The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Wednesday announced that many former teammates of Reggie White, including Santana Dotson, Sean Jones, Frank Winters, William Henderson, Edgar Bennett and LeRoy Butler, will be on hand to help honor the late White at the 2006 Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, to be held the evening of July 22, 2006, in the Lambeau Field Atrium.
The former teammates each will be introduced and offer their thoughts and memories about the late, great Packers defensive end after his presentation for induction by another former teammate, Keith Jackson.
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.
Also participating in the banquet will be Donald Driver, Nick Collins and Samkon Gado. They will be receiving awards for 'Most Valuable Player,' 'Defensive Rookie of the Year' and 'Offensive Rookie of the Year,' respectively.
Former Packers center Larry McCarren, game analyst on the Packers Radio Network and sports director at WFRV-TV CBS 5 in Green Bay, will emcee the banquet. 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. 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.
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.
