Ray Nitschke

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Nitschke was born in Elmwood Park, Illinois, the youngest of three sons. His father died in a car accident in 1940, and his mother died of a blood clot when Ray was 13. Older brothers Robert Jr. and Richard raised him. He attended Proviso Township High School, where he played fullback as a freshman but was declared academically ineligible his sophomore year. He later starred at quarterback and safety, and also played basketball and baseball. He accepted a football scholarship to the University of Illinois in 1954. In college, he smoked, drank heavily, and fought. He was moved from quarterback to fullback in his sophomore year, and played linebacker on defense. He lost four front teeth in a 1956 game against Ohio State. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round (36th overall) of the 1958 NFL draft. He wore number 33 in 1958 and 66 the rest of his career. He became a full-time starter in 1962 and was MVP of the 1962 NFL Championship Game. He recorded six tackles and a sack in Super Bowl I and nine tackles in Super Bowl II. He was benched in 1971 and retired in late August 1973. He died of a heart attack in Venice, Florida at age 61.

In Their Own Story

The wind whipped across the frozen turf as Nitschke tightened his gloves in the tunnel. Snowflakes danced around the stadium lights, illuminating the green and gold jerseys of the squad ahead. He knew this game would be decided by who refused to yield first. With a deep breath, he stepped onto the gridiron, ready to lead the charge into the cold night for the glory of Green Bay.

Reader's Guide

Nitschke wore number 33 in 1958 and 66 the rest of his career with the Packers. His number 66 was retired in 1983. He was named the NFL's all-time top Linebacker in 1969 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He is the only linebacker to have made both the NFL's 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams.

Did You Know?

• Nitschke lost his four front teeth on the opening kick-off against Ohio State in 1956 and played the rest of the game without a face mask.
• A 1,000-pound steel coaching tower fell on Nitschke during practice in 1960; a spike was driven into his helmet but did not injure him.
• He recorded the only pass reception of his career, a 34-yard gain, in his last regular season game in 1972.
• He appeared in the films Head (as 'Private One') and The Longest Yard (as Guard Bogdanski).