The ALMOST All-Time Green Bay Packers Defense

Remember : This is a list of players who are not, and maybe never will be, members of the Pro Football Hall Of Fame







Defensive Tackle : Dave Hanner


Hanner was a fifth round draft pick by the Packers in 1952. He was a Pro Bowler by 1953, again getting the honor for the last time in 1953.

He was steady and versatile in his 13 seasons with Green Bay, playing both tackle positions. He was also extremely athletic, getting four career interceptions and a safety. He missed just four games in his entire career.

Not only was he reliable, but Hanner was a winner. He played on two Packers teams that won league championships. When he retired at the end of the 1964 season, he became an assistant coach immediately and was part of two Super Bowl winning teams. He stayed with the team until 1996, filling roles like defensive coordinator and scout.

Dave "Hawg" Hanner is a member of both the Packers and Arkansas Sports Hall of Fames. He is also remembered for sacking Chicago quarterback Ed Brown for a safety, helping secure Hall of Famer Vince Lombardi's first career victory with a 9-6 decision over the Bears.





Defensive Tackle : Bob Brown


Brown was drafted in the first round of the 1964 AFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, and in the 13th round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

He did not play until 1966, joining the Packers as a reserve. Green Bay won the Super Bowl that season, and repeated the next year. After playing in just six games because of injury in 1968, he earned a starting job the next year and held onto it until he left the team after 1973.

The best year of his career was in 1972, when he sacked Houston Oilers quarterback Dan Pastorini for a safety and was later was named to his only Pro Bowl. He was traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1974, then joined the Cincinnati Bengals the next year. He stayed with them for two years before retiring.

Brown was a consistent force, only missing the eight games in 1968. He is one of just three Packer defensive tackles to go to the Pro Bowl. Hall of Famer Henry Jordan and "Hawg" Hanner are the others. It is safe to say Bob Brown is one of the best defensive tackles in team history.

Mike McCoy and Ron Kostelnik deserve mention.





Defensive End : John Martinkovic


Martinkovic was drafted in the sixth round of the 1951 draft by the Washington Redskins. He soon joined the Packers and earned a starting job as a rookie. He scored two touchdowns in 1952.

He made the first of his three consecutive Pro Bowls in 1953 and was considered one of the top defensive ends of the 1950's. He was traded to the New York Giants in 1957 and retired at the end of the season.

Not only is he a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, but he is one of the best defensive ends in franchise history.





Defensive End : Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila


Gbaja-Biamila was drafted in the fifth round of the 2000 draft by the Packers. He appeared in seven games, during his rookie season, getting 1.5 sacks.

He was named a starter the next year and got 13.5 sacks. He has 12 in 2002, and took an interception 72 yards for a touchdown. The 2003 season saw him go to his only Pro Bowl after getting 10 sacks. He followed that up by matching his career high total of 13.5 sacks the next year.

Not only is Gbaja-Biamila recognized as the first to have three straight seasons double digit sack totals, but also the first to do it four consecutive seasons.

In 2007, the Packers used him as a pass rush specialist and he added 9.5 sacks. After being able to suit up for just seven games the next year because of injury, the Packers released him.

Gbaja-Biamila is the Packers all-time leader in sacks with 74.5 total. He has yet to officially retire, but he was one of the finest defensive ends in Green Bay history.

Ab Wimberly, Ezra Johnson, Allen Moore Robert Brown, and Lionel Aldridge deserve mention.





Outside Linebacker : Dave Robinson


Robinson was drafted in the first round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Packers, and in the third round of the AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. He opted to play in Green Bay.

He spent his rookie year as a reserve, but earned a starting job the following season. After helping the Packers win the 1965 season, the 1966 season was his first as a Pro Bowler as the Packers won the first Super Bowl. He earned his second Pro Bowl the next year, as Green Bay won their third straight championship.

After making his last Pro Bowl in 1969, he stayed on with the Packers until 1973 when he was traded to the Washington Redskins. He played two years with them before retiring. He is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and Gator Bowl Hall of Fame.

Dave Robinson is a member of the NFL's 1960's All-Decade Team, and he has been seriously considered for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame several times. He may be the best outside linebacker the team has ever had.





Middle Linebacker : Bill Forester


Forester was drafted in the third round of the 1953 draft by the Pack, the 31st player chosen overall. He started at middle guard in his rookie year, a position later turned into middle linebacker by Hall of Famer Bill George.

After playing left outside linebacker in 1954, he played the following two years at middle guard and picked off four balls each season. Green Bay then permanently moved him to the right outside linebacker spot in 1957 and matched his career high mark of four interceptions.

