STARING MORTALITY IN THE FACE

Turdell Middleton

Friday another member of the Green Bay Packers family passed away. Terdell Middleton died five days short of his 60th birthday and it hit me hard since I'm about to turn 62.

 

Middleton was one of my favorite players. I had became a Packer Backer near the end of the Lombardi era and he was one of the few bright spots during the Wilderness Years after all of our heroes either had retired or were traded away by the time he arrived in 1977.

 

Middleton became only the fourth Packer to rush for a 1,000 yards in 1978 adding his name to the list of NFL Hall of Famers Tony Canadeo (1949) and Jim Taylor (1960-64) and Packer Hall of Famer John Brockington (1971-73). It had been five years of mediocrity before he gave us something to cheer about.

 

He never came close after that, but still he remained one of my favorite Packers just for being a bright spot on a team that had the first winning record (8-7-1) since the 1972 playoff team (10-4-0).

 

It was Bart Starr's fourth year as head coach and wide receiver James Lofton, tight end Paul Coffman, outside linebacker John Anderson and outside linebacker Mike "Mad Dog" Douglass (all future Packer Hall of Fame inductees with Lofton being a NFL Hall of Famer) were rookies with David Whitehurst the quarterback.

 

Do you realize that its been 48 years since the Vince Lombardi Era ended? For most of the Packer Backers out there that is their lifetime.

 

The list of the players and coaches from that era who were starters that are no longer with us may surprise some:

 

• Coach Vince Lombardi (9/3/70)
• DT Henry Jordan (2/21/77)
• KR Travis Williams (2/17/91)
• DT Ron Kostelnik (1/29/93)
• ROLB Lee Roy Caffey (1/18/94)
• DE Lionel Aldridge (2/12/98)
• MLB Ray Nitschke (3/8/98)
• CB Hank Gremminger (11/2/01)
• OLB Bill Forrester (4/27//07)
• C Jim Ringo (11/19/07)
• WR Max McGee (11/20/07) - after falling off his roof
• DT Dave Hanner (9/11/08)
• CB Bob Jeter (11/20/08)
• TE Ron Kramer (9/11/10)
• LG Gale Gillingham (10/20/11)
• PK Don Chandler (11/11/11)
• CB Jesse Whittenton (5/21/12)
• LG Fuzzy Thurston (12/14/14)

Willie Wood

Currently safety Willie Wood (78) has been in bad shape for many years being confined to a wheelchair with dementia (supposedly from dishing out hard hits) and quarterback Bart Starr (81) who is recovering from two strokes, several seizures, and a heart attack he suffered in September.

 

I happen to live in a town with a former Packer (he also was rookie in 1978) living nearby and I have become friends with the family since covering their three children when they were in high school. His wife tells me that they talked to Bart a month ago and he is not in good shape. His wife Cherry told them to call early in the day because Bart is not good at night.

 

Bart Starr

I dread the day when I open the paper and find out either Willie Wood and Bart Starr has passed on. I lost my mother three months ago and while their deaths won't hit me as personally it will still hit me.

 

I remember when Fuzzy passed away. I had just read that he was suffering from Alzheimer's and was suddenly in declining health. A few days later he died. I guess the writer was right.

 



Fuzzy Thurston

I have been collecting autograph's for about a year now and I purchased several Fuzzy's and noticed he would seem to sign anything (with one being on a very questionable picture). I was wondering why he would do that and then I read that the only time he would be lucid and have a good time during his last years was when he was meeting the fans and signing autographs. His family member or friend would put the picture or something in front of him and he would sign it smiling all the time.

 

That resonated with me because while my mother didn't have Alzheimer's - she was sharp as a tack until the end - she would perk up and be her old self during the parties when her family or friends were at the house. I have pictures taken just 10 days before she died and you couldn't tell the end was near.

 

Now I'm about to turn 62. Over the past year and a half my memory seems to be failing. I draw blanks on things I know and have always known. It worries me that I may only have a few years left before being confined in a nursing home living out my life without my life. I'm having tests done on May 4 to see if its time to sell everything and start living my last lucid years doing my bucket list.

 

Packer Hall of Fame

Actually, I had thought about my final wish and I will have to leave enough money for my nephews and grand nephew to take a road trip after I'm gone. I intend to be cremated and buried between my parents in a box with one vile to be placed in the Packer Hall of Fame - maybe in Lombardi's desk drawer - so the janitors won't find it and throw me away. Maybe I shouldn't be printing this, but here it is anyway.

 

So on that cheery note I will close out. Until next time America.