Imagine Lex Luger, the wrestling icon, in a Green Bay Packers uniform for years. This article explores Larry Pfohl’s journey, his brief but impactful stint with the Packers, and how an injury redirected him to wrestling stardom. Discover the untold story of Lex Luger’s football days and his enduring connection to Green Bay.
1. Lex Luger’s Untold Football Story: From Green Bay Hopeful to Wrestling Icon
Larry Pfohl, known to the world as the wrestling superstar Lex Luger, once dreamed of a career in the NFL. But what if Larry Pfohl hadn’t been injured during the Green Bay Packers training camp in 1982? This is the story of how Lex Luger’s Green Bay Packers journey shaped the legend.
“I would have loved to have had a long-term career with the Packers; are you kidding me?” Pfohl said. “If I did, I probably wouldn’t have become a wrestler. So, in the big picture, it worked out for me in that regard.”
2. The Green Bay Packers and a Lasting Impression
35 years after his release in 1983, Pfohl, 60, remembers his year with the Packers fondly, “Had it worked out in Green Bay, I seriously doubt I would have become a pro wrestler.” His time wearing green and gold remains special.
CFL to NFL a Big Leap
After three years as a starting left tackle for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, Pfohl arrived in Green Bay as a free agent.
Green Bay was the first team to bring him in for a workout in January 1982. A short time later, he signed a two-year deal for about $120,000, with a $10,000 signing bonus.
“I was definitely aware of the history and legacy when I got there,” Pfohl said. “I didn’t even look around at other teams because I understood and was excited to have an opportunity to play for the Green Bay Packers.”
3. Training Camp Challenges
Pfohl entered training camp confidently because of his CFL experience, but nervous because he was moving to guard. He knew it would be a steep learning curve.
Impressing the Veterans
Pfohl played well in minicamp that May and wanted to impress the offensive line veterans.
“He showed up at camp looking like he did for wrestling,” said Koch, who spent nine seasons with the Packers and was inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame in 2010. “I mean, this guy was chiseled. He looked more like a body builder. He was just an impressive athlete. He could run like a 4.7 (40-yard sprint). He was just big and impressive.”
He became friends with many of his teammates and remains in contact with some.
4. Injury Derails NFL Dream
Pfohl injured his left groin and hip flexor almost immediately after training camp started. He attempted to hide the injury at first, but it didn’t improve.
Training with a Strongman
In preparation for his move to the NFL, Pfohl trained with Don Reinhoudt, a world-class power lifter who won the World’s Strongest Man competition in 1979.
“Looking back now with modern-day training methods, I should have been doing other things along with that in the offseason,” he said. “I had a lot of injuries in football in my hip and groin areas from, I think, a lot of it is from the heavy deadlifting and the squatting I did in the offseason.”
The Packers eventually put Pfohl on injured reserve, ending his first NFL season before the first regular-season game. He hit the weights just as hard with a plan to return bigger and better.
5. Life in Green Bay
He rented one side of a duplex not far from Lambeau Field, where he lived with his then-wife, Peggy.
“Me being a Buffalo boy, Buffalo people are very similar to Midwestern folks,” he said. “Just good, hardworking, mainly blue-collar workers who kind of have a no-nonsense attitude. We call Buffalo the city of good neighbors, and it truly is.”
“I felt the same sense of community in Green Bay. I loved it there. That’s why I stayed there in the offseason. I loved being there.”
6. Release from the Packers
Toward the end of his second training camp in 1983, Pfohl sensed that making the team wasn’t going to happen. He heard the Bills might be interested, as were the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League.
He met with Packers coach Bart Starr and asked if he would consider cutting him. Starr granted the request.
Pfohl felt the Packers gave him every opportunity to succeed and was appreciative that Starr gave him a chance to find a home with another team.
Football Wasn’t the Right Fit
“For as good an athlete as he was and what he could do, he just kind of couldn’t … the top half of his body couldn’t catch up with his legs,” said Koch, who also played against WWE Hall of Fame wrestler “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in college.
“Football was just a different sport for him. You go see all the acrobatic things he did in the wrestling ring, and you went, ‘Wow, it’s strange he had a hard time with football.’”
Koch thought it boiled down to mastering foot movements and reacting quickly.
“You hate to say that about a friend but, no, he was one of those guys who just wasn’t getting it,” Koch said. “In the NFL, they don’t have much time to wait on you. He came back the next year and he still was having the same trouble, so they tried him out on the D-line, and it didn’t work there.”
7. From Football Fields to Wrestling Rings
After his release by the Packers, Pfohl played for the Bandits and coach Steve Spurrier until he was traded to the Memphis Showboats four games into the 1984 season.
