GREEN BAY (WLUK) — A cancer survivor who turned his basement into a green and gold shrine is the 28th member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame.
After a nationwide search for this year’s greatest cheesehead, the Green Bay Packers selected Patrick Suplicki of Stevens Point as the winner. The news was announced during a ceremony in the Lambeau Field Atrium Thursday.
A cancer survivor who turned his basement into a green and gold shrine is the 28th member of the Packers FAN Hall of Fame. (WLUK)
Suplicki is no stranger to the FAN Hall of Fame contest. He was a finalist in 2020.
Even though he did not win then, he said just being nominated is the ultimate honor for a Packers fan.
According to his bio on Packers.com, since childhood, Suplicki has been a diehard Packers fan, with some of his fondest memories being watching games with his dad, Elgie.
“My father introduced me to the Packers when I was three years old, and I’ve been a fan ever since,” Suplicki said.
Suplicki’s love for the team only grew stronger when, in high school, he dreamed of playing for the Packers. An ACL injury in his junior year ended his football career, but instead of giving up, Suplicki found new ways to stay connected to the game, focusing on coaching and, of course, cheering on the Packers with unwavering dedication.
“The fanbase in general with the Packers, we’re so damn lucky to have a team like that in the NFL. Just think — they’re owned by the people, and in this day and age, boy — we can thank the good Lord that’s the way it is,” said Suplicki.
In 2023, Suplicki faced the greatest challenge of his life: a diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, a rare cancer in his neck. After 36 rounds of radiation, his future seemed uncertain. He feared he wouldn’t survive to see the birth of his third grandchild that November. But he fought with all his strength and was declared cancer free in 2024.
Long before his cancer diagnosis, Suplicki began working on turning his unfinished basement into the ultimate Packers shrine — a place for family and friends to gather. However, after losing his father to cancer during this time, he paused the project. Yet, just as he had fought through his cancer, he completed the basement — a tribute to his father and a lasting legacy of his love for the Packers.
The basement, completed after five years of work, is a Packers heaven filled with memorabilia, photos and autographs. The ceiling is painted to resemble Lambeau Field, and everything is covered in all-things Packers — even the ceiling fan.
A Green Bay Packers FAN Hall of Fame jersey, February 19, 2026. (WLUK)
Now a grandfather himself, Suplicki shares his love for the Packers with his grandson and two granddaughters, passing the torch of fandom to the next generation. The joy of watching the games together has become a cherished tradition — one that unites his family and strengthens their bond through the green and gold.
“They care about us fans,” Suplicki said about the Packers organization. “We’re not just a number. We’re not just paying for the tickets and all that stuff.”
The other nine finalists this year were:
Jeff Goldapske from AppletonJeff Lanier from Green BayLorraine Mueller from WittenbergMark Murphy from La CrosseDean Schmitz from WausauPatrick Hare from Moreno Valley, CaliforniaDaniel Schneider from Crystal Lake, IllinoisValerie Ann Smick from Yorkville, IllinoisThomas Thrall from Durham, North Carolina
As the winner, Suplicki will receive four club seats to a 2026 Packers home game, four pre-game sideline passes, four passes to the Packers Hall of Fame, a custom Packers jersey, a $500 Packers Pro Shop gift certificate and a one-year subscription to PackersNews.com. He will also have his name added to the list of FAN Hall of Fame inductees in the Packers Hall of Fame.
Last year, the late John Brosig of Pound was chosen as the winner. Brosig’s son accepted the award on behalf of his father, who had recently died of cancer.