Ray Nitschke

Football Player

• Born: December 29, 1936
• Birthplace: Elmwood Park, Illinois
• Died: March 8, 1998
• Place of death: Venice, Florida

Sport: Football

Early Life

Raymond Ernest Nitschke was born to Robert and Anna Nitschke on December 29, 1936, in Elmwood Park, Illinois, where his father was a Chicago Surface Lines employee. When Ray was three years old, his father died. Then, at the age of fourteen, his mother died. His older brother looked after him and had a difficult time preventing Ray from quitting school. As a youth, Ray lived in the Maywood suburb of Chicago, spending his days as he chose, without a parent’s guidance. He soon turned to sports to cheer himself up. While only a fifth-grader, he was successfully playing basketball and softball with high school boys.

At Proviso High School, Ray starred in basketball, baseball, and football. He received much-needed encouragement and guidance from his football coach, Andy Puplis, a former Notre Dame running back. By the time Ray became a 6-foot 3-inch, 235-pound senior, he had made all-state as a quarterback. His personal life had turned around as well, thanks to the discipline of team sports, which gave him the structured life he lacked at home.

The Road to Excellence

Upon graduating, Ray was offered a professional baseball contract by the St. Louis Browns because of his skill as a pitcher. Puplis, however, persuaded Ray to accept one of the many football scholarships he had been offered. Ray chose the University of Illinois, where he ended up playing quarterback as a freshman. As a sophomore, Ray was switched to fullback, where he played well. He carried the ball forty-four times for a 4.7-yard average gain that year. Mainly, Ray played as a blocking back. Nevertheless, he gained 943 yards rushing over three years. As a senior, he averaged 6.5 yards per carry on seventy-nine attempts. He played in both the Senior Bowl and the college all-star game.

After graduating in 1958, Ray was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers. Although the Packers needed him as a lineman and not as a fullback, Ray was still pleased. He knew Green Bay already boasted three talented linebackers; in addition, the team had just selected Dan Currie for linebacker. Somehow, Ray felt he would get the chance to show his skills as a hard-hitting lineman.

The Emerging Champion

When Ray joined the Packers that year, he was put on the special teams. He soon got his chance when linebacker Tom Bettis was injured and Ray took over the starting spot as the Packer’s middle linebacker. The following year, Vince Lombardi became coach of the Packers, and the team’s progress immediately took an upward swing.

That was not the case for Ray, however. He was put back on the special teams, where he was so frustrated that he frequently vented his rage in arguments with teammates. In 1960, Bettis injured himself again, and Ray got to play the coveted position of linebacker.

By 1962, Ray had become one of football’s most feared tacklers. With Lombardi’s superb coaching, Ray excelled at rugged defensive play—defending against the run and pass with a viciousness that made the opposition think twice. Before long, Ray took over as defensive captain to lead the Packers to five NFL titles and Super Bowl victories. With Dave Robinson and Le Roy Caffey, Ray formed one of the most invincible linebacking threesomes in NFL history. He made all-pro from 1964 through 1966, played in the 1965 Pro Bowl, and was named most valuable player in the 1962 NFL title game against the New York Giants. In the course of his fifteen-season career, Ray played in 190 games, making 25 interceptions for 385 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Continuing the Story

Ray loved football so much that it took him a while to retire. Meanwhile, all the old team-oriented players from Lombardi’s original Green Bay squad had left, and young individualists had taken over the Packers. Ray felt the new players were more interested in their clothes and cars than in team pride or team traditions. Ray was replaced as a starter but stayed on to inspire and help the younger players. On November 6, 1972, “Ray Nitschke Day” was held in Green Bay. To thundering cheers, Ray played superbly until the end of the first quarter, when he was replaced by a younger player. When asked why he continued to play, he responded that football remained his sole interest and he had no other job. Finally, the following year, he retired.

Ray garnered more awards after he retired. He was named to the AFL-NFL 1960-1984 all-star team, as well as to the NFL all-pro team for the decade of the 1960’s. In 1967, he had been voted the outstanding player at his position, and two years later, the NFL honored him as its all-time top linebacker. Finally, Ray was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

Ray settled in Oneida, Wisconsin, with his wife, Jacqueline Forschette, his two boys, John and Richard, and his daughter Amy. A national accounts executive for a Midwest trucking company, Ray represented a number of other companies at national conventions. He served as chair of the Wisconsin Cerebral Palsy Telethon and was a member of the Green Bay Boys Club board of directors. During the football season, he published Ray Nitschke’s Pro Football Report. He also coauthored Mean on Sunday (1973).

Summary

One of football’s most feared tacklers, Ray Nitschke excelled at rugged defensive play. A middle linebacker with the Green Bay Packers, Ray played a key role in one of the most invincible linebacking units in NFL history. Known for his ferocious hitting and tackling ability, he helped the Packers win five NFL championship titles.

Bibliography

Gruver, Ed. Nitschke. Lanham, Md.: Taylor Trade, 2004.

Nitschke, Ray, and Robert W. Wells. Mean on Sunday: The Autobiography of Ray Nitschke. 2d ed. Madison, Wis.: Prairie Oak Press, 1998.

Rand, Jonathan, and Mike Singletary. Riddell Presents the Gridiron’s Greatest Linebackers. Champaign, Ill.: Sports, 2003.