Fred Thurston
Encyclopedia
Frederick Charles "Fuzzy" Thurston (born December 29, 1933) is a former American football
guard
in the National Football League
who played for the Baltimore Colts
and Green Bay Packers
. Thurston played collegiate ball
for Valparaiso University
before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
in the 5th round of the 1956 NFL Draft
.
He was a key member of the Packers' offensive line during the team's glory years under coach Vince Lombardi
, when they won five NFL Championships including the first two Super Bowl
s. Often paired with fellow guard Jerry Kramer
, he led the Packers' vaunted Lombardi power sweep
running attack. Thurston was named to the 1961 and 1962 All-Pro
teams. Prior to joining the Packers, Thurston played the 1958 season with the NFL champion Baltimore Colts
. Along with two former Packer teammates—Herb Adderley
and Forrest Gregg
—Thurston is one of only three players in pro football history to play on six World Championship teams. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
in January 1975.
Thurston was well-known for his response to a sportswriter's question about how he prepared for the famous Ice Bowl
game, where the gametime temperature was 13 degrees below zero. Thurston responded that he drank "about 10 vodka
s" in order to stay warm. Thurston has remained popular in Wisconsin
after his playing days and can often be found at Fuzzy's, a bar he owns not far from Lambeau Field
.
Thurston was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
in 2003. He was the first athlete ever to be voted in by the people of Wisconsin, even though the Hall had been founded in 1951.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
who played for the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
and Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. Thurston played collegiate ball
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 5th round of the 1956 NFL Draft
1956 NFL Draft
The 1956 National Football League Draft was held on November 29, 1955.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:...
.
He was a key member of the Packers' offensive line during the team's glory years under coach Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
, when they won five NFL Championships including the first two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s. Often paired with fellow guard Jerry Kramer
Jerry Kramer
Gerald Louis "Jerry" Kramer is a former professional football player, author and sports commentator, best remembered for his 11-year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive lineman...
, he led the Packers' vaunted Lombardi power sweep
Sweep (American football)
A sweep is a running play in American football where the running back takes a pitch or handoff from the quarterback and starts running parallel to the line of scrimmage, allowing for the offensive linemen and fullback to get in front of him to block defenders before he turns upfield.- QB sweep :A...
running attack. Thurston was named to the 1961 and 1962 All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
teams. Prior to joining the Packers, Thurston played the 1958 season with the NFL champion Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
. Along with two former Packer teammates—Herb Adderley
Herb Adderley
Herbert Allen Adderley is a former American football cornerback who played for the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League....
and Forrest Gregg
Forrest Gregg
Alvis Forrest Gregg is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League. During a Pro Football Hall of Fame playing career, he was a part of six championships, five of them with the Green Bay Packers before closing out his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys with a win in...
—Thurston is one of only three players in pro football history to play on six World Championship teams. He was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame was the first hall of fame built to honor a single professional American football team. After receiving approval from coach Vince Lombardi, William L. Brault, a Green Bay restaurateur and Packers fan, founded the Hall of Fame in 1966...
in January 1975.
Thurston was well-known for his response to a sportswriter's question about how he prepared for the famous Ice Bowl
NFL Championship Game, 1967
The 1967 National Football League Championship Game between the Western Conference champion Green Bay Packers and the Eastern Conference champion Dallas Cowboys was the 35th championship game in NFL history. The game was held at Lambeau Field on December 31, 1967. The winner of the game was...
game, where the gametime temperature was 13 degrees below zero. Thurston responded that he drank "about 10 vodka
Vodka
Vodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
s" in order to stay warm. Thurston has remained popular in Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
after his playing days and can often be found at Fuzzy's, a bar he owns not far from Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
.
Thurston was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame is a promenade in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, dedicated to honoring distinguished members of Wisconsin's sports history. New members are honored at a biennial banquet.-History:...
in 2003. He was the first athlete ever to be voted in by the people of Wisconsin, even though the Hall had been founded in 1951.