The guy that came back

ASHWAUBENON – On Aug. 28, former Packers CEO Mark Murphy was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame as the sole 2025 inductee.
During the ceremony, held in the Lambeau Field Atrium, Mark’s son Brian served as the presenter on behalf of the family.

Mark’s wife, Laurie; his mom, Nancy; his sister, JoEllen; his daughters, Katherine, Emily and Anna; his foster daughter, Susan; and their families were also present for the event.

During his speech, Brian recalled the relationship between Mark and his father, Hugh “Big Murph.”

“Big Murph taught him lessons through what he called his ‘pearls of wisdom,’” Brian explained.

“My dad didn’t need to use catch phrases to teach me. He showed me by example. He showed me how he showed up at home and at work, every single day. When you want to accomplish something, you put your head down, you place one foot in front of the other — no shortcuts, just quiet, focused work.
“Your time with the Packers has not always been easy — a ton of pressure, plenty of challenges and no shortage of drama. What’s always stood out to me is how you would handled it all, calm, steady and full of grace.

“Early on in your career with the Packers, I’ll never forget, I got a ride with you early to a game. You had your extra-large suit on, your Paisley-colored tie, and you drove over there, about four hours before kickoff. I figured you were going to talk to the coaches or players — talk shop, talk strategy — but you actually just walked around Lambeau Field, soaking it all in, signing autographs, taking selfies with fans. It almost seemed like you enjoyed the selfies more than the fans themselves.

“Dad, your genuine admiration for the Packers fans and the game day experience has translated into the development of the Titletown District, which almost a million people come to every year now. I know that’ll be one of your lasting legacies.

“So, I was trying to think about why you might have such a connection to the fans and the fan experience, and I actually thought of the story that Big Murph told me. So, this is in the early 1960s, you were living in Houston at the time, and Sandy Koufax was in town with the Dodgers for a baseball game.

“So, Big Murph drove you over to the game. You were very excited to watch Sandy pitch, and went down to the field after the game, and Sandy came by and (Dad) said, ‘Can I get your autograph?’ and he had a baseball? And Sandy said, ‘Yeah, no problem, kid. Wait here. I’ll be back.’ So Sandy went into the locker room to take a shower. He never came back. You were waiting there for three hours. I think you never forgot that moment, because when you played in the NFL, you never passed up one single fan who wanted your autograph.

“He wanted to be the guy that did come back,” he told those in attendance.

During Mark’s tenure, the Packers made 12 playoff trips, including a team-record eight straight (2009-16) and advanced to five NFC title games, earning a victory in Super Bowl XLV.

Mark also directed the organization’s master plan involving the Lambeau Field campus, with the organization investing more than $600 million in Lambeau Field, financed without public tax dollars.