As a lifelong fan, shareholder and season ticket holder of the Green Bay Packers, Bob Hoekstra understands the passion that fuels the franchise’s storied rivalry with the Chicago Bears. And so, it was particularly ironic that the managing director – investments at the Green Bay branch of Benjamin F. Edwards found himself center stage, literally, for a moment in Bears history.
At the invitation of longtime NFL sponsor Nationwide, Hoekstra was offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to announce an official team pick live on stage at the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay. When a league official informed him that the sixth-round pick belonged to the Bears, Hoekstra braced himself for the inevitable reception.
Amid roaring boos in the shadow of legendary Lambeau Field, Hoekstra acknowledged his lifelong allegiance to the Packers, thanked NFL fans for coming to his hometown for the Draft, and gave a “Go Pack, go!” before turning to the business at hand.
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