The focus of this article is to create an identification guide for Green Bay Packer jerseys. For the years 1921-1958, little information is available, and this article references material provided by the Packers official website found at www.packers.com. MEARS has a trip scheduled for late 2005 at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame museum to conduct a research project of the game worn items on display. Results from that trip will be published here.
For the years 1959-2005, I have chosen to list all characteristics of the jerseys for which MEARS was capable of evaluation since my first examples and data supported this time frame. I have dissected the technical aspects of the jerseys and presented them in the following categories by year. The categories include:
Tagging
Coloring
Numbering
Striping
Neckline
NOB
Sleeve Length
Material
Known example
Interesting Facts
When reading this article, some of the information may appear redundant, but as I was researching, I noticed subtle pattern differences that could only be detected by evaluating and researching each season’s jersey by the same category sets.
For example, at first glance the numbering of the early 1960’s jerseys appears to be the same. Upon closer examination, you will notice that the numbers for the 1965 season have indented serifs. During 1965, the indentation was removed from the serif numbers and by 1966 it was completely phased out. This is a key factor in identifying jerseys that have been purported to been worn during the 1966 Super Bowl season. Many additional nuances are identified and explained in the text of the article.
The year-by-year breakdown will also aid any collector and MEARS subscriber that wishes to use this article as a guide to determine the era of a Packer jersey in their collection.
1921-22
Manufacturer unknown. Style was blue with block lettered “ACME PACKERS”.
(www.packers.com/history)
1923-24
Manufacturer unknown. Plain, gold Plain, gold jersey with nine thin navy-blue stripes on each sleeve; gold leggings, dark gold pants. (www.packers.com/history)
1925-26
Manufacturer unknown. First recorded uniform numbers; dark gold shirts with wide navy-blue strip covering shoulder and collar, cut off at top of each arm; tall, gold leggings; light gold pants. (www.packers.com/history)
1927-28
Manufacturer unknown. Elaborate, jockey-like jerseys, with inverted triangle tracing clavicles, and 13 blue and gold vertical stripes from chest to stomach; faded blue canvas pants; gold socks with two blue stripes. (www.packers.com/history)
1929-30
Manufacturer unknown. Jersey was blue in color with a circular chest emblem, which housed the players’ uniform number. (www.packers.com/history)
1931-33
Manufacturer unknown. Totally plain jerseys (dark navy-blue), large white numerals on back; gold pants; plain, dark navy-blue socks. In 1934, the team added large, white numerals on the chest. (www.packers.com/history)
1935-36
Manufacturer unknown. Team introduced green, and changed jerseys during season; began with plain dark green jersey with gold numbers and green pants, then shifted to green-vested shirts with bright gold sleeves (from neck to wrist), numbers and pants, and tall, plain green socks. (www.packers.com/history)
1937-49
Manufacturer unknown. Throwback jersey worn in 1994, NFL’s 75th anniversary; modeled after late ’30s uniform, satin-chested with cloth arms, gold pants, and two gold stripes on high navy socks; Packers also wore similar white uniforms (not necessarily only on road), with bright gold numbers and faded gold shoulders; in the late ’40s, the team still used this design. (www.packers.com/history)
1939
Manufacturer unknown. During World War II, the team used three alternate jerseys, complementing the trademark blue uniform made famous by the incomparable Don Hutson. The Packers wore white several times at home until the league signed major television contracts in the late 1950s. (www.packers.com/history)
1946-49
Manufacturer unknown: The Packers wore a white shell with gold matching front numeral and yoke. (www.packers.com/history)
1950-52
Manufacturer unknown. Team also employed varying combinations of metallic gold uniform with green numbers, shiny green pants with gold stripe, or metallic gold pants with single green stripe, and green socks with two gold rings. Modern metallic gold helmet introduced. (www.packers.com/history)
1953
Manufacturer unknown. Brighter green shirts with same striping and thicker gold numbers; team continued to vary its combinations. The Packers also had a white jersey, saving it mostly for late-season West Coast trips. (www.packers.com/history)
1954-58
Manufacturer unknown, but Wilson was a big supplier of the NFL during this time period. Navy-blue jersey, with new three-stripe design in dirty mustard gold on sleeves, socks and helmets, and matching gold pants. For 1956 opener vs. Detroit, Packers break out green jersey with white pants and white helmets, but never wear again until ’58. “TV numbers” on shoulder appear in ’56 for first time. Team used its older green jerseys and gold pants (from the early ’50s) in several road games. In 1957, Packers began consistently wearing white on road, for television. (www.packers.com/history)
Starting with 1959, MEARS had actual jerseys available to examine. This begins our detailed charting of jersey features.
