Cap Room Spacious
September 19, 2009 by admin
Filed under Coaches, Training Camp
By Bob McGinn of the Journal Sentinel
Sept. 19th, 2009
Green Bay — Just because the Green Bay Packers have more than twice the National Football League average for available cap room doesn’t mean they intend to save it to sweeten their bottom line during recessionary times.
Team president Mark Murphy made that emphatic Friday when asked what his plans were for the Packers’ $17.902 million surplus beneath the salary cap.
“To build for the future,” said Murphy. “The key is identifying the right players and extend contracts and secure the right core players for the future of the organization.” Full Article Here
With his new contract, Greg Jennings has a salary of $8.149 million this season
Former Packer Coach Gruden Returns from USO Tour
Jon Gruden, former Raiders and Buccaneers coach and current “Monday Night Football” analyst, is joined by Tom Coughlin, Bill Cowher, Jeff Fisher and John Harbaugh on the inaugural NFL-USO Coaches Tour. The group is traveling to meet and greet service members for several days in the Persian Gulf region. Gruden sent an update from the tour:
Posted by Jon Gruden from ESPN
TAMPA, Fla. — I’m on a seven-hour time change. I just flew 15 hours from Iraq.
USO Photo by Mike Theiler
On Saturday we met with Gen. Ray Odierno and went to a military meeting with some of his staff. It was incredible. We spent an hour with him and at 10 a.m., we watched the naturalization of 237 soldiers who were to receive their citizenship for the United States. Once again, Gen. Odierno gave a great speech. Vice President Joe Biden was there, and he gave a great speech. Every soldier was introduced individually, presented an American flag and given their official U.S citizenship. It was unbelievable. There was a great band there. We all recited the Pledge of Allegiance while dozens of people watched from the rafters. The soldiers congratulated each other after receiving their citizenship. Ultimately, it was a great way to spend the Fourth of July.
From there, we traveled to several events around Baghdad. We had a chance to meet many other soldiers. We finished the night by visiting the USO’s ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new center.
Packers and McCarthy Make Donation to Baker University
Green Bay Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy and the Packers organization have partnered to make a $100,000 donation to Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan., it was announced Thursday. This is the second year McCarthy and the Packers have made a donation to the university. 
“It’s an honor to be able to continue this support of Baker University,” said McCarthy. “To this day I continue to apply what I learned there, both in the classroom and in the college’s community. The lifelong lessons have been invaluable.”
(From Packers.com)
McCarthy, now in his fourth season as head coach of the Packers, earned a degree in business administration from the school and was an all-conference tight end and senior captain in 1986, helping lead the Wildcats to an NAIA Division II national runner-up finish. He was inducted to the school’s hall of fame Oct. 20, 2007.
The donation to Baker University will continue to aid the football program through its support of an endowment for a football scholarship in McCarthy’s name. The scholarship, first established last year, specifically will go to an incoming junior college athlete, like McCarthy was, who demonstrates the potential to make a meaningful impact on the program.
Players on last year’s team who were junior college transfers and benefitted from the contribution were Tyrell Spain, Charleston Dela Cruz and Kyle Rooks. Transfers for 2009 that will benefit are Brandon Hill and Verlain Betofe.
Additionally, portions of the funds will go to current scholarship funding, as well as into a budget for enhancements to the football program, such as facility improvements.
“The Green Bay Packers’ and Mike’s yearly contribution has allowed us to improve in many areas,” said Mike Grossner, Baker University’s head coach. “It also allowed us to purchase some much needed weight equipment last summer for the George Shore Weight Room on the Baldwin City campus, which benefited the university as a whole.”
This is the third such donation this year for McCarthy and the Packers. Previously, a $100,000 donation was made to the Autism Society of Northeast Wisconsin (ASNEW) and to the Greenfield Neighborhood in McCarthy’s native Pittsburgh.
In 2008, in addition to Baker University, McCarthy and the Packers teamed up to make $100,000 donations to Pittsburgh’s Greenfield Neighborhood and to the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay.