James Flanigan, who played for Lombardi-era Packers, dead at 80

James M. Flanigan Jr., former Green Bay Packers linebacker, died Dec. 26 in Iron River, Michigan. He was 80 years old.

Flanigan was drafted by the Packers in the second round, 51st overall pick, of the 1967 NFL draft. He played for the Packers from 1967-70, before finishing his career with the New Orleans Saints, where he played for one year. Flanigan was a member of the Packers' Super Bowl II team, which defeated the Oakland Raiders 33-14.

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He was with the Packers for 40 games. He did not start any games, but was one of four linebackers on the team and played extensively on special teams. He started 12 of 14 games for the Saints.

Flanigan was born in Pittsburgh and graduated from West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, High School. He was a graduate of University of Pittsburgh. His teammates included future NFL coaching great Marty Schottenheimer and Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Mike Ditka.

"Jim was from Pitt and I was a Penn Stater, so I took to him right away," said former Packers linebacker Dave Robinson, also a hall of famer, in a 2012 interview. "He was a tough, intelligent linebacker. Very intense."

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Flanigan said in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profile that Pitt had a tradition of good linebackers.

"The philosophy wasn't real complicated or anything fancy. We basically tried to knock your head off," Flanigan said.

After retirement from the NFL, he stayed in northeastern Wisconsin. He owned and operated Whispering Sands Resort in Sturgeon Bay. He also owned and operated Flanigan Distributing Inc., a Budweiser and Pabst distributorship, for nearly 50 years. He divided his time between Sturgeon Bay and Tavernier, Florida.

"Green Bay was the perfect town for me," Flanigan said for the profile. "It was a small city with a football team. There wasn't a lot of hunting and fishing in Pittsburgh, but I got into it in Wisconsin. It was a great way to get away and relax."

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He also coached at Southern Door High School, where sons Jim and Brian were on the football team. Son Jim Flanigan, who now lives in Green Bay, played for the Packers in 2001 during a 10-year NFL career that included seven years with the Chicago Bears.

Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@usatodayco.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: James Flanigan, who played for Lombardi-era Packers, dead at 80