Blogs

Tour’s first day in the books

Nearly 1,000 festive fans turned out for the first tailgate party at La Crosse’s Oktoberfest Festgrounds.

Fun was had for fans of all ages as the event’s younger attendees enjoyed an archery range, inflatables, face painting and music.

During the event’s question-and-answer session, Mason Crosby got the crowd going with an enthusiastic answer.

Question: “How did the victory in Super Bowl XLV change you?”

Crosby said, “It makes me want to win more!”

The event benefited Children of the Heart, a group of family and friends of people with Down syndrome. More information on the organization can be found online at www.dscoth.org.

According to the organization’s president, Angie Dummer, the event’s impact will go beyond the fiscal support.

“This will help us get our name more recognized in the community,” she said. “We have a walk in October that should be even more successful with this event.”

For Marco Rivera, the party it was an enjoyable end to his first day on the tour.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” he said. “Seeing the expressions on all the faces is great. It’s what Packers football is all about. It’s about the fans.

“The visit to the VA was awesome, too. The Vietnam Vet gave me his beret…what an honor that was. No matter what happens the next five days, that was the icing on the cake.”

Another first-time tour member, Crosby, enjoyed his initial experience as well.

“It was a great day, especially the surprise visit at the high school,” he said. “The VA visit was special, too. Many of them fought for our freedom for so long. It was an honor to meet them.”

Day 2 awaits.

Click here to see photos from the La Crosse tailgate party.

Tomah VA stop proves memorable

After a tasty lunch at Burnstad’s European Restaurant in Tomah, the Tailgate Tour made a stop at the Tomah VA Medical Center

The facility, situated on 170 acres, serves veterans in Western and Central Wisconsin. Currently about 240 veterans are being treated. The players met veterans who served in a variety of capacities, spanning from World War II to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The players addressed a large group of veterans and staff in the commons, pausing to visit with many veterans individually and pose for pictures and sign autographs.

After the group setting, the players had the opportunity to visit a handful of veterans in hospice care who weren’t able to leave their rooms.

One veteran immediately picked up his phone after the chat with the players to excitedly call his sister to share the story.

“This visit will be spoken of for the next two or three months,” said Laura Bishop, volunteer manager with the facility. “It’s so nice to see these vets light up for this. For their families, too, it’s great to have them see their family member enjoy a moment like this.”

For William Henderson, the visit had deep meaning.

“I at one time thought my route may go through the military,” he said in explaining one of his college options if he had not played football. “It means so much for me to be able to thank them for their service. I could have been serving with them.”

Click here to see photos from the tour’s stop at the Tomah VA Medical Center.

Omro High School marks first stop

The Packers Tailgate Tour is on the road after its first surprise stop at Omro High School. More than 1,200 students, faculty and staff were on hand to hear from the guys. As the players donned their jerseys, Mark Murphy asked Larry McCarren if he could remember the last time he wore a jersey.

“I can’t remember it’s been so long,” McCarren said after some thought.

Outside the school, Charlie Peprah asked ninth grader Jason Will why he wasn’t in class. Jason provided a hall pass and explained he was on his way to a driver’s license exam.

“Good luck,” Charlie said.

“Parallel parking is the hardest,” Mark Murphy added.

“No texting and keep your eyes on the road,” William Henderson advised.

Principal Brett Steffen greeted the crew and after saying hello to each tour member, he circled back to Larry McCarren and grabbed his famous pinkie, the one with the unnatural angle after being broken during his playing days.

“I’ve got to see your finger,” he exclaimed. “My wife has one just like it.”

Sure enough, his wife, Heather, showed her pinkie to McCarren.

“Well, you do have a start of one,” McCarren confirmed.

Players spoke to the school assembly about the importance of teamwork and the evils of bullying.

A question-and-answer period followed, and Jordy Nelson was challenged to a footrace against senior Amanda Obot, the class’ valedictorian. The six-time state medalist (sprint events) gave Nelson a good race in her bare feet across the gymnasium floor. The race was too close to call.

Marco Rivera was asked about former teammate Donald Driver’s dancing exploits.

Rivera gave a detailed account of last night’s semifinals of Dancing With The Stars, and predicted that Driver would come out on top.

After Rivera commented about Driver’s ability to move his hips, a student asked Marco for his version of the Samba. Rivera complied…and looked pretty smooth for a big man.

The bus continued west toward tonight’s destination: La Crosse.

Click here to see photos from the Omro High School tour stop.

‘Packers Tailgate Tour’ hits the road

The ‘Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour’ departed Tuesday morning from Lambeau Field. The tour, a five-day journey across Wisconsin, features Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy, wide receiver Jordy Nelson, kicker Mason Crosby and safety Charlie Peprah, along with former Packers Marco Rivera, William Henderson, and Larry McCarren.