Team history is also inserted to establish a time reference for the study starting our in depth analysis with the year 1959. After 15 seasons of losing, the Packers longed for the days of bringing Championships back to Title Town. With little fanfare, they found an assistant coach of the New York Giants who turned out to be perfect candidate for the task. According to the Official Site of Vince Lombardi (www.vincelombardi.com), the coach was also looking for a change. His online biography stated:
By 1958, the 45-year-old coach was tired of being an assistant. He accepted a challenging five-year contract in Wisconsin as the general manager and head coach of perpetual losers the Green Bay Packers. At the time, the Packers had no clout in professional football (they won only one game the previous year), and Vince saw them as a chance to prove himself and his coaching abilities. Vince held the first of his notoriously intense training camps to gear up for the 1959 season. “Dancing is a contact sport,” he told the Packers, “Football is a hitting sport.” Vince expected obedience, dedication and 110% effort from each man, but he also made a promise to them: if they obeyed his rules and used his method, they would be a championship team.
Judging from the few surviving 1960’s Green Bay Packer jerseys, a hitting sport it was. With the exception of the star players like Hornung and Starr, who were issued additional replacements, most jerseys MEARS has examined were found with multiple team repairs. The tattered jerseys were patched and sewn in the same dureen as the outer body shell. It was common to see stitches covering stitches.
Personal interviews with players from the Lombardi era shed some light on the misfortunes of the Packers jerseys of the 1960’s.
Ray Nitschke made his film debut in the prison movie the “Longest Yard” but the Packers jerseys ended up with a non-Hollywood trip to death row. Mr. Nitschke told me over dinner at his favorite Greek restaurant in Green Bay that after seasons end, the Packers jerseys and helmets were donated to the Oneida County Prison. #15 was worn by an auto thief, #66 by an ax murderer, #31 by an embezzler, and the rest were issued to other inmates paying their debt to society. In prison, “Lombardi’s Sweep” was transformed to the “Warden’s Sweep” and reserved for guards checking for contraband in the prisoners’ cells.
Those that were not sent to the prison were worn on the practice field until the shredded and battered material could no longer be worn. Several years ago Ray Nitschke’s estate sold his game worn dureen home jersey. It was originally issued as a gamer, but then continued its life as Ray’s favorite practice jersey. The green dureen shell was intact, but all of the white cotton numbering has been destroyed and only the white threaded outline of the “66” could be seen on both front and back. Although 100% authentic, it did not have much collectors appeal and Donruss purchased it to be inserted in hundreds of football cards.
1959-60 Wilson
Tagging: Style of manufactures tag was found on baseball jerseys from the circa 1948-1966 era. This can be verified via the MEARS members tagging database. The exact range of Wilson manufactured Packers jerseys has yet to be determined, but we do know that this version of the tag was found on the circa 1959-60 era.
Color: The color of the 1959 home jersey consisted of a more bluish hue. Remember, previously the Packers wore Blue and Gold and 1959 served as a transition year, when the color appeared as a bluish green. Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering.
Numbering: Numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. All of the numbering is sewn with heavy cotton materials.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey’s rounded neckline was the same color as the jersey itself, but the road was found with rounded “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: No players’ names on the back.
Sleeve Length: Full length issued, sometimes trimmed per player.
Material: Dureen
Known example: MEARS A10 1959 Jim Taylor home jersey with numerous team repairs, style match, LOA from Taylor. Finest known Jimmy Taylor example.
According to www.packers.com/history, “early Lombardi scheme did not include helmet logo, and called for three-striped design on socks; all players were asked to wear same style cleats. In 1959 road games only, socks above striping were white (tops of socks have been green for all games since ’60).”
Circa 1960-63 Red Fox
Tagging: During the early 1960s, the Packers wore jerseys supplied by the Red Fox Company. They became the supplier of Green Bay Packer’s jerseys after Wilson. The manufacturers tag read “Red Fox Manufacturing Co., Dallas-Texas.” The size is included as part of the tag. An adjacent wash instruction tag is usually found sewn above the manufacturers tag. The photo of the 1960 Green Bay Packers team taken by Lefebvre studios depicts both the bluish green jerseys and the new traditional green jerseys. No bluish/green jerseys have been found with the Red Fox tag, therefore, it is plausible that the 1960 green style jerseys were issued with the Red Fox tag.
