Jerry Kramer Talks About Ron Kostelnik

Ron Kostelnik was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1961 out of the University of Cincinnati. The defensive tackle was taken in Round 2 after the Pack had taken Herb Adderley out of Michigan State in the 1st round. Four other rookies made the first Vince Lombardi team to win a championship in Titletown. They were defensive end Lee Folkins (drafted in Round 6), halfback Elijah Pitts (drafted in Round 13), linebacker Nelson Toburen (drafted in Round 14) and defensive lineman Ben Davidson, who was acquired via a trade with the New York Giants.

As a rookie, Kostelnik played in all 14 games and backed up Henry Jordan and Dave “Hawg” Hanner at defensive tackle and actually started eight games, when injuries took Jordan or Hanner out of the lineup.

In 1962 and 1963, when he was the primary backup to Hanner, who was considered the run-stuffer on the defensive line, Kostelnik played in 27 games and started two. In 1964, which was Hanner’s last year in Green Bay, Kostelnik started 10 of the 14 games he played in.

But from 1965 through the rest of his career in Green Bay ending in 1968, “Culligan Man”, as he was called, started every game he played in, which was 55 games. Like Hanner, Kostelnik was the run-stuffer on the defensive line. And No. 77 did that very well.

But when Kostelnik first came to Green Bay in 1961, Jerry Kramer was not initially impressed.

“Cully did not look like an athlete,” Kramer said. “He had a bit of a belly. I was not impressed with him when he first showed up. But that soon changed once we practiced against each other. He was a load. Cully was also a bright kid. He was also a hard-worker.”

Kostelnik was very helpful to Kramer, as in practice and in scrimmages, they were opposite each other.

“Cully and I chatted quite a bit during practice,” Kramer said. “I would ask him to check my stance. I didn’t want to give away anything. I wanted to know if I had too much weight on my hand which might mean we were running. Or less weight which might mean we would be passing. Or perhaps leaning, which might mean a cutoff block on a run. And Cully would find some indicators about what we would be doing by studying me.

“He would go, ‘Cutoff right!’ And I would ask him how the hell he figured that out, because he was correct. He would tell me that I was leaning that way. I would respond that I was not. And Cully would say, ‘Why did I call that then?’ And I would tell him that he was guessing. And Cully would say he was not guessing. Bottom line, Cully would critique my stance and my play and he helped me out a lot.”

Kramer talked about what Kostelnik did to help those great Phil Bengtson defenses in the 1960s for the Packers.

“Cully was pretty strong. His job was to protect the line. His job was not to rush the passer, it was to hold the line and make sure running backs didn’t get past the line. He was sort of a passive pass rusher, as he didn’t do that too much. But he was a load when he was looking to stop the run.

“Ron’s play on the line allowed guys like Henry and Willie [Davis] to go after the passer. He also helped free up the linebackers to make plays against the run. I mean, we had three great linebackers, with Ray [Nitschke], Lee Roy [Caffey] and Dave [Robinson]. They all made big plays because of guys like Ron doing their job.”

Kostelnik was part of five NFL championship teams under Lombardi in the 1960s, which included wins in the first two Super Bowl games. One of those postseason games was the 1965 NFL title game at Lambeau Field when the Packers beat the Cleveland Browns 23-12. In that game, the stout Green Bay defense, led by Kostelnik and company on the defensive front, held the great Jim Brown to just 50 yards rushing in what turned out to be No. 32’s last NFL game ever.

Also in another postseason game, the 1967 Western Conference title game at Milwaukee County Stadium, when the Packers beat the Los Angeles Rams 28-7, Jordan had 3.5 sacks in the game, while the other half of one sack went to Kostelnik. In all, the Packers sacked quarterback Roman Gabriel five times. In addition, the Rams were held to just 75 yards rushing on 28 carries.

Kostelnik was honored for his great play in Green Bay when he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1989.

Kramer also talked about how Kostelnik helped him out later in business when his career was winding down. Kostelnik started working for Mainline Industrial Distributors Inc.in Appleton in 1965. He later became president and chief executive of the company.

“One of things that Ron sold was a portable phone,” Kramer said. “I told Cully that I could use a portable phone, as by then my various business ventures were going strong. The phone was around $1,000 or $1,200 I believe. Anyway, he showed it to me. The phone was in a briefcase and it weighed around 20 pounds. But the thing worked. So I had my first mobile phone in 1968 thanks to Ron.”

Kramer also made another purchase from Kostelnik.

