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Ray Nitschke (Dec. 29, 1936-March 8, 1998)
Hall of Fame linebacker, Green Bay Packers
"Balding, almost toothless, playing in a seemingly perpetual rage, Nitschke would have been a
caricature of the maniacal middleman except for how well he performed from 1958 until '72. He ran
the defense for all of Vince Lombardi's five championship teams. If the power sweep epitomized the
Packers' offense, it was Nitschke's traffic-cop command and surprising athleticism -- he had 25
interceptions in his 15 seasons -- that defined their take-no-prisoners defense."
—Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated, March 16, 1998Photo by John Zimmerman
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