GREEN BAY — The Walnut Street Bridge in Green Bay will now be known as the Bart Starr Memorial Bridge, under a new bill signed today by Gov. Tony Evers.
The signing comes a day before the Packers open their 2021 training camp.
Packers quarterback Bart Starr turned the fledgling Green Bay team into an iconic sports franchise, leading them to victories in Super Bowls I and II in 1967 and 1968.
“Bart Starr was an exceptional man both on and off the field. He, alongside the great Vince Lombardi, propelled our Green Bay Packers into sports history and helped put Green Bay on the map as Titletown USA,” said Gov. Evers in a news release.
“By all accounts, he was not only a good and decent man, but he had a deep love for this community and helped form the Packers as we know and love them today. I am proud and honored today to sign Senate Bill 101 designating the Walnut Street Bridge here in Green Bay as the Bart Starr Memorial Bridge.”
Bryan Bartlett “Bart” Starr started his celebrated career with the Green Bay Packers in 1956. Alongside the renowned Vince Lombardi, Starr led the team to six divisional championships, five National Football League (NFL) championships, and the first two Super Bowls, taking home the honor of being named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both games. In addition, Starr is remembered for being the only quarterback in history to lead a team to three consecutive NFL championships, being named the NFL MVP in 1966, and still holds the highest career postseason passer rating to date. Starr was inducted into the Pro Football, Packer, and Wisconsin Athletic Halls of Fame, and is one of only six former Packers to have their jersey number retired (#15).
“Our family is humbled and honored by the decision to name the Walnut Street Bridge after my late husband, Bart Starr,” said Cherry Starr. We are particularly grateful to Governor Evers, the members of the Wisconsin legislature, and the many individuals in Green Bay who initiated and supported this idea. For decades Bart told everyone he met about the remarkable people in this city and state. This gesture shows once again why our family has and always will cherish this community.”
Outside of his sports career, Starr continued to serve by co-founding the Rawhide Youth Services, a center for at-risk youths, and starting the Starr Children’s Fund in partnership with the Lombardi Cancer Foundation. Regarded as a man of exceptional character, each year, one NFL player is given the Bart Starr Award for their outstanding character and leadership.
Senate Bill 101, now 2021 Wisconsin Act 74:
- Requires designation of the bridge on STH 29 across the Fox River in the city of Green Bay in Brown County as the “Bart Starr Memorial Bridge.”