By Rich Palzewic
Contributing Writer
GREEN BAY – A new batch of finalists is ready to make their mark on the Packers FAN Hall of Fame.
One of those 10 finalists — 29-year-old Brittany Bogan from Green Bay — said she hopes to become the 25th member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame.
“Wouldn’t that be cool — it’s crazy,” Bogan laughed. “It would be quite the honor because I’ve been a fan of the Packers for as long as I can remember.”
The first professional football team to have a hall of fame, the Packers enhanced that distinction in 1998 by establishing a Packers FAN Hall of Fame.
Packers fans were asked to nominate themselves or a friend for the honor with an essay of 500 words or less, accompanied by a photo, explaining why he or she should be recognized.
From those nominations, 10 finalists were selected.
Bogan was nominated by her friend, Jenna.
“Jenna had been talking about nominating me for years because she did the same for her mom five or six years ago,” Bogan said. “I never thought she’d do it, but she did. After that, I never thought I’d get to the top 10, but here I am. I love the community feel of the Packers — it’s about the community and not simply just about the team.”
Lifelong Packers fan
Growing up in Racine, Bogan moved to Green Bay in 2011 to attend the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
“Everyone joked I was moving to Green Bay because of my love for the Packers and not for school,” Bogan said. “That statement may or may not have been true.”
Bogan said she remembers being a youngster and having family get-togethers.
“My grandpa and uncles would come over to our house and watch football all day long — it started at noon, and obviously, they’d watch the Packers,” she said. “Those are some of my earliest memories.”
Bogan’s first game she attended at Lambeau Field was in 2008.
“It was against the Detroit Lions and a last-minute Christmas present,” she said. “My stepmom handed me the tickets, and I remember crying because I was so excited. They won the game.”
In Bogan’s words, she’s been “to a ton of games” since that first time in the Lambeau Field seats.
“I’m not a season ticket holder, but I try to go to one preseason game a season and when I can during the regular season,” she said. “One of my goals is to see every opposing team play at Lambeau — I’ve seen 22 teams play already. I haven’t seen the Cowboys, Chargers, Browns, Chiefs, Dolphins, Jaguars, Titans, Ravens, Steelers and Bengals yet.”
Bogan said another goal of hers is to see the Packers play in every opposing stadium.
“I’ve got a bit to go, but I’ve seen them play in Chicago,” she said. “It will give me a chance to travel.”
In Bogan’s two-bedroom apartment, one of the rooms is made up entirely of Packers’ memorabilia.
“I have an extra couch in there, and that’s where I watch all the games,” she said. “I have signed mini helmets, pillows, pictures and 27 Packers jerseys. There’s not a place in my apartment where you can turn and not see something Packers. Most of my wardrobe is Packers stuff, and there is Packers stuff all over my car. I’m also a shareholder.”
The competition
Fans can read the finalists’ profiles and vote online by visiting packers.com/fhof. The winner will be selected by fans and the Packers’ selection committee.
The voting deadline is midnight, Jan. 31, and the winner will be announced in late winter. Voters will be entered into a random drawing to win Packers’ merchandise.
The winner will receive four club seats to a 2023 Packers home game; a $500 Packers Pro Shop gift certificate; a road trip for two to a 2023 Packers away game, including game tickets, airfare and hotel accommodations; and a one-year subscription to PackersNews.com.
The honoree will also have his or her name added to the list of FAN Hall of Fame honorees recognized in the Packers Hall of Fame.
The other nine finalists are John Breske (Elderon), Patrick Egle (Redlands, Calif.), Rodney Goodrich (Stetsonville), Jimmy Krueger (Dallas), Julie Lankey-Smallwood (Wonewoc), Ryan Packer (Milwaukee), Noam Sturm (Avon, Connecticut), Robert Thom (Neenah) and Christopher Windisch (Williston Park, N.Y.).