"Jerry Kramer did not know how good he was when he first joined the Green Bay Packers. You'd be surprised how much confidence a little success will bring." —Vince Lombardi
When you think of Hall of Fame guards, very few come to mind. The first that jumps out is Gene Upshaw of the Oakland Raiders, not just because he was a great guard, but because he was president of the National Football League Players' Association until he died earlier this year. His initials, GU, are imprinted on all the players' helmets this year.
However, when I think of great guards, I think of Jerry Kramer.
Who is Jerry Kramer? Well, every cheesehead out there would know, but for those of you who think I put the names of two characters of Seinfeld together, let me assure you that Jerry Kramer is a real person.
When you look at Green Bay's success in the 1960s, you can't mention Ray Nitschke, Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, or Paul Hornung and leave out Jerry Kramer. He is the perfect prototype of a right guard.
Jerry Kramer was the most relevant part of the Packer sweep. The Packer sweep is where both guards leave their position and go off to the side and block for the running back. Jerry Kramer used this key move in the Ice Bowl (1967 NFL Championship Game), where Bart Starr went over the goal line behind Kramer to beat the Dallas Cowboys.
Kramer's speed and size allowed him to effectively protect the running back in the sweep. He was an amazing player and very versatile, too.
He functioned as a place kicker for the Packers in 1962, 1963, and part of 1968. He kicked the winning field goal in the 1962 NFL Championship game against the Giants.
I don't know how he is not in the Hall of Fame. I know that he is no longer a modern era candidate, but it doesn't explain why his name hasn't been put up for emplacement in Canton, Ohio as a senior nominee.
I know the Packers have 26 members in the hall of fame, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't go in as No. 27.
Perhaps it's the fact that he played the guard position. The Baseball Hall of Fame is easier to judge, because you can get almost any stat you want. The NFL, however, is still trying to figure out a stat for a guard.
Maybe it is the fact that 10 of his teammates during the 1960s are already in the Hall of Fame. I think that argument is rather silly really. In the '60s, there weren't nearly as many teams, so there could be four or five Hall of Famers on each team.
The main question is: Does he belong there? Forget who his teammates were, does he deserve it? Does he fit the criteria necessary for the Hall of Fame?
I think he does, and I think every person with a yellow and green jersey will agree with me. Almost every team has at least one player that has been snubbed by the Hall of Fame.
Jerry Kramer is easily that player for the Packers. He was on the NFL's 50th anniversary team's guard, and everyone on that team is in the Hall of Fame except for him. That is just unbelievable.
To conclude my opinion on how the Hall of Fame is keeping Jerry Kramer locked out, I will have to quote Vince Lombardi once more.
"What the hell's going on out here?!"
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about 1 month ago
Kramer deserves to be enshrined.
I honestly believe he's being blackballed by the voting committees because he keeps taking on the players union. Everyone else who does that is already a HOFer.
from about 1 month ago
That may be true currently, but before that, he was nominated 9 times. The last one in 87.
about 1 month ago
Great artiicle and I am of the opinion that Kramer deserves to be enshrined in the Football Hall of Fame. Keep up with these great series. I am willing to collaborate of you write about the Dolphins.
from about 1 month ago
Well, I'm going to do one on a big Miami legend, but I want it to be unique so rule out Dan Marino.
Can you think of one player who you would deem as very unique, but is not really noticed.
about 1 month ago
of all of the players that deserve to be in Canton he at the top of the list(Jerry Kramer)
about 1 month ago
jerry kramers book Instant rEplay, a chronicle of the 1967 champiohship season and the first super bowl is oneof the best sports books ever. he totally belongs in the hof. he played against alex karras, jethro pugh, and a ton of other great defensive tackles, alan marshall, great players from the old falcons , dominated his [position in the first two super bowls,, just totally negated great defensive line,man on a week to week basis! hall of famer easy!!! one of my all time favorite players! thomas
from about 1 month ago
I think the only tackle he couldn't take would be Bob Lilly. And that is because no one could take him LOL.
about 1 month ago
i think he played against bob lily. or the other guard had him fuzzy thurston. epic battles for sure! hard to remember 41 yrs ago lol. thomas
about 1 month ago
Nice article James.
