Legendary Green Bay artist John Michael Gordon died surrounded by his family at the age of 83 on Saturday after battling Alzheimer’s disease, according to his obituary.
Gordon, a beloved artist and art teacher was perhaps best known for his contributions to America’s most popular sport, according to the obituary. (RELATED: Former Super Bowl Champion Dies In Plane Crash)
As a young student at St. Norbert College in 1961, Gordon was offered a chance to leave his mark on history.
Gordon was asked to craft the Packers new logo while working as an assistant to the Green Bay Packers’ equipment manager Gerald Braisher, a man known as “Dad.”
“Dad came down from his meeting with [Vince] Lombardi with a piece of paper in his hand,” Gordon said in a 2013 interview. “And he said that Lombardi wants a logo, I’m not sure what the words were, but he wants a logo and it’s going to be a ‘G’ in a football shape,” Gordon said.
Twenty-four hours later Brashier took the design to Lombardi “and it was immediately OK’d,” Gordon said.
The football shape has been modified and reworked into a circle, but the original G has stood the test of time.
“To put the G on the football shape was a statement that the Green Bay Packers would dominate the game, and that same era they began that domination,” Gordon said.
Gordon’s contribution led to his name and original sketch being displayed at the Packers Hall of Fame, ESPN reported.
The iconic G logo has now been replicated by a number of highly recognizable sporting franchises including the University of Georgia Bulldogs and high school football powerhouse Bishop Gorman.