Packers 91-95, Jaguars 96-98, Browns 99

Cheddar Hall of Fame status is usually an accumulation of greatness in our eyes over a long period of time, but sometimes a single encounter with us is enough to justify enshrinement. Such is the case with John "Jurko" Jurkovic who embodies everything we look for in a Hall of Famer during our one encounter with him in Berlin 2001. Jurko, now retired from the NFL due to extensive wear and tear on his knees (we saw some of this first hand when he lifted us trouser leg for us), was in Berlin doing a commentary stint with FOX (he was actually born in nearby Friedrischafen). He had a quite a day in our eyes. This was all on the tail of an unfortunate start to his commentary career in Europe, when a power cut in the booth rendered him and co-pilot Nick Halling in limbo for the 1st quarter! In Kruse's sports bar afterwards we ran into John and watched him -

· Lift 4 beers with one hand and proceed to drink from them without spilling a single drop
· Sing the Notre Dame flight song word perfect, albeit not note perfect
· Continually hassle Nick Halling for being English (at our suggestion of course)
· Conduct a moving flag folding ceremony of the Lion Rampant which we presented to him
· Tell us in no uncertain terms what he would like to do with ex Cowboys T Erik Williams who infamously dealt John a cheap shot to the knees in the 1995 NFC Championship Game which ended his Packers career.

John (real name Ivan) of course was a highly visible and famous NFL player in his day (does it really seem that long ago?). Despite being named Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year following junior and senior seasons at Eastern Illinois he was not drafted by an NFL team in 1990 (unlike his brother 'Mirko' who the Bears drafted 2 years later - but failed to make an impact).

A broken leg curtailed John's season after only 3 games in 1997, but he bounced back in 1998 to reclaim his starting job. However Jacksonville would fall in the playoffs once again and Jurko's quest for a ring again came up empty. After the 1998 season he was called the NFL's funniest player in 1998 by Sport Magazine. Perhaps that's why the expansion Cleveland Browns came calling in 1999 to sign him to a three-year, $3.45 million contract. The Browns would be awful in their return and needed every ounce of humour off the field to keep their long-suffering fans happy. Unfortunately for Jurko, the wear on his knees was taking its toll and he was unable to re-gain the form of his Packers days and he was forced to retire after the 1999 season.

In retirement however, he can has kept his celebrity profile strong. As well as being a state-wide spokesman for All-Car Automotive, he also works locally with the Special Olympics, Children's Hospital of Wisconsin and Packers' Speakers Bureau. His NFL Europe commentary gig came as a result of the favourable reviews he has got as a national analyst of Arena Football League on TNN. He also co-hosts a regular sports show on ESPN radio in Chicago. Jurko - we salute you!