Willie Davis, a Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman who helped the Green Bay Packers win each of the first two Super Bowls, has died. He was 85.
The Packers confirmed Davis’ death to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Wednesday, as did his former teammate and fellow hall member, Dave Robinson.
Davis died in a hospital in Santa Monica, California. His wife, Carol, told the Packers her husband had been hospitalized for about a month with kidney failure and died peacefully.
“The Green Bay Packers family was saddened today to learn about the passing of Willie Davis,” Mark Murphy, the team’s president and CEO, said in a released statement. “One of the great defensive players of his era, Willie was a significant contributor to the Packers’ five NFL championship teams during the 1960s.
AP photo by Charles Harrity / Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr, left, and defensive lineman Willie Davis, center, listen to Chicago Bears offensive lineman Mike Pyle, president of the NFL Players Association, at an awards dinner on July 9, 1967, in Chicago.“I enjoyed getting to know Willie and his wife, Carol, especially when he served as our honorary captain for the 2010 NFC championship game and Super Bowl 45, and again for the 2014 NFC championship game. He also was a great role model for our players, having gone on to a very successful career after football and serving on the Packers Board of Directors.”