Ron Wolf began his long and successful run in the National Football League as a scout for the Oakland Raiders in 1963. For almost four decades he was recognized as one of the finest personnel men in the league and made his lasting mark as the longtime player personnel director for the Raiders and later as the Executive Vice President/General Manager of the Green Bay Packers.

Wolf first left the Raiders in 1966 to work for the American Football League’s office but returned to the team several months later after the AFL merged with the NFL. He continued in Oakland until, at age 37, he was named general manager of the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He built the foundation that earned the team a trip to the NFC championship by its fourth season. However, by that time, Wolf was back with the Raiders and played an integral role in the team’s sustained success. In the 23 seasons Wolf was with the Raiders, the team posted winning seasons in all but six years, claimed 10 division titles, played in eight AFL/AFC championship games and three Super Bowls, including victories in Super Bowls XV and XVIII.

In 1990, Wolf began a brief stint with the New York Jets before he was named Executive Vice President/General Manager of the Green Bay Packers late in the 1991 season. He quickly resurrected the once-proud franchise. The Packers improved from 4-12 in 1991 to 9-7 in 1992, Wolf’s first full season on the job. The Packers added two more 9-7 records that earned playoff berths and then, in 1995, the team finished 11-5 to claim its first division title in 23 seasons. It marked the first of three straight NFC Central Division titles for the Packers, the last two culminating with Super Bowl appearances.

The 1996 Packers posted the first 16-win season in franchise history. The club won the NFC Central with a 13-3 record and followed with victories over the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoff and the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship Game. The magical season was capped by a thrilling 35-21 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI as Green Bay once again earned the moniker, “Titletown, U.S.A.”

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