Ron Wolf
The man who brought the Green Bay Packers back from the dead, received the ultimate reward when he was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
It was Wolf that took over in 1991 in Green Bay, hired Mike Holmgren, then traded a first round draft pick to Atlanta for Brett Favre and eventually, helped lure Reggie White to Green Bay in free agency. The cornerstone pieces were in place and the Packers eventually won the Super Bowl in 1996 and finished runner-up the following season.
“I’m complete overwhelmed,” Wolf told a group of reporters after the NFL Honors program on Saturday night. “My induction is the result of a lot of people making it happen. It’s more of a team thing. There were a lot of great players and coaches that helped you get where you are.”
Wolf said his greatest achievement was turning a dead franchise around but never thought the Hall of Fame was a possibility.
“It’s a miracle,” he said.
Bill Polian joined Wolf in the “contributor” category. Polian is a six-time NFL executive of the year, serving as the general manager in Buffalo, Carolina and Indianapolis.
The rest of the 2015 class includes former Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff, voted in as a “seniors” candidate.
The “modern era” inductees are Pittsburgh Steelers FB Jerome Bettis, Oakland Raiders WR Tim Brown, pass rushing end Charles Haley who played with San Francisco and Dallas, Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields and the late Junior Seau who played for the San Diego Chargers.
Linebacker and former Packers assistant coach Kevin Greene was a finalist but didn’t receive enough votes for induction.
Under Ron Wolf, the Packers never had a losing season during his nine years at the helm. He led the Packers to a regular season record of 92-52, second-best in the NFL during that period. Counting playoffs, Wolf’s record in Green Bay was 101-57 (.639).
Wolf is so highly respected in the NFL that teams have sought him out as a consultant. He helped the Chargers in 2013 and the Jets a month ago, interview candidates for head coach and general manager positions.
Wolf will officially go into the Hall of Fame during enshrinement weekend August 7-9 in Canton, Ohio.