Starr donates memorabilia
Wearing a Green Bay Packers sweater while sitting near a podium at his beloved Lambeau Field, Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr looked up and smiled.
Behind Starr was memorabilia that Packers fans might view as priceless, including Starr’s 1967 championship ring for winning Super Bowl II, and a 50th anniversary Super Bowl MVP jacket. He was donating them to the Packers’ Hall of Fame.
“I’m really happy to be here,” Starr said softly on Monday, with his wife, Cherry nearby. “We’re really pleased to be here.”
The fact that he made the trip up from his home in Alabama might be the 83-year-old Starr’s most important victory of late. He joined other members of the 1967 title team for a celebration of the squad’s 50th anniversary over the weekend.
Starr is recovering from two strokes and a heart attack suffered in 2014. It has been an arduous road back for Starr.
But moments such as the one Starr experienced on Sunday, when fans gave him a long, warm ovation at halftime of the Packers’ game against the Saints, help motivate him to get better.
Cherry Starr said the family decided to donate the items after a friend told her of an auction on eBay in which a seller asked for $100,000 for what he claimed was one of Starr’s championship rings. The ad was false, she said.
“I knew Bart would not be wearing the ring ever again, and I thought we need to ensure that this jewelry will never ever be in the wrong hands and will never be sold,” Cherry Starr said.
Weber dies at 87
Former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Charles “Chuck” Weber died on Sunday, the team said. He was 87.
A seven-year NFL veteran, Weber spent his final three seasons in Philadelphia (1959-61) where he played in 38 games and helped the Eagles win the 1960 NFL championship. He was second on the team with six interceptions in 1960.
Weber also played for the Cleveland Browns (19551956) and the Chicago Cardinals (1956-1958).
Weber also coached in the NFL for 21 years.
Trainer’s room
•Los Angeles Chargers left guard Matt Slauson will miss the rest of the season with a biceps injury.
•Cleveland Browns tackle Joe Thomas suffered a torn left triceps during Sunday’s overtime loss to Tennessee and will miss the rest of his 11th NFL season. The 32-year-old Thomas, who had never missed a snap since turning pro in 2007, will undergo surgery Tuesday and might need nine months to recover.
•Indianapolis Colts safety Malik Hooker will miss the rest of the season after injuring his right knee in Sunday’s game.