GREEN BAY — On Tuesday morning, the Packers hit the road for their 19th annual tailgate tour. For the next few days, current and former players will travel around the state to meet and greet fans.
This is the final tailgate tour for team president Mark Murphy, who will retire in July. It was a full circle moment, as he took some time to remember his first tour, one that he says he'll never forget.
“June 2008, right as we started on the tailgate tour, Brett Favre changed his mind and unretired,” Murphy laughed.
17 years later, Murphy is a seasoned veteran of these tours, helping bring together different eras of Packers history.
“For me, the best part of the tours is seeing the interaction between the current players and the former players,” said Murphy. “They usually start off at opposite ends of the bus, and at the end of the trip, they’re best friends.”
Right now, much of Murphy's attention is on the upcoming NFL Draft. He's been a huge part of building up Titletown and bringing the draft to Green Bay. He called it his swan song.
“I think it’ll be a three-day commercial, not just for Green Bay, but for the entire state and so many different things that are unique and special for Wisconsin, you’ll see that as a part of it,” he said.
His final tailgate tour has him feeling a little nostalgic, but Murphy says he’s savoring the last moments of his tenure with the pack.
“I've been savoring them for 17-18 years, " Murphy said. “I think, and you know this, the Packers are a very unique organization. I feel very honored to have been in the position I've been in for so long.”
Ed policy will be taking over as president, and Murphy says in the last couple of months, he'll make sure policy gets off to a good start, just like Bob Harlan did with him nearly two decades ago.