He made the Pro Bowl for four straight years from 1959 to 1962, earning First Team All-Pro honors the last three years. He also tallied his only points in 1959, off of a safety.

When Forester retired after 1962, he had 21 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries in his 11 seasons. It was the most ever by a Packers linebacker at the time, and still ranks third best. His four Pro Bowls are the most ever by any linebacker in franchise history.

He is a member of the teams Hall of Fame and the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame. Forester was also nominated for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few times, but has failed to get in as of yet.

When Vince Lombardi became head coach of Green Bay, part of the Hall of Famers winning formula was built around Forester on defense. The Packers went to three straight NFL Championship games in Forester's last three seasons as a player, winning in his last two years.

He is one of the best linebackers the team ever had.

Ed Neal, Clayton Tonnemaker, and Jim Carter also deserve mention.




Outside Linebacker : Fred Carr


Carr was drafted in the first round of the 1968 NFL Draft by Green Bay, the fifth player chosen overall. He spent his first two seasons as a back up to Pro Bowler and Packers Hall of Famer Lee Roy Caffey before earning the starters job in 1970.

He would start in every Packers game from then until he retired after 1977. Carr made his first Pro Bowl in 1970, then went back in 1972 and 1975. He was named MVP of the 1970 Pro Bowl, becoming the first to win it in the modern day AFC-NFC Pro Bowl and just the third Packer ever to win the award.

Not only is Fred Carr a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, his three Pro Bowls are tied with Dave Robinson and Roger Zatkoff as the most ever by a Green Bay outside linebacker. He might be the best one the team ever had.

Lee Roy Caffey, John Anderson, Bryce Paup, Tim Harris, Dan Currie, Deral Teteak, George Koonce, Bob Forte, Mike Douglass, and Roger Zatkoff also deserve mention.





Strong Safety : LeRoy Butler


Butler was drafted in the second round of the 1990 draft and spent his rookie season as a reserve. He still picked off three passes and was starting at cornerback the next year.

The Packers moved him to strong safety in 1992, where he would stay the rest of his career. Butler picked off a career best six passes in 1993, 90 tackles, and took a fumble recovery 25 yards for a score. He was named First Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl that year.

He attained those honors again in 1996, where Green Bay won Super Bowl XXXI. He swiped 5 balls, taking one 90 yards for a score, and had a career high 6.5 sacks. He was also named First Team All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl in each of the following two years.

When Butler played nine games because of injury in 2001, he retired. He is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame and the NFL 1990's All-Decade Team. He is the only Packers strong safety to be named to four First Team All-Pro honors, and his 38 interceptions rank fourth best in franchise history.

Hank Gremminger and Mark Murphy deserve mention.






Free Safety : Bobby Dillon


Dillon was drafted in the 3rd round of the 1952 draft by the Green Bay Packers. He was the 28th player chosen overall. He attended college at Texas University, and is inducted into the Longhorn Hall of Honor and to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

He earned a starting job immediately for the Packers, picking off four passes in his rookie year. Then he became even more of a nightmare to opposing teams in 1953, grabbing nine interceptions for 112 yards. He also scored the first touchdown of his career off of a 49 yard return of an interception. Dillon accomplished this despite playing in just 10 of the 12 games that year.

The 1954 season saw him swipe seven more balls, scoring another touchdown as well. He was named to his first First Team All-Pro honor that season. He was named to the first of his four consecutive Pro Bowls and another First Team All-Pro nod the next season after getting nine interceptions for 153 yards.

Dillon gained an NFL-leading and career best 244 yards off of seven interceptions in 1956, scoring another touchdown and was named to First Team All-Pro again.

He tied his career best mark of nine interceptions in 1957, scoring a touchdown off of a 55 yard return in his 180 total yards. He was named to his last Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro honors in 1958, after picking off 6 balls for 134 yards and scoring his fifth and final career touchdown.

Dillon retired at the end of the 1959 season year and still holds the Packers franchise record for career interceptions and interception return yardage. He is a member of the Green Bay Packers Hall Of Fame.

Bobby got a lot of early notoriety early in his career because he was blind in one eye. Since it is more than obvious this did not detract from his play, Dillon's exploits on the field are his real mark on the game.

He averaged over six interceptions a year for his career. There are a few factors that may have kept Bobby from inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame thus far. One is that he played on some bad Packers teams. The only season that he played on a winning team was his last, which also happened to be Vince Lombardi's first year in Green Bay.

Another reason may be that he played just 8 seasons. Those detractors would get some argument from me on these facts. There is the obvious fact of the impact Bobby had on the gridiron. His amazing nose for the ball is not matched by many to have ever played the game.

