GREEN BAY – As retiring Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy embarks on his final Tailgate Tour, he's anticipating Green Bay's hosting of the 2025 NFL Draft being the biggest topic of conversation around the state.
It's quite the contrast from his first Tailgate Tour in the summer of 2008, when former quarterback Brett Favre had decided to unretire just before the tour bus hit the road.
"It's a little nostalgic. I've enjoyed them all," Murphy said on a chilly Tuesday morning in the Lambeau Field parking lot before boarding the bus for the last time. "My first one was pretty memorable.
"It's been a lot of fun. I do think it's something that really sets us apart from other professional sports organizations that we do something like this."
In addition to Murphy, the 19th annual tour includes current players Tucker Kraft and Lukas Van Ness, along with alumni Marco Rivera, Ahman Green, Tony Fisher, Bill Schroeder and John Michels.
When the bus returns after planned stops in Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse and Wausau, along with several surprise visits along the way, the construction of the NFL Draft stage in the northeast corner of the Lambeau parking lot will be that much further along.
Murphy was at league meetings in Florida last week, so he got his first look at the progress when he got back, and everything will move that much closer to the finish line by the time he returns from this trip.
Hosting the draft is the best "swan song" Murphy could ask for as his tenure comes to a close, and he feels everyone in the organization is taking pride in the opportunity to showcase Lambeau Field, Green Bay and the state of Wisconsin toward the end of the month.
"The league is excited about it, too, because it's so different than the other cities that have hosted it," Murphy said, promising the production will have a Green Bay flavor, without divulging specifics.
"The countdown clock in the Atrium is a daily reminder how fast it's coming up. It's pretty impressive how quickly the league has come in and started to put things up. You can see it'll definitely be ready when the draft comes."
The next few days will focus on giving back to the fans and their communities, though, which the players are looking forward to as well.
Kraft noted one issue he's passionate about is food security, so stopping at a food pantry will be among the highlights for him. The third-year tight end was asked to go on the Tailgate Tour last year but had a conflict, which he regretted. He lives in Green Bay fulltime now and says it's "pretty easy" to get immersed in the area.
"The fans and the community, they wrap their arms around you," Kraft said. "Being a Packer, it's more than just being on the team. We're gonna hop on the bus and meet some people."
Those folks will certainly give Murphy a proper sendoff as he passes the leadership torch to Ed Policy, who isn't able to go on this tour due to all the draft preparations at Lambeau. Back in 2008, Murphy's predecessor Bob Harlan – who started the Tailgate Tour a couple years prior – accompanied the new team president as the transition was finalized.
Now it's Murphy's final tour, another of his "lasts" that have only brought back memories of his "firsts" and everything in between.
"Actually, I've been savoring (these moments) for 17, 18 years," Murphy said. "I feel very honored to have been in the position I've been in for so long.
"It's really just an opportunity to thank our fans. We're very fortunate. Every team in the league says they have the best fans, but I think we're the ones that can really say it and know that it's true."
