With three games remaining on the schedule, running back Ahman Green needs just eight yards Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars to reach the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the fifth time in his five seasons in Green Bay.
Since arriving from the Seattle Seahawks in a trade before the 2000 season, Green has put up four of the top seven rushing seasons in Packers history, including last year's team-record 1,883 yards on the ground.
His fifth season campaign of 1,000-plus yards will match Hall of Fame fullback Jim Taylor's club-high five (also achieved in consecutive seasons from 1960-64) and will be just the 18th in club annals. John Brockington and Dorsey Levens are the only other Packers to record multiple millennium seasons for the Green and Gold with two each.
While Green is proud of his achievements, he's not making a big deal about crossing the 1,000-yard plateau.
"That's basically our goal every year, to get over 1,000," said the running back. "It will just be a goal reached and another goal is going out there and playing well against Jacksonville, because we know it's going to be tough against them."
One of the men responsible for leading the way for Green's runs for the record books said that he's proud of helping Green gain 1,000, but that they have more goals to reach for.
"1,500 is more what you shoot for," said right tackle Mark Tauscher. "But we'll gladly try to put him over the top this week and try to build on it the rest of the season. 1,000 yards is still a big deal and it's something that Ahman takes pride in and we as a group up front take a lot of pride in."
Just Another High School Reunion
For many people, getting together with old high school classmates can be an experience they don't particularly look forward to. For one Packer, however, it seems like he's going to a high school reunion every Sunday he steps on the playing field lately.
Defensive end Aaron Kampman, a graduate of Iowa's Aplington-Parkersburg High School, is one of four current NFL players from the school in a town with a population of less than 2,000.
Last Sunday, fellow defensive end Jared DeVries was part of the visiting party when the Detroit Lions came to Lambeau Field. Kansas City Chiefs center Casey Wiegmann was another alumnus to come to Green Bay last season.
This week, Kampman will see another familiar face on the other side of the ball in Jaguars' center Brad Meester. Kampman is especially looking forward to this match-up, since the two have an even more special bond.
"There's a special relationship - he married my cousin, so it's definitely one of those things where I know a lot about him and he knows a lot about me," Kampman said. "We won't face each other a whole lot in the game, but it will just be fun to compete.
"It'll be great. We've never played in a regular season game. It will be a nice opportunity to get a chance to play against him."
