GREEN BAY – Green Bay resident Jeff Lanier was recently named one of 10 finalists in the search for the 28th member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame.
The first professional football team to have a hall of fame, the Green Bay Packers enhanced that distinction in 1998 by establishing a Packers FAN Hall of Fame.
It was founded for the purpose of annually honoring a devout and longtime Packers fan.
Packers’ fans were asked to nominate themselves or a friend for the honor with an essay of 500 words or fewer, accompanied by a photo, explaining why he or she should be recognized.
From those nominations, 10 finalists were selected by the Packers FAN Hall of Fame selection committee.
Fans can read the finalists’ profiles and vote online by visiting packers.com/fhof.
The winner will be selected by Packers fans and the Packers’ selection committee.
The voting deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2026.
Voters will be entered into a random drawing to win Packers’ merchandise.
The honoree's selection will be announced in late February 2026.
He or she will receive four club seats to a 2026 Packers home game, along with four pre-game sideline passes; four passes to the Packers Hall of Fame; a custom Packers jersey; a $500 Packers Pro Shop gift certificate; and a one-year subscription to PackersNews.com.
The honoree will also have his or her name added to the list of FAN Hall of Fame honorees recognized in the Packers Hall of Fame.
Lanier – a lifelong Packers fan
According to the Packers FAN Hall of Fame website, Lanier was nominated by his sister-in-law.
In her essay, Lanier’s sister-in-law said he is a devoted Packers fan who loves the team and players, in good times and bad times.
“I was surprised to be named a finalist,” Lanier said. “I’m sure there are a lot of nominations that come in each year, and so many fans have a good story. I have looked through the past nominees and winners, and there are definitely a lot of good Packers fans throughout the country. It’s a nice thing to be part of getting at least into the top 10 – we’ll see how it goes from here.”
Lanier said pretty much living in Wisconsin his whole life, he moved to Green Bay from Elkhorn in 1996.
“My father wasn’t a huge sports fan in terms of watching sports on TV, but I started watching games on Sunday afternoons,” he said. “My first memories of watching Packers games start with the first year after the second Super Bowl. People refer to the 1970s and ’80s not as the glory days but as the gory days sometimes.”
Lanier said some of his earliest Packers memories date to 1968.
“That year was the start of the not-so-good years,” he laughed. “Vince Lombardi had resigned as coach and spent one year as the general manager of the team – that was his last year with the organization.”
Lanier said the two Bears games in 1968 stand out for him.
“The rivalry against the Bears was strong enough that I was able to keep both those games in my brain,” he said. “The Packers lost the first meeting and then beat the Bears in the final game of the season.”
The 1968 Packers finished 6-7-1 under first-year head coach Phil Bengtson.
“I first got four season tickets for Milwaukee County Stadium in 1990,” Lanier said. “I changed jobs so I could get a job in Green Bay to be closer to the Packers. When I was married in 1984, I invited Bart Starr to my wedding, and all of the groomsmen wore Green Bay Packers socks. The Packer ‘G’ was painted on the side of the barn and was the backdrop for wedding pictures.”
Lanier said he still has the letter from Starr sending this regrets that he would be unable to attend the wedding.
During the era of VCRs, Lanier said he recorded every game on a separate tape and still has the collection.
“I attend every game, every shareholder meeting and all the Packers special events in Green Bay,” he said. “I have traveled to other stadiums to see the Packers play and even attended the Packers game in London. My house is filled with Packers pictures and mementos.”
Since 2001, when Lanier started going to every home game, he said he’s only missed one game.
“Of course, COVID-19 also happened, but I’ve gone to every home game since 2001 except for one in 2002,” he said. “It never gets old. I just enjoy being at the games, being with the crowd, the atmosphere and hopefully being able to cheer the Packers on to victory.”
What makes it all the more remarkable is that Lanier also went through pancreatic cancer for a couple of years and asked his doctor to plan the treatments so he could be healthy for the games.
“I am fortunately in remission at this time and still enjoying attending all of the games,” he said. “I went to my 12th treatment wearing an Aaron Rodgers Jersey, and then my 15th treatment was with a Bart Starr jersey.”
As a reminder, fans can read the finalists’ profiles and vote online by visiting packers.com/fhof.
The winner will be selected by Packers fans and the Packers’ selection committee.
The voting deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2026.
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