December 9, 1997

STARR CALLS ICE BOWL HIS MOST MEMORABLE

In honor of the 30 anniversary of the "Ice Bowl" played on December 31, 1967, former Green Bay packers quarterback BART STARR participated in a national media conference call on Tuesday, December 9 and discussed the game, his teammates and former head coach VINCE LOMBARDI:

Is the "Ice Bowl" the most memorable game you ever played in?

It was for me personally. There were some other ones which were and are still today very strong in our hearts, but [the Ice Bowl] is the most memorable simply because of what it enabled us to do. We were seeking three consecutive championships, which was something no other team had ever done. We had struggled that year, had a number of injuries and suffered some close losses. It was also a very tough year for us because every team that we played wanted a little extra piece of us that year after being reigning champs two consecutive times. It was a difficult year so to win it under those conditions and in the fashion that we did, it was very, very meaningful.

What was the team’s reaction when you scored the winning touchdown?

It was very emotional. To have won it with just a few seconds left. It’s hard to describe. We were numb. It was so thrilling. As we began to thaw-out inside, it took on an even greater meeting. It is truly difficult to put into words. I don’t want to make more of this than it should be, but to be able to have won three consecutive championships and to have fought our way through a tough year as we had experienced……it was truly a great, great thrill.

Those Packers’ teams were known for their camaraderie. Are you still close with many of your former teammates?

We were good because of that closeness and it made us very special. When I see teammates today, we don’t shake hands, we hug. We dearly, truly love each other. It’s hard to describe. Of course, that all began with the leadership of Lombardi and his staff. We had some wonderful people who were extremely unselfish. We played very, very well as a group. Because of that and what we were able to accomplish, we grew very, very close over the years.

Bob Skoronski for example, who was our offensive captain, never received the attention I felt he should have because he was playing opposite a truly spectacular tackle in Forrest Gregg. Skoronski was an exceptional player, but even beyond that he is one of the dearest friends that I have today. He’s wonderful. And the same thing with Willie Davis, the defensive captain. These guys are so close today they’re like brothers.

What did head coach Vince Lombardi mean to the "Ice Bowl" team?

The first time he came to Green Bay, in the first meeting, he was introducing about eight or 10 of us to his offensive system. I could have done this after 15 minutes, but after an hour and 10 minutes we took a break. I ran downstairs to a pay telephone in the Packers office, called my wife back here in Alabama and told her in very simple terms, "Honey, we’re going to begin to win." It was that obvious.

He was a dynamic leader. Yes, he was very emotional. He was very fair in how he treated people although he could be very loud with his comments and criticisms, but he was a marvelous teacher and a great inspiration. Without having this appear as a cliché, here was someone standing, moving and walking in front of you everyday who was a great role model. You could see that this man truly sought to excel. I just found that a noble example. Everyone on our team wanted to emulate that. They wanted to truly seek to excel.