Green Bay Packers Fans: It’s Time to Suit Up
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 26, 2025
UW-Green Bay and the Packers Hall of Fame Offer ‘The Packers and the Draft’ Virtual History Sessions
Green Bay, WI — As the Draft returns to Wisconsin (for the second time in history!) UW-Green Bay and the Packers Hall of Fame are offering fans far and wide an opportunity to dig deep into the franchise’s history and relationship with the league’s annual player selection process in the weeks leading up to the end-of-April event.
‘The Packers and the Draft’ program offers three virtual sessions for fans to explore the history of the Packers, their legendary draft picks and their intriguing stories. In addition, fans will learn more about the grading systems that professional football teams use to lessen the risk in the draft.
Participants can listen in ‘live’ on Wednesday, April 2, 9 and 16, 2025 from 6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom, or listen at their convenience to the recorded sessions.
The Draft is a much-anticipated annual event in American Football that catapults the host city into the national spotlight. The sessions are steeped in Packers’ lore and highlight the draft’s importance to the city of Green Bay and the Green Bay Packers.
The instructor for this unique history lesson is Brent Hensel, Curator, Packers Hall of Fame. Hensel is responsible for preserving more than a century of Green Bay Packers organization history. The Hall of Fame gets to record, safeguard and illustrate all the special moments that happen on and off the field each season, and then share it with Packers fans everywhere.
Session 1: April 2
Before the inaugural draft in 1936, players were free to sign with any team. The Packers would select Russ Letlow, a future Packers Hall of Famer, with their first-ever selection. Learn the story of how Milwaukee hosted the 1940 draft, before the Packers played in the 1939 Championship game.
Session 2: April 9
The draft became a battleground between the National Football League and the American Football League. Vince Lombardi was at the forefront of integrating the league including through the draft. This included drafting black players with early round selections.
Session 3: April 16
The draft becomes a national phenomenon. Led by front office officials like Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson, the Packers find talent in all rounds of the draft and make bold trades for talented star quarterbacks.
To learn more about ‘The Packers & the Draft,’ visit the event website. If you have any questions please contact Heidi Jahnke, UW-Green Bay program specialist, at jahnkeh@uwgb.edu or 920-465-2391.
UW-Green Bay also offers two Green Bay Packers certificate program, led by Hensel: History of the Green Bay Packers and Green Bay Packers Return to Glory.
About UW-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a school of resilient problem solvers who dare to reach higher with the power of education that ignites growth and answers the biggest challenges. Serving 11,188 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students as well as 85,883 continuing education learners annually, UW-Green Bay offers 200 academic degrees, programs, and certificates. With four campus locations in Northeast Wisconsin, the University’s access mission welcomes all students who want to learn, from every corner of the world. Championing bold thinking since opening its doors in 1965, it is a university on the rise – Wisconsin’s fastest-growing UW. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
###