Color: The color of the early 1960s home jersey consisted of the traditional Packers Green after making the transition from their blue and gold predecessors. Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering.
Numbering: Numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. All of the numbering is sewn with heavy cotton materials.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate gold stripes with two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey’s rounded neckline was the same color as the jersey itself, but the road was found with rounded “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: No players’ names on the back.
Sleeve Length: Full length issued, sometimes trimmed per player.
Material: Dureen
Known Examples: A private collector in the Green Bay area owns an all-original home Herb Adderly early 1960’s dureen jersey and I have personally examined an all original Norm Masters jersey. Both have intact Red Fox tags. Guy Hankel observed that road Red Fox jerseys are very rare and a Bill Forester exists only in a private collection. None have been formally graded by MEARS.
1963 was the final season the Red Fox Company supplied the team with jerseys.
According to www.packers.com/history, “Few changes, other than the team’s first and only helmet logo, which made its debut in 1961; by 1965, most players were wearing five stripes on their socks.”
1964 to circa 1967 (tag version #1) Sand Knit
Tagging: Guy Hankel provided the valuable information needed to establish the starting point of the Packer’s use of Sand Knit jerseys. According to the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, (August 15, 1964, p.19) the caption read, “Packers to Wear Sand-Knit Uniforms.” This was an event newsworthy enough to make the local paper and help us establish a very key tagging date.
The first Sand Knit jerseys were the single tagged version with ‘SAND” spelled out in large red letters above a small sized KNIT. The red numeric size was indicated on the bottom of the tag.
Color: Sand Knit continued to issue the jerseys in the same green hue as the Red Fox Company. Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering.
Numbering: Numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. All of the numbering is sewn with heavy cotton material. In 1965, new lettering fonts were found. Especially noteworthy, the “7” is changed from the 45° right top edge angle for a straight drop 7. Also, the indented serifs are removed from the 2’s, 3’s, and the 6’s. Guy Hankel noted that scattered examples of indented serifs from previous seasons were still used, but by 1966, the indented serifs were an odd exception.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey’s rounded neckline was the same color as the jersey itself, but the road was found with rounded “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: No players’ names on the back.
Sleeve Length: Full length issued, sometimes trimmed per player.
Material: Dureen
Known Examples:
Mid 1960’s Bart Starr home jersey graded MEARS A9
Mid 1960’s Paul Hornung home jersey not yet graded
Mid 1960’s Forest Gregg road jersey graded MEARS A10
Circa 1968 Sand Knit
Tagging: Starting circa 1968, Packers jerseys were found with the second version of the Sand Knit tag. This version can be found in the MEARS tagging database. “Sand Knit” was spelled out above three underlined rows of wash instructions. A team applied red numeric size tag was found sewn underneath the manufacturers tag. A matching tag of duplicate size containing the same red lettering could be found in the collar.
Color: The second version of the Sand Knit jerseys continued to issue the jerseys in the same hue green as the Red Fox Company and previously tagged Sand Knit style. Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering.
Numbering: Numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. All of the numbering is sewn with heavy cotton material.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey’s rounded neckline was the same color as the jersey itself, but the road was found with rounded “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: No players’ names on the back.
Sleeve Length: Full length issued, sometimes trimmed per player.
Material: Dureen
1969 Sand Knit with 50th Anniversary Patch
During the 1969 season, the Packers jersey were found with the NFL 50th anniversary
patch. Tagging, color, numbering, striping, neckline, NOB, and sleeve length are identical to 1968 issued jerseys with the addition of the 1969 50th NFL anniversary patch.
Original patches measure approximately 3.5” x 4.5” and are red, white, and blue in the shape of a shield. The white “50” on blue background and red “NFL” is raised embroidery. They were attached by gluing, sewing, or a combination of both methods. Beware of fake or reproduction patches that appear flat with no raised details.
Material: Dureen
Known Example: 1969 Willie Davis road jersey with original 50th Anniversary patch, all-original, ungraded by MEARS.
1970 Sand Knit
Tagging: Starting circa 1968, Packers jerseys were found with the second version of the Sand Knit tag, which can be found in the MEARS tagging database. “Sand Knit” was spelled out above three underlined rows of wash instructions. A team applied red numeric size tag was found sewn underneath the manufacturers tag. A matching tag of duplicate size containing the same red lettering could be found in the collar.
