Bart Starr
Legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, who guided the organization to five NFL championships, died on Sunday morning in Birmingham, Alabama.
Starr, who played for the Packers from 1956 to 1971, was 85.
Starr’s health had been in decline after suffering a mini-stroke in Madison in 2012. He suffered another stroke, a heart attack and multiple seizures in 2014, then underwent stem cell treatments in 2015 and 2016.
Starr was drafted in the 17th round in 1956, the 200th overall selection. He would end up winning the NFL championship at quarterback. He was named NFL MVP in 1966 by The Associated Press. Starr led the Packers to victory in Super Bowls I and II and was named the game’s MVP each time and was one of three quarterbacks picked on the NFL’s 1960’s All-Decade Team.
Starr led the NFL in passing in 1962, ’64 and ’66, and passed for 24,178 yards with a 57.4 completion percentage during his career.
Starr was also named to the Pro Bowl four times and held the Packers’ career record for most games played (196) until surpassed by Brett Favre in 2004. He also served as head coach of the Packers from 1975-’83, compiling a 54-76-3 record.
Starr’s game-winning quarterback sneak in the Dec. 31, 1967 Ice Bowl game remains the signature moment in Packers history. The Packers beat the Dallas Cowboys 21-17 on that day.
Starr also served as the Packers head coach from 1975-83. His teams went 52-76-3 (.408 winning percentage) and qualified for the playoffs just once in his nine seasons.
Starr returned to Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving night in 2015 when he joined the halftime celebration in the unveiling of Brett Favre’s retired jersey No. 4 on the stadium’s facade.
His next and final trip to Green Bay game was in October of 2017, when the Packers Hall of Fame celebrated the 50th anniversary of the 1967 championship team.
Starr was born Jan. 9, 1934, in Montgomery, Alabama and played college football at Alabama.