“Ron sold me another phone to put in my car,” Kramer said. “I had a Lincoln Town Car. So anyway, I’m down in Miami with Dick Schaap and our editor at World Publishing, a guy by the name of Sterling Lord. So when I was using my car phone, Sterling was just fascinated by it. He thought that was a kick in the ass. So we were driving around Miami and Sterling wanted to use the phone and call New York, which is what he did. He just thought it was a hoot!”

Tragically, Kostlenik died at the way too young age of 53 in 1993.

Kramer will always remember his times with Kostelnik, both on and off the field.

“Cully and I became pretty good pals. He was also a hell of a nice guy. Cully was a great teammate and a great friend. He was also a great family guy. He left us way too early.”

Green Bay Packers: Why J.J. Watt Would Be a Fantastic Addition for the Pack

The premise seems very sound. A future Hall of Fame player going back home to finish his career. Just like Hank Aaron did when he returned to the Milwaukee to play with the Brewers in 1975 after starting his MLB career in Beertown in 1954 with the Milwaukee Braves, a slightly different scenario now is being contemplated by J.J. Watt. The Pewaukee, Wisconsin native, who was All-Big Ten and All-American at the University of Wisconsin, was just released by the only team he ever played for in the NFL, the Houston Texans.

Watt is now free to select any team in the NFL who wants his services. There is a lot to like about No. 99. Watt could retire right now and get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on his first try. Watt has been named NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year three times in his 10-year career. The former Badger has also been named First-Team All-Pro five times, plus has been named to five Pro Bowl teams.

In addition to that, Watt was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2010s Team.

The career stat sheet of Watt should make any NFL defensive lineman drool like Pavlov’s dog. 531 career tackles, 409 of them solo, 172 tackles for a loss, 282 quarterback hits, 101 sacks, 25 forced fumbles, 16 fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), 61 passes defended and two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns). All this has been done in really nine years, as Watt has been sidelined for 16 games in his career due to injury.

The injury situation is the only red flag that one would look at regarding Watt. Maybe age as well. But at age 32, the same age Reggie White was when he signed as a free agent with the Packers in 1993, Watt looks to have a lot left in the tank.

In terms of injuries, Watt has only played two full seasons in the past five years. In 2016, Watt only played in three games due to a back injury and in 2017, Watt only played in five games due to a fractured leg. In 2018, Watt played in all 16 games and was once again named First-Team All-Pro and also was a Pro Bowl selection, as Watt had 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles to his credit. In 2019, Watt only played in eight games due to tearing a chest muscle.

But in 2020, Watt played in all 16 games and still put up solid numbers. No. 99 had five sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and one interception returned for a touchdown.

So, why would Watt want to play with the Packers? He loved the team growing up in Pewaukee and wore his Brett Favre jersey watching the team play. By the way, Watt still owns a home in Waukesha County and works out there often in the offseason. Plus, Watt wants to play for a Super Bowl contender. The Packers are certainly that, having played in two straight NFC title games and have a quarterback by the name of Aaron Rodgers, the 2020 NFL MVP.

It doesn’t hurt that Rodgers and Watt are friends.

Likewise, the Packers would love to have Watt as part of their defensive front for new defensive coordinator Joe Barry. It would be a nightmare for opposing teams trying to figure out how to scheme the likes of Watt, Kenny Clark, Za’Darius Smith and Rashan Gary trying to protect the quarterback. Watt is also one of the best run-defenders in the NFL, which would definitely be welcomed in Green Bay, as stopping the run is still the No. 1 weakness for the defense of the Packers.

In addition to that, Watt would instantly become a team leader, just like White was when he joined the team in 1993. And like White, he could also finally get his opportunity to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Plus, Watt is a proven community leader, both in Texas and Wisconsin. What is there not to like?

There are a couple of obstacles the Packers would have to overcome. One is their salary cap situation and the other is the courting of Watt by other NFL teams. Clubs like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who happen to have a couple of guys named Watt on the roster and who also happen to be J.J.’s brothers. One is TJ. and the other is Derek. Like J.J., both T.J. and Derek played their college ball at Camp Randall Stadium for the Badgers.

T.J. came into the NFL in 2017 and in two of my mock drafts that year, including my final one, I had the Packers selecting T.J. in the 1st round. The Packers had the opportunity to do that too, but Ted Thompson traded down to the first selection of Round 2 and selected Kevin King instead. Talk about a day in infamy.

Back to J.J. now. Pete Dougherty of USA Today Network, wrote a nice piece about why the Packers should take a run at Watt, even with their cap issues. One of the things that Dougherty writes about is the fact that Watt played in 91% of the defensive plays for the Texans last season. That is too much for a guy who is 32 and has had recent injury issues. With the depth and talent that the Packers would have on their defensive front if they signed Watt, his amount of playing time could be cut back to the 60% range.

