Packers FAN Hall of Fame inductee named

GREEN BAY - A man named Steele from the Pittsburgh area has been named to the FAN Hall of Fame – not of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but of the Green Bay Packers, the team that won its most recent championship by beating Pittsburgh.

Rick Steele of Greensburg, Pa. was named the 14th member of the hall of fame Tuesday.

The Packers say Steele began his fandom by marrying a Packers fan. He made his first trip to Lambeau Field in 2003 with his wife, Kristi. Since then, Steele has attended 18 games and three Fan Fests. He has dedicated three rooms of his house to Packers memorabilia, including signed jerseys, cleats, bobblehead dolls, football, helmets and a used turnstile from Lambeau Field. Steele named his son Brett after former Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

“I had been a casual football fan my whole life, but there was just something that I absolutely fell in love with about Green Bay and the Packers,” Steele wrote in his nomination letter. ”That was the start of what has become my life and three full rooms that are dedicated to nothing but the Packers.”

Steele says he and his wife dream of moving to Green Bay.

Steele will receive four club seats to a 2012 Packers home game; a $500 Packers Pro Shop gift certificate; a road trip for two to a 2012 Packers away game, including game tickets, air fare and hotel accommodations; and a one-year subscription to Packers Plus and Packer Insider. He will also have his name permanently displayed in a place of honor in the Packers Hall of Fame.

This year’s other finalists were Gary Green of Lake Worth, Fla.; Jimmy Krueger of Euless, Texas.; Joe Kuhar of Janesville; Lana Longe of New Berlin; Peter Michaud of Milwaukee; Lori Mueller of Eland; Joe Phillips of Nolanville, Texas.; Mark Stegmeier of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Rick Wiltzius of Wausau.