Bob Harlan will talk about football, family and life at the Meyer Theater in Green Bay on Jan. 5. USA TODAY NETWORK Wisconsin Bob Harlan will talk football, family and life Jan. 5 at the Meyer Theater in Green Bay.Gpg1brd 11 01 2017 Gazette 1 C00220171031img Bob Harlan 1 1 H3k5p1eg L1126575971img Bob Harlan 1 1 H3k5p1eg Bob Harlan, the former Green Bay Packers president and CEO who helped lead the franchise to sustained contention, died Thursday at age 89, the team announced.
Harlan spent nearly 40 years with the organization from 1971 to 2008, serving as President and CEO from 1989 until his retirement in January 2008. His legacy is based on two key decisions that shaped the franchise. They hired Ron Wolf as general manager in 1991 and later chose Ted Thompson in 2005. Two GMs produced Super Bowl winners in different eras with different core groups.
From 1993 to 2007, Green Bay posted an NFL-best record of 152 wins and 88 losses during that span, and reached the pinnacle of its success by winning Super Bowl XXXI and bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to the city. The Packers also achieved 13 straight seasons with a record above .500 from 1992 to 2004, a level of weekly consistency that marked the franchise’s most consistent stretch since the 1930s and ’40s.
Current President and CEO Ed Policy said Harlan’s influence will last long beyond his formal tenure.
“Bob had a profound impact on the organization and the people who worked here long after he became Chairman Emeritus,” Policy said. “I would like to personally thank him for his generosity and time mentoring me over the years.”
Wolf, a Pro Football Hall of Fame executive, praised Harlan for trusting him as a true authority.
“Bob Harlan took a chance on me and I am deeply indebted to him,” Wolf said. “I think his best characteristics are that he is a man of honor, a man of his word, and a man of character. He was an honor to know and a pleasure to work with.”
Harlan’s tenure also reshaped the business side of the franchise, including redeveloping Lambeau Field into a year-round venue. And even for those who came later, his decision still resonated.
“Bob Harlan is a big reason why I was selected for the Green Bay Packers,” former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers said. “In 2005, he hired Ted Thompson as GM, and Ted drafted me in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft. … To me, Bob embodied the spirit of the Green Bay Packers and his true love of leading the greatest franchise in the NFL. His kind heart, quick wit and steady hands will forever be remembered by the people of the Packers.”
–Field level media
