Bart Starr: pioneer of the Super Bowl and a legacy to the NFL
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The legend of the Green Bay Packers is no longer in this world, but his contribution to football will never be erased
The last time he was formally seen on an NFL grid was in November 2018 at his favorite stadium, Lambeuau Field, to observe the withdrawal of number 4 from another Green Bay Packers legend, Brett Favre. Six months later, he passed away at 85 years of age and left a legacy in the National Football League. He was Bart Starr.
Leer en español: Bart Starr: pionero de los Super Bowl y un legado a la NFL
Starr was not any normal player. He lived the early days of the Super Bowl, whose first two editions won, and is part of the NFL Hall of Fame. He is one of the first architects of the dynasty created by Green Bay, recalled Medio Tiempo.
A graduate of the University of Alabama, Starr was chosen in the 1956 Draft and there he began his legend. Medio Tiempo replied verbatim the statement issued by the Green Bay Packers media: "He battled with courage and determination to overcome the heart attack in September 2014, but his recent health problems were difficult to fight."
He not only left a mark as a player, but also as a coach. Between 1975 and 1983, Starr was coach of the Packers, his former team. Nevertheless, his record was not positive: 53-77-3, remembered Us As. His titles as a player were in the 1961, 62, 65, 66 and 67 seasons.
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The greatness of the Packers was his lifework
As Fox Sports says, to understand the greatness of the Packers of the 60s, we must know what Starr did to make that a reality. This was done under the command of Vince Lombardi, in honor of whom today is called the champion trophy.
Bart Starr was the first quarterback to win five NFL championships (until this year 2019 he was surpassed by Tom Brady); although, it is worth quoting, with more February classics played. As if that were not enough, Bart was designated the Most Valuable in each and every one of the five championships.
Us As recalled that Starr led the Packers to six divisional titles, five NFL titles and two Super Bowls. He was also the father of the 'Ice Bowl', a move he immortalized on December 31, 1967. In that engagement, Green Bay beat Dallas 21-17, thanks to a one-yard touchdown by Starr in an inhuman game played in -25ºC.
Few would have ventured his success, after being chosen only in the 17th round of the draft and in the 200th place in the global. After that election, Starr completed 207 Packers games between 1956 and 1971, leaving 1,808 complete passes in 3,149 attempts with 24,718 passing yards and 152 touchdowns .
In addition to his unforgettable number 15, the other players who had the honor of seeing their numbers retired in Green Bay were Tony Canadeo (3), Brett Favre (4), Don Hutson (14), Ray Nitschke (66) and Reggie White ( 92), Fox Sports culminated.
Affection and respect
Those who knew him, even if they they did not played with him or shared many experiences at his side, only speak marvels of Starr's personality, as reflected by Us As. "Bart Starr was the kindest, most thoughtful, and classiest person you've ever met. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have called him a friend and to have been mentioned in the same sense," wrote the aforementioned Favre, another ex-quarterback.
In turn, Mark Murphy, president and CEO of the Packers, said: "A champion on and off the field. Bart personified class and was loved by generations of Packers fans. A player who led his team to five NFL titles, Bart could still fill Lambeau Field with that electricity decades later on his many visits."
"Bart Starr was one of the most genuine and sincere people I met. He personified the values of our league as a player, a family man and an indefatigable philanthropist who was deeply concerned with helping children at risk," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Also a member of the Hall of Fame, Troy Aikman wrote in turn on Twitter that "Bart Starr was a true gentleman and one of the kindest people I knew. I had an elbow surgery after our Super Bowl in '95 in Birmingham and Bart visited me at the hospital. To this day, I'm not sure how he knew I was there."
Finally, David Baker, president and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, said: "The game has lost a true Hall of Famer, but we've all lost a truly great man. Bart Starr was an American icon whose legendary career turned Green Bay, Wisconsin, into a 'Titletown'."
A last legacy
El Universal remembers that its true name was Bryant Bartlet Starr and that he lived his childhood in the middle of World War II. Later, he had a first university experience with the Mare Carmesí team of the University of Alabama, while his last big mark was in the vicinity of the Lambeau stadium, the home of the Packers, in a street that bears his name, something that neither Favre nor Aaron Rodgers reached.
LatinAmerican Post | Onofre Zambrano
Translated from "Bart Starr: pionero de los Super Bowl y un legado a la NFL"
