Dan Orlich, who was believed to be the oldest former Green Bay Packer and the last player alive who had played for legendary coach Curly Lambeau, has died at the age of 94.
Orlich was an eighth-round pick in the 1949 NFL draft, and his first season was Lambeau’s last season. Years later he shared fond memories of Lambeau, even though by the time Orlich got to the NFL, Lambeau’s style was outdated.
“I thought he was a neat guy,” said Orlich. “I thought he was a little behind the times. The T-formation was in, modern football was on its way in. He kind of clung to the old, old rough style. But I liked Curly.”
Orlich is a Hall of Famer at the University of Nevada, where he played in two bowl games, helping the Wolf Pack get to the Salad Bowl in 1947 and the Harbor Bowl in 1948. Those were the first two bowl games in Nevada football history, and after Orlich left they wouldn’t reach another bowl until 1992.
Although Orlich liked Lambeau, he didn’t much like Lambeau’s successor, Gene Ronzani, and retired after two seasons playing for Ronzani in part because he didn’t enjoy the style of coaching. After retiring from the NFL, Orlich became a competitive shooter, and he is in the Trapshooting Hall of Fame.