As a lifelong Packers fan, I am well aware of the team’s storied history and great tradition. Championships and Super Bowls were once commonplace for the franchise, but I wasn’t able to experience the team’s last title in 1997. Up until 2010, I felt like I was missing out on what many Packers fans had already experienced.
Their current run started with the drafting of Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was drafted in 2005 but sat behind Brett Favre for three seasons, and it wasn’t until 2008 that Rodgers made his first start in the green and gold. In my mind, 2009 was the year where he showed us all how good he really was. Even though the season ended with a first round loss to the Cardinals, Rodgers was amazing. At the end of the year, I knew the Packers had another stud at the QB position.
I’ve always thought that every team with a great QB will win at least one Super Bowl. Everyone knows about Marino’s lack of a ring because of how rare it is. With that in mind, after the loss to the Cardinals I told myself that with Rodgers at the helm, I would almost definitely get to see the Packers win it all within the next decade.
The next year was up and down but entering Week 16, the Packers still controlled their own destiny. I watched on the edge of my seat as we closed out the season with crucial victories over the Giants and Bears, but it was in the playoffs where things really started to heat up. The Packers became road warriors with wins at Philly, Atlanta and Chicago.
With the Super Bowl on hand, I realized that this just might be the year.
I couldn’t have been more pleased with the opening, as the Packers jumped out to a 21-3 start. We maintained a lead the entire game, but that didn’t stop me from being nervous. With two minutes left Roethlisberger and the Steelers got the ball with only a six-point deficit. I couldn’t believe what was happening. I kept thinking about how the Steelers would drive down the field and score, beating us by just a point. Miraculously, the defense stopped Big Ben and Co. on fourth down, allowing the Packers offense to run out the clock.
The franchise had successfully transitioned from Favre to Rodgers and the Packers were on top of the world. Finally, I knew what it was like to win it all. As I watched the screen, riveted as the confetti rained down, something entered my mind that so many Packer fans have thought before me.
We’re Super Bowl Champions.