Category Archives: Off-Field

21

May

Packers President Mark Murphy: Could He Be Leaving for Stanford?

Could the Packers lose their President?

Mark Murphy, current President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, is reportedly interested in the Athletic Director job at the University of Stanford.  The San Francisco Chronicle was the first to break the possibility of Murphy leaving Green Bay.

The job as the AD of Stanford became available when previous AD Bob Bowlsby took a job as commissioner of the Big 12.  Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press Gazette reported today that Murphy tried to get the Stanford athletic director job in 2006, but Bowlsby got the job.

While the idea of leaving one of the most successful franchises in the NFL for a college may seem like a step down, Murphy has a long and rich history with the college game.

The bigger question that needs to be answered is what is happening with the Packers’ front office?

With so many coaches and staff leaving this offseason (i.e. Joe Philbin, Reggie McKenzie, etc.), losing Murphy could be another tumultuous hit to Green Bay.  It’s understandable that other teams or schools want to hire successful people, but at what point do the Packers need to pony-up some dough to keep these guys around?

21

May

Donald Driver: Is It Packer Nation Vs Ted Thompson Part Two?

Packers WR Donald Driver

Have Packer fans seen the last of Driver's trademark smile?

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver learned a brutal lesson last week on the power of social media.

Driver, whose place on the Packers’ 2012 roster is most certainly up in the air, sent out the following message on Twitter this past Thursday:

“Hello everyone: I’m a packer for life. It will never change. Go Pack Go!!!!”

With that comment, Packer Nation immediately awoke from its post-draft slumber. Had the Packers decided to hang onto one of the most beloved players in franchise history or was this a way for Driver to cryptically inform Cheeseheads all over the world that his time in green and gold was indeed up?

Even after clarifications issued by Driver and his agent, Jordon Woy, it’s currently the hot topic around the water cooler for Packer fans everywhere. Some see things through the eyes of GM Ted Thompson and say that while they will always love Driver, the Packers are so deep at the wide receiver position that Driver has to be a casualty to keep players like Tori Gurley on the roster.

17

May

Donald Driver: Packer for Life?

Packers WR Donald Driver

Donald Driver: Packer for life?

When Donald Driver tweeted that he’d be a “packer for life”, speculation around the Internet and Twitter grew rampant.  Did Driver just re-work his contract?  Had he been released and will be retiring at the end of the year?

Mike Florio at ProFootballTalk.com spoke to Driver’s agent, Jordan Woy, who stated that, “the Packers have always wanted Driver back.”

He went on to add,

“He has been busy with the DWTS show and the team knows that.  I discussed deal structure with the team a while ago and we will work out the details once Donald returns to Green Bay.”

This clearly doesn’t put an end to the questions surrounding Driver and Green Bay’s plan for him in 2012.  However, upon first glance, it definitely appears as if Driver could be back for another year with the Packers.

This is certainly a bit puzzling because of the depth at wide receiver that Green Bay is already blessed with.  Without Driver, the Packers still have Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones and youngsters like Dale Moss and Tori Gurley.  So, with all this younger talent, where does Driver exactly fit in?

16

May

Former Packers DE Johnny Jolly Gets Early Release From Prison

Johnny Jolly released from prison

Johnny Jolly has been released from prison on "shock" probation.

Johnny Jolly, a former defensive end for the Green Bay Packers, has been released from prison and given 10 years of “shock” probation by a judge in Houston, Texas.  This comes after serving only six months of a six-year sentence for numerous charges related to the controlled substance Codeine.

While I’m no legal expert, “shock” probation is given to first-time offenders who have been “shocked” by their prison experience, which would then hopefully bring about a change. Jolly gets 10 years of shock probation along with 200 hours of community service.

Jolly was originally drafted by the Packers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft.  The two years before Jolly was suspended indefinitely by the NFL in 2010, he played in all 32 games and was a key contributor to the defense.

The chances of Jolly ever returning to the NFL or Green Bay are slim to none, but it is always encouraging when a human being makes a genuine change in their life.  Hopefully, this is just the beginning to a new life for Jolly.

 

15

May

Watch the Video: Week 9 (Semi-Finals) of Packers’ Donald Driver on Dancing With the Stars: Samba

Video from week 9 (Semi-Finals) of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Lets see how Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd perform the Samba:

Donald and Peta reached a new season high with a score of 29 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba (10), Len Goodman (9) and Bruno Tonioli (10). Goodman has still not awarded the pair a 10, consistently finding something technically imperfect with Donald and Peta’s performances.

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You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter .

#82914 on the Packers Season Ticket Waiting List.

Be sure to bookmark Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com where we are "All Packers All the Time"

Jersey Al Bracco can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.

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15

May

Green Bay Packers Fill Roster to 90 Players

Green Bay is getting ready for the offseason

With the signing of five tryout players, the Green Bay Packers have reached the limit for their offseason roster with 90 players.  The NFL increased the allowed amount of offseason players on a roster from 80 to 90 this year.

The five tryout players signed were offensive tackle Shea Allard of Delaware, wide receivers Jarrett Boykin of Virginia Tech and Curenski Gilleylen of Nebraska, offensive guard Grant Cook of Arkansas and cornerback Otis Merrill of Illinois State.  It shouldn’t come as too big of a surprise that four of the five players are on the offensive side of the ball since the Packers only drafted two (both seventh-round selections) during the 2012 NFL draft.

The Packers will have until their four preseason games are played to get down to their final 53-man roster, which I’m sure we’ll continue to keep you up to date on.

So, what does this exactly mean for Green Bay?

For starters, it means that we won’t be hearing about many, if any, new signings from here on out.  The few weeks after the draft but before training camps begin are usually riddled with signings, but that will slow down dramatically now.

14

May

Watch the Video: Week 9 (Semi-Finals) of Packers’ Donald Driver on Dancing With the Stars: Waltz

Video from week 9 (Semi-Finals) of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Lets see how Donald Driver and Peta Murgatroyd perform the Waltz:

 

 

Donald and Peta received a total score of 28 from judges Carrie Ann Inaba (9), Len Goodman (9) and Bruno Tonioli (10). This matches their high overall score of the season, recorded just last week.

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You can follow Jersey Al on Facebook and Twitter .

#82914 on the Packers Season Ticket Waiting List.

Be sure to bookmark Jersey Al’s AllGreenBayPackers.com where we are "All Packers All the Time"

Jersey Al Bracco can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.

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