The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame announced it's class of 2011 on Tuesday and a pair of teammates on the Super Bowl XXXI Champions will be inducted next summer along with a behind the scenes contributor who more than once, saved the franchise in its early days. Fullback William Henderson, Guard Marco Rivera and Bob Jonet will enter the hall next July 23 at Lambeau Field at the 41st induction ceremony. I covered the careers of both Henderson and Rivera as they became fixtures on a championship team. Henderson played 12 years, all with Green Bay, joining the team as a third round pick in 1995 from the University of North Carolina. He was extremely thoughtful and powerful player, unselfishly throwing the lead block for a string of thousand yard rushers from Edgar Bennett to Dorsey Levens and Ahman Green. Henderson was also a valuable receiver out of the backfield and still ranks among the club leaders in catches. He played in 188 career games, more than anyone in frachise history except Brett Favre, Bart Starr and Ray Nitschke and he became a Pro Bowler in 2004. Rivera joined the Pack one year after Henderson as an unheralded 6th round pick out of Penn State in 1996. In his rookie year, Rivera was inactive for every single game but proudly cheered on the sidelines in the Super Bowl victory over New England. Once he cracked the starting lineup, Rivera became a fixture on the offensive line making it to three straight Pro Bowls. His nine year Packer career ended when he signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2005 but two injury plagued seasons brought about his retirement. Fans loved both players' reliability and as a member of the media, I appreciated their insight and availability win or lose, they were team leaders and great quotes. Bob Jonet is an excellent choice for the Hall even though only the true Packer historians know of him. He was the office manager for the Acme Packing Company when a young employee knocked on the door and asked for a few dollars to start a football team. That suitor was Curley Lambeau of course. Jonet helped out the new team by serving as a secretary and later as a treasurer. The association lasted 32 years until his death in 1951. Jonet was actually the sole owner of the team for a while, named the receiver of the franchise when a 1933 lawsuit was filed after a fan fell from the City Stadium stands. As treasurer, Jonet also helped launch a stock drive in 1950 to keep the franchise solvent. Jonet's grandson will accept the honor of entrance into the Hall of Fame. It's a terrific class of 2011.
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