Today‘s posting brings us to the end of the Forrest Gregg era with the 1987 Green Bay Packers Yearbook. On the cover is quarterback Randy Wright, who played for the team from 1984 through 1988. Wright played at the University of Wisconsin, so he had “local” interest as far as the fans were concerned, even though he was born in Austin, Texas.
In 1987, the Packers “improved” their record to 5-9-1 from 4-12. Because of a players’ strike, one game was cancelled. The replacement players brought in by the owners were on the field for three games, which counted in the final standings. The Packers finished third in the NFC Central Division standings.
As mentioned, quarterback Randy Wright led the Packers that year, with 1,507 yards, 6 TD’s, and 11 INT’s. Rookie quarterback Don Majkowski also played that year, starting five games. He passed for 875 yards, 5 TD’s and 3 INT’s. Replacement quarterback Alan Risher threw for 564 yards, 3 TD’s, and 3 INT’s (in the three “strike” games). Leading the rushers was Kenneth Davis, with 413 yards on 109 carries, and 3 TD’s. The receiver with the most production was Walter Stanley with 38 catches for 672 yards and 3 TD’s.
Coach Forrest Gregg was in his last year on the Green Bay sideline, and as mentioned yesterday, things were not very happy in Titletown. Morale was about as low as it could get, and the feeling around the administration building was that Gregg would not be brought back. According to team president Bob Harlan, “We had off-field problems (sexual assault charges against both James Lofton and Mossy Cade), the team was terrible, and Forrest had to know that his days were numbered. It all ended when Southern Methodist University made a phone call to him, and he jumped on it.”
“He got up early one morning in January,” Harlan continues, “and just drove out of town. I was in my office, and my window looked right out on the parking lot toward Lombardi Avenue. One of the coaches came to me and said, ‘Forrest Gregg is going to resign today and leave.’ I asked him how he knew that, and he said he’d heard it in the back hallway. Then I looked out my window, and there was Forrest and his wife driving away.” He didn’t tell his assistant coaches. He didn’t tell anybody on his staff or in the office other than then team president Judge Robert Parins. He just left.
Some of the stories in the 1987 Yearbook were: “Operation: Getaway” (Forrest Gregg’s offseason program)... “Special Delivery: Randy Wright Arrives at Quarterback”...“IMPACT” — Trio Turns Defense Around” (Tim Harris, Tiger Greene, and Ken Stills)... “Walter (Stanley) Wants the Ball”... “The Private World of Forrest Gregg”... “TV Testimonial: Packer/Bear Rivalry Still Magic”... “Mark Lee: Man of Ste(a)l”... “Packers’ Title Triumphs Erased Small Town Label”... “Captain (Ron) Hallstrom’s a Leader”... “(New Executive VP of Football Operations, Tom) Braatz is Back Home”... “’87 Packers Draft Reminiscent of ’58”... “Your 1987 Packers”... “Paul Hornung Receives Hall of Fame RIng”... “Willie Davis Tosses Coin for Super Bowl XXI”... “Art Daley (Yearbook founder) Retires”... “Ruettgers Reigns”... “(Kenneth) Davis: I Know My Role Now”... “Lambeau — Looking Good at 30”... “Eddie Lee (Ivery) — A Versatile Warrior”... “Dr. B” (Team physician Dr. Eugene S. Brusky)... “The Thanksgiving Day ‘Miracle’ ”... “Lofton Passes Hutson”... “Can the Bears Be Dethroned?”... “Packers Debut in Arizona”...
