Larry McCarren, game analyst on the Packers Radio Network and sports director at WFRV-TV CBS 5 in Green Bay, has been named emcee of the 36th Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, to be held the evening of July 22, 2006, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.
Himself inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1992, McCarren was an iron man at center for the Packers for 12 seasons (1973-84). He played in 162 consecutive games - the fourth-longest streak in team history - helping him earn the nickname 'Rock.' He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1982 and '83. Earlier, the Park Forest, Ill., native had been a co-captain at the University of Illinois as both a junior and senior.
In his second career, McCarren has been sports director at WFRV-TV since 1988 and a member of the Packers' radio team since 1995. He three times has been voted Wisconsin 'Sportscaster of the Year' (1994, 1996, 2002) by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. A gifted and entertaining speaker, McCarren has been a frequent master of ceremonies for the enshrinement banquet over the past decade.
White, who passed away on Dec. 26, 2004, is the most honored athlete ever to play defensive end in the NFL and was a key player for the Packers' 1996 team that won Super Bowl XXXI.
In honor of the huge impact "The Minister of Defense" had during his six-year Packers career (1993-98), the Packers retired his No. 92 at the 2005 home opener, Sept. 18, vs. Cleveland.
White joined the Packers as the NFL's most sought-after free agent in 1993 and immediately elevated the performance of the Green and Gold's defense. After finishing 23rd in the league in 1992, the unit rose to No. 2 in 1993. The defense ranked No. 1 during the 1996 championship season, the first such ranking since 1967.
White went on to finish his Packers' career with 681/2 sacks and made the Pro Bowl each year, capping off his Green Bay tenure as the 1998 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In NFL annals, White ranks second all-time with 198 career sacks. Additionally, he was elected to the NFL's 75th anniversary all-time team and is the only member of Pro Football Weekly's all-decade team for both the 1980s and 1990s.
In addition to White's induction, the Hall of Fame will formally induct this year's FAN honoree, Kathy Lazzaro.
Tickets for the banquet, which begins with cocktails at 4:30 p.m., with dinner and program to follow at 7 p.m., are $110 each. Tables of 10 also are available and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Early reservations are recommended. To purchase tickets, call Gwen Borga at 920/965-6984, or e-mail her at gborga@packerhalloffame.org.
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Inc. is a non-profit corporation independent of the Green Bay Packers that guides the Hall as a historic national sports venue and educational resource to the Green Bay community and the state of Wisconsin. The Hall raises funds through its annual induction banquet, golf outing and other events to develop new exhibits and expand its archives. Historic memorabilia donated by individuals to the Hall may qualify as tax-deductible gifts.
This year's Hall of Fame Golf Classic is set for Monday, July 10, at The Bull, in Sheboygan Falls, Wis.
Originally established in 1967 as a temporary display in the concourse of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena, the Hall moved into its own facility in 1976 near Lambeau Field. In 2003, it was relocated to a spectacular new, 25,000-square foot facility in the Lambeau Field Atrium. The Hall of Fame is open on non-game days from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Hours may vary on game days and holidays. For more information, contact the Hall of Fame at 920/569-7512.
