NASHVILLE – Former Oilers linebacker Ted Thompson, who became a successful general manager with the Green Bay Packers, died on Thursday at the age of 68.
Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk released the following statement:
"I would like to express my condolences on the passing of former Oiler Ted Thompson," Strunk said. "He was a constant on the Oilers during the Luv Ya Blue era, playing 10 years for our franchise. He was a smart and savvy player, who made his mark on special teams and clearly had a great feel for the game. His knowledge of the game was evident with his successful run as a football executive and general manager for the Green Bay Packers. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the Packer organization."
After being signed by the Oilers as an undrafted free agent in 1975, Thompson played linebacker and captained special teams during his 10-year playing career with the Oilers. He played under Bum Phillips, who had briefly coached Thompson at SMU.
Thompson played from 1975-1984 with the Oilers, and he played in 146 of 147 games in his career.
He went on to become a successful personnel man with the Packers, where he helped build a two-time Super Bowl champion. Green Bay compiled a 125-82-1 record and tallied nine playoff appearances over Thompson's 13 seasons as general manager. Thompson was inducted into the Packers' Hall of Fame in 2019, and later the Packers announced that he was suffering from an autonomic disorder, a condition that causes weakness and cognitive issues.
"His impact is still felt today," Packers coach Matt LaFleur said at his press conference Thursday. "I think it's felt all around the league. There's a lot of heavy hearts here today."