Dougherty talked to four front-offices executives and one player agent about Watt. “He’s a rotation player with a history of injury,” one of the executives said in a text. “Would have to be willing to play for less (for the Packers). There or Pittsburgh makes the most sense. Market will dictate money. (Around $5 million) sounds about right, maybe seven (million dollars) on the top end.” Another executive heard that it would take around $8.5 million to sign Watt. No. 99 was making $16.7 million per season in his most recent contract with the Texans.

As I wrote in my State of the Packers piece a couple weeks back, Green Bay has some work to do in terms of getting right with the salary cap. The 2021 cap itself has not been determined yet by the NFL. Some say it will be around $180 million. Maybe more when the television contracts have been finalized.

The cap situation with the Packers got better yesterday with left tackle David Bakhtiari restructuring his contract, which will save the Packers $8.3 million on their cap. Even with that reduction, Over the Cap still has the Packers almost $20 million over the cap, which they project to be around slightly more than $184 million.

There are some solutions to fixing that issue. The Packers can also restructure their current contract with Rodgers, which is something the team should do anyway. No. 12 could re-do his current contract with the team and the Packers could save as much as $14 million with a restructure.

In addition to that, by cutting linebackers Preston Smith and Christian Kirksey, the Packers could save an additional $13.6 million. Just be re-doing the contract of Rodgers and by cutting Smith and Kirksey, the Packers would then be under the cap by around $7. 6 million. Plus, there are other restructures the team can do. Russ Ball, who does the player contracts for the team, will be a very busy man this offseason. As will general manager Brian Gutekunst, who has some very important decisions to make this offseason for the Packers.

The Packers also still have to deal with their own key free agents. The two key ones are running back Aaron Jones and center Corey Linsley. The Packers would love to have them both back. Jones is coming off two straight 1,000-plus rushing seasons and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020. Linsley was named First-Team All-Pro in 2020.

Jones is looking for guaranteed money which is why he changed agents after the Packers offered him a deal that would have put him in the top five of contracts for running backs in the NFL. According to Linsley, there hasn’t been any contact between his agent and the Packers. Something has to shake loose in those two scenarios.

If Jones leaves Green Bay, at least the Packers can still bring back running back Jamaal Williams, who is also a free agent, at a much lower price tag. Plus, Williams could team with AJ Dillon, who shined at times as a rookie in 2020. In terms of replacing Linsley, Elgton Jenkins could step in and play center at a high level, as that was his position in college, plus he has proven to be very effective anywhere he plays on the offensive line in the NFL.

The Packers had the top offense in the NFL last season. That was not the case for the defense. The Packers were ranked ninth in total defense in the NFL in 2020, after being ranked 18th in 2018 and 2019 under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. The addition of a prominent player like Watt would be huge. I use White as an example again. In 1992, the year before White signed with the Packers, the defense was ranked 23rd in the league. But in 1993, the first year White joined the team, the defensive ranking shot up to No. 2.

I know one thing, bringing White to the Packers sure made Favre happy. Because of that, No. 4 didn’t have to deal with No. 92 on the other side of the line of scrimmage. I know the same would hold true for Rodgers, even though Watt played in a different conference. In the 2012 game against Rodgers and the Packers, Watt sacked No. 12 twice.

Like White, Watt is two-dimensional in both rushing the passer and stopping the run. Plus, because he he is double-teamed so often, it frees up other players on defense to make plays. The addition of White really made the difference of the defense of the Packers for the the six years he played with the team. The team was ranked in the top seven in total defense five times while White was a Packer, including No. 1 when the Packers won Super Bowl XXXI.

The bottom line, Watt playing for the Packers is like a marriage made in heaven. If that happens, the prayers of many in Packer Nation might be realized in terms of another trip to the Super Bowl for Green Bay.

Aaron Rodgers and Charles Woodson: A Big Night on a Big Anniversary

Aaron Rodgers and Charles Woodson getting off the plane in Dallas before Super Bowl XLV.

It was very apropos that Charles Woodson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and that Aaron Rodgers was named the 2020 NFL MVP on February 6, 2021. Why? Because it was the 10th anniversary of Super Bowl XLV when the Green Bay Packers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 at Cowboys Stadium.

Woodson would be playing in his second Super Bowl on February 6, 2011, while Rodgers would be playing in his first. Woodson had played in Super Bowl XXXVII when his Oakland Raiders lost to the Tampa Bay Bucs 48-21.

