GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – The Green Bay Packers inducted former president and CEO Mark Murphy into their Hall of Fame on Thursday night.
“Thank you particularly to the Packers Hall of Fame for bestowing this tremendous honor on me and thanks to all of you who have helped along the way, thanks again,” Murphy said in his speech during the induction ceremony.
Murphy spent most of his speech thanking the people who helped him on his journey, saying that without their assistance, he wouldn’t be where he is today. Murphy, humble as always, let others do the bragging for him.
“You’re the only person in NFL history to win a Super Bowl as both a player and CEO,” said Murphy’s son Brian, who was his presenter at the Hall of Fame ceremony. “You brought the draft to Lambeau; you drafted a receiver in the first round. You’ve remained humble, kind, and 100 percent yourself.”
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“Most guys in that type of position, it’s me, me, me, my way or the highway,” said Packers great LeRoy Butler. “Mark never wanted to be part of a band because they break up. He wanted to be a part of an orchestra where everybody sounds the same. We all get a ring.”
Murphy began as the president and CEO of the Packers back in 2008. He retired last month when he hit the team’s mandatory retirement age of 70 years old.
The Packers were perennial playoff contenders during Murphy’s time as president and CEO of the team. They hoisted a Lombardi trophy back in 2011 and made the NFC championship game four other times while Murphy was in charge.
On the business side of things, Murphy was one of the key visionaries who helped make the popular Titletown District a reality. He was also instrumental in getting the NFL to bring the draft to Titletown last spring.
Murphy said one of his accomplishments he’s most proud of is the major renovations done at Lambeau that modernized the stadium while preserving its history and its charm.
In a press conference ahead of the induction ceremony, Murphy said one of the things he’s actually going to miss most about being president and CEO of the Packers is the tailgate bus tour. Murphy joined current and former players in an annual statewide bus tour where they hung out with fans.
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“Packers fans are really pretty special,” Murphy said. “I will never take it for granted.”
Murphy’s son Brian recalled a time when he and his dad left four hours early for Lambeau Field for a game. He said in the car that he figured his dad wanted to arrive early to talk with the coaches and players. Instead, they spent the time before the game walking around Lambeau Field, hanging out with the fans.
Murphy said it brought him so much joy when the Packers were up big in the fourth quarter in opposing stadiums and Packers fans would fill the air with ‘Go Pack Go’ chants.
“Mark is so humble, and he’s so embarrassed by getting his flowers,” LeRoy Butler told Local 5 News. “But he’s one of those guys that we’re really going to miss. It’s important for somebody to have a grassroots effort for a team that is in the middle of a neighborhood. All we have is the Packers. For somebody to navigate that, Mark was perfect for that.”
Local 5’s Tom Zalaski emceed the Packers Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Thursday night.