Former reporter and Green Bay Packers director of public relations Lee Remmel will receive the Pro Football Hall of Fame Award of Excellence — one of three public relations directors honored with the award.
A Jan. 3 article in the Appleton Post-Crescent announced the award. According to the story:
A Shawano native, Remmel was a reporter writing about the Packers for the Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1946-74, Packers PR director for 30 years and Packers team historian for three years. Remmel was associated with every Packers coach from Curly Lambeau to Mike McCarthy.
Remmel became a full-time Packers reporter during his last seven years with the P-G. Before that, Remmel covered high school sports, bowling and the Green Bay Bobcats, the city’s semi-pro hockey team, and pitched in on Packers coverage, according to Cliff Christl, who succeeded Remmel as Packers historian.
Inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame in 1996, Remmel had the Packers Press Box named after him in 2003. He died in 2015 at age 90, and was a semifinalist for inclusion in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023 but wasn’t elected.
“He was the consummate PR guy and a very descriptive write, but also a man of relationships,” said Aaron Popkey, Packers director of public affairs, who was hired by Remmel.
Awards of Excellence recognize significant contributors to the game in behind-the-scenes roles. Recipients include PR personnel, assistant coaches, athletic trainers, equipment managers and film/video directors. Each group will announce its selections for the Class of 2026 over the next few months.
Other PR directors honored with the award include Scott Berchtold, who was hired by Remmel and worked five years with the Packers before moving on to the Buffalo Bills for 34 more years, and Jim Gallagher, who spent 46 years with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Honorees will be recognized June 24-25 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. In 2025, athletic trainer Pepper Burruss — who worked 42 years in the NFL, including 26 with the Packers — received an Excellence Award.
