During the Jordy Nelson Charity Softball Game Sunday, the Green Bay Packers offense showed it really knew about, well, offense.
Team Offense lit the scoreboard up at Fox Cities Stadium, plating 18 runs in the first five innings. After that, they decided to flip the scoreboard in order to give Team Defense a fighting chance.
"They're pretty challenged on that side of the ball playing baseball, so we had to help them out a little bit, and obviously it didn't work, but maybe they'll beat us next year," said tight end Richard Rodgers. "It's just fun to come out here and play."
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers and running back Ty Montgomery both added two homers each for Team Offense.
Jordy Nelson Charity Softball Game Rosters Announced
Later, Team Offense seemed to regret having that pity on Team Defense. Back-to-back home run derby champ Damarious Randall blasted a two-run homer in the seventh to put Team Defense on top for the last time. A walk-off homer by Richard Rodgers secured the offense's 27-25 victory.
In the home run derby before the game, Randall defended his 2016 title against rookie quarterback Taysom Hill, matching his jersey number with 23 homers. That portion of the event raised $3,300 for Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
The event as a whole resulted in a $130,000 donation to Young Life, an organization that pairs mentors with middle, high school and college students.
"It's an organization my wife and I truly believe in and love what they do with the kids, not only in the Green Bay area, which is the one we're a part of, but all the way across the world," Nelson said of Young Life. "There's a lot of craziness going on in this world, so the more adults that are around these kids, the better. That's what we're trying to do."
The event was full of family fun, and Nelson's family was a big part of it. His two sons batted off a tee and his wife had a a hit, too. Richard Rodgers even recorded a Nelson family grand slam, bringing them all home for Team Offense.
"Our family loves playing slow-pitch softball back home, and I played with my mom and dad when we were kids, so it was great," Nelson said. "Obviously it's time for OTA's, we're competing, but we're also enjoying it. It's a relaxed atmosphere but a competitive atmosphere. It's something to do over the weekend, enjoy our time together."
Attendance ticked up by about 200 for the event compared to 2016, with 8,228 Packers fans packing into Fox Cities Stadium. And that number was just a small introduction for some of the rookies who played today, like running back Aaron Jones.
"It was a great experience," said Jones. "I've never seen this many fans at a charity event, so I had a lot of fun. I wasn't expecting anything like this. They said a softball game, and I thought, a couple hundred people (may come), but 8,000? That's crazy!"
This week, the Packers are back to their more natural habitat - the football field - for continued OTA's.
