Natalie's Everyday Heroes: Former history teacher chronicles every Packers game

 

GREEN BAY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- With the start of the Packers season right around the corner, we're taking a look back. Way back. This week's everyday hero has done something remarkable. He's compiled a database of every game the Packers have ever played, going all the way back to 1919.

"A familiar foe took down Green Bay again," Jim Rice read.

This story begins where last season ended.

"Quarterback Jordan Love connected with rookie wideout Bo Melton for a 32-yard score," he continued, reading an account of the Packers' last game of the 2023-24 season. 

The Green Bay Packers putting up a fight against the 49ers in the playoffs.

"Late in the third quarter, Love was intercepted by Dre Greenlaw," Rice recounted.

For Rice, a historian and Packers fan, it was the final game in a project eight years in the making.

When asked how many games the Packers have played, he knew immediately- "1,520," he said with confidence.

Rice knows that, because he's written about every one.

"I really didn't have this, you know, urge to do anything special. It just happened," he said modestly.

He recently launched Packerscentury.com, a database where fans can find detailed accounts of each game.

"And I thought, well, Packer fans should be able to have access to something that gives them a summary of the game, the action on the field, rather than just statistics," Rice explained.

From the memorabilia in his home in Cedarburg, it's clear he's a fan. He's also written four books on the team's rivalries and championships. But he hasn't always been a fan of the green and gold.

A New York native, Rice started as a Giants fan. He came to Marquette for college and stayed in Wisconsin.

"Eventually became a Packer fan when Farve showed up, which, everybody loves a winner," he laughed.

Before he retired, Rice worked as a history teacher. So, compiling the database after he retired seemed like the right play.

"I really enjoyed going back through the Green Bay Press Gazettes and reading about the games," he said.

He wants his website to help people keep their own Packers history alive.

"The games that their family went to, to see what they were all about, because it's more than statistics," he explained.

With last season's games in the books, he's excited to write the next chapter as it unfolds.

"Just realizing how important that history is, and not to take it for granted," he said.

Like a lot of fans, Rice has high hopes for this season. But for anyone who wants to look back, the database starts with games back in 1919. There is a subscription fee. You can find more information by clicking here. 

If you'd like to nominate an Everyday Hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].