Color: The final version of the Sand Knit jerseys issued was in the same green hue as the Red Fox Company and previously tagged Sand Knit style. Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering.
Numbering: Numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. All of the numbering is sewn with heavy cotton material.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey’s rounded neckline was the same color as the jersey itself, but the road was found with rounded “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: 1970 found the Packers adding names to the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate. There is a great shot of Willie Wood that clearly shows the nameplate found in the August 14th, 1971 Bishop’s Charities Game program, page 9. With the increased popularity of television, the additions of names were an NFL mandate intended to increase the sports popularity amongst viewers.
Sleeve Length: Full length issued, sometimes trimmed per player. Final year of full-length sleeves.
Material: 1970 was the final season that dureen jerseys were standard issue. Starting in 1971, mesh was the standard issue worn by the team. Packers jersey historian Guy Hankel pointed out that although the dureens were no longer standard issue, they did still see limited action in some cold weather games. Additional use was regulated to the practice field, thus explaining the very few surviving examples.
1971 Sand Knit
Tagging: Sand Knit was the manufacturer during the 1971 season. Jerseys were issued with two tags placed one above the other. The top tag read “Designed & Tailored Exclusively for the Green Bay Packers, Sand Knit” with medal logo. The bottom tag, “Sand Knit,” was spelled out above three underlined rows of wash instructions. A great shot of rookie punter Chestor Marcol can be found on page 20 of the “1972 Sports Focus Football Issue Green Bay Packers” annual that shows the presence and placement of the two tag setup.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey’s rounded neckline was the same color as the jersey itself, but the road was found with rounded “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Sleeve Length: Sleeves were shortened to ¾ length.
Material: Mesh material was first introduced.
Interesting Note: 1971 was the final season in the career of Bart Starr. Bart was issued a mesh jersey as seen on page 19 of “1972 Sports Focus Football Issue Green Bay Packers” annual. It should be noted that the Packers HOF has a white mesh Bart Starr jersey on display.
1972 Sand Knit
Tagging: Manufactured by Sand Knit.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey’s rounded neckline was the same color as the jersey itself, but the road was found with rounded “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Sleeve Length: Sleeves were shortened to ¾ length.
Material: Mesh material continued to be used.
Interesting Note: Ray Nitschke’s final season was 1972. Photos from the yearbook show Ray Nitschke was issued both a home and road mesh jersey. About a decade ago I personally inspected the 1972 road example. It was in great all-original condition with the exception of the removal of the nameplate. The jersey was placed into a collection and I have not heard of its whereabouts since.
1973-1979 Sand Knit
Tagging: Manufactured by Sand Knit
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey was found primarily with the rounded neckline and was the same color as the jersey. The road had rounded “green-gold-green” trim. During the 1979 season, the v-necklines were sporadically introduced as evidenced by the Barty Smith jersey in Guy Hankel’s collection.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Sleeve Length: Sleeves were shortened to ¾ length
Material: Mesh material continued to be used.
Interesting Notes: During 1973, Bart Starr’s number 15 was officially retired. Evaluations have found mid-1970’s jerseys to have size and extra length tags applied in neck. During 1974, the majority of players began wearing white shoes.
1980-82 Sand Knit
Tagging: Manufactured by Medalist Sand Knit.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The 1981 road sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes. Guy Hankel’s research found that in 1982 and 1983, the majority of the road jerseys have the sequence: green- (thin) white-yellow- (thin) white-green. Some (not all, but some) players still sport the “no separating stripes” style in ’82/’83, confirming that they co-existed for these two years.
Neckline: The home jerseys were still found with the rounded neckline but the v-necklines were becoming more common. Both versions of the necklines were the same color as the jersey, but the road had rounded “green-gold-green” trim. Guy Hanklel owns a 1981 Gerry Ellis jersey with the v-neck, thus supporting their 1981 introduction.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Sleeve Length: Sleeves were shortened to ¾ length, and some were trimmed closer to the second row of stripe.
Material: Mesh material continued to be used.
1983 Sand Knit
Tagging: Manufactured by Medalist Sand Knit.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping: Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline: The home jersey v- neckline was the same color as the jersey, but the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Sleeve Length: Sleeves were shortened to ¾ length, and some were trimmed closer to the second row of stripe creating two visible yellow stripes.
