SANDPOINT, Idaho A month remains before we know if Sandpoint native Jerry Kramer passes the initial vote to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
His daughter, Alicia Kramer, launched the campaign.
'He's not Jerry Kramer this football star, this motivational speaker, this book writer. He's just dad,' she said.
Her dad was a star player for Sandpoint High School, the Idaho Vandals, and Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.
As she got older, Alicia realized her dad was extraordinary, someone who inspired others with his career, books and speeches. The things Jerry talked about to the public were things she learned first hand at home.
'There are things like discipline, commitment and work that I was taught, because Lombardi taught dad. That has always stuck with me in my life,' she said.
Something else stood out recently.
Sports experts mentioned her dad as the one person that should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was not.
Alicia wanted to do something special for her dad, so she started a nationwide campaign to get support for her father's Hall of Fame enshrinement.
First she had to get support from her dad.
'He's been through this 10 times before and he didn't want to do it again. This has been something our family has been through. But he understands where I was coming from, and so he thought if I could drum up enough support, he would support me,' she said.
Alicia started a campaign with social media and website that soon grew into a packet she sent to the Hall of Fame Senior Selection Committee.
With the help of a Boise PR group, she has collected 30 letters from current Hall of Famers supporting her father's candidacy.
'For these people to step up out of their comfort zone to champion dad has been really amazing. To see dad light up when I tell him that Bob Lilly and Doug Atkins wrote a letter in nomination,' she said.'It has put a skip in my old man's step and that says a lot when he has a bad hip.'
Alicia knows that, just like ten times before, Jerry could be denied again.
'Dad asked me if this doesn't happen this year then that's it. Let's not do anything else. Dad has never seen this support all at once from the Packers to Idaho. Whether this happens or not it's been a very good process for dad,' she said.
But there's another outcome. Jerry Kramer could get a call in February that he has made it into the Hall.
'This has been so emotional for me. Just seeing the support... I can't even imagine what it would be like in February. Just to see the smile on my dad's face will be reward enough.'
You can connect to our special Jerry Kramer Facebook page and leave you comment of support.
While the campaign can't use those comments to help him get into the Hall, it does show Jerry the tremendous amount of support he has in the Inland Northwest.
The initial vote by the senior committee should be revealed Aug. 22.
