Former Packers QB Zeke Bratkowski Passes Away at 88
By Parker White
The Green Bay Packers lost one legendary quarterback this year, as the great Bart Starr passed away at the age of 85 back in May.
Sadly, the Packers family has now lost Starr's backup, too. Zeke Bratkowski passed away this morning at the age of 88 at his home in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
Bratkowski's cause of death is unknown at this time.
Extremely saddened to learn of the passing of @NFL & @Packers legend Zeke Bratkowski, who passed away this morning at his home in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. My thoughts are with his family, among them his grandson and my dear friend, Shane.
— Dan Savage (@Dan_Savage) November 11, 2019
Bratkowski played from 1954-1971, including the last seven seasons of his career with the Packers. Even though the former third-round pick began his career in Chicago, Bratkowski is best known for his time with the Packers, including helping the team win the first two Super Bowls in NFL history.
In 132 career games, Bratkowski threw for 10,345 yards and 65 touchdowns.
National Polish-American Sports Hall of Famer Zeke Bratkowski has died in Florida. The former quarterback was 88. @DSCDPAdmin @dscdphttps://t.co/h4iCWBZe69
— Budd Dwyer (@DeadpoolActuary) November 11, 2019
Once his playing days were over, Bratkowski went into the coaching profession, where he coached for seven different organizations, including with the Packers in 1969-70, and again from 1975-1981. His coaching days ended with the New York Jets as their offensive coordinator and QB coach in 1995.