The NFL may be in its offseason, but that hasn’t stopped the Green Bay Packers organization from receiving praise.
On June 25, former Packers running back Elijah Pitts and longtime Green Bay athletic trainer Pepper Burruss were two of the 15 NFL contributors to be honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame by receiving Awards of Excellence.
The distinction acknowledges contributors to the game in “behind-the-scenes” roles. In addition to public relations personnel, the program honors career assistant coaches, athletic trainers, equipment managers, and film/video directors.
Buruss was one of three former NFL athletic trainers to receive the award this year, joining a club of 14 total in the athletic trainers category. This award honored his 42-year career in the NFL that spanned from 1977 until 2019, when he retired at age 62 as the director of sports medicine administration after spending 26 years with the Packers.
In 2012, Burruss was named as the NFL Physicians Society’s Outstanding NFL Athletic Trainer. His career received numerous honors, including serving on the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee.
“I knew when I walked into the training room in 1992 that I could help,” Burruss told the Packers’ website when he retired. “If I walked into a fully oiled, magnificently running machine that was cutting edge, I would have said I don’t know what I can do here. But the Packers had come off a pretty meager 25 years, budgetary considerations were always what they were. Whatever the words, whether they were stuck in the mud or not, I was able to come in and take a ’70s operation immediately into the ’90s.”
Pitts was honored as one of the 14 position coaches/coordinators to be recognized with an Award of Excellence, alongside two other 2025 honorees.
Although he never coached for Green Bay, Pitts began his playing career in 1961 as a member of the Green Bay Packers, where he won five NFL championships and two Super Bowls during his decade on the team. After his retirement, Pitts served as a Packers scout for two seasons before beginning a career as a coach.
As a mentor, Pitts helped Hall of Famers Earl Campbell and Thurman Thomas reach their potential. His career included helping the Buffalo Bills make four consecutive Super Bowl appearances (1990-93 seasons) as well as successful stints coaching for the Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the CFL.
Both Green Bay alumni represent the successful minds who have worked behind the scenes in the league and found success off the gridiron.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Former Packers Elijah Pitts and Pepper Burruss honored with Hall award