The Story Of The 2010 Green Bay Packers

[Music] [Music] it's kind of a morning routine that I go through you know get up early Green Bay Z you know metropolis here so we have free Starbucks in town and you know it opens at 5:30 and I get to that day skinny but not a lot they no phone because when you pay over four bucks for a cup of coffee and they fill up with half fo my I have I started with that bulb it will just go through the things I have in front of me he'll spend 10 to 15 minutes drinking a cup of coffee and just get myself ready for the day Mike McCarthy is head coach of the world champion Green Bay Packers sometimes as the Sun creeps up over Lambeau Field he thinks about his first job back then young Michael was one of five McCarthy kids who grew up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Greenfield he worked at his dad's bar and had to clean the bathroom she guys didn't always hit their targets so it was something I didn't look forward to do after church on Sunday morning so that was that was my first job later as an unpaid assistant at the University of Pittsburgh he made ends meet as a Turnpike toll collector on the graveyard shift in 1999 McCarthy turned in his playbook and got the pink slip from these same Packers when Ray Rhodes and his entire staff were sent packing oh yeah I was very just what I was like yeah I mean it's under you're fired as a coaching staff here you're very disappointed you didn't do a good enough job and when I left after that season I thought the only time I'll ever see this place again was probably as a visiting coach in 2005 McCarthy became offensive coordinator of the 49ers in the upcoming draft San Francisco had the first pick and wanted a quarterback one of the candidates McCarthy interviewed was a 49er fan who grew up down the road in Chico California I dreamt about being the quarterback of the San Cisco 49ers I used to draw level plays on no cards and and dream I was Joe Montana throwing passes in the backyard with dad Aaron Rodgers didn't get a single division 1 scholarship offer you know I got recruited by big schools like Lewis and Clark and Claremont McKenna and Occidental and places you probably never heard of before lesser-known still was Rogers local school tiny Butte Community College and I said there's no way I'm ever going to view college that was just I felt like I was ready to play it at an individual new program Butte it was but after just one season Rodgers transferred to Cal there his talents was showcased for all to see especially the nearby 49ers [Music] I met with Mike McCarthy and he said I think we're going to pick you I mean this is a no-brainer like I'm from Chicco three hours away went to Berkley best quarterback in the draft I mean let's make it happen while Rogers did things the hard way Charles Woodson did things his way born with severely clubbed feet he pushed himself until he could outrun everyone he was named Ohio's mr. football but he bolted to Michigan despite playing mostly defense he won the Heisman Trophy anyway Woodson was cocky and defiant a perfect fit it seemed for the Raiders in Oakland Woodson lost games and he lost his fire in the 2001 playoffs his apparent game-winning sack and forced fumble of Tom Brady was overturned in a bitter defeat in the Super Bowl a year later he struggled on a still healing broken leg and the Raiders were beaten badly after eight seasons Oakland released Woodson he was an unwanted free agent I thought I was done I thought I couldn't play the game anymore he's lost a step can't coach him sleeping in meetings bad locker room guy could I still play football no question about it in time a written off cast off an underestimated quarterback and a coach once let go by the Packers would all end up in Green Bay [Music] draft-day 2005 it was gonna be a perfect fit being San Francisco much out of the team and I was going to be wearing the red and gold you kind of joke with the guys in the green room on the bus over like he was gonna be the last one in there you know we all thought were going top ten well it's not that funny when it's you with the first selection in the 2005 NFL Draft the San Francisco 49ers select Alex Smith quarterback Utah was the world one second Ronnie Brown third rail and Edward fourth Cedric Benson Parnell Williams Adam Jones Troy Williamson maybe Arizona a Antrel Rolle just kind of sat there and and based in reality of dropping in the draft on the inside there was a lot of disappointment david embarrassment it's just thinking about how hard you work Alex Barron wasn't even worth it very humbly with the 24th selection in the 2005 NFL Draft the Green Bay Packers select Aaron Rodgers man 24 but it was honestly the best thing to happen when I was 21 years old I thought I was the best thing since sliced bread and I needed a little bit of humble pie the quarterback position in Green Bay wasn't a bicycle built for two one man led the Packers three-time MVP Brett Favre drafted a quarterback in the first round is a statement we all know that and I think he was offended