GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame officially welcomed two new members Thursday evening with its 53rd induction banquet.
Before that happened, Aaron Kampman and Clay Matthews reflected on their time here in Titletown.
In a Packers green suit and wearing his Super Bowl 45 ring, Matthews says being inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame brings his career full circle.
“Now I’m able to bring my children here, who were too young at the time to appreciate what I was able to do and what this city meant to us,” said Matthews. “So, this has been real fun driving past where I used to live and taking them to the Pro Shop, seeing the 52 shirts and all that.”
The 2009 first round draft pick out of USC spent 10 seasons in the green and gold. Known for his predator celebrations, Matthews made six Pro Bowls and finished as the team’s all-time leader in sacks.
“I don’t believe it would be the same if this was for another organization,” said Matthews. “You think of the storied history of the Packers and what they mean to the overall NFL and the players who’ve come before us.”
Just down that all-time Packers sack list, at fifth, is Kampman. The 2002 fifth round draft pick played eight of his 10 seasons in Titletown.
“To me, it’s a recognition and a satisfaction of knowing our contributions, and I say our, because it was my wife and I and our family, and our contributions made a difference and it made an impact,” said Kampman.
The two-time Pro Bowler says the relationships here are what made the greatest impact on him.
“I’d kind of closed that chapter of life and moved on, so I think one of the best things that this honor has done for me is the ability to replay those chapters in a way that helps me just enjoy them and savor them a little bit more,” said Kampman.
The pair overlapped in Green Bay only one season, but now will be together forever as two of the 170 Packers Hall of Famers.
Former Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers was the presenter for Matthews.
Joe Urcavich, a former chaplain for the team, presented Kampman.
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