When he retired, he ranked second all time in NFL history with his 52 career interceptions That mark was tied by Jack Butler of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also retired in 1959. Both are now presently tied for 23rd all time.

There are only four safeties in NFL history with more interceptions than Bobby Dillon (Ronnie Lott's first five seasons were spent at cornerback). If you add these facts up, it eradicates the arguments of his teams won-loss record or his amount of seasons played. Bobby Dillon deserves his inductions into Canton.

Darren Sharper, Chuck Cecil, Irv Comp, and Johnnie Gray are worthy of mention.




Cornerback : Bob Jeter


Jeter was the Packers second round draft pick in 1960, the 17th player overall, after a stellar career at Iowa University. He ran for 194 yards on nine carries in their 1959 Rose Bowl win over California University to procure a National Championship title.

He joined Green Bay in 1963 after military service. Though he spent his first two years as a reserve, he did catch two balls He earned the starting job in 1965 and helped the Packers win the NFL Championship.

After leading the NFL with two touchdowns off of a team leading five interceptions for 142 yards in 1966 that helped Green Bay win the first Super Bowl ever, the Packers repeated as champions the following year with Jeter's eight interceptions leading the team in that category.

He was named to the Pro Bowl and garnered First Team All-Pro honors that season. After a strong 1968 season, he went to his last Pro Bowl the next year.

Green Bay traded him to the Chicago Bears just before the 1971 season, and he played three more years and then retired. His 23 interceptions still rank as the fourth most ever by a Packers cornerback and he is a member of the teams Hall of Fame.




Cornerback : Willie Buchanon


Buchanon was drafted in the first round of the 1972 draft, the seventh player chosen overall, and he stood out immediately. He picked off four passes and was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, the only Packer to have won this award.

Despite playing just six games the next year because of injury, he was named to his first Pro Bowl. He repeated that honor the next season in 1974. He played in two games the following season due to injury but would not miss another game in the subsequent six years.

Perhaps his best year was in 1978, where he had a career best nine interceptions. Four came in one game against the San Diego Chargers, which tied a still standing NFL record. He was named to his final Pro Bowl and his only First Team All-Pro honor.

The Chargers were coached by Don Coryell, who was Buchanon's coach in college. Coryell traded for him, where Buchanon started in three of the four years he was with the team. He recovered three fumbles in one game, which tied a still standing NFL record.

After starting in just one of the nine games played in the strike shortened season of 1982, he retired. He is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, the Packers All-Time team, the California State Junior College Hall of Fame, the Oceanside High School Hall of Fame, and the San Diego Hall of Champions.

Jesse Whittenton, Ken Ellis, and Mark Lee deserve mention.




Kicker : Chester Marcol


Marcol was drafted in the second round of the 1972 draft by the Packers. He exploded in his rookie year, attempting 48 field goals and making 33. Both led the NFL and are team records, and he was named NFC Rookie of the Year by the UPI. His 48 attempts are still the second most in NFL history, and the 128 points he had that year led the league and was the only time he eclipsed the century mark.

He was named to the Pro Bowl and First Team All-Pro that year, an honor he duplicated two years later when he led the NFL with 94 points as well as 39 field goal attempts and 25 makes. He is the only Packers kicker to be named to the Pro Bowl.

His last year in the NFL was an interesting one. In the 1980 season opener against the Chicago Bears, he had made two field goals as the game went to overtime tied 6-6. As he attempted a game-winner from 42 yards out, it was blocked. The ball went right back to Marcol, who scooted 25 yards for the winning points.

He was released after five games, but the Houston Oilers signed him for one game. It was against the Packers in Green Bay. Marcol chipped in four points for the Oilers victory. He retired after the game.

The 521 points he scored for Green Bay is still the third most by a kicker, and sixth overall. His 128 point season still ranks seventh best in team history, and he is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame.

Don Chandler, Chris Jacke, Ryan Longwell, and Tiny Engebretson deserve mention.




Punter : Donny Anderson


Anderson was drafted in the first round of the 1965 NFL Draft, the seventh player chosen overall. Not only was he a punter, but Anderson was a halfback. He did little of both in his rookie year, as Green Bay won Super Bowl I. He did chip in with a touchdown off a 77 yard punt return.

Gone was the Hall of Fame tandem of Jim Taylor and Paul Hornung in 1967. Elijah Pitts, their other star running back, was in the twilight of his career. Anderson was third on the team in rushing yards and receptions as the Packers repeated as champions. He also punted 65 times, having one blocked for the only time in his career.

