I wanted to play badly.”That’s precisely how the Packers played for the next three seasons, hitting a low in 1958 with a 1-10-1 record. Starr, who had an unremarkable stint at the University of Alabama, quarterbacked the winning teams in the first two Super Bowls, earning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both games. Starr played for three more seasons, sat out the 1971 season recuperating from shoulder surgery and was hoping to come back the next year. “I would not have been disappointed if I was the 40th pick,” Starr said. What to do? Anonymous. The noblest form of leadership is by example, and that is what Bart Starr is about.”Lombardi was a tough taskmaster — dictator, some would say — but his Packers were a free-spirited bunch, receiver Max McGee and running back Paul Hornung the chief merrymakers, and the quietly efficient Starr turned out to be just the leavening presence Lombardi needed. Under Vince's careful nurturing, Starr gained the confidence to become one of the NFL's great field leaders.By 1960, Starr led Green Bay to the Western Division championship, the first in a long string of successes for Starr and the Packers. “Let’s get it done.”He took the Packers downfield and, with 16 seconds left and the ball on the Dallas one-yard line, called the team’s last timeout. Because it was a balanced attack that he led, Starr's passes were limited. That iconic stature was never a reason to not be gracious.”Echoed Hall of Fame receiver James Lofton, who began his career with the Packers seven years after Starr retired: “There was a grace and dignity about him that you just don’t find in too many other people.”There was little indication early on that Starr would become a star. “A champion on and off the field, Bart epitomized class and was beloved by generations of Packers fans. The Packers posted a 5-3-1 record and made the playoffs in strike-interrupted 1982. Starr was born Jan. 9, 1934, in Montgomery, Ala., and played college football at Alabama. All were warmly received but when Starr was announced, last, Lambeau Field erupted, his ovation doubling those of the other Packers heroes.Get all the day's most vital news with our Today's Headlines newsletter, sent every weekday morning.
The family has … "Bart Starr was one of the most genuine, sincere people I knew," NFL Commissioner Roger Godell said in a statement. Three years later, his playing time was still limited and his football future appeared in doubt. He led the league in passing three times. Vainisi took a chance, drafting him as a backup.“It was obvious they thought I was not going to stay,” Starr told The Times in 1987. During Starr’s freshman year at Alabama, the Southeastern Conference allowed freshmen to play varsity football. Return to Top; Players. Honor the Heroes of the Game, Preserve Its History, Promote Its Values & Celebrate Excellence Everywhere "The quarterback’s job is to be a coach on the field. Guard Jerry Kramer recalled for Investor’s Business Daily in 2011 how Chicago Bears linebacker Bill George once tackled Starr high, splitting his lip up to his nose, then taunting the bleeding quarterback about being soft.