Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr passes away

Former Green Bay Packers quarterback, Pro Football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl MVP Bart Starr has passed away.

There have been more than a handful of dynasties throughout the history of the National Football League. The current run by the New England Patriots has lasted nearly two decades. There were the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s and the Dallas Cowboys of the early 1990s. The San Francisco 49ers were a Super Bowl contender from the early 1980s to the late 1990s, capturing five titles. There have been other great runs by other storied franchises as well.

And there were the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s, coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi and led in part by efficient quarterback Bart Starr. On Sunday morning, the Pro Football Hall of Fame field leader and five-time NFL champion passed away at the age of 85.

The former University of Alabama player was a 17th-round draft choice (200th overall) by the Packers in 1956. He played 16 seasons for the franchise, earning Pro Bowl honors four times and All-Pro accolades once. More significantly, he was the leader of the powerful run-oriented Green Bay offense that would complement the Packers’ defense. Driven by Lombardi, Green Bay would win NFL titles in 1961 and 1962 and captured three-straight league championships from 1965-1967, the last two in the form of victories in Super Bowls I and II.

Starr was named the MVP of those wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, respectively. Of course, there were many other notable moments as well, including his storied one-yard plunge into the end zone with 13 seconds to play in the fourth quarter of the 1967 NFL title game to help cap off a 21-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the “Ice Bowl.”

Bart Starr epitomized a franchise and a community that would soon be known as “Titletown.” No team in NFL annals has won more championships than the Green Bay Packers (13) and the Hall of Fame quarterback had a huge hand in five of them.

We extend our condolences to Starr’s friends, family and loved ones.