by it and and wanted to prove that he was still the best quarterback on the team in the league and and then I was gonna be on the bench for a while in 2006 Mike McCarthy was rehired by the Packers as head coach stuck between his miffed starter and impatient backup McCarthy had another problem charles woodson did not want to be there but he had no other offers he arrived pitching for a fight Charles and the coach there is a confrontation it blew up from there I asked him to leave the field me and him are going at it back and forth there's an opportunity to kind of clear the air and things kind of picked up after that from that moment on we knew what to expect from each other and it's been a it's been a good relationship ever since after a rocky start the heir apparent and the future hall-of-famer found a way to get along two years two and three were great we had a lot of fun together won a lot of games and you know had some had some good times after just two seasons macarthy's Packers hosted the NFC Championship Game Woodson and the defense took a pounding from the Giants but in overtime Favre had the ball and a shot at his third Super Bowl [Applause] Marv's interception was his last pass as a packer after 16 seasons the legend was out and a rod was in the Rogers life with Favre was difficult without it it was horrible a couple people challenged to fight me threats on on my life people talking about I'm gonna break his arm I'm gonna break his legs I just don't understand that when it was how am I the bad guy when all I've been doing is preparing to be a starter and the guy retires and I'm annoyed the starter and I'm just trying to be the starter right let's make some place do another dance let's go a lot of points go on three one two three go in 2008 Rodgers threw for over 4,000 yards and won over every [Applause] in 2009 he threw for 4,000 yards again and made it look easy the only candy from a baby right there Charles Woodson dedicated himself and became the NFL Defensive Player of the Year they were playoff bound and a wild wild card game the Cardinals and Packers ran up 96 points the game went into overtime [Applause] I saw the ball in here I felt like someone shot me shot me in the back I am such a anti dramatic person for me to follow my knees I think I got so damn fast cuz I was embarrassed that I did something like that [Music] after another playoff loss McCarthy did do something dramatic six months before the 2010 season would start he made a change to the Packers hallowed champions meeting room you had all the pictures on this right side all on this left side and they all led up to one space in the corner might put a blank picture up there there's no faces there's not doing it and said this is where our picture would be we can have our picture up on this board and mortalized for every team that ever follow after you that lives on you just knew that you know what that's what we're playing for that's our ultimate goal stay focused I think at the moment we are just got a little you know some goosebumps and say man let's make it happen [Music] Super Bowl 45 would be in North Texas preparations were already underway in Green Bay at the preseason kickoff luncheon we wanted to do something special this year and get a lot of guys involved so I knew in order to make this happen I needed to go out and buy cowboy hats so sure enough I went out and bought about 10 or 12 cowboy hats a couple nice Stetsons we were the classy Cowboys with the cowboy hats and the polos the bolo or string tie with a little emblem at the top we really brought the outfit together it's kind of like the rug in the movie The Big Lebowski that brought the room together the bolo kind of brought in the whole outfit together we're already dressed with Dallas Texas already in an opening day win in Philadelphia Clay Matthews was a Texas tornado with three sex using SAP five sacks now by the Packer defense champ to rockers [Music] here since 1962 that's a nice thing more importantly okay we talked about last night we came here for a win and we came here to grow they've got to grow from Matthews blonde growth made him the center of attention but his antics didn't grow on everyone I don't like to watch him and bring him because I think it's absolutely ridiculous of course that bottle he swings it back I don't know I think it's his uh his Fabio moment I think maybe he loves to play to the camera wants to say as much you know bizarre crazy stuff as you can't I like to tease him about being Hollywood he tries to do the same thing to me [Applause] the difference between him and I is that I'm from Northern California and I act like it and he's from Southern California and he acts like it and I think of it you know if he wasn't any good he'd take a lot of heat for it but he's a heck of a player so nobody gives him anything about it Matthews notched three more sacks in week two against Buffalo Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and ran for 32 he busted out an early championship belt it's something just starting to practice