By Tori Wittenbrock
Associate Sports Editor
GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. recently announced its future inductees for the 2024 banquet as linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive end Aaron Kampman.
The 53rd Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will be held Aug. 29, 2024, in the Lambeau Field Atrium at 4 p.m. with a cash bar while the dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m.
The announcement of the Hall’s newest inductees was made by Packers Hall of Fame Inc. President Dr. Don Sipes.
The Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Inc. selection committee got together to select the newest inductees for the ceremony
“It didn’t take long to pick the next two inductees to the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame,” said Sipes. “These two Packers will be the 169th and 170th members of this exclusive club.”
Matthews
Clay Matthews was a first round draft pick for the Green Bay Packers in 2009 after playing at the University of Southern California. Matthews’ career in Green Bay spanned 10 seasons and contains an impressive stat sheet with 83.5 sacks, 10 of which occurred during his rookie year.
Matthews also ranks near the top of the record book for the Packers defensively with six Pro Bowl selections as he ties the infamous Reggie White for the second-most defensive player selections for the Packers.
Matthews was also a significant player in Green Bay’s Super Bowl XLV during the 2010 season.
After his time with the Packers, Matthews played his final NFL season in 2019 playing for the Los Angeles Rams before entering retirement.
“I had just been up there for Jordy (Nelson) and Josh’s (Sitton) this past year and that was my first time attending the Packers Hall of Fame enshrinement,” said Matthews. “It was an outstanding evening that really showed the connectivity between everyone there and the emotion and just how much of a family the atmosphere is.”
“When I got this call and to hear that I would be going in with Aaron — someone where we overlapped, even if only for a short time — he is someone who is very deserving, so I couldn’t be more honored.”
Matthews said that this experience is something that he values greatly.
“To think of the history of the Packers and everyone who came before us and to now have our names in the same breadth as other players and coaches and management, is truly special.”
Kampman
Aaron Kampman was a fifth round draft pick for the Packers in 2002 after having a successful college career at the University of Iowa.
Kampman’s career lasted for eight seasons. He played in 112 games for the Packers. In his fourth season with the Packers, Kampman ranked No. 2 in the NFL with 15.5 sacks and set a Green Bay Packers record with 113 tackles on the season. Throughout his entire career, Kampman tallied 54 sacks, ranking fifth in the Packers record books post-1982. During his time in Wisconsin, Kampman was selected for two Pro Bowls.
He spent the final two seasons of his NFL career in Jacksonville playing for the Jaguars from 2010-11.
“It was surprising,” said Kampman. “We got the phone call and it was very exciting. I’m very honored to be a part of this — it was definitely something that I was not expecting.”
Kampman said that though his career did not start off with him being a high profile impact player, he always knew that he could earn his way to the top.
“I guess I always believed that I could be a really good player,” said Kampman. “I thought I would be maybe a second or third string player, but I actually wasn’t even on the depth chart to start things out. That gave me a little indication about where I was starting. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to be able to do some of the things that I was fortunate enough to be able to do.”