Deral Teteak obit

Packers MLB, Deral Teteak, dies at 85

 

He was not on the list.

Deral Teteak, known as "The Little Bull" during his playing career with the Green Bay Packers, died Thursday in Naples, Fla.

Teteak had turned 85 one week earlier. He was a native of Oconto, Wis., played high school football at Oshkosh and college ball at the University of Wisconsin.

Teteak joined the Packers in 1952 as a ninth-round draft choice and played through 1956. A middle linebacker, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1987.

Teteak personified his nickname. He wore a crew cut and was a short and stout 5-foot-10 and 225 pounds. He was the first Packers middle linebacker to wear No. 66, later worn by Ray Nitschke, and he was named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie. In Teteak's first two seasons, he played middle backer in an old 5-3 defense, he said in an interview in 2000.

"He was a good player," former teammate and longtime Packers coach and scout Dave Hanner said in 2002. "He could move and he could tackle. He could fill inside, outside."

The highlight of Teteak's career might have come on Nov. 2, 1952 in a 12-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Marquette Stadium in Milwaukee. With a little more than seven minutes remaining and the Packers trailing 10-6, Teteak blocked a punt that defensive end John Martinkovic scooped up inside the Eagles' 10-yard line and returned for the winning touchdown.

While Teteak played during some of the leanest years in Packers history, he remembered in a 2007 interview how supportive the team's fans were during that period. He specifically remembered returning from New York in 1952 following a victory over the Giants in a season that ended 6-6.

"When we got back to Green Bay, they (the fans) had put champagne in our locker room," he said. "They had wine. They had beer."

At Wisconsin, Teteak was a member of the school's famous "Hard Rocks" defense that led the nation in 1951, allowing only 68.9 yards per game.

After retiring from the Packers, Teteak served as an assistant coach with the Badgers from 1957-68. He later owned an industrial cleaning supply company in Green Bay. Over many years in retirement and until his death, he split time between Kelly Lake, outside Suring, Wis., and Naples, Fla.

Teteak is survived by his wife Shirley, a son Peter, daughter Lynn and three grandchildren. He and Shirley would have celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in February.

Teteak was preceded in death by a son, Jack. He died in a nursing home in Naples. His funeral will be held there on Tuesday.

Deral Teteak, known as "The Little Bull" during his playing career with the Green Bay Packers, died Thursday, December 19.

 

 

During the 1950s, teams were transitioning to the 4-3 defense, which in the case of the Packers meant using a variety of alignments with anywhere from two to four linebackers. Before his third season, Teteak broke his right ankle in training camp and missed the first six games.

Once he returned, he played in 30 straight games over three seasons, switching between the middle and the outside. "I remember in the '53' defense, I had to move out over the tight end," Teteak said in 2002. "When you moved out in the '53,' you really went into the old 'Eagle' defense because you had no middle linebacker."

From 1954 to 1956, Teteak had 10 turnover plays, including five interceptions and five fumble recoveries. He also called the defensive signals in 1956.

"He was short and stocky, but he'd stick his head in there and stick them," said former teammate and fellow Packers Hall of Famer Fred Cone. "He was a competitor. He probably gave as much pound-for-pound as any defensive guy we had."

The Packers selected Teteak in the ninth round of the 1952 NFL draft. He had played at Oshkosh High School before gaining statewide fame as a member of the University of Wisconsin's famous "Hard Rocks." The aptly named defense led the nation in 1951, allowing a mere 68.9 yards per game.

In five seasons with the Packers, Teteak played in 49 games and finished with six interceptions. Teteak announced his retirement on Feb. 14, 1957, to join the coaching staff at Wisconsin, where he served from 1957 to 1968.

Born Dec. 11, 1929, on a farm in the town of Spruce in Oconto County. Moved from Kelly Lake, part of Spruce, to Manitowoc when Teteak was in the fifth grade and then moved again three years later to Oshkosh. Given name Deral Dean Teteak. Died Dec. 18, 2014, at age 85.