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The Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Willie Davis, who was instrumental in the Green Bay Packers’ victories in their first two Super Bowls, has passed away. He was eighty-five.
Both the Packers and Dave Robinson, Davis’s former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, confirmed Davis’s passing to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
Davis passed away in a hospital in Santa Monica, California. Carol, his wife, informed the Packers that her husband had died quietly after being hospitalized for kidney failure for approximately a month.
Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said, “The Green Bay Packers family was saddened to learn about Willie Davis’s passing today.” “One of the greatest defensive players of all time, Willie played a big part in the five NFL championship teams the Packers won in the 1960s.
“It was a pleasure getting to know Willie and his wife, Carol, particularly during the times he captained us as our honorary captain in the 2010 NFC title game, Super Bowl 45, and the 2014 NFC title game. In addition, he served as a great role model for our players by becoming a member of the Packers Board of Directors and leading a very successful career after football.
Davis, who was selected by Grambling in the 15th round of the 1958 NFL Draft, started his career with the Cleveland Browns in both the offensive and defensive departments. After being traded to the Packers, he experienced his greatest success.
As a five-time All-Pro, he stuck with the Packers until the end of his NFL career in 1969. Despite the lack of tackle and sack statistics when Davis was playing, his 22 career fumble recoveries demonstrated his power and big-play capability.
In 1981, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame after being selected for the NFL’s all-decade team for the 1960s.
In the foreword of Davis’ book “Closing The Gap: Lombardi, the Packers Dynasty and the Pursuit of Excellence,” Packers Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr stated, “Willie was at his best in games in which we struggled. There were few players in the league who were as tough as Willie.” He ascended to the top in difficult times and brought our defensive individuals with him.
Before capping the 1966 and 1967 seasons with championships in the first two Super Bowls, Davis assisted the Packers in winning the 1965 NFL championship.
But at first, he wasn’t happy about moving to Green Bay.
When Davis heard about the trade on the radio, he had recently signed a contract with the Browns and thought he was being developed as Cleveland’s starting left tackle going forward, as he mentioned in his book. In July 1960, wide receiver A.D. Williams was traded to Cleveland in exchange for Davis, who was acquired by Green Bay.
According to Davis’s book, “I felt a little betrayed at the time.” “I felt like I was being discarded by the organization, as if they didn’t really care about me. Concerned about what this would imply for my future, I too became terrified. I had no desire to play in Green Bay at all. To be honest, I was so repulsed by the concept that my first thought was to retire.
Rather, he persevered and rose to become one of the best defensive linemen of his time.
Hall of Fame President David Baker stated, “Willie’s extraordinary athleticism was an undeniable factor in Green Bay’s winning tradition of the 1960s under coach Vince Lombardi.” “He led the Packers to two Super Bowl triumphs and an extraordinary championship run. Genuinely, Willie was a man of integrity both on and off the field. Future generations can draw inspiration from his legacy because it will always be preserved by the Hall of Fame.
Former Packers center Bill Curry referred to Davis as “the finest combination of leader and player that I ever saw” in an NFL Films tribute. “I can’t ever remember a football game that he played in where I didn’t think Willie Davis played absolutely the best he could possibly play that day,” ex-Packers offensive lineman and Hall of Fame member Forrest Gregg stated in that same tribute.
In order to help the Packers win the 1966 Western Conference, Davis forced a fumble by Johnny Unitas. In the first two Super Bowls, he tormented quarterbacks Len Dawson of the Chiefs and Daryle Lamonica of the Raiders.
Dawson told NFL Films, “He instilled as much fear in me as any defensive end that I had to face, because of what he could do and his abilities.”
Late in his NFL career, Davis graduated with a master’s in business administration from the University of Chicago, which enabled him to smoothly transition from the playing field to the business world.
In his book, Davis stated, “We all knew football wasn’t going to last forever.” Since football players typically didn’t play for more than ten years, many of them were unemployed and had unstable finances by the time they reached their early 30s. That was a terrifying idea. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t included in that group.