Material: Mesh material continued to be used.
1984-88 Sand Knit with “G” added to the sleeves
There was a changing of the guard in Green Bay as another Lombardi player took over the helm in Title Town. Forrest Gregg was recruited to guide the Packers towards Championship status. One of the first requests by the new head coach was to add the letter “G” to the sleeves. With a new jersey, Gregg was looking for a new attitude by the team.
Tagging: Manufactured by Medalist Sand Knit.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today. .
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. “G” added to sleeve design.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Sleeve Length: Sleeves were shortened to a more ½ length, very similar to what is issued today.
Material: Mesh material continued to be used.
1989 Double tagged Sand Knit crown tag with “G” removed from sleeve
With Forrest Gregg fired and Lindy Infante hired, the new coach wanted to shake things up from his predecessor, so he requested the team remove the “G” from the sleeves.
Tagging: Manufactured by Medalist Sand Knit.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. “G” removed from sleeve design.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The Yoke cut can be found running through and below the neckline.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Sleeve Length: Sleeves were shortened closer to ½ length, very similar to what is issued today.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material was used.
Customizations: Skill players may be found with tight-cuffed sleeve openings.
1990 Sand Knit
Tagging: Manufactured by Medalist Sand Knit.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The Yoke cut can be found running through and below the neckline.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Customizations: Side panels could be found inserted into lineman’s jerseys and skill players may be found with tight-cuffed sleeve openings.
Interesting Note: Pictured in the 1990 Green Bay Packers yearbook on page 31 is a picture of Leroy Butler, #36, wearing a circa 1975 tagged Sand Knit jersey. Thus, confirming the custom of the Packers wearing game used jersey for practice.
Also on page 29, note the photo that illustrates Tony Bennett, #90, wearing the 1989 Crown MacGregor Sand Knit tag found on circa 1987-89 jerseys.
1991 NFL Shield added to neckline
Tagging: Manufactured by Medalist Sand Knit.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color is the same as today.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The Yoke cut could be found running through and below the neckline. 1991 was the first year mandate for the NFL to add the NFL shield. Application was inconsistent with jerseys issued with the shield attached directly onto the neckline and some immediately below. This can be verified via the 1991 Packers team photo found in the official yearbook.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Interesting Note: According to the 1991 Official Green Bay Packers yearbook, the cost to the team for a game jersey was $47.75.
Customizations: Side panels can be found inserted into lineman’s jerseys and skill players may be found with tight-cuffed sleeve openings.
1992 Starter
1992 was a season of big changes for the team from Green Bay. The season brought with it a new head coach named Mike Holmgren, an unheard of quarterback named Brett Favre, and a new jersey made by Starter. Five years later all three were still together. Coach Holmgren celebrated the Super Bowl 31 victory with MVP quarterback Brett Favre while he was wearing his Starter jersey.
Tagging: The Starter manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. The main Starter tag read “Designed & Tailored Exclusively for the Green Bay Packers.” The Starter logo appeared on each sleeve.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Interesting Notes: Sterling Sharpe finished the 1992 season as the NFL’s all time single season reception record holder and preferred his sleeves cuffs with tight elastic fit.
Brett Favre Watch: Brett Favre wore open sleeves trimmed close to the bottom stripes.
1993 Starter
Tagging: The Starter manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. The main Starter tag read “Designed & Tailored Exclusively for the Green Bay Packers.” This tag was found in the middle next to two additional tags. To the left, was the box “93” year tag. The size flag tag was found to the right. Starter manufactured both home and road jerseys. The Starter logo appeared on each sleeve.
Patch: Issued with the Packers 75th Anniversary patch on left front chest.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Brett Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves that were found trimmed very close to the bottom of the second white stripe.
1994 Starter
Tagging: The Starter manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. The size and year tag could be found on a strip tag in the neck. On the manufacturers tail tag, the size was located on a flag tag. The size flag tag matches the box size tag found in the neck. The Starter logo appears on each sleeve.
Patch: Found with the 75th Anniversary NFL patch on left front chest.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Silk-screened numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Interesting Notes: On Halloween, the Packers wore a yellow and white throwback jersey.
Favre Watch: Favre continued to wear open sleeves cut close to the bottom yellow stripe.
Known Examples: 1994 Brett Favre throwback jersey grade MEARS A5.
