Packers Public Relations z Lambeau Field Atrium z 1265 Lombardi Avenue z Green Bay, WI 54304 z 920/569-7500 z 920/569-7201 fax Jeff Blumb, Director; Aaron Popkey, Assistant Director; Zak Gilbert, Assistant Director; Sarah Quick, Coordinator; Adam Woullard, Coordinator VOL VII; NO. 6 GREEN BAY, AUG. 29, 2005 FOURTH PRESEASON GAME GREEN BAY (1-2) at TENNESSEE (1-2) Crosse; WQOW, Eau Claire; WYOW, Eagle River; and WJMN, Marquette, Thurs., Sept. 1 z The Coliseum z 7 p.m. CDT Mich. …NFL Network will re-air the game Saturday at 9 a.m. CDT, using the Titans’ broadcast and announcers for the first half and the Packers’ broadcast and announcers for the second THIS WEEK’S NOTABLES: half…Satellite coordinates for Thursday’s game: IA-6, XThe Packers and Titans conclude a fourth straight presea- Transponder 9 (C-Band); Audio: 6.2 / 6.8. son. Tennessee has won the finale each of the last two years, including a win last season in Nashville. Rookie Craig LOCAL RADIO: Milwaukee’s WTMJ (620 AM), airing Green Nall led Green Bay to a 21-20 win in 2002. Bay games since 1929, heads up the 62-station Packers Radio XAfter a 27-3 loss to the Patriots last week, Green Bay hopes Network, with Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and Larry to gain some momentum and sync headed into its regular- McCarren (color). Spanning five states, the network covers 50 season opener, Sept. 11. markets in the upper Midwest. The broadcast also is available XReturning many of its key contributors to health, Green Bay to NFL Field Pass subscribers on packers.com. could see most of its starting defensive unit on the field for the first time. The Packers also will look to return their No. ROSTER REDUCTION: The team Sunday announced 11 trans- 1 offense back to where it was before last week. actions to reduce its roster in anticipation of the NFL's Tuesday XPro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks, who signed a multiyear deadline, said Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, contract Wednesday and passed his physical Thursday, is General Manager and Director of Football Operations…The expected to make his 2005 preseason debut. team has released linebacker Hannibal Navies and guard Matt XThursday will mark the final game for several players con- O'Dwyer, as well as wide receiver Vince Butler, cornerback tending for spots on the 53-man roster. The team needs to Patrick Dendy, linebacker Jeremiah Garrison, guard/tackle reduce its roster by Saturday at 5 p.m. CDT. Atlas Herrion, tight end Tory Humphrey, running back Derrick Johnese, defensive tackle A.J. Lindsay, wide receiver Chad WISCONSIN TELEVISION: The Packers television network, Lucas and defensive tackle Quintene Newhouse. with play-by-play man Kevin Harlan, color commentator Bill Maas, sideline reporter Jessie Garcia, producer Ross SHERMAN EXTENDED: Thompson’s first move in a busy week Schneiderman and director Suzanne Smith. WFRV-TV's was to sign his head coach, Mike Sherman, to a two-year con- Larry McCarren, the team’s radio analyst, joins the telecast for pregame, tract extension, through the end of the 2007 season. halftime and postgame segments. With the aid of a CBS crew that pro- Sherman in 2005 could post a sixth consecutive winning season. Since duces NFL games during the regular season, Green Bay's WFRV-TV and X the 1993 collective bargaining agreement, NFL teams have changed Milwaukee's WTMJ-TV will originate the telecast…Other members of the coaches 84 times and only Sherman's tenure has produced winning sea- network: WKOW, Madison; WAOW, Wausau/Rhinelander; WXOW, La sons in each of its first five years. PRESEASON XAnd, over their first five regular seasons as an NFL coach, since 1970 Thurs., Aug. 11 SAN DIEGO CHARGERS . .W, 10-7 (69,611) only Chuck Knox, George Seifert, Joe Gibbs and Mike Ditka have pro- Sat., Aug. 20 at Buffalo Bills . .L, 7-27 (71,323) duced better records than Sherman (53-27, .663). Fri., Aug. 26 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS . .L, 3-27 (69,501) Thurs., Sept. 1 at Tennessee Titans . .7 p.m. state FRANKS SIGNED: Thompson also re-signed Pro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks to a multiyear contract. REGULAR SEASON XFranks, a 6-foot-6, 265-pound veteran from Miami (Fla.), could become Sun., Sept. 11 at Detroit Lions . .3:15 p.m. FOX the first tight end in Packers history named to four Pro Bowls. Paul Sun., Sept. 18 CLEVELAND BROWNS . .3:15 p.m. CBS Coffman (1982-84) and Mark Chmura (1995, 1997-98) are the only Sun., Sept. 25 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (Gold Pkg.) .12 noon FOX other Packers at the position who have played in