I especially like the way you brought in the 'Packer Sweep.' Rarely if ever do you still hear about that.
Nice job!
from about 1 month ago
Thanks dude. It already is front page.
about 1 month ago
"...but for those of you who think I put the the names of two characters of Seinfeld together, let me assure you Jerry Kramer is a real person."
Hilarious, James. Great write. I didn't know much about Kramer--I'd heard the name, but I wasn't totally sure when he played or anything--but this was a great informer.
He should definitely be in the Hall of Fame, in my opinion. I think he proved his worth by the success his teammates had.
I look forward to the rest of this series, James! Excellent work.
from about 1 month ago
I don't know if I should do the greats or the greats that aren't in the hall of fame.
about 1 month ago
Hey James,
great work as usual. Like SportMonk I had heard of Jerry Kramer but didn't know much about him. You make a compelling argument for Kramer to be in the HOF. I don't buy the whole thing of well there are too many other players from that team. Who cares if 50 of the guys are enshrined. If they deserve it they deserve it.
you're right every team probably does have a major snub, except maybe my Ravens but that's only because we haven't been around long enough. I think Jonathan Ogden will be the first Raven to enter in five years and of course Ray Lewis will be a first ballot guy five years after he hangs up his cleats. I could see Matt Stover being snubbed though because he's a kicker and kickers don't seem to make it in no matter what they do. I actually wrote an article about whether Stover deserves it or not. If you get a chance give it a read and let me know what you think. Unless of course you've already read it. LOL
Keep up the great work, I'm looking forward to more of these. I've been toying with a Bert Jones piece personally, just have to figure out the angle.
from about 1 month ago
The Panthers fit that category too. If I was to pick a guy on the Ravens who is most likely to be snubbed, it would be Ed Reed, because he wasn't on the Super Bowl team, and he is a safety, which I think is the defensive position with the fewest hall of famers.
about 1 month ago
You are right about me wanting to see this, and you are right that Kramer belongs in the Hall. What was the Packers unit that dominated? The offense--we had a great defense, but our offense controlled games and made it easier for our defense. How did we control the game on offense? The run, with two backs who both frequently got 1000 yards. And when they both went to New Orleans, we ran successfully with the other two guys--does anyone who is not a Cheesehead over 40 know who Chuck Mercein is?
So what was it that made the Packers rushing attack so great? What was our signature play? The power sweep. In fact, Kramer said in one of his two books I read that opponents would see the line leaning and yell out "here comes the sweep." The Packers' response? "That's right, try and stop it." And they couldn't.
So who made that play work? The guard. Jerry Kramer and Fuzzy Zoeller were pioneers, and without guards who could move and function in the open field, Vince Lombardi may not have won five championships and been the consensus best ever coach.
My only problem with your article is you did not expound enough on the greatness of Kramer...four stars instead of five! (Perhaps you couldn't take it, since so much of his success impeded the advancement of your Cowboys...sorry, since I liked the Landry 'Boys.) Great job!
from about 1 month ago
Well, A, I didn't know too much about him, and yeah it did break my heart. Don Perkins and Don Meredith were the first guys, and I think those guys deserved a title so much.
The thing is, now I'm not insulting the Packers, but Lombardi was the offensive guru, and Landry was the defensive one. And the Packers have more defensive guys in than Landry does, so the HOF has really insulted Landry.
I am proud of those Boys in 67. I think that they came so close to beating the Packers at their house in weather that never happens in Dallas, is a testament to them.
