Fred Carr, one of the greatest athletes ever to come out of Arizona and one of the best players in Green Bay Packers history, died on Monday. He was 71. He had been suffering from dementia and prostate cancer, his daughter, Karsetta Carr, said. Carr starred in three sports at Phoenix Union High in the 1960s, before helping lead Phoenix College to a national championship his freshman year. He went on to play football and basketball at Texas Western (now UTEP) before playing linebacker for the Packers for nine seasons, starting in 1968.
GREEN BAY – Ben Agajanian, a kicker with a storied NFL career that included three games with the Green Bay Packers in 1961, died in Los Angeles at the age of 98. Agajanian was with the Packers for only those three games, including the 1961 NFL Championship game, which the Packers won 37-0 over the New York Giants. He was the oldest living former Packers player. His death on Feb. 8 came on the same day as John Martinkovic, a former Packers defensive end who lived to age 91. According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, Agajanian was the first kicker to require that football laces be turned outward, and developed the two-step ritual that soccer-style kickers routinely use. He was a straight-on kicker himself. He lost four toes on his right foot in an industrial accident in 1939 while playing for the University of New Mexico. Agajanian talked doctors into making the nubs the same length so he could continue kicking. When other players accused him of cheating, he suggested they could do the same thing if it would help. During his 13-year career, he played for 10 teams and three football leagues, including the NFL, American Football League and All-America Football Conference. He was a member of two championship teams: the 1956 New York Giants, on which future Packers coach Vince Lombardi was an assistant, and the 1961 Packers. He also was a special consultant for the Dallas Cowboys for 20 years and a world-class gin rummy player. His best year was 1960, when he played for the Los Angeles Chargers of the AFL. He was 13-for-24 on field goals and 46-for-47 on extra points. For the Packers, he kicked one field goal and scored eight extra points, all in Green Bay's two 1961 games against the Los Angeles Rams. Paul Hornung handled most of the Packers' field-goal and extra-point chores that season, but did not play in those games. Agajanian kicked off for the Packers in the NFL title game. According to the Sporting News, Agajanian was the second kicking specialist in the NFL. He is a member of the American Football Kicking Hall of Fame. — Green Bay Press-Gazette
GREEN BAY — John G. Martinkovic, 91, Green Bay, died Thursday, February 8, 2018. He was born on February 4, 1927 in Hamilton, OH to Stefan and Katherine (Scasny) Martinkovic who immigrated to the U.S. from Czechoslovakia. In 1945, he graduated from Hamilton Catholic High School. Following high school, John served in the U.S. Navy from 1945-47. He had been stationed in the South Pacific. After receiving an honorable discharge, John enrolled at Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH and graduated in 1951. John was an accomplished athlete in both football and basketball. On May 30, 1952, he married Clare Graf at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hamilton, OH. Following his graduation from Xavier, Mr. Martinkovic was drafted by the Washington Redskins but after one preseason game, was traded to the Green Bay Packers. Following the trade, John had to pull out a map to find Green Bay. After successfully finding Green Bay on the map, he played his first NFL game for the Green Bay Packers in 1951. He played with the Packers from 1951 until 1956. John was a defensive end who played in 84 professional football games. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1954 and again in 1955. During his storied career, John scored two touchdowns. In 1956, he was traded to the New York Giants where he played for one year, retiring in 1957. Mr. Martinkovic has been inducted into four football halls of fame; Badin High (Hamilton Catholic) in 1994, Butler County in 1987, Xavier University in 1981, and along with Fred Cone were the two longest living members of the Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame. He was a proud member of the NFL Players Association and the NFL Alumni Association. John was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Council #617, the Green Bay Moose Lodge #801 and the Green Bay Retired Men's Club. He has also been a member of St. Agnes Parish for over 50 years. He was a member of the parish Men's Club and for many years he and Clare worked diligently cleaning the church. During his early playing days, John spent the off season working at General Electric in Cincinnati in the Jet Division but later, in an era when most players moved back to their home towns during the off season, John and Clare chose to make their home and raise their children in Green Bay. He was employed at Crust Buick, then Cuene Buick and finally Brennan Buick where he worked as a car salesman for 32 years, retiring in 1992. John was an active volunteer and gave selflessly of his time, including participating in many golf outings. For many years he assisted with the golf outing that benefited the Easter Seals organization. John also played in the Super Bowl of Golf in Torre Pines, CA. He had many outside interests including woodworking and was a great handyman. John spent many enjoyable hours ice fishing and enjoyed being a numismatist (coin collecting). Most importantly, John was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He is survived by his wife, Clare; four daughters: Amy and Ralph Witte, Ashwaubenon; Linda and Dr. Kevin Dellsperger, Martinez, GA; Julie and Dr. Steve Hill, Mesa, AZ; Ellen and Jim Maxey, Milwaukee; seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Margaret Martinkovic, Fairfield, OH; many nieces and nephews. John was preceded in death by two brothers, Joseph and Steve Martinkovic; and three sisters, Sophia Johnson, Emilia Martinkovic, and Mary Martinkovic. Friends may call at St. Agnes Catholic Church, 1484 Ninth St., from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, February 16, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial with Rev. Patrick C. Beno officiating. Entombment will be in Allouez Chapel Mausoleum. Blaney Funeral Home is assisting the family. To send online condolences, please to go www.BlaneyFuneralHome.com. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in John's name. The family extends a special thank you to the kind, loving and thoughtful staffs of Heartland Hospice and Allouez Parkside Villa. Published in Green Bay Press-Gazette on February 11, 2018
The ten NFL head coaches listed below should be inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame as Honorary Members. None of them coached in Green Bay, two played at Lambeau Field — but only one as a Packers player. What is their significance? These ten coaches have all prevented the Minnesota Vikings from becoming NFL champions. And that is enough in our book to recognize their lasting contributions to mankind. 1969 Hank Stram Super Bowl IV Chiefs 23 – Vikings 7 New Orleans, La. – Tulane Stadium January 11, 1970 1973 Don Shula Super Bowl VIII Dolphins 24 – Vikings 7 Houston, Texas – Rice Stadium January 13, 1974 1974 Chuck Noll Super Bowl IX Steelers 16 – Vikings 6 New Orleans, La. – Tulane Stadium January 12, 1975 1976 John Madden Super Bowl X Raiders 32 – Vikings 14 Pasadena, Calif. – Rose Bowl January 9, 1977 1977 Tom Landry NFC Championship Cowboys 23 – Vikings 6 Dallas, Texas – Texas Stadium January 1, 1978 1987 Joe Gibbs NFC Championship Redskins 17 – Vikings 10 Washington, D.C. – RFK Stadium January 17, 1988 1998 Dan Reeves NFC Championship Falcons 30 – Vikings 27 (OT) Minneapolis, Minn. – Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome January 17, 1999 2000 Jim Fassel NFC Championship Giants 41 – Vikings 0 East Rutherford, N.J. – Giants Stadium January 14, 2001 2009 Sean Payton NFC Championship Saints 31 – Vikings 28 (OT) New Orleans, La. – Louisiana Superdome January 24, 2010 2017 Doug Pederson NFC Championship Eagles 38 – Vikings 7 Philadelphia, Pa. – Lincoln Financial Field January 21, 2018
A life-long Green Bay Packers fan, shareholder, and season ticket holder who splits time between Green Bay, Wisconsin and Illinois... over 200 miles from Lambeau Field.
Packerville, U.S.A. exists to share the experience of being a Green Bay Packers fan with other fans around the world. Some readers may never get to a game, or to Green Bay, or even to the United States. Our posts are for those fans — letting them experience what it’s like to be a season ticket holder, a shareholder, and to live (part-time) in Green Bay, Wis.