1995 Starter
Manufacturer: The Starter manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. The Starter tag read “Designed & Tailored Exclusively for the Green Bay Packers.” In the collar could be found a white box tag, which notes the year and size appearing as 95-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back. This was the first time the sewn numbers were applied in that fashion and continues to this day.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore cuffed sleeves during the season and his jersey contained heavy side panels.
1996 Starter
Manufacturer: The Starter manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. The Starter tag read “Designed & Tailored Exclusively for the Green Bay Packers.” The flag size could be found attached on the right side of the manufacturers tag. The collar contains a white box tag, which notes the year and size appearing as 96-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with three predominate yellow stripes and two lesser white stripes. The white stripes are separated by thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
1997 Nike
Manufacturer: During the 1997 season, the Packers switched to Nike. The trademark ‘swoosh’ was found on both sleeves. The Nike manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size. It appeared as 97-48 for a size 48 jersey. The Packers repeated their trip to the Super Bowl. Nike issued these jerseys, and a Super Bowl 32 patch appeared on the Super Bowl jerseys.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
1998 Nike
Manufacturer: The trademark ‘swoosh’ was found on both sleeves. The Nike manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size. It appeared as 98-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
1999 Nike
Manufacturer: The trademark ‘swoosh’ was found on both sleeves. The Nike manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size appearing as 99-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Color: Home jerseys were green with white numbering; road jerseys were white with green numbering. Green base color.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
2000 Nike
Manufacturer: The trademark ‘swoosh’ was found on both sleeves. The Nike manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. The size and NFL logo was printed as part of the manufacturers label. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size appearing as 00-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
2001 Reebok
Manufacturer: 2001 was another season of change. Reebok supplied the Green & Gold with their grid-iron garb for the 2001 season. The Reebok logo was found on both sleeves. The Reebok manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size appearing as 01-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
A special all white throwback jersey was worn during the Packers appearance on Thanksgiving day. Many extras of this style were produced and have found their way onto the market.
2002 Reebok
Manufacturer: The Reebok logo is found on both sleeves. The Reebok manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. Attached on the right edge of the tag was flag size tag. Sometimes customizations such as extra length apeared. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size appearing as 02-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL Apparel shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
2003 Reebok
Manufacturer: The Reebok logo was found on both sleeves. The Reebok manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. Attached on the right edge of the tag was flag size tag. Sometimes customizations such as extra length appeared. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size appearing as 03-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL Apparel shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
2004 Reebok
Manufacturer: The Reebok logo was found on both sleeves. The Reebok manufacturers tag was located on the outer left tail. In the collar was a white box tag, which noted the year and size appearing as 04-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
.
Striping:Home sleeves were striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL Apparel shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
2005 Reebok
Manufacturer: The Reebok logo is found on both sleeves. The Reebok manufacturers tag is located on the outer left tail. In the collar is a white box tag, which notes the year and size appearing as 04-48 for a size 48 jersey.
Numbering: Sewn numbers appeared on the sleeve, front and back.
.
Striping:Home sleeves are striped with two predominate yellow stripes and one white stripe. The white stripes are separated by two thin green stripes. The roads sleeves were reversed in color with no separating stripes.
Neckline:The home jersey v- neckline was trimmed in green, gold and white and the road v-neck had “green-gold-green” trim. The NFL Apparel shield appeared uniformly sewn at the bottom point of the v-neck.
NOB: Packers continued with names on the back of their jerseys. Block lettering was applied to a nameplate.
Material: A combination of dazzle cloth and mesh material continued to be used.
Favre Watch: Favre wore open sleeves during the season with an approximate 1” space of green material after the final sleeve stripe. Jersey contained heavy side panels.
Note of Interest
Tom Murphy of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame has invited me to research the game worn jerseys currently housed in the museum. Over the next 6 months MEARS will study and document the jerseys, sideline capes, and helmets, representing the years 1921 to 1958. Currently, the earliest jersey we have examined was late 1930’s knit blue and gold pull over of player #18. The manufacturers tag was found in the collar and read “April 8, 1924 Patent Date, Shea Knitting Mills, Chicago.” The box size tag 48 was found sewn in the crotch piece.
Reference:
Getty Images
Corbis
Official Green Bay Packers yearbook 1962-2005
Green Bay Packers media guides 1963-1980
Team photos from the All American Sports Library
1921-1995 Packer Legends in Facts by Eric Goska
www.packers.com
www.vincelombardi.com
MEARS jersey database