That was a painful loss for Woodson, who was playing hurt in that game. Earlier in the 2002 regular season, Woodson has suffered a shoulder injury which caused him to miss eight games. Then after coming back from that injury, Woodson endured a cracked fibula bone in his right leg which caused him to miss the last three games of the season. Still, Woodson started every game in the postseason for the Raiders, which included the Super Bowl.

It was obvious that Woodson was affected by his leg injury against the Bucs in that Super Bowl, but he still picked off a pass.

In Super Bowl XLV against the Steelers, Woodson was having a strong first half, as he had three tackles and was his usual effective self in the secondary. But with 2:00 to go before halftime and the Packers leading 21-3, Woodson dove to deflect a deep pass thrown from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Mike Wallace. No. 21 did his job and the pass fell incomplete, but something was wrong.

In America’s Game: The 2010 Green Bay Packers, Woodson talked about what happened on that play. “Crack. I broke my collarbone and I just thought it can’t end like this.”

The Steelers would later score on that drive after Woodson’s game-ending injury and the score stood 21-10 at halftime.

Rodgers talked about the injury to Woodson, also in America’s Game: The 2010 Green Bay Packers. “One of my best friends on the team. A guy I respect the most is out. You just don’t know what to say to him. So I just went over there to comfort him and to say I’m going to get this one for you.”

Woodson wouldn’t be playing anymore, but he addressed the team at halftime in the locker room.

“All of the emotion came out. I cried like I never cried before. I tried to just tell the guys that you know how bad I want it. Go out there and get it done.”

The guys, led by Rodgers, got it done. Rodgers was just fabulous during the game, as he completed 24-of-39 passes for 304 yards and three touchdown passes without throwing a pick. It led to Rodgers being named Super Bowl MVP for the game.

Nothing was bigger than the throw he made in the 4th quarter, with the Packers barely hanging on, as they led 28-25 with just under 6:00 to go in the game. The Packers were facing a 3rd and 10 from their own 25. Rodgers then threw a frozen rope to wide receiver Greg Jennings for 31 yards. The Packers later put three more points on the board on that drive, as kicker Mason Crosby booted a 23-yard field goal to make the score 31-25. That score held up and the Vince Lombardi Trophy was coming home to Green Bay.

That was a night to remember, as was the night 10 years later when Woodson would be put among the best of the best in Canton. Back in November, when Woodson was named among the 25 semi-finalists for 2021 for a place in Canton, Rodgers spoke about his friend.

“I think he’s the most talented guy I’ve ever played with,” Rodgers said. “His ability to impact the game was unbelievable. And he, for sure, made me a better player going against him every day in practice. The most savvy defensive player that I’ve ever seen on the field. Incredible ability to diagnose routes in real-time. Fantastic at his disguise. He’s a guy who had over 50 interceptions, over 20 sacks. Did it all. From Heisman to Rookie of the Year to NFL Defensive Player of the Year, won a championship, was a huge part of what we did in 2010 and became a fantastic leader in the locker room. He had five interceptions in his rookie season and five in his 18th year. That is unbelievable, unbelievable. A good friend, but just a fantastic player.”

When Woodson was inducted last night, he became the 27th member of the Packers to be given a place in Canton and the third in four years, as Jerry Kramer was inducted in 2018 and Bobby Dillon was inducted in 2020.

Rodgers is a fantastic player as well. Winning his third NFL MVP award puts Rodgers in elite company. Rodgers is now one of six players in NFL history who have won at least three NFL MVP honors. The players are running back Jim Brown, quarterback Johnny Unitas, quarterback Brett Favre, quarterback Peyton Manning (who actually has won five NFL MVP awards) and quarterback Tom Brady.

Manning was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the 2021 class along with Woodson, wide receiver Calvin Johnson, guard Alan Faneca, safety John Lynch, wide receiver Drew Pearson, head coach Tom Flores and contributor Bill Nunn.

Brady and Rodgers will be joining all of them at some point in Canton.

In 2020, Rodgers had one of the best seasons of his career, as he was named First-Team All-Pro for the third time in his illustrious career, as he threw a career high 48 touchdown passes versus just five picks for 4,299 yards. Rodgers also had a career best completion percentage of 70.7. Rodgers led the NFL with a passer rating of 121.5, which was the second best of all time in the NFL. The best passer rating ever also came from Rodgers in 2011 when he had a 122.5 mark. 2020 was the ninth year Rodgers was able to go over the 100 mark in passer rating.

Bottom line, last night was indeed a very appropriate night for both Woodson and Rodgers to be honored.