Former Green Bay Packers team president Bob Harlan, who led the team to two Super Bowl championships, has died at the age of 89.
Harlan became team president in 1989, two decades after the Vince Lombardi era had ended and the team had lost much of its luster. However, shortly after he took over stewardship of the franchise, he hired Ron Wolf as general manager and the Packers began a climb to title contention and a Super Bowl championship.
Wolf hired Mike Holmgren as the Green Bay head coach. Wolf also made deals to bring Reggie White and Brett Favre to the team. The Packers would go on to win Super Bowl XXXI.
“Bob Harlan gave me an opportunity, and I am deeply indebted to him for that. His greatest trait, in my opinion, is that he was an honorable man, a man of his word, a man of character,” Wolf said in a statement that was released by the team. “He was an honor to know and a pleasure to work with.”
Harlan served as the team president through 2008. One of the key moves made in his latter years with the team was the hiring of Ted Thompson as general manager. One of the key moves of the Thompson regime was the drafting of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
After biding his time as a backup to Favre, Rodgers became one of the most prolific and accurate quarterbacks in NFL history and he led the team to another Super Bowl title. Green Bay earned its fourth Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLV.