The 1968 season was his only Pro Bowl year. He punted the ball 59 times, and had 1,095 all-purpose yards. Perhaps his best season was in 1970, when he ran for a career best 853 yards, caught 36 balls, and punted a career high 81 times.

He was traded to the Saint Louis Cardinals in 1972 and had one of his better years the next season. He ran in a career best ten touchdowns and caught a career high 41 balls and three more scores. He retired after the 1974 season.

Donny Anderson is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the Texas Tech Hall of Fame. He still ranks third best in punt attempts, and fourth in punt yardage.

What makes his feats as punter even better was the fact he was the Packers main running back for years, which shows tremendous grit, athleticism, and durability to still be able to end up with a career average of 39.6 yards per punt.

David Beverly, Don Bracken, Max McGee, Josh Bidwell, Craig Hentrich, Max McGee, Jug Girald, and Don Chandler deserve mention.




Kick Return Specialist : Travis Williams


Travis was a fourth round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 1967 draft. He played just five seasons in the NFL, but his impact has him on top of the leagues record books to this very day.

He returned four kickoffs for a touchdown as a rookie, which is the most by a rookie in NFL history. It is also tied with Cecil Turner as the most ever by any player in one season. He averaged an amazing 41.1 yards per kickoff return, which led the NFL., and is the highest average ever by anyone for one year. As a running back, he scored twice more, while helping the Packers win Super Bowl II.

In 1969, Williams scored on a 96 yard kickoff return, while leading the NFL with 1,517 all purpose yards. He also returned the first eight punt returns of his career, and scored on a 83 yard return while averaging a career best 23.6 yards per return. He also led the Packers with 536 rushing yards, and ran for four more touchdowns. He also led the Packers with 27 receptions, while scoring three times.

Williams got hurt in the seventh game of the 1970 season, and missed the rest of the year. He joined the Los Angeles Rams the next year, and led the NFL with a 29.7 kickoff return average on 25 attempts. He also scored on a 105 yard return, which is tied for 3rd longest All-Time in NFL history. He then retired after that season.

His 6 kickoff returns are the most in NFL history, tied with 4 others. He also has the longest kickoff return in Rams history. He averaged 27.5 yards on 102 kickoff returns in his career.

Steve Odom, Dave Hampton, Al Carmichael, Robert Brooks, and Roell Preston deserve mention.



Punt Return Specialist : Desmond Howard


Desmond was a first round draft pick of the Washington Redskins in 1992. He was used primarily as a kickoff returner as a rookie, but did manage to score a touchdown off of one of his six punt returns.

In 1994, Howard had his best year as a wide receiver. He established career bests with 40 catches for 727 yards at an 18.2 average for five touchdowns. He ended up with the Jacksonville Jaguars the next year, and returned 24 punts at a 10.3 average, then went to Green Bay the following season.

Though he only played one season for the Packers, it was a memorable season. He led the NFL with 58 punt returns for 875 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a 92 yard return. His 875 yards are an NFL single season record, and he even helped propel the Packers into Super Bowl XXXI with a punt return touchdown in the playoffs.

He ended up being the Super Bowl MVP, when he took a kickoff return 99 yards for a score to help Green Bay win. His 90 punt return yards are a Super Bowl record, and his 244 all purpose yards tied a Super Bowl record. He is the only special teams player to ever be named Super Bowl MVP.

Howard then went to the Oakland Raiders. He led the NFL in 1997 with 61 kickoff returns. He led the NFL in punt return touchdowns in 1998, when he took two in. He split the 1999 season between Green Bay and Detroit, but did score on a 68 yard punt return for the Lions in five attempts.

He made his lone Pro Bowl team the next year with Detroit, as he averaged 14.7 yards on 31 punt returns and had 1,401 yards on 57 kickoff returns. He scored his last special teams touchdown that year with a league leading 95 yard punt return. In 2001, Howard set career highs with 1,446 yards on 57 kickoff returns, to go with a 25.4 average. After an injury plagued 2002, he retired.

Desmond Howard was labeled another Heisman Trophy winning flop in the NFL after his first four years, but he shed that label when it was all said and done. He is the only special teams player in NFL history to win a Super Bowl MVP Award.

He had eight career touchdowns on punt returns, which is tied for the third most in NFL history. He once returned 10 kickoffs in a game, which is tied for the most in NFL history.


Billy Grimes, Antonio Chatman, Phil Epps, Will Blackmon, Walter Stanley, Al Carmichael, Johnnie Gray, Ken Ellis, Jon Staggers, and Steve Odom deserve mention.