it's definitely something that the fans really enjoy and my teammates do as well the first time I saw it I thought it had a you know sexual connotation to it I was a little concerned but when I was told exactly what it was I think it's kind of neat I've always felt slightly and slighted by the fact that people don't think I'm very athletic so the belt is primarily reserved before homeruns and charity softball games and big runs any time anybody does it it's all it just did the Aaron Rodgers belt it's taken off into a stratosphere of its own the Packers early season fortunes however plummeted I lost three of their next four games two of them and over time check end over end to the uprights and it is for the second weekend hackers lose in Auto field goal the NFL second-youngest team was losing players to 15 in all two injured reserve by far the most in the league Derrick Martin had a nice brand another turn right picking at an ankle injury did not return Donnelly had a shoulder injury did not return Clay Matthews had a hamstring strain and Aaron Rodgers had a concussion here at the end of the game injuries kept coming it was my man you know as our seasoning domed already we didn't understand what was going on understand how we were going to get out of it so I think at that time mentally we were just scrambling about how this season was going to play out [Music] well it's the figure-eight in just a ball handling drill you do it by timing and there's something I've kept score through San Francisco New Orleans Kansas City all the old scores and in air air has broken all the records i watch Stefan 15 years 13 he don't know how good that is and I will be little cocky here there's really nobody that they brought in they brought a number of quarterbacks there's nobody they brought in who can compete with me in those finger angels there was one man Rogers had never be in 2009 he had lost twice to Brett Favre and the Vikings the two faced off again in week seven it was personal you know it was personal not only for us as players but it was personal for that state of Wisconsin we have to beat Brett Farr is the guy who led us for sixteen years and now he's playing for the purple team over there we got to beat him Rogers won the duel and the Packers on the game [Applause] first men fighting far to the controls the victory over Favre ignited a four-game winning streak [Music] here's a stamp to get that quick [Applause] in the rematch against Favre and Minnesota Rogers threw four touchdown passes while old number was then people [Music] those are two big games forced from a momentum standpoint I think important from a you know from a psyche as well just to know that we were able to win those games against a guy who really wanted to beat the Packers bad we got a foot on the gas hands on the wheel we're looking straight ahead I think we had our foot on the gas and our hands out the window but the keys would never end ignition that was because of the flat tire they got in Atlanta despite a comeback capped by a late Rodgers touchdown pass the Packers lost in the final seconds [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] they made one more plane we did the one thing it did come on that game our guys our guys had a lot of confidence that if we played that team again that would be ready for they were seven and four December would decide if they'd achieved the goal they set back in March [Music] Mike McCarthy is superstitious he uses a red sharpie in the first half and the black or blue one in the second in case I lose a Sharpie I have backup service in my pocket I think when I reach back I missed it wasn't there there's a good minute later figured I was in my hat again San Francisco Donald Driver turned into play that no one could ever have written up [Applause] we guy who gets close to him he slaps him in the back slaps him behind he keeps running somebody jumps on his back those that guys buy them and just one of the most incredible place that you'd ever see you know in your lifetime the following week in a loss to the Lions there was a memorable play of a much different kind Roger steps to the pocket of the cruncher steps up Rochester and Rogers slow to get up my teammates were telling me to stay down I was saying get me up not on those words my chin strap was just below my nose I was out of it I think at some point after having one concussion already that season you start to really think about you know your health and after football and what am i doing out here and I just had to had to tell Doc's you know what I don't remember what happened and you don't say it at the time we you're a little bit scared devastated you concerned about your friend that was a tough loss for us because we not only lost that game but we lost one of the best players on our team Rodgers sat out the next week in New England the Packers lost by four they were eight and since two games remain if the packers didn't win the boat they'd be out of the playoffs after the week off Rodgers played his finest game of the season against