The first stop on the tour is a surprise visit.

For more information on the ‘Tailgate Tour,’ click here.

Another Rodgers-Brewers TV ad

The third of QB Aaron Rodgers’ promotional TV spots for the Milwaukee Brewers has been released. It’s entitled, “Bad Reception.”

In this one, Rodgers is on the mound — as he has been in all of them so far — and gets a cell-phone call from a voice familiar to Packers fans, but Rodgers isn’t particularly interested in talking to him.

You can watch the latest spot on brewers.com.

Rodgers filmed all the spots in Arizona during spring training. More ads are coming as the season progresses. We’ll see which one ends up being the best.

Click to view spot

Driver Sambas to personal top score on DWTS

WR Donald Driver and partner Peta Murgatroyd continued their uphill journey towards the mirror ball trophy and reached their highest single dancing score of the season with a total of 29 points, beating their score of 28 from last week’s Jive. This high score came about on the couple’s second of two dances for the night, the Samba.

Combined with their first dance score, 28 points for the Waltz, the duo received a total of 57 of 60 possible points, leaving them in third place for the evening.

The judges used their experienced eyes to critique the smallest misstep for all contestants during this semifinal round. Judges being stingy with the 10’s was nothing new for Driver. He took the first round of judging in stride with one “10” from Judge Bruno Tonioli.

“It’s harder to impress with a Waltz,” said Tonioli about Driver’s first dance. “It had a caring gentle, soft quality to it. Romance is blossoming in front of my eyes!”

Prior to their second dance, each semifinalist reflected back on their diverse and emotionally-charged background. Driver’s story began with his father being in jail and his mother raising five kids alone, with little resources.  First living in a moving van and eventually homeless, Driver and one brother went to live with their Grandparents in a rough, crime-ridden neighborhood.

“I stayed a troubled kid,” said Driver.

The turning point was when he met his future wife. From that moment, Driver focused less on his past antics and focused more on his future. He focused on the future for his family by developing his football skills, and that’s what brought him here today.

“Donald lets his playing do his talking for him (on the football field),” audience guest QB Aaron Rodgers said. “It’s the same with dancing.”

After the emotional rewind, Driver moved forward and delivered a solid Samba and received his first two “10 point” scores from Judges Carrie Ann Inaba and Tonioli.

“A+ game,” said Inaba.

“I liked it,” Judge Len Goodman said. “Well done for you.”

Perhaps the “good luck charms” in the audience helped Driver attain his highest score in the 9 weeks of competition. Along with Aaron Rodgers, audience co-workers included Coaches Mike McCarthy and Edgar Bennett, Director of Player Development, Rob Davis, and LB Clay Matthews.

With four couples remaining in the semifinal showdown, Driver and Murgatroyd delivered their best dance of the season when they needed it most. Hopefully this upward scoring trend will continue for next week’s finale.

For now, Packers fans across the nation can breathe a sigh of relief for their favorite dancer on “Dancing with the Stars,” but only for a moment as Driver needs fan votes to ensure he and Murgatroyd remain in the competition. Eliminations continue tomorrow night on DWTS. To keep Donald and Peta in the finals, viewers are encouraged to vote. Visit abc.com for all the ways to vote.

2012 ‘Packers Tailgate Tour’ set to depart Tuesday

What? An event that raises money for charities in five cities over five days. Each evening Tailgate Tour party will benefit the hosting non-profit organization and will feature a flavor of famous Lambeau Field tailgating food, giveaways, tour celebrity question-and-answer sessions, and autographs.

When? May 15-19.

Who? Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy, wide receiver Jordy Nelson, kicker Mason Crosby and safety Charlie Peprah, along with former Packers Marco Rivera, William Henderson, and Larry McCarren.

Where? The tour will make stops in La Crosse (May 15), Madison (May 16), Kenosha (May 17), Cedarburg/Grafton (May 18) and Sturgeon Bay (May 19), with evening tailgate parties held in each city to support a local non-profit organization.

