Packers Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke Dies

March 8, 1998 – Ray Nitschke, one of the greatest middle linebackers of all time, dies at the age of 61. Nitschke played in 190 regular-season games for the Packers from 1958 through 1972, more than any defensive player in team history. Nitschke suffers a heart attack outside a convenience store in Florida during a Sunday drive with his daughter and granddaughter. “Oh my God. You just thought Nitschke would be here forever,” former Packers great Forrest Gregg says when told of the death of his former teammate. “He was a great guy who epitomized what the Packers were back then. He was one of a kind.”