Bart Starr has died. Starr had a long and successful playing career in the National Football League. For its entirety, he was a member of the Green Bay Packers.
Initially, Starr got off to a slow start in the NFL. But he would go on to be considered one of the greatest football players of all-time.
A storied career as a quarterback in the National Football League
Starr played collegiately with the University of Alabama.
He played in three different positions. These include safety and punter, but it was at quarterback that he would shine. He would help Alabama win the 1953 Orange Bowl.
At roughly the same time, the university's basketball coach was Johnny Dee. Dee was friends Jack Vainisi, a member of the front office of the Green Bay Packers. After Dee recommended Starr to Vainisi, the Packers would select him as the 200th pick in 1956 NFL Draft.
Starr's professional playing career was at first somewhat unremarkable. Things began to change in 1959. That year, the Packers hired Vince Lombardi away from the New York Giants to become their new head coach.
Lombardi and Starr would become one of the most successful quarterback-coach duos in football history. Among their highlighted games is the famed 1967 'Ice Bowl', in which Starr recorded the winning score.
Together, they would win five NFL Championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Starr was named the MVP for both and was the league MVP for 1966. During that stretch, he was a four-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection. Starr was eventually named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He has also been inducted in the Packers Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. His jersey number of 15 was also retired by the Packers.
After his retirement from playing, Starr returned to the Packers, at first as an assistant coach.
Afterward, he became a businessman and worked as an analyst for CBS. Later, Starr returned again to the Packers. This time, as head coach and general manager. Even after his tenure was done, Starr was frequently seen at Packers home games, as USA Today documents.
His health had dramatically declined
After his days with the Packers in an official capacity had come to a close, Starr faced tough battles. Among them was the death of his youngest son, Bret.
Starr's health would eventually decline rapidly. ESPN reports that his wife believes past football injuries were part of the cause. He would go through multiple strokes and seizures and a heart attack. Eventually, significant brain damage began to set in.
On May 26, Starr died in Birmingham, Alabama. The cause given was complications from a stroke.