Bob Harlan: The key man

Continued from previous week

Editor’s Note: In last week’s segment of this story, the last quote of the story should have been attributes to former Packers GM Ron Wolf.

Once Ron Wolf got Brett Favre, he went after Mike Holmgren.

“Holmgren was the greatest assistant in the NFL, hottest name in the league at the time as the offensive coordinator of the (San Francisco) 49ers,” Bob Harlan recalled.

“He could have gone any place in the country; he came to Green Bay.

“Then he went after Reggie White, the most talented free agent of the National Football League we’ve ever had.”

At that time, it appeared that the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins were in the lead for getting Reggie. and it was reported that teams were heavily wooing Reggie’s wife, Sara.

The Packers’ pursuit of Reggie is stuff that legends are made of: when snow grounded commercial flights into Green Bay, preventing a willing White and his agent from getting into the city, a local company’s plane was borrowed.

While other teams were pouring lavish gifts on the couple, the Packers kept it simple and straightforward.

Reggie White liked catfish, but the only place to get it was Red Lobster.

Wolf told Reggie, “You’re already a great football player. You come here (and) you’ll be a legend.”

In the end, Reggie came to Green Bay on a $17 million contract, signing in April 1993.

“So the thing that I give Ron credit for, not only did he come in here and take over, he went after big things. He wasn’t going to settle for mediocre players, he went after a great young quarterback, as it turns out, after the best trade at the National Football League had ever had, and the most successful assistant coach in the league,” added Harlan.

“I asked Mike Holmgren about five years after, I said, ‘Mike, why did you come to Green Bay when you could have gone anyplace else in the league?’ He said, ‘Because of Ron Wolf. I knew Ron Wolf would get me players.’

“And so I’ve always said, ‘The key man in any organization has got to be your general manager. If you don’t have the right kind of chair, you’re in trouble.’”

To be continued