Today, many of the Green Bay Packers fan sites and blogs are uniting in an effort to encourage fans and supporters of former Packers offensive guard Jerry Kramer to share their thoughts with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Committee about his consideration for induction.  Kramer was nominated for induction in 1974, his first year of eligibility and continues to await that magical phone call over 40 years later.  Kramer's daughter, Alicia (@JerryKramer4HOF on Twitter), has spearheaded this campaign for many years and has declared that this is the last year that she will do so.  You'll likely see a lot of content today about Kramer's career and his contributions to the Green Bay community and we hope you enjoy.  

Earlier this week, our own Jersey Al shared a release about today's effort and you can also refer to this morning's post for information on how you can support Jerry and reach out to the Committee members.  Above and below, you'll find 2 logos that you can use on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, if you so choose.  

Having never seen Kramer play or having grown up watching those Packers teams of the 1950's and 1960's, all of my exposure to Kramer has been through the stories by Kramer himself and those of others.  And he's quite a story teller.  Packers historian Cliff Christl has been speaking with many former Packers players since 2000 and back in December, he posted some excerpts of his conversations with Kramer.  Some very interesting nuggets, to say the least.  While many of us are in awe of Kramer's having played for legendary head coach Vince Lombardi, it was Kramer who was in awe of his first meeting with Packers team founder Curly Lambeau in 1959.  At the time, Kramer was hopeful that Lambeau might return to coach the team when he learned that the Packers had made the "dumb" move of instead hiring an assistant coach from the New York Giants.

Easily known for his incredible resume of work on the gridiron, Kramer has been equally devoted to his family.  It can be argued that his quest to be a devoted family man is even greater than that with which he played.  Earlier this year, he sold his Super Bowl I ring along with many other items in order to set up college funds for his five grandchildren.  Interestingly enough, Kramer wouldn't part with his Super Bowl II ring, saying that one meant too much to him.  

Kramer turned 80 earlier this year and continues to appear on radio shows and in interviews, recounting his days with the Packers and offering thoughts on today's game.  Rarely, however, do we hear Kramer campaigning for himself for induction to the Pro Hall.  There are 18 players who played guard who are currently in the Hall.  Among them, to name a few: Forrest Gregg, who played with Kramer on Lombardi's Packers, Russ Grimm, John Hannah, Larry Little, Bruce Matthews (uncle to Clay Matthews III), Mike Munchak, Billy Shaw, and Gene Upshaw.  For offensive lineman, and especially interior linemen, the process of determining who is Hall-worthy carries more of an arbitrary element than many of the skill positions that can be quantified with stats.  Kramer was a first team All-Pro five times during his career and also handled place kicking duties for a few seasons.  If versatility matters, Kramer certainly had it.

Here's a short video on Kramer with some highlights from his career.  Many remember the famous Ice Bowl in 1967 in which former Packers quarterback Bart Starr snuck in for a game-winning touchdown with :16 seconds left in regulation to beat the Dallas Cowboys and clinch the NFL championship.  It was Kramer's block that paved the way.  When Starr asked Kramer if he could get enough traction on the play, Kramer left no doubt he could get it done.  Starr convinced Lombardi to let him run it in himself after watching the running backs lose their footing several times earlier in the game.

There's no dobut Kramer is a legend in Green Bay and in the eyes of many football fans everywhere.  Hopefully that legend will get a chance to grow and gain the ultimate recognition.  Thanks for reading and being a part of today's efforts on behalf of Jerry Kramer and if any of you had the pleasure of watching him play during his career, we would love to hear your stories!