Packers Fan Favorites Feature. Try saying that 4 times fast. I’m going to start a feature on some Packers fan favorites. Our first feature will be Donald Driver. Along the way there are players that are just universally loved by Packers fans. While they will forever belong in Packer lore, there are Packers fans that may not know who those players are, and were.

So in an attempt to feature some Packers favorites, I present to you “Packers Fans Favorites.” The first Packers favorite featured will be Packers Hall Of Famer Donald Driver.

Number 80

Donald Driver is A Packers Hall Of Famer. In his 14 year career, all with the Packers he put up some great numbers. Donald was drafted in the 7th round by the Packers in 1999 out of Alcorn State University. Donald certainly had some work to do as 7th round draft picks rarely make rosters and are out of football in a few years. But that wasn’t the case for Donald Driver. During his 14 years in Green Bay, he earned his way to being the franchise leader in career receptions and receiving yards. (743, and 10,137 respectfully)

Mr. Consistency

During his career, D.D. reached the 1000 yard receiving season mark 7 times. It’s pretty easy to be consistent when you play catch with Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers for your whole career. One of the most impressive stats of his career was his percentage of first downs on completed passes. Driver recorded a first down on 65.3 percent of his catches. That stat alone made him a special player.

One of the most special attributes was his ability as a run blocker. This is special because he could sell the run, then break off and get open for short yardage and goal to go situations. A complete player, and one that the Packers were lucky to have.

@Donald_Driver80 breaks multiple tackles for an unbelievable 61 yard catch and run touchdown from Rodgers, vs 49ers (12/05/2010) pic.twitter.com/jbJFp2obc6

— r/GreenBayPackers on Reddit (@redditPackers) June 18, 2021

A Tough Path To Stardom

If there was ever a player who had to face adversity head on to become who they are later in life, it was Donald Driver. Donald was born on February 2nd 1975 in Houston Texas. He was the middle child of 5 for his mom, Faye Gray. His parents divorced when he was a young child. There were many nights of homelessness for his mom and siblings. Some nights were spent in low budget motels, and there were even nights where a U-Haul was their shelter. In order to provide for his family, Donald and his older brother turned to stealing and selling drugs. It wasn’t till age 14 when he moved in with his grandmother and turned to sports that his life started to change.

At Milby High School in Houston, Donald was a four sport athlete and earned a Texas All Sate Honorable Mention in football. When he moved on to Alcorn State, he starred at both football and track. His career of 88 receptions and 1993 yards would get him a phone call for his shot at the NFL.

Super Bowl Champ

Donald Driver was part of an elite group of Receivers that helped bring the Lombardi Trophy back to Green Bay in 2010. A certainly wonderful accomplishment for such a great and hard working player. Through all his adversity, he was able to accomplish that dream that so many young boys have growing up.

Strong Hands, Strong Minds, and Loving Hearts

Since retiring in 2013, Donald Driver has won Dancing With The Stars and even written children’s books. Shortly after his retirement, he announced his memoir “Driven” Driven featured anecdotes about his life, and was a NY Times best seller. He started a foundation with the hopes of helping underprivileged children. You can find more about the Donald Driver Foundation here. Today, he is a loving father to 3 kids and devoted husband to his wife Betina. Donald Driver epitomizes what it is to be a Packer. For all his dedication there is a street named after him in Green Bay. (Donald Driver Way) You may also find a statue in downtown Green Bay commemorating all he means to the organization.

Go Pack Go!

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