Rip fuzzy thurston

[ivo610]

Any favorite memories?

 

[nlferts]

Yes, my grandfather actually met him. Fuzzy was in Rockton where my grandfather happened to meet him at a a place called the Wagon Wheel, back in the late fifties. My grandfather struck up a conversation and casually told him that he had been trying to get season tickets to the Packers for some time. I'm not sure how Fuzzy did it, but he hooked him up, and my family has had season tickets ever since.

 

[GoPGo]

I was at Fuzzy's one time about 15 years ago when some drunk idiot started causing problems with a couple of girls there. Fuzzy looked around and said, "Where's Jack (I'm guessing the bouncer that night?)" After looking around for about 10 seconds he said, "F*** it. I'll do it." He started walking toward the guy with a glare in his eye that could put the fear of God in an atheist. The guy turned toward him for a second and when he saw who it was, he turned and tried to run out the door but he tripped on a chair and landed flat on his face. The entire place got a good laugh.

 

[El Guapo]

I never met him but have heard many stories. He sounded like a great man and is a big part of the reason that we all love the Packers. He helped make them a success.

 

[TJV]

Rest in peace, Fuzzy. I don’t have any out-of-the-ordinary anecdotes about him but he was in integral part of Lombardi’s OLs. He wasn’t the most talented OL but this is from the jsonline story about him “Thurston, however, took exception to the notion that he was just a hustling overachiever. He made All-Pro twice and Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly ranked him among the toughest linemen he'd faced.” http://www.jsonline.com/sports/fuzz...r-60s-packers-dies-b99405283z1-285759381.html

Even after suffering a financial calamity and poor health, he appreciated the good fortune he experienced in his life. He was another great ambassador from the Lombardi Packers. He almost made it to 81 years old and because of the onset of dementia - in my opinion – his death, like most of his life, was a blessing.

RIP 63, you helped to provide a generation of Packers fans with memories that will last our lifetimes.

 

[David22]

My father, who has been a Packers fan for fifty years since they played the Cleveland Browns in the 1965 championship game, told me that Fuzzy Thurston was an amazing asset to the offensive line of the Lombardi era. He has told me many times that Mr. Thurston, along with the other offensive linemen of the Lombardi era - Jim Ringo, Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer, Bob Skoronski, John Dittrich, Norm Masters, Andy Cvercko, Ken Iman, John Miller, Ed Blaine, Dan Grimm, Ken Bowman, John McDowell, Lloyd Voss, Steve Wright, Gale Gillingham, and Bob Hyland - if they were on the offensive line of today (even though the guys we got already - David Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga, Garth Gerhart, T.J. Lang, Corey Linsley, Josh Sitton, Lane Taylor, and J.C. Tretter are amazing, too), our running game with Eddie Lacy, DuJuan Harris, John Kuhn, and James Starks would be just unstoppable beyond compassion. I could not agree with my father any more than that. Every time I see Mr. Lacy, Mr. Harris, Mr. Kuhn or Mr. Starks break away from the defense and take off, I often imagine the Lombardi era offensive line protecting them - even though I love our offensive line of today just as much.

 

[HardRightEdge]

His playing legacy begins and ends with the Power Sweep.

 

[HardRightEdge]

My father, who has been a Packers fan for fifty years since they played the Cleveland Browns in the 1965 championship game, told me that Fuzzy Thurston was an amazing asset to the offensive line of the Lombardi era. He has told me many times that Mr. Thurston, along with the other offensive linemen of the Lombardi era - Jim Ringo, Forrest Gregg, Jerry Kramer, Bob Skoronski, John Dittrich, Norm Masters, Andy Cvercko, Ken Iman, John Miller, Ed Blaine, Dan Grimm, Ken Bowman, John McDowell, Lloyd Voss, Steve Wright, Gale Gillingham, and Bob Hyland - if they were on the offensive line of today (even though the guys we got already - David Bakhtiari, Bryan Bulaga, Garth Gerhart, T.J. Lang, Corey Linsley, Josh Sitton, Lane Taylor, and J.C. Tretter are amazing, too), our running game with Eddie Lacy, DuJuan Harris, John Kuhn, and James Starks would be just unstoppable beyond compassion. I could not agree with my father any more than that. Every time I see Mr. Lacy, Mr. Harris, Mr. Kuhn or Mr. Starks break away from the defense and take off, I often imagine the Lombardi era offensive line protecting them - even though I love our offensive line of today just as much.

It is appropriate to honor players for their accomplishments in their time, excelling in the game they were playing.

To transport them into today's game is both unfair and inaccurate.

Those Lombardi linemen played in the range of 240 - 250 lbs., give or take, playing against 240-250 lb. defensive linemen. Ringo in particular was small...typically listed around 230 lbs. though I've read he may have played as low as 215 lbs. at times.

Would those guys outrun today's linemen in a 40 yd. dash? Maybe. In Kramer's case, probably. But they'd get manhandled by today's defenses.

In the end, the accomplishments of players in the early days of the modern game are unfairly diminished in comparisons to modern players.

 

[bozz_2006]

In... 2007? I think? My parents, brother, and I drove with my dad's friend (Don) and his wife (Tina) to Green Bay for the Packers/Vikings game. Don and Tina are Vikings fans.

We were at Fuzz's place before the game, chatting with him. Tina said hello and Fuzz responded, but of course since he had the trach it was tough to make out what he was saying. She leaned in and said "What's tha....." and before should could finish, Fuzzy had given her a full on mouth kiss. Tina didn't know what to do, everyone else seemed kind of shocked, Fuzzy had a big ol' pervy ****-eating-grin on his face, and I was laughing my @$$ off! That is a forever memory. Sorry you had to be sexually assaulted in the process, Tina!

 

[desertdog55]

Yep the power sweep is how I remember him......RIP

 

[El Guapo]

Fuzzy had given her a full on mouth kiss.

Sounds like he never lost his touch with the power sweep