and the only member of that team not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
.
Author
In his penultimate season of 19671967 Green Bay Packers season
The 1967 Green Bay Packers season was their 47th season in the NFL and resulted in a 9-4-1 record and a victory in Super Bowl II. The team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, a game commonly known as the "Ice Bowl," which marked the second time the Packers had won an...
, Kramer collaborated with Dick Schaap
Dick Schaap
Richard Jay Schaap was an American sportswriter, broadcaster, and author.-Early life and education:...
on his first book, the best-selling Instant Replay, a diary of the season which chronicled the life of a professional football player offensive lineman. The book climaxed with Kramer's lead block
The Block (American Football)
"The Block" refers to a memorable lead block of defensive tackle Jethro Pugh of the Dallas Cowboys by Green Bay Packer guard Jerry Kramer, which allowed Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr to score on a quarterback sneak with 16 seconds remaining in the 1967 NFL Championship Game, which was played on...
in front of Bart Starr
Bart Starr
Bryan Bartlett "Bart" Starr is a former professional American football player and coach. Wearing #15, he was the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers from 1956 to 1971 and head coach from 1975 to 1983, compiling a record of 52–76–3 ....
to win the "Ice Bowl
NFL Championship Game, 1967
The 1967 National Football League Championship Game between the Western Conference champion Green Bay Packers and the Eastern Conference champion Dallas Cowboys was the 35th championship game in NFL history. The game was held at Lambeau Field on December 31, 1967. The winner of the game was...
" championship game. Kramer and Schaap would write two more books together. Kramer played one more year, under new head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Phil Bengtson
Phil Bengtson
John Phillip Bengtson was a college football player and longtime assistant coach on the collegiate and NFL levels, chiefly remembered as the successor to Vince Lombardi as head coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1968....
in 1968
1968 NFL season
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
. After that season, which saw the aging Packers fall to a losing record of 6-7-1, Kramer wrote a second book, Farewell to Football. After retiring, Kramer briefly worked as a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
on CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
National Football League telecasts.
In 1985, Kramer wrote Distant Replay, which updated the whereabouts of the members of the Packers' Super Bowl I
Super Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
championship team following a team reunion at Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
during the 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
season.
In October 2005, he released Inside the Locker Room a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
set that includes Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
’s final locker room address as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, immediately after Super Bowl II
Super Bowl II
The second AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later to be known as Super Bowl II, was played on January 14, 1968 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida....
. In September 2006, Kramer re-released his 1968 best seller, Instant Replay.
Personal
After retirement from the NFL, Kramer lived on a ranch near ParmaParma, Idaho
Parma is a city in Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 1,771 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Parma is located at ....
in southwestern
Southwestern Idaho
Southwestern Idaho is a geographical term for the area along the state of Idaho's borders with Oregon and Nevada. It includes the populous areas of the Boise metropolitan area, Treasure Valley and Magic Valley.-Counties:Ada |Adams |Boise |Canyon |...
Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
with his second wife, Edwina (Wink) and their three children, but now live in Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
. Kramer has 6 children and 4 grandchildren. His youngest sons, Matt and Jordan, also played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Idaho
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
. Jordan, named in memory of Hall of Fame defensive tackle Henry Jordan
Henry Jordan
Henry Wendell Jordan was an American football defensive tackle who played for two teams, the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns, during his thirteen-year National Football League career. He played in the NFL from 1957 to 1969.Jordan attended Warwick High School in Newport News, Virginia...
, played two seasons in the NFL as a linebacker with the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
in 2003
2003 Tennessee Titans season
The 2003 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 44th season and their 34th in the National Football League. At 12–4 the Titans posted the 15th season with at least ten wins in the franchise's history dating to their Houston Oilers days...
and 2004
2004 Tennessee Titans season
The 2004 Tennessee Titans season was the 45th season the team was with the league. The team attempted to improve upon their previous output of 12–4, but was only able to win five games in 2004 and missed the playoffs.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:...
.
External links
- Jerry Kramer.com - personal web site
- Jerry Kramer Site Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame /Jerry Kramer web site
- Sports Illustrated - cover - 22-Jan-1968 - Vince Lombardi on shoulder following Super Bowl II
- Jerry Kramer statistics
- Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame
- University of Idaho Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame
- Fox News.com - video - Jerry Kramer and Lynn Swann with Chris Wallace at Super Bowl XLV - 2011-02-06