Truly a great person.

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The reason I became a Packer fan.
This is a very sad day.
Great Packer
Even Greater Man!

RIH Bart

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I guess I could say the same. When I was but a wee lad I was a Dolphins fan because they had won the first football game I had ever seen. (SB 7) Then when they won SB 8 I became a die hard Dolphins fan (not inconsequentially that was the time I started hating the vikings) Along about then this team I had never heard of (the Green Bay Packers) fired their coach and why it stood out for me was because supposedly Dan Devine was an uncle or some some other relation to a classmate who I did not particularly like and he was whining about it.. When they replaced him with Bart Starr I started to read more about him and this team called the Packers. I figured if he (Starr) was replacing an uncle of a kid I did not really like he must be an alright dude.

The rest, as they say, was history. The Packers soon supplanted the Dolphins as my favorite team and even though I can't say I was a die hard fan at first, (how can an 8 year old be a fan of those teams?) I was loyal and have been ever since.

One of my favorite stories about him goes something like this. Well after his playing and coaching days he was in Dallas for a Packers/cowboys game and he was waiting in line for a public elevator. Jerry Jones saw him and offered him a ride up in his private elevator. Starr said no thank you, it wouldn't be right for all the rest of the people who had to wait in line. I'm not sure if its true or if I even have the situation right but I can certainly see it happening this way.

Bart Starr was one of only two sports figures that I ever had a desire to meet (Bob Uecker was the other) and from the stories I have heard I will remember him not only as a great football player but an even better person.

Best ever, on and off the field.

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A truly great man. All professional sports players should aspire to his level of greatness through dedication and effort, to his humility, and to his class.

I feel privileged to have rooted for him, and have had the opportunity to meet him, and, if only for a brief time, be coached by him.

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I loved Bart as a player even more so as a man. I was a kid in Minneapolis in '65 when I discovered the Packers. To me Bart was GB. I had such high hopes when he became the HC. At least he was honest and told everyone it was going to take him time to learn.

There are 1000s of Bart stories out there. I look forward to hearing them.

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They were on the verge of making the playoffs when they fired Bart. They had offense, needed consistency on D.

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This is sad day for me. I have told this story before, but want to tell it again.

I was a security guard back in 1984 at the Vince Lombardi golf tournament. One of my jobs that day was to drive a golf cart through the parking lot to keep an eye on all the players cars. I saw a man walking in front of me, wearing a green suit coat. From behind I thought “that looks like it could be Bart Starr”, not really believing it could be him. As I passed him I heard “hey! Wait!!!” I stopped the cart, and sure enough, it was him! I jumped off my cart, ran over to him and said “yes Mr. Starr, what can I do for you?” He stuck out his hand and said “I just want to thank you. It’s people like you that make it possible for us to put on this tournament.” I about passed out. Bart Starr, thanking ME?!?!
I thanked him and asked for his autograph, which he didn’t hesitate to give. I only had my note pad. I still have his signature from that day.
He was a class act, and always remembered the fans.
A few years ago I wrote him a fan letter, and enclosed a football card of him and asked if he could sign it for me. He signed it “to Alan, best wishes Bart Starr”.
Two of my most prized possessions.
He was a great player and man.

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Man this is shocking. I feel like I just read last week that he was finally healthy enough to come back to Lambeau.