Packers great Willie Davis dies at 85
Willie Davis, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who helped the Green Bay Packers win each of the first two Super Bowls, has died. He was 85.
The Packers confirmed Davis’ death to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday, as did his former teammate and fellow Hall member, Dave Robinson.
Davis died in a Santa Monica, Calif., hospital. His wife, Carol, told the Packers her husband had been hospitalized for about a month with kidney failure and passed away peacefully.
“The Green Bay Packers family was saddened today to learn about the passing of Willie Davis,” said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. “One of the great defensive players of his era, Willie was a significant contributor to the Packers’ five NFL championship teams during the 1960s.”
A 15th-round draft pick from Grambling, Davis began his NFL career by playing both offense and defense for the Cleveland Browns in
1958 and ’59. He had his greatest success after getting traded to the Packers.
He remained with the Packers until finishing his NFL career in 1969 as a five-time All-Pro. Although tackles and sacks weren’t counted when he played, his
22 career fumble recoveries showcased his dominance and big-play ability.
He was voted to the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1960s and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1981.
“There were few players in the league who were as tough as Willie,” Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr said in the foreword to Davis’ book, “Closing The Gap: Lombardi, the Packers Dynasty and the Pursuit of Excellence. “He was at his best in games in which we struggled. When it was tough, he rose to the top and took our defensive people right along with him.”
Davis helped the Packers win the NFL title in 1965 before capping the 1966 and
1967 seasons by winning the first two Super Bowls. But he didn’t initially embrace the move to Green Bay.
Davis noted in his book he had just signed a contract with the Browns and believed he was being groomed as their starting left tackle on offense when he learned about the trade.
“At the time, I felt slightly betrayed,” Davis wrote in his book. “... I absolutely did not want to play in Green Bay. In fact, I was so turned off by the idea that my first thought was about retiring.”
He stuck it out and developed into one of the top defensive linemen of his era.
“Willie’s extraordinary athleticism was an undeniable factor in Green Bay’s winning tradition of the
1960s under coach Vince Lombardi,” Hall of Fame President David Baker said.