three. Mon., Oct. 3 at Carolina Panthers . .8 p.m. ABC XA durable, consistent offensive threat, Franks has not missed a game in Sun., Oct. 9 NEW ORLEANS SAINTS . .12 noon FOX five NFL seasons, playing in 80 straight contests (86 including playoffs). Sun., Oct. 16 Open Date . What's more, including an All-America college career with the Sun., Oct. 23 at Minnesota Vikings . .12 noon FOX Sun., Oct. 30 at Cincinnati Bengals . .12 noon FOX Hurricanes, he has played in 122 consecutive contests. Sun., Nov. 6 PITTSBURGH STEELERS . .3:15 p.m. CBS XSince the Packers made Franks their first-round selection in the 2000 Sun., Nov. 13 at Atlanta Falcons . .3:15 p.m. FOX draft (14th overall), only Tony Gonzalez (39) has more touchdown recep- Mon., Nov. 21 MINNESOTA VIKINGS (Gold Pkg.) . .8 p.m. ABC tions than Franks (28) among league tight ends. And, with 25 TD catch- Sun., Nov. 27 at Philadelphia Eagles . .3:15 p.m. FOX es from Brett Favre, only Antonio Freeman (57), Sterling Sharpe (41) Sun., Dec. 4 at Chicago Bears . .12 noon FOX and Robert Brooks (32) have caught more from the future Hall of Famer. Sun., Dec. 11 DETROIT LIONS . .7:30 p.m. ESPN Mon., Dec. 19 at Baltimore Ravens . .8 p.m. ABC LAMBEAU NO. 1: Veteran writer Rick Gosselin Saturday ranked Lambeau Sun., Dec. 25 CHICAGO BEARS . .4 p.m. FOX Sun., Jan. 1 SEATTLE SEAHAWKS . .3:15 p.m. FOX Field as the NFL’s best stadium, adding “Lambeau has the coziness of Wrigley Field combined with the historical significance of Yankee Stadium.” AUG. 29, 2005 z Pg. 2 THOMPSON’S FIRST DAY IN THE NFL: This week Green Bay General THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK’S OPPONENT Manager Ted Thompson might recall his days with the Houston Oilers, who The Packers vs. Tennessee/Houston Oilers: moved to Tennessee in 1997 and eventually became the Titans. All-time regular season: 4-5-0 XA workhorse linebacker at SMU, he went undrafted in 1975, but not All-time, preseason: 2-3-0 unnoticed. Bum Phillips, just hired to head the Houston Oilers, had All-time, Tennessee: 0-1-0 coached Thompson in college. But that hadn’t earned the young line- All-time, Houston: 3-0-0 backer anything, not a job, not even a penny. Last meeting: X“It was my first negotiation,” Thompson told NFL Network earlier this Oct. 11, 2004, Lambeau Field; year, remembering his first phone call with Phillips 30 years ago. “He Titans won, 48-27 called me and said, ‘Would you like to come to camp and try out with the Last meeting, regular season, Nashville: Oilers?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ I was thrilled. So he sent me a contract. Dec. 16, 2001, The Coliseum; Titans won, 26-20 X“Well, I got the contract and I called him back, and said that maybe I Last meeting, preseason: wanted a little signing bonus. It wasn’t in there. I was talking $100, Sept. 3, 2004, The Coliseum; Titans won, 27-7 $200. He said, “If you don't want to sign it, then forget it.’ I said, ‘No, no. I’m signing it as we speak.’” COACHES CAPSULES XA key contributor for the Oilers from 1975-84, Thompson played in 146 Mike Sherman: 55-31-0, .640, sixth NFL season, sixth with Packers of 147 games over his 10-year NFL career. His teammates included Hall Jeff Fisher: 98-77-0, .560, 11th NFL season, 11th with Titans/Oilers of Famers Earl Campbell, Mike Munchak and Elvin Bethea. Head to Head: Fisher 2-0 vs. Sherman vs. Opponent: Sherman 0-2 vs. Titans, Fisher 2-1 vs. Packers COLLINS FOLLOWING IN CECIL’S FOOTSTEPS: Nick Collins is bidding to become the first Packers rookie to start a regular-season opener at safety MIKE SHERMAN…Is in his sixth year as the Packers’ 13th head coach. since Chuck Cecil in 1988. XSince the 1993 collective bargaining agreement, teams have made 84 XCecil, now in his fifth year on the Titans coaching staff, spent his first coaching changes and only Sherman’s tenure has produced winning five NFL seasons (1988-92) in Green Bay. A fourth-round pick out of records in each of its first five seasons. Arizona, Cecil lined up in the backfield Sept. 4, 1988, a 34-7 loss to Jim XIn 2004, his team became only the ninth in NFL history to reach the Everett and the L.A. Rams in Lindy Infante’s first contest as Packers playoffs after a 1-4 start. coach. XHas led the Packers to three straight division titles (2002-04) for only XAnother Packers rookie starter that day, first-round choice Sterling the fourth time in team history, joining Vince Lombardi’s three-time Sharpe, had a rough afternoon (no catches, one carry for no gain). winners of 1960-62 and 1965-67, along with the 1995-97 division XCollins, a 5-foot-11, 200-pound defender out of Bethune-Cookman, champs of Mike Holmgren.