How can I get tickets? Official tailgate party tickets can be purchased for $30. General admission tickets also will be available for $5, which includes access to the Q-and-A sessions as well as tailgate party activities. Food and beverage will be available for purchase. Due to space limitations, no general admission tickets will be available in Kenosha.Tickets for the tailgate parties are on sale. ‘Green Bay Packers Tailgate Tour’ evening tailgate party locations, hosting organizations and ticket information are as follows: (6 to 8:30 p.m. in each city):

• La Crosse: Oktoberfest Southside Fest-grounds. To benefit the Children of the Heart. Tickets on sale at Festival Foods locations at 1260 Crossing Meadows drive, Onalaska, and 2500 State Rd., La Crosse, in the Village Shopping Center.
• Madison: Alliant Center. To benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Tickets on sale only through www.TicketWeb.com, TicketMaster, or by calling 866-777-8932.
• Kenosha: Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. To benefit Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. Tickets on sale at Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha, 1330 52nd St.
• Cedarburg/Grafton: Grafton High School. To benefit Portal, Inc. Tickets on sale at Portal, Inc., 1015 Cedar Creek Rd., Grafton, with information available at www.portalinc.org.
• Sturgeon Bay: Sunset Park. To benefit Habitat for Humanity. Tickets on sale at Marchant’s Foods, County Highway DK, Brussels; Main Street Market, 7770 State Rd. 42, Egg Harbor; Pick n’ Save,1847 Egg Harbor Rd., Sturgeon Bay; and Door County Habitat for Humanity, 410 N. 14th Ave., Sturgeon Bay.

First photos from Rookie Orientation Camp

Here’s the Rookie Orientation weekend roster

No., Name, Pos., College
1, Jake Drwal*, WR, Lehigh
5, Ray Keys*, WR, Virginia
6, David Nadeau*, K, Minnesota-Duluth
7, Michael Zweifel*, WR, Dubuque
9, B.J. Coleman, QB, Tennessee-Chattanooga
10, Marcus Rivers, WR, Buffalo
13, Dale Moss, WR, South Dakota State
17, Nick Hill, QB, Southern Illinois
19, Diondre Borel, WR, Utah State
22, Jerron McMillian, S, Maine
23o, Duane Bennett, RB, Minnesota
23d, Otis Merrill*, CB, Illinois State
25, Doyle Miller*, CB, Nevada
27o, Marc Tyler, RB, Southern California
27d, Mike Williams*, CB, Miami
28, Sean Richardson, S, Vanderbilt
29, Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt
32d, Jamie Bender*, S, Alabama-Birmingham
32o, Curenski Gilleylen*, RB, Nebraska
34, Anthony Levine, S, Tennessee State
35d, Antonio Baker*, S, Louisiana Tech
35o, Jon Hoese, FB, Minnesota
39, Brandian Ross, CB, Youngstown State
40o, Nic Cooper, FB, Winston-Salem State
40d, Chad Kilgore*, LB, Northwest Missouri
41o, Ray Carter*, RB, Colorado State
41d, Dion Turner, CB, Southern Utah
43, Patrick Hampton*, LB, South Florida
45o, Eric Lair, TE, Minnesota
45d, Cobrani Mixon*, LB, Kent State
46o, Robert Brown*, TE, Clark Atlanta
46d, Jaymar Latchison*, LB, New Mexico
47, Brandon Bostick*, TE, Newberry
48, Cameron Ford, TE, Wake Forest
53, Nick Perry, LB, Southern California
54o, Casey Casper*, LS, Wisconsin-Whitewater
54d, Dezman Moses, LB, Tulane
56, Terrell Manning, LB, North Carolina State
60o, Tommie Draheim, C, San Diego State
60d, Matt Putnam*, DE, Brigham Young
61, Grant Cook*, G, Arkansas
64o, Mike McCabe, T, Holy Cross
64d, Drew Vanderlin*, DE, Michigan Tech
65o, Sampson Genus, C, South Florida
65d, Frank Trotter*, DE, Memphis
67o, Don Barclay, G, West Virginia
67d, Johnny Jones, DL, Marshall
68o, Jaymes Brooks, G, Virginia Tech
68d, Luke Black*, DE, Fairmont State
69d, Anthony Gray*, DT, Southern Mississippi
69o, Derrick Showell*, G, Walsh
72, Shea Allard*, T, Delaware
73, Tyler Butzler*, T, Wisconsin-Stout
76, Mike Daniels, DT, Iowa
77, Andrew Datko, T, Florida State
81, Jarrett Boykin*, WR, Virginia Tech
86, Tori Gurley, WR, South Carolina
95, Jake Lattimer*, LB, Iowa State
99, Jerel Worthy, DE, Michigan State

*tryout player

Behind-the-scenes: Rookies take their first headshots

Packers rookies and coaches took their 2012 headshots on Thursday. As mentioned in Mike Spofford’s preview of the team’s upcoming offseason activities, this weekend kicks off the team’s rookie camp, a tradition Head Coach Mike McCarthy began early in his tenure in Green Bay. After a welcoming dinner on Thursday night, the rookies will hit the meeting rooms and practice field for the first time on Friday.

Click here to see behind-the-scenes photos from the shoot.

Click here to see behind-the-scenes video from the shoot.