But at some point, while we weren't paying attention, while we were watching Don Majkowski and then Brett Favre and then Aaron Rodgers, the men who built Titletown grew old and stooped and gray. The Glory Years became the Golden Years.
"These players are held on such a high pedestal as legends," says Rick Moncher, a sports memorabilia dealer who specializes in 1960s-era Packers and has exclusive signing rights with Starr and Taylor. "They're thought of so highly that people forget they are mere mortals.
"They may have won five championships, but Father Time is undefeated."
Of the 37 men who played in at least one game on Lombardi's first team in 1959, 19 — more than half — are dead. The youngest living member of that team is 77 and the average age is 79.8.
Of the 43 men who played on Lombardi's last team in 1967, 14 are dead (33%). The average age of those still alive is 72.2.
"I was a rookie in 1964 but most of the guys who played on those first two Super Bowl teams came to the Packers in '56, '57 and '58," Long says. "I am 72 now, so most of those great players are turning 80.
"And once you get to 80, all bets are off."
Some died young. Emlen Tunnell in 1975. Henry Jordan in 1977. Travis Williams in 1991. Ron Kostelnik in 1993. Nitschke, Elijah Pitts and Lionel Aldridge, all in 1998. Max McGee died in 2007.
Just in the last four years, Packer Nation has lost Ron Kramer, Jim Temp, Jesse Whittenton, Gale Gillingham, Claudis James, Lew Carpenter, Joe Francis and Norm Masters.
"Our numbers," says Zeke Bratkowski, "are diminishing."
In 2016, the NFL will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Super Bowl I. Some of the Packers have heard rumors that the league plans to honor the '66 team in some fashion, perhaps by flying the players — and the widows of those who have died — to San Francisco for a reunion.
"It's going to be interesting," Long says, "to see how many players from our Super Bowl I team will still be alive."
