Ray Nitschke
circa 1966 | |||||||||
| No. 66 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | December 29, 1936 Elmwood Park, Illinois, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | March 8, 1998 (aged 61) Venice, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Proviso Township (Maywood, Illinois) | ||||||||
| College: | Illinois | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1958: 3rd round, 36th pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Raymond Ernest Nitschke (December 29, 1936 – March 8, 1998) was an American professional football player who spent his entire 15-year career as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) with the Green Bay Packers. Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, he was the anchor of the defense for head coach Vince Lombardi in the 1960s, leading the Packers to five NFL championships and victories in the first two Super Bowls.