GREEN BAY, Wis. (NBC 26) — Over the course of Aaron Rodgers' 15 years as the Green Bay Packers starting quarterback, not many people saw every game - let alone every snap.
Wayne Larrivee is an exception.
"I don't know how many that would be but there aren't that many that have seen every single one of them," the longtime Packers radio announcer said Tuesday, the day after the Packers agreed to trade the future Hall of Fame quarterback to the New York Jets.
Including playoffs that's 244 starts, 520 touchdowns and one Super Bowl Championship.
Even more impressive, Larrivee's connection to Rodgers goes beyond just Green Bay.
"I had the opportunity to televise Aaron's first start at Cal so I kind of saw the start of his career," Larrivee said.
Larrivee was on the call for ESPN in September of 2003 as Rodgers' Cal Bears traveled to Illinois to take on the Fighting Illini.
He said he saw a college quarterback that he knew was destined for great things in the NFL.
"When he was picked by Green Bay I know a lot of people were booing the pick but I kept telling people, 'Hey, there's going to come a day when you really like this draft pick,'" Larrivee laughed. "So I felt very connected to Aaron from the beginning and he was a great player for this franchise."
With a history that goes back two decades, Larrivee said it's bittersweet to see Rodgers go.
"Aaron and I are friends and will always be," he said. "I've had a chance to call all of his plays. It's been the honor of my career to do that.
"I'll miss him," Larrivee added. "There's no doubt about that."
But as someone who lived through another quarterback change, he knows all good things must come to an end.
"I'm also anxious to see what happens now, to see this organization move forward with a new quarterback in Jordan Love," Larrivee said.
"He's done everything right," Larrivee said of Love. "Listened to a lot of noise around him but has kept his nose to the grindstone and deserves this opportunity so he's done everything he can to be ready for this opportunity. Now it's a matter of can he play at that level or not?"