His last stint in football was with the Jacksonville Bulls in 1985, not because he was cut but because he stumbled upon a new career path.
While looking for offseason work, he got a gig with Championship Wrestling out of Florida. He eventually quit football to wrestle full time.
Instead of trying to block Lawrence Taylor, he would be grappling with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.
Goodbye, Larry Pfohl. Hello, Lex Luger.
8. Launching into Fame
Pfohl laughs about how his football career largely became just a trivia question.
His dream of playing in the NFL never was realized, although making millions in his next gig and arguably being the most famous Packers player from the early 1980s isn’t a bad consolation.
“A lot of people sure as hell know who he is,” said Koch, who hosts a radio show in Houston and has had Pfohl on as a guest. “If you talk to millennials, you could say Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton and they might not know him. But almost anybody you talk to, I go, ‘Have you heard of Lex Luger?’ They go, ‘Oh, yeah.’”
Pfohl doesn’t appear on the Packers’ all-time roster because he didn’t play in a regular-season game, but he does hold one title of sorts: He was the last player to wear No. 66 before the Packers retired it in honor of Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke.
“How crazy is that? How cool is that?” Pfohl said. “We used to go out, I had just started learning golf back then. In the offseason, a bunch of us guys that played golf with the Packers would go out to that Brown County golf course.”
“I look back now, Ray Nitschke and all the guys were out there. They hung out there every day playing cards and playing golf. I got to go out there and meet those guys and hang out with them. Oh, my gosh. Unbelievable. I was excited at the time, but looking back now, I’m like, Oh, my gosh. Incredible.”
9. Returning to Green Bay
As for finally coming back to Green Bay as Larry rather than Lex?
Pfohl has a good friend, Jerry Haines, who is a Packers season-ticket holder and often sends him pictures from the crowd.
“(Haines has) great seats every game,” Pfohl said. “I look forward to coming back someday soon.”
10. Overcoming Personal Struggles
Personal demons plagued Pfohl after he left football for wrestling. He battled drug addiction and was convicted on domestic violence charges following an April 2003 dispute with girlfriend Elizabeth Hulette, known in the wrestling world as Miss Elizabeth.
Hulette died in his arms less than a month later from a drug overdose in the townhouse the two shared in Georgia. Pfohl was charged with 13 felony counts of drug possession and sentenced to five years probation.
He also suffered a nerve impingement in his neck in 2007 that temporarily left him a quadriplegic.
A Born-Again Christian
Pfohl is a born-again Christian and speaks often at churches and schools. Those who know him are happy to see how much he’s turned his life around.
“These days, I’m not much of a rearview-mirror guy,” Pfohl said. “I look back fondly and cherish the memories that I have of all these things, especially things like being a part of the Green Bay organization for over a year.”
“I embrace that part and don’t really look back with a shoulda, woulda, coulda. I’m more of an out-the-front-windshield kind of guy, for a lot of various reasons. Especially now in my life. God’s hand was at work. Things have worked out fabulous. I’m at such a great point in my life now.”
11. FAQ: Lex Luger and Football
Q1: Did Lex Luger ever play in the NFL?
No, Lex Luger (Larry Pfohl) did not play in any regular season NFL games. He was signed by the Green Bay Packers but was released before the season started.
Q2: What position did Lex Luger play in football?
He played as an offensive guard during his time with the Green Bay Packers. He had previously played left tackle in the Canadian Football League.
Q3: Why did Lex Luger leave the Green Bay Packers?
He was released due to a combination of injuries and difficulty adapting to the guard position.
Q4: Which CFL team did Lex Luger play for?
Lex Luger played for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League.
Q5: What number did Lex Luger wear for the Packers?
Lex Luger wore number 66 for the Green Bay Packers.
Q6: Is Lex Luger in the WWE Hall of Fame?
No, Lex Luger is not in the WWE Hall of Fame. However, he is a notable figure in professional wrestling history.
Q7: What is Lex Luger doing now?
Lex Luger is a born-again Christian and speaks often at churches and schools, sharing his life experiences and faith.
Q8: How long was Lex Luger with the Green Bay Packers?
Lex Luger was with the Green Bay Packers for over a year, including training camp in 1982 and 1983.
Q9: What other football leagues did Lex Luger play in?
After the Packers, Lex Luger played in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Tampa Bay Bandits and the Memphis Showboats, and later for the Jacksonville Bulls.
Q10: How did Lex Luger get into professional wrestling?
While looking for offseason work during his football career, he got a gig with Championship Wrestling out of Florida and eventually transitioned to wrestling full time.
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