The death of Green Bay Packers legend and NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr is still reverberating around NFL circles.
A first-class person who just so happened to be an NFL icon, Starr displayed remarkable character throughout his playing and coaching days and was a positive influence for many.
That dynamic can be clearly seen in one image.
Andrew Brandt of Sports Illustrated was given an old letter to share. In it, Starr responded to a Packers fan who had been disgusted by his coaching. The powerful words he penned changed that fan’s outlook completely, and they remind us of the high-character man that he was.
Speaking personally, being attacked is never something that is easy to deal with. The tendency is to lash out in response. Yet Starr had the wherewithal to not only treat this disgruntled fan kindly, but to offer something of value in return.
Starr was an extremely thoughtful, kind person. As one example of this, Brett Favre shared that he received hand-written letters from Starr after every game he played.
Bart Starr will be greatly missed. Yet his legacy will live on forever.