Former Green Bay Packer, Super Bowl I & II star, Jerry Kramer has released never before heard locker room audiotapes from Super Bowl II, featuring Vince Lombardi’s last locker room speech that he recently found in his garage. He is sharing the audio excerpts from his unlikely discovery of this rare Super Bowl history with the general public at JerryKramer.com. The pubic can visit the site to hear clips of some of this historic audio. Kramer has incorporated the material into a two CD set titled “Inside the Locker Room.”
In 1967, Jerry Kramer smuggled a tape recorder into the locker room of Super Bowl II as the Green Bay Packers were embarking on their quest to win their third world championship in a row. Neither Coach Vince Lombardi nor Jerry’s teammates knew it was there. Jerry was recording these tapes to be used as reference material while writing his best selling book Instant Replay that he wrote with his long time friend Dick Schaap. Schaap needed research material for the book, but had no access to the locker room. Jerry’s idea to sneak that tape recorder into the locker room for Dick at Super Bowl II resulted in capturing what is now the only recording of Vince Lombardi talking directly to his team, in private, before and after a game, Super Bowl II. It was also Coach Lombardi’s final locker room address as the Coach of World Champion Green Bay Packers. The audio tapes also document a private and emotional Super Bowl II pre-game locker room team talk led by team captains Willie Davis and Bob Skoronski, providing unusual insight to the spirit of the team and the bond the players shared with each other. Some other players that are heard on the tapes are Forrest Gregg, Bart Starr, Herb Adderley and Ray Nitschke. The pre-game speech is followed by Lombardi and his Packers joining together in prayer. The locker room was a private place, off limits to everyone but the team; these lost tapes allow fans to get a candid look and a deeper understanding of the man for whom the Super Bowl Trophy is named, Vincent T. Lombardi.
Today, Jerry Kramer will nationally release his never before heard locker room audio from Super Bowl II and other clips from the 1967 championship season. Now football fans can go inside the locker room during the Green Bay Packers’ unprecedented 1967 championship season which culminated in their third consecutive World Championship.
On the CD, the rare locker room audio is mixed with current conversations Jerry Kramer has had with his teammates, including NFL Legends Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Willie Davis, Max McGee and many others. This unique combination gives football fans a rare and inside look at one of the greatest teams in the history of pro football. The private conversations between Jerry and his teammates are candid, and the locker room audio is surreal. The groundbreaking two CD set is narrated by Kramer himself and includes many personal thoughts and reflections as well as inside information. Also included is a 16-page booklet featuring locker room photos with captions written by Jerry Kramer.
“Inside the locker room is a private, inside look at Coach Vince Lombardi and the men who played for him,” said Jerry Kramer. “The locker room was a very private place; you will hear tears, laughter, prayers and curses. That is the way it was, and my hope is that the listeners will feel that they were right there with us.”
The two CD set and companion booklet will be released nationally today. It is not available in any store. It can be ordered online at http://www.JerryKramer.com or by calling 1-800-708-1078.
