Thrown for a Loss: Packers Release Dave Roller

August 27, 1979 – Dave Roller is released by the Green Bay Packers, and the defensive tackle is as angry as if he had been cut blocked. “I just felt like I was the whipping boy until Barzo (Carl Barzilauskas) got in shape,” Roller says. “I just wish they had gotten rid of me two weeks ago so I could have tried to hook on with another team. It’s chicken as far as I’m concerned.” Roller, who came to the Packers in 1975 after the World Football League folded, became the team’s starting left defensive tackle in 1977. A fan favorite, Roller would often dance on the field after getting a sack. In 1978, Roller and Barzilauskas manned the tackle spots on a defensive unit that recorded 48 sacks.