You know how the Bills have a lot of hall of famers from the 90s even though they never won a SB. Well, I think the Cowboys need some of those guys in there like that, because who was your toughest opponent. It was the silver and blue.
from about 1 month ago
I 100% agree with everything you said. Can you imagine that coaching staff of the Giants in the 50's? Lombardi as offensive coordinator and Landry as defensive coordinator--WOW!
from about 1 month ago
Yeah, who do you think of the old Cowboys should be in the hall of fame?
Also, I think I'll do an article on Paul Hornung, and I'll make it more of a tribute to him, because if I could be any player, I'd be him.
Those old Giants won a lot of games with them and they were coaches of the Giants in the "Greatest Game Ever Played."
Here is something for laughs. You know the Giants head coach? He was constantly worried about his job, because those two were that good!
from about 1 month ago
Yeah, I don't even know who the head coach was!
To be honest, I'm not sure who is even in the Hall for y'all. I assume Lilly is, right? I'd have think about who y'all had beyond him, but then it was before I was born.
from about 1 month ago
Lilly is in there definitely. Bob Hayes is up for induction this year. Cliff Harris should be there. Some of our DEs should be there. Chuck Howley definitely. I'm not going to do articles on them b/c it will look biased.
about 1 month ago
Okay, Hayes should definitely be in, and shouldn't have needed to wait for the veteran's committee. I don't honestly know Harris, but agree that Howley should be in: the fact that I know of him even though he played for another team before my time proves it.
For the record, there is nothing wrong with biased on a blog--it's all editorializing, and it takes someone who has that bias to persuade those of us who do not know the players. If you can provide the data, you will enlighten those of us unfamiliar with it.
from about 1 month ago
Cliff Harris was known as the Kamikaze. He would was a safety who hit the opponent so hard that not only did he knock him out, he knocked himself out sometimes.
from about 1 month ago
Oh, okay, I know him now. Well, he's probably a legit entry, too. Look, a team has that much success and misses titles only because the greatest team ever is in their way, and most of the roster probably belongs in the Hall. Just like Kramer and Zoeller do.
I kinda think when a team gets a lot of players in, voters look for a reason to not put others in so it looks like they're being discerning.
from about 1 month ago
Especially with the Boys in my opinion. We have only 8 players in the Hall, and 5 Super Bowls. Ridiculous
from about 1 month ago
you think hayes should be in???
don't get me wrong he was the fastest player ever and was a legend of the field
but i don't want an pot/cocaine smoker to be realesed from jail so he can go to canton
from about 1 month ago
Forgot about the off-the-field stuff...you can't let a guy like that in. But then, they put that push-off artist and pot/coke-head Irvin in the Hall!
from about 1 month ago
Hayes is dead John.
I don't care if he did that. There have been reports that he might have been framed. I don't know but to exclude a guy b/c he broke a law like that then you might as well take out Lawrence Taylor.
Favre? He was an alcoholic, mean to his wife, pill abuser, party boy, and about a dozen other things.
Paul Hornung did illegal gambling. He is in the hall.
Not all the Packers were saints.
from about 1 month ago
James, good points about LT and Hornung being in the Hall with legal matters, and no one should think the Packers are saints. You can add James Lofton, who was an adulterer who also was charged a couple times with forcing a woman to give him oral sex, although he was acquitted.
For the record, Favre never needed to be disciplined because he came clean, and he didn't do anything to his wife that involved the authorities, so he doesn't even belong in the discussion. But if he DID feed the Lions info on how to beat us...
I will say that Hayes' charges are more severe, and while one can say a man might be framed, the standard has to be conviction. I would not allow a convicted felon into the Hall. (That would not rule out Irvin, despite my cheapshot at him, for which you may be understanding--a lot of those push-offs were at our expense!)
about 1 month ago
Sorry James it took me so long to respond to this, I've had a busy holiday-return-to-school couple of weeks.
Perfect article. Kramer should definitely be in the Hall, and in my mind, it's a no brainer. Great point about him being the only one from the 50th anniversary team not being in there—I never knew that.
Get Kramer in the Hall!
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