Ron Kramer Ronald J . Kramer ( June 24 , 1935 – September 11 , 2010 ) was a multi - sport college athlete and professional American football player . Before embarking on a career in the National Football League , he lettered in football , basketball , and track at the University of Michigan in the 1950s . Playing at end for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1954 to 1956 , Kramer was a three - time All - American . Following his days at Michigan , Kramer was selected in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers . He played for the Packers for seven seasons ( 1957 , 1959 – 1964 ) and three more with the Detroit Lions ( 1965 – 1967 ) . Kramer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978 . His football jersey number at Michigan ( # 87 ) was retired upon his graduation . Early life and college career . Kramer began his sports career playing for East Detroit High School in Eastpointe , Michigan . In the tradition of Michigan athletes , he is considered to be ranked among the best . A three - sport athlete ( football , basketball and track ) , Kramer led both the football and basketball teams in scoring for two years . Altogether , Kramer won a total of nine varsity letters in his three sports — the maximum number possible , as freshmen did not have athletic eligibility at the time . Kramer ' s credits include two consensus football All - American selections ( 1955 – 56 ) , the retirement of his jersey number ( 87 ) by the Wolverines following his senior season ( one of only five numbers in school history to be retired ) , and the selection as the basketball team ' s most valuable player in each of his three seasons . As basketball team captain , he was third - team All - Big Ten in 1957 after being second - team All - Big Ten in both 1955 and 1956 . During his junior year , he averaged 20 . 4 points per game over a 22 - game season and is a member of the career 1000 - point club . He held the Michigan Wolverines men ' s basketball career scoring record of 1119 points from 1957 until it was broken by John Tidwell in 1961 . NFL career . In the NFL , Kramer played 10 seasons ( 1957 , 1959 – 1967 ) , the first seven with the Green Bay Packers and three with the Detroit Lions . Honors and death . Kramer was elected into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 . In 1981 , he was named as a recipient of the NCAA ' s Silver Anniversary Award in recognition of significant professional and civic contributions spanning 25 years after completion of his college eligibility . Bennie Oosterbaan , Kramer ' s football coach at Michigan , described his blocking and tackling ability as his most valuable asset . Oosterbaan said this of his star player : " To top off his marvelous physical gifts of size and speed and strength , plus an uncanny coordination , Kramer was one of the fiercest competitors I ' ve ever seen . Nothing was impossible for him — the impossible was only a challenge . " In 1999 , Sports Illustrated published a list of " The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Michigan " ( in all sports ) , and ranked Kramer seventh on the list behind Joe Louis , Magic Johnson , Charlie Gehringer , Bennie Oosterbaan , Hal Newhouser and Dave DeBusschere . " The 50 Greatest Sports Figures From Michigan , " Sports Illustrated , December 27 , 1999 . He was ranked ahead of many legendary Michigan Wolverines football figures , including Fielding H . Yost ( # 9 ) , Rick Leach ( # 22 ) , Fritz Crisler ( # 31 ) and Harry Kipke ( # 40 ) . Kramer died in September 2010 at age 75 . On September 15 , 2012 , Kramer was recognized as a Michigan Football Legend and his jersey ( # 87 ) was unretired and given to Brandon Moore . Each player honored with the No . 87 jersey will wear a patch over the left upper chest honoring Kramer , and dress at a locker labeled with a plaque bearing his name and time of tenure at Michigan .