| No. 69, 71 | |
| Date of birth | (1932-08-09)August 9, 1932 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Date of death | April 27, 2007(2007-04-27) (aged 74) |
| Place of death | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
| Weight | 237 lb (108 kg) |
| US college | SMU |
| High school | Dallas (TX) Woodrow Wilson |
| NFL draft | 1953 / round: 3 / Pick 31 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1953–1963 | Green Bay Packers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Pro Bowls | 1959,1960,1961,1962 |
| Career stats | |
| |
George William Forester (August 9, 1932 – April 27, 2007) was an American former professionalfootballlinebacker in theNational Football League (NFL).[1][2] He played 11 seasons for theGreen Bay Packers from1953 to1963 and was selected to fourPro Bowls. He was selected to thePackers Hall of Fame in 1974.
Born and raised inDallas,Texas, Forester graduated from itsWoodrow Wilson High School in 1949 at age 16. He was an all-city, all-state, and all-Southernfullback / linebacker for the Wildcats and played in the 1949 Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game.
Forester playedcollege football in Dallas atSMU and was named All-Southwest Conference (SWC) linebacker in 1951 and 1952. He also played on the defensive line and at fullback. Following his senior season in 1952, he was selected to play in theEast–West Shrine Game in December and theCollege All-Star Game inChicago in August 1953.
Forester was selected in the third round (31st overall) of the1953 NFL draft by theGreen Bay Packers. He played on the Packer defense for 11 seasons, from 1953 through 1963, as a defensive tackle for three of his first four seasons, with one season at left outside linebacker. He then moved to middle linebacker for a few games in 1957, and later to the right side where he would play the rest of his career at.[1] Forester played under four head coaches in Green Bay; the last wasVince Lombardi, who arrived in his seventh season in1959. He was a member of Lombardi's first twoNFL championship teams in1961 and1962, both wins over theNew York Giants.[3]
Forester made All-Pro five times (1959–1963) and played in four Pro Bowls (1959–1962). He was a defensive captain for seven seasons and was inducted into theGreen Bay Packers Hall of Fame in early 1974.[4] Forester was inducted into his high school's hall of fame in 1999 and into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2015, theProfessional Football Researchers Association named Forester to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2015.[5]
Forester moved back to Dallas and ran a successful sporting goods business for decades before his retirement.[1]
After a long illness, Forester died at age 74 in 2007.[2] He is buried atSparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery inNorth Dallas.
