Jerry Kramer had a strong 11-year NFL career after the Green Bay Packers took him 39th overall in the 1958 NFL Draft. He spent his entire career with the franchise, winning the first two Super Bowls in league history, as well as five NFL Championships.
The former offensive guard and kicker was named a first-team All-Pro five times and a second-team All-Pro twice. He was also selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Kramer was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1975, while earning induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2018, 50 years after his playing career came to an end.
Let’s take a deeper look at the three-time Pro Bowler.
Revisiting the 11-Year Career of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer
Kramer will announce a pick for the Green Bay Packers on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The former star offensive lineman and kicker appeared in 130 games in his career, mostly at offensive guard. He spent parts of three seasons as the Packers’ placekicker, converting 90 of 95 extra point attempts and 29 of 54 field goal attempts.
While he often battled injury — undergoing 22 surgeries in his 11 seasons – he missed just 24 games, half of which came in 1964.
Kramer played his college football for the Idaho Vandals – appearing at offensive guard, defensive tackle, and kicker. In this time, he earned a first-team All-PCC selection in 1957, his final year with the program. Six years later, his No. 64 became the first jersey to be retired in program history.
His athleticism extends beyond mastering two football positions. While a football star at Idaho, Kramer also lettered in track and field.
Now, Kramer is 89 years old and will take the stage at the NFL draft. Following his illustrious football career, the Hall of Famer briefly worked as a broadcaster. Additionally, the three-time Pro Bowler is also a published author. He collaborated with writer Dick Schaap on his first book “Instant Replay” in 1967, just a year before his retirement. The pair collaborated on another book, “Farewell to Football,” in 1969 following his retirement.
The successful writing duo continued to work together. They wrote “Lombardi: Winning Is the Only Thing,” following legendary head coach Vince Lombardi’s death from cancer. Finally, Kramer and Schaap wrote “Distant Replay” following the Packers’ Super Bowl I championship team reunion.
Kramer has also released a CD set, “Inside the Locker Room,” in 2005. His most recent work came in 2023, when he co-wrote “Run to Win” with Bob Fox.
