Bob Long played on three Green Bay Packers championship teams in four years with the franchise

BROOKFIELD – Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Bob Long died Sunday at his home in Brookfield. Long was 83 years old.

Long, who was raised in Pittsburgh, attended Wichita State University, where he lettered three years in basketball. When his eligibility ran out, he switched to football for the 1963 season. His performance was good enough to get him drafted by two professional teams.

Long spent the first four years of his seven-year professional career with the Packers. He was drafted in the fourth round, 44th overall, of the 1964 NFL draft. He was drafted in the 10th round of the AFL draft by the San Diego Chargers , but he chose to play for the Packers.

Long played for coach Vince Lombardi in Green Bay until 1967 and in Washington in 1969, where he had his best year, starting every game and catching 48 passes for 533 yards and one touchdown. In four years with the Packers, he started four games, caught 25 passes for 487 yards and four touchdowns. He also played one year in Atlanta and one year for the Rams in Los Angeles.

"If you had three passes thrown to you in a game, that was a lot," Long said of playing for the run-happy Packers in a 2015 interview with Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "And you'd better catch them. Lombardi did not tolerate dropped passes."

His 1968 season in Atlanta was off to a good start, but it was cut short by a car crash and a broken back. Lombardi called him to join his Washington team the next season.

Long started only 29 games in seven years, but he played for Lombardi twice, played in the Ice Bowl , played in Super Bowls I and II, was on three consecutive NFL championship teams, and played with 12 Pro Football Hall of Famers.

"Packers fans are the best fans in the world. I may not be a legend, but they never, ever forget. Wherever I go, they treat me like I'm a hall of famer," Long said.

Long remained in Wisconsin after his NFL career, where he was a Pizza Hut franchisee. He developed more than 60 franchises and at one time operated 24 stores. He also was involved in many charities, including Special Olympics , Task Force Against Family Violence and Alzheimer's research.

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