GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) - 7th and 8th graders at Lombardi Middle School got a special treat on Friday afternoon as their social studies classes learned about the history of the Green Bay Packers.
Brent Hensel, the Packers Hall of Fame Curator spoke at the Lombardi Middle School auditorium, presenting the students with team history but also his career path.
Hensel brought multiple artifacts from throughout the Packers' century-long history to show off and tell stories, along with how the Hall of Fame handles its items.
"Sometimes I get jerseys with mud and grass stains all over them, but I actually don't mind that they're dirty," Hensel said to the students. "But, we don't want to get stuff on an artifact once we get it, we want to keep it exactly as it is."
Hensel showed students a football from the 1920s and one from the modern era, with the old football completely darkened, while the modern football features white laces and is much bigger.
7th grader Andrew said he learned something new about the uniforms.
"I thought the uniforms were blue and then gold," Andrew said. "I learned that it was gold and then blue."
Andrew added that the jerseys were the "coolest" part of the presentation.
8th grader Ellie agreed with Andrew, that she didn't know the team went through multiple different colors.
"I thought it was always green and gold, to be honest," Ellie said. "I didn't know that it went from so many different colors, from one game to the next was a whole different color."
Hensel said he wanted to teach the kids the team's history on the field and the team's history surrounding the community can be a lesson about being a leader.
"There wouldn't be a Green Bay Packers without community leaders stepping up and constantly saving the team," Hensel said. "You can be a leader as a student."