PACKER BACKER

Local ‘Packer Backer’ cultivates collection of memorabilia

BY SCOTT AKANEWICH, SPORTS EDITOR

(Left) Jim and Odena Jones are devoted Packers fans. (Right) Liberty Hill resident Jim Jones has a collection of Green Bay Packers memorabilia numbering about 450 pieces he has acquired over the past 50 years. (Below) Jones shows off the first piece of memorabilia he collected -- a Super Bowl I game program along with a Packers tattoo proving his allegiance. PHOTOS BY SCOTT AKANEWICH

Before entering the home of Jim Jones, one gets a glimpse of what awaits inside, as the first Green Bay Packers logos are visible from the driveway as the door swings open to be greeted by the 58-year-old Liberty Hill resident.

Once inside, it’s nothing but Green-andGold for 360 degrees as Jones’ collection of anything and everything related to the iconic, Wisconsin-based NFL team immerses you in a sea of memories that features jerseys, helmets, figurines, vintage publications, decorative ornaments and countless other trinkets emblazoned with the famous “G”.

Originally from Chandler, Arizona, Jones began following the Packers at age 10 during the glory years of Vince Lombardi leading the franchise to victories in the first two Super Bowls.

In fact, the very first piece of memorabilia he collected was a game program from that first Super Bowl in 1967 – which at the time was known simply as the “AFL-NFL World Championship Game” – as the latter-day term for the annual contest had not even been coined yet.

As a youngster growing up in a place without an NFL franchise, why did he choose Green Bay in the first place to pledge his allegiance to?

“My grandpa was a big Cleveland Browns fan and they were rivals of Green Bay,” said Jones. “All I heard about was the Packers – I didn’t even know what a Packer was.”

For the record, the team’s name originated from Green Bay’s meat-packing industry back in the early days of the NFL’s existence.

Jones and wife Odena left Arizona for stops in Northern and Southern California before moving to Texas and in particular, Liberty Hill, six years ago, but despite his changes in geography over the years, his colors have remained the same and his extensive collection has gone with him.

An extensive array of die-cast vehicles adorned in team colors occupies one table, including cars, trucks and planes, while another is host to a wide variety of magazines and game programs from over the years.

The entertainment center that houses the couple’s television is a cornucopia of items ranging from collector plates to various mugs, glasses and bottles to a miniature scoreboard that mimics the one at Lambeau Field, which the Packers have called home since 1957.

Speaking of which, Jones traveled to the historic venue for his first game there in December 2004 and said he was overcome with emotion as soon as he laid eyes on the stadium he had seen so many times on television.

“My wife and daughter were in the back seat and my son and I were in front,” said Jones. “As soon as we got there, we stopped, looked at the stadium and started crying.”

The result that day was enough to make it worth braving sub-freezing temperature, he said.

“We beat Detroit, 16-13,” said Jones. “But, it was so cold – 30 degrees with a 30-mph wind.”

How serious is Jones about the Packers?

Green Bay is the NFL’s only community-owned franchise and Jones has his piece of the pie in the form of a framed certificate in one corner of his home representing the single share he proudly owns.

Jones also has a tattoo on his right forearm with the team’s logo – a gift from a family member.

“My son, who was in the Army, got home from Iraq and said he left $100 for me at a local parlor,” he said. “So, I went in and got it – that was about 16 years ago.”

On game days, Jones said he properly utilizes his variety of jerseys with the names and numbers of various Packers players over the decades.

“I’ll wear one jersey when the Packers are on offense and a different one when they’re on defense,” he said. “But, I won’t go as far as to match if they’re wearing green or white.”

Upon moving to Texas, Jones said he anticipated getting grief from the legions of Dallas Cowboys supporters in the Lone Star State, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case.

“When I got here, I thought I’d get a rash of baloney,” he said. “But, even when somebody does say something, it’s in a friendly way.”

According to Jones, his favorite piece of memorabilia is a photo of Hall-of-Fame quarterback Brett Favre that is autographed by the former Green Bay signal-caller, although he said he prefers the man currently under center for the Pack.

“Aaron Rodgers is better,” he said. “But, Favre was just so darned fun to watch, so he’s my favorite.”

Of course, no collection of Packers memorabilia would be complete without the famous foam “Chessehead” hat Green Bay’s fans have come to be synonymous with, which sits on a shelf under a table that features various bobbleheads and other figurines of Packers coaches past and present.

Jones currently counts approximately 450 items in his collection – with the majority of them on display – but said he never envisioned over a half-century ago when he started his collection that it would ever grow to what it is today.

“I never thought I would have all this stuff,” he said. “But, it just started snowballing and the best part of it is getting to show it all off.”