the Giants he threw for over 400 yards the Packers stayed alive in the season finale the stakes were clear when and they're in you definitely don't want these bones in the playoff I've got to go ahead and punch out chicken in get in the dance [Music] the Packers beat the Bears just barely ten to three they were in the playoffs the sixth and final see [Applause] congratulation were one two six one two six our path has been set [Music] [Applause] [Music] to be a champion the Packers would have to win four straight games away from Lambeau Field they had to take it one step at a time 16 course we got 16 quarters left 16 quarters in Philadelphia stopping Michael Vick was job 1 he was sacked on the game's first play and pressured throughout [Applause] after caging Philadelphia's prime weapon Green Bay unleashed a previously unknown weapon of its own a rookie runner who was injured most of the year James Starks ran for 123 yards Aaron Rodgers threw for three scores the Packers led by five in the final minutes I all we need is one play one play continues to move down the 45 seconds remaining one fix now [Applause] [Applause] 12 quarters 12 to go [Applause] in the rematch in Atlanta the packers erupted for 35 straight points [Applause] blocker since William [Applause] in the freezer baby coming to freeze in the freezer desperate to turn the tide the falcons john abraham taunted rogers by stealing his belt I think any good celebration is made better when it's copied and locked in the John Abraham case I was able to get the last laugh Rogers was 31 of 36 with four touchdowns one of the greatest performances in NFL playoff history I don't know what it was but I felt like that they were not gonna be able to take me down got out of two or three sacks at Sugarman sacks and was able to make some plays outside the pocket that even surprised myself [Music] [Applause] buddhini you know what if i want to put the ball in a certain number i was going to every single time if I was rolling to my right and they throw across my body to Donnell drivers one in route I could put the ball around the money most nights where I felt in complete control well that was one of my favorite belts that I put on kind of remind mr. Abraham and the fans that I still had the belt on it was that's pretty special one supposed to be played that sees in the Windy City or the Pacific Northwest but it don't matter it gonna pack eight quarters eight quarters eight quarters to go the NFC Championship the 180 second meeting it truly is NFL history of the Venki this is the way it should be we came there for one reason and that was a beat the Bears and nobody could stop us now [Music] [Applause] and the Packers take [Music] the Packers not quarterback Jay Cutler out of the game but the biggest tackle of all was delivered by Green Bay's quarterback [Applause] [Music] so I just said I'm gonna run as fast as I can and I think I'm as fast as him maybe not faster but I think I'm as fast and I'm mad as hell got just enough room around the thigh or whatever the triple mom I'm sure he's this pointing at tripped up I'm disappointing us my best play of the game Rodgers unlikely tackle saved the day and an unlikely lineman scored the game-winning touchdown he's a big big fan of the belt I let him use no ever he wants we can make place like that [Music] the president planned on going to the Superbowl too but since the Packers had beaten Obama's team he canceled I had heard the comment about him going to the Superbowl of the Bears one I gotta say something what do I say Obama will go I got it the president don't want to come watch the Super Bowl we'll go see him [Applause] finally four quarters to go the final four there was conflict in Steeler country Pittsburgh was in the Superbowl but a certain bar in Greenfield Pennsylvania had plenty of Packer fans it was really an exciting time for for everybody involved in Green Bay and it even more so for you know for my family particularly you know everybody takes a lot of pride in the success of their son and siblings and everything but we would have definitely preferred it have been someone else you know other than Pittsburgh [Music] eight years earlier Charles Woodson had limped off the field as a Super Bowl loser I remember thinking back to the first time I was in the Super Bowl and having a broken leg playing with that plate in my leg I'm just thinking to myself this is the best I've ever felt in my life going into this game the weight of the organization per se is under shoulder G the balls can be in your hands every single play it was a great honor to know that Mike was gonna let me have the the keys to the car as he likes to say the Green Bay Packers some experts dealers it is finally [Music] [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] the Packers led 14 enough women but not everything was going right for Mike McCarthy sort of Superboy didn't put the cap on the on a sharpie so I guess when I put in the back of my hat it was Lincoln on my neck in our trainer told me a story that a friend has called him