Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jerry Kramer - Run to Win: My Packers Life from Lombardi to Canton

ABOUT JERRY KRAMER AND RUN TO WIN

"You can if you will." A phrase uttered to a young Jerry Kramer by his line coach at Sandpoint High School in tiny Sandpoint, Idaho, that would go on to push him to a celebrated NFL career with the Green Bay Packers and a sentiment that he would repeat to close his speech at his long awaited enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame almost seven decades later in 2018.

In the spirit of Jerry Kramer's unforgettable and bestselling collaborations with the great Dick Schaap, his first book about his life and career in over two decades, Run to Win will serve as Kramer's definitive statement about a remarkable life and career of perseverance, teamwork, and gridiron greatness. Spanning the beginning of the legendary Vince Lombardi era through Kramer's confoundingly long wait to receive his bust in Canton, Kramer tells his amazing story as one of the most memorable and toughest Packers in franchise history.

Including insightful commentary about the eminently intriguing Lombardi, as well as fellow Hall of Fame teammates Jim Taylor, Forrest Gregg, Willie Davis, Bart Starr, Emlen Tunnell, and many more, Run to Win is a must read for all true Packers fans from one of the legends who helped lay the foundation for one of the most identifiable and successful franchises in the history of professional sports.

JERRY KRAMER BIO

Jerry Kramer overcame a series of childhood injuries to become an excellent football ball player at the University of Idaho. The guard was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fourth round (39th player overall) of the 1958 NFL Draft. He starred for the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1968, playing most of his 11-season career under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi.

Upon his entry into the NFL, he soon was hailed as one of the best blockers in the game and earned his first All-NFL acclaim in 1960, the same year the Packers lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL Championship Game -- Kramer's only career postseason loss.

He continued his high level of play all while overcoming several debilitating injuries. In 1961, he missed several games due to a broken ankle that required a permanent pin to heal. Then, in 1964, he missed most of the season due to intestinal infections from wood splinters in his abdomen that required eight surgeries to rectify. In each instance, he returned to All-NFL form.

Kramer played 130 games as the Packers guard and served as the team's placekicker for several seasons. His leadership and talents helped the franchise capture five NFL championships and victories in Super Bowls I and II.

At the time of his retirement in 1968, he held the NFL Championship Game record for most field goal attempts in a game (five against the New York Giants in 1962) and the Packers' team record for most PATs in a season (43 in 1963).

He earned All-NFL acclaim five times (1960, 1962-63, 1966-67) and was voted to three Pro Bowls. Kramer was also named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s, the NFL's 50th Anniversary Team in 1969 and the Super Bowl Silver Anniversary Team.

Get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Run-Win-Packers-Lombardi-Canton/dp/1637273002