NFL media, Packers fans pay tribute to Bob Harlan on social media
· Yahoo Sports
Former general manager Ron Wolf deservedly gets constant and deserved accolades for rebuilding and restoring the pride and glory of the Green Bay Packers in the 1990s.
Wolf hired head coach Mike Holmgren, traded for quarterback Brett Favre and signed defensive end Reggie White as a free agent. Those three pillars of the franchise would lead the Packers to consecutive Super Bowls. Favre and White are now in the NFL Hall of Fame.
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But none of those legendary tales become true stories if former president and CEO Bob Harlan didn't have the vison to give total control of the football operations to Wolf when he hired him in 1991.
That was just one of many examples of Harlan's top-notch leadership and decision-making during his tenure as Packers president from 1989 through early 2008 that made him one of the most important anchors in the history of the organization.
Harlan died March 5 at age 89 at St. Mary's Hospital in Green Bay.
"Bob Harlan will go down as one of the most underrated figures in the storied history of one of the great franchises in American sport," veteran NFL reporter Peter King said in a statement released by the Packers.
NFL media and Packers fans posted an array of positive thoughts and tributes on social media. Here is a sample.
I never heard anyone say a bad word about Bob Harlan. One of the last lions of the NFL. The Packers aren't the Packers without him. RIP https://t.co/tZcHyK1Ehh
— Ian O'Connor (@Ian_OConnor) March 5, 2026
Bob Harlan was everything anyone could want from a boss.
— Andrew Brandt (@AndrewBrandt) March 6, 2026
He hired so many of us, stayed out of the way and had complete trust in us to do our jobs.
And led with a perpetual smile on his face. RIP.
Nice guys don’t have to finish last. Some can finish first. Bob Harlan proved it. Forever a champion.
— Matt Lepay (@MattLepay) March 6, 2026
Rest in peace https://t.co/SePig4lIzc
Bob Harlan’s dedication to the Packers should be long remembered for the excellence created. https://t.co/PCAcBLYh90
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdNFL) March 6, 2026
So sorry to hear of the passing of former Packers President and CEO Bob Harlan. He was the man who brought the organization from decades of struggles to a rebirth of relevance and Championship. The Packers today are the product of Bob’s leadership. We will
— Wayne Larrivee (@waynelarrivee) March 5, 2026
miss him dearly.
Impossible to put into words what Bob Harlan meant to the Green Bay Packers. As the president, as a human being.
— Tyler Dunne (@TyDunne) March 6, 2026
One of one.
The stories of Bob going to door to door throughout Brown County to secure votes on the Lambeau renovation 25 years ago are legendary.
Bob Harlan absolutely belongs in the Hall of Fame and it's a shame he didn't get in during his lifetime. https://t.co/nbR2BxHFCl
— Kyle Birling (@KJBD11) March 5, 2026
Bob Harlan built the strong foundation for today's Packers and today's Lambeau Field. They'd slid into irrelevance and were on the ropes when he took over as team president in 1989. It was bad. Harlan -- more than any GM, player or coach -- was and is the Packers' MVP. https://t.co/aP2MgMF50z
— Jeff Ash @jeffash26.bsky.social (@jeffash26) March 5, 2026
Bob Harlan belongs in the Hall of Fame as much as any owner. The Packers of 1992 onward do not exist without him.
— Craig Smith (@smithcp1) March 5, 2026
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: NFL media, Packers fans pay tribute to Bob Harlan on social media