from New York and said hey they just had the coach on TV and he's got red marker all over his neck so next I know he was wiping off the back of my neck and I really didn't know any of this still too well after the game that's how our season was you know things things break things happen fix it a move on here's the snap stands the secondary Greg Jennings made a 21-3 on a post route from the slot it was a play that the Packers would use often with devastating effect the name of that play was 27 Tampa we wanted to see how they gonna respond to us moving Greg around Greg would naturally be the perceiver in the slot and we knew that that meant that the linebacker will be taking them vertically we get Greg down the middle for a touchdown on a player Ferrier was kind of taking them a little bit vertically and hoping for some safety help and hit him just in time for a touchdown we want to see a response to it and I mean you made incredible place for [Applause] yeah I'm just sitting my ring from my finger no one wanted to ring more than veteran charles woodson he went all out to get crap I broke my collarbone and I just thought it can't it can't end like this one of my best friends on the team and when the guy I respect the most is out just you know what to say to him so I just try to go over there and and comfort him and say I'm gonna get this one for you that was as hard a position that I've been in in my life harder still was delivering the halftime speech knowing that he was out of the game all of the emotion came out cried like I never cried before you know I tried to just tell the guys you know how bad I want it you know go out there and get it done in the second half the Packers leader was gone so was there focus I realize there's gonna be physical errors now maybe not that many drops you have to catch the ball I'm obviously the one in James could have been a touchdown [Music] Brice's but inside during that game goes frustrating the pressure got to Green Bay so did the NFL's number one defense [Music] the Steelers cut the lead to four as the fourth quarter began [Applause] [Music] to hear what clay says to pick it to the guys in the huddle body thinks it's coming his way and pick it spill it in my opinion he ranks as the most incredible plane soon [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Applause] your defense makes a play you want to celebrate and you know I wanted to pump my pain shot down the left side of my body like you wouldn't believe and it put me back in check one more touchdown might checkmate the Steelers Greg Jennings had the perfect move 27 Tampa with the twist he was saying that nobody's cover him on the corner round [Applause] anybody in that corner in the number three one corner coat wide open they can't cover it you're a Brahmin looking for the post from because we'd already hit the post twice with we're glad up there [Applause] effectively we are the six-time champions knew how to make plays too soon it was Green Bay 28 Pittsburgh 25 and we knew it wouldn't be easy we knew that five legacies in this game he had been scorned humiliated and overshadow [Music] now all eyes were on Aaron Rodgers that play in general is is a reflection of of my career and and how you know put in the time and in the preparation for that one play six minutes left third and ten twenty seven tempo Rodgers had to be perfect [Applause] my message throughout this room boy what a conversion maybe the biggest of the season can she do it again incredible incredible execution [Applause] Rogers used up valuable time on the drive but settled for a field day the packers led by six less than two minutes [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and this Super Bowl comes down to one play [Applause] his mission accomplished I think would be the best best way to describe it we got into the playoff run that we had as good as chances any and the conference's kept building and we finished it in North Dallas it's special about the 2010 team is they never lost sight of the Gulf they they always believed some reason why you love the game it's it's for that moment is to win the Super Bowl [Music] it's everything to witness everyone BP was not a goal it was not something I thought about really into I got on the podium and said hey you're gonna be the MVP I was expected to play well you know I did it was a sweet journey it's special to know that on that one day in 2011 that we were the best in the world [Music] in put this vision there and want to say the chapel the Lombardi Trophy is back in Green Bay so is something else a brand new picture of the 2010 world champions we accomplished our goal we set out March 16 2010 Mike brought the team together and this is our goal we put a picture on the wall so everyday we can look at what we wanted to accomplish and bring another champion back to title town whichever's the world [Music]

Channel: Packer Nation United

Views: 212,671

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Id: o2xUEy-vXtU

Length: 44min 16sec (2656 seconds)

Published: Fri May 24 2019