Ahman Green and Ken Ruettgers Will Go Into Packers Hall
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame has announced its next class of inductees. They are running back Ahman Green and tackle Ken Ruettgers.
Green is an obvious choice since he’s the Packers’ all-time leading rusher with 8,322 yards. Green had six 1,000-yard seasons for the Packers. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and also authored the single best rushing season in Packers history, with 1,883 yards in 2003.
Bull!
Ruettgers probably isn’t such an obvious selection to most of you.
That’s because he played much of his career in the 1980s, when the Packers were pretty much terrible.
He came to the Packers as a first-round pick in 1985 and held down the left tackle spot from 1986 to 1995. Ruettgers never earned a Pro Bowl nod, but he was pretty much the team’s most consistent lineman during that period.
Not really an overwhelming selection, but we’re guessing Brett Favre probably turned the board of directors down again.
In any case, Green clearly belongs.
He beat the team’s long-standing all-time rushing mark in 2009. The previous mark was held by the legendary Jim Taylor. Perhaps appropriately, both backs averaged 4.5 per carry. However, Ahman averaged more yards per game — 80 to 69.6.
It’s not worth getting into an argument about who was better. Most of us never saw Taylor play. However, any basis for an argument would have to look at these three facts. Taylor scored more touchdowns — 81 to 54 — is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he shared a backfield with another Pro Football Hall of Famer — Paul Hornung.
On another note, I always love bringing up the fact that the Packers absolutely fleeced the Seattle Seahawks when they sent cornerback Fred Vinson to them in exchange for Green.
Vinson never played a game for Seattle because of injuries. Green, obviously, is a Packers legend.
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Good for them-never saw Ruettgers play so no opinion there but Ahman absolutely deserves it.
As for Taylor, dude was an integral part of the unstoppable Packers Sweep and one of the original beasts-not only could mean old farm hands not tackle him, they didn’t even want to try.
Rodgers sez, like all packer fans, that he is in pain.
In with Flynn.
Ruettgers was a damn good left tackle, first round draft pick. He began the 1996 season on the PUP list. He was activated after four games, but his knees couldn’t hold out and he could not finish the season, and he retired. Good solid character guy and very good player.
No player ran with the silky smooth, quiet upper body stride that Ahman had. Reminded me of Eric Dickerson.
Green was a man was born to run with a football and it’s a shame he never got a chance to show his stuff on a Super Bowl field.
Was a helluva receiver as well.