NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
Bob Harlan, who served as president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers for nearly two decades, has died. He was 89 years old.
The Packers announced Harlan’s death earlier Thursday, saying his family informed them of his death after a brief illness. Team historian Cliff Christl noted that Harlan had recently been hospitalized with pneumonia.
Current Packers president and CEO Ed Policy released a statement.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PakGazette.Com
Bob Harlan, former CEO of the Green Bay Packers, speaks during a news conference regarding the retirement of quarterback Brett Favre at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on March 4, 2008. (Matt Ludtke/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The Packers family was saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Harlan,” Policy’s statement on social media read.
“Bob was a visionary leader whose impact on the franchise was transformative. From his inspired hiring of Ron Wolf to turn around the club’s fortunes on the field to his tireless work to rebuild Lambeau Field, Bob restored the Packers to competitive excellence during his tenure and helped ensure our unique and cherished flagship NFL franchise was on solid footing for sustained generational success.
“We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Madeline, and the entire Harlan family.”
Harlan joined the Packers in 1971, but was not elected president and CEO until 1989. But after being chosen to lead the publicly owned franchise, he did not leave the position until he retired in 2008.
Harlan was instrumental in returning the Packers to consistent winners in the NFL, or as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said, he returned the franchise to its tradition.
“Bob restored the Packers’ tradition of excellence, winning a Super Bowl and renovating Lambeau Field into the iconic venue it is today,” Goodell said in a statement. “He also contributed substantially to our league, helping to ensure that every city, large or small, could succeed.”
Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan greets the crowd at the renovated Lambeau Field on September 6, 2003, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
The Packers had winning seasons from 1992 to 2004 under Harlan, including a Super Bowl victory in 1997 when Brett Favre, whom Wolf acquired from the Atlanta Falcons, led the way through those years and more as a franchise quarterback.
As Policy mentioned, Harlan had a vision for the franchise, which included a $295 million renovation of the iconic Lambeau Field.
“Bob Harlan’s leadership of the Green Bay Packers was outstanding,” Favre said in a statement released by the team. “Hiring Ron Wolf and supporting the trade that brought me to Green Bay changed my career. The organization believed in me and gave me the opportunity.
Green Bay Packers president Bob Harlan speaks about the renovation of Lambeau Field from a luxury box at the stadium on July 28, 2003, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
“He was very supportive of me during the challenges I faced in my career. Challenges my family also faced. He was always there offering his support. He was a great and kind man.”
Harlan is also the father of sportscaster Kevin Harlan.
Related article
