Honors
Nitschke remained popular in Green Bay after retiring, even having his phone number and home address published in the Green Bay phone book. Soon after his death, the city of Green Bay named a newly constructed bridge, connecting Dousman Street to Main Street, in his honor.
Nitschke appeared in the 1968 film Head and the 1974 film The Longest Yard.
His #66 was retired in 1983, the fourth of only five numbers retired by the Packers. The only other Lombardi-era player to have his number retired is quarterback Bart Starr, whose #15 was retired in 1973. Also, the team has named one of its two outdoor practice fields "Ray Nitschke Field".
Every year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has a luncheon the day before its induction ceremony, attended by most of the living members and honoring the new inductees. Nitschke always spoke at this luncheon, telling the new inductees what a great honor they were receiving, and that they were now members of the greatest team of them all. Following his death, the Hall named the luncheon after him.
In 1969, he was awarded as the NFL's all-time top Linebacker by the NFL in honor of the NFL's 50th Anniversary. Thus he is the only linebacker to have made both the NFL's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.
He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1981.
In 1999, he was ranked number 18 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the highest-ranked player coached by Vince Lombardi, second among Packers behind Don Hutson, and third among linebackers behind Lawrence Taylor and Dick Butkus.
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Famous quotes containing the word honors:
“My heart’s subdued
Even to the very quality of my lord.
I saw Othello’s visage in his mind,
And to his honors and his valiant parts
Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Justice shines in very smoky homes, and honors the righteous; but the gold-spangled mansions where the hands are unclean she leaves with eyes averted.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)
“He most honors my style who learns under it to destroy the teacher.”
—Walt Whitman (1819–1892)