First-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers smiles as he holds his jersey on Sunday, April 24, 2005, inside Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Rodgers, a quarterback from the University of Califonia, was taken with the 24th pick in the 2005 NFL draft. He went on to play 18 years in Green Bay with 15 as the starter and won four NFL MVPs and a Super Bowl with the Packers.
Tom Lynn / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, drafted 24th overall by the Green Bay Packers, poses with family and friends during the 70th NFL Draft on April 23, 2005, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Rodgers famously waited four-and-a-half hours in the Green Room before hearing his named called.
Before the 2005 NFL draft on Saturday, April 23, Alex Smith (Utah), Antrel Rolle (Miami), Aaron Rodgers (California), Braylon Edwards (Michigan), Ronnie Brown (Auburn) and Cedric Benson (Texas) pose at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.
Green Bay Packers’ 2005 first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers smiles as he meets the media on Sunday, April 24, 2005, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He sat behind Brett Favre for three years before becoming the starter. Rodgers said at that press conference that “it’s going to be a great relationship and fit for me. I’m just really excited about being able to play behind one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.”
Aaron Rodgers is introduced by then-Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson on Sunday, April 24, 2005, after being selected with the 24th pick in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft.
Green Bay Packers first-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers smiles as he walks off Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for the first time on Sunday, April 24, 2005. Rodgers, who played his final two years of college at California, was taken with the 24th overall selection in the draft. After falling in the draft, Rodgers said that he likes “when people doubt me and don’t believe in me because it just makes me work that much harder to prove them wrong.”
Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers’ first-round draft pick, throws at practice inside the Don Hutson Center in Green Bay on Friday, April 29, 2005. He was selected by the Packers with the 24th overall pick six days earlier. Rodgers was the Packers’ backup quarterback for three years before becoming the starter following Brett Favre’s first retirement.
First-round draft pick Aaron Rodgers tosses a dodge ball in the gymnasium of Lambeau Field on Wednesday, June 8, 2005. The players had a shortened practice and decided to play dodge ball on the last day of minicamp.
Rookie quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a light moment during at training camp practice for the Green Bay Packers on Monday, Aug. 2, 2005, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Aaron Rodgers warms up before the scrimmage against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 5, 2005, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Green Bay Packers rookie quarterback Aaron Rodgers gets a pass away during a preseason game against the San Diego Chargers on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2005, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers won, 10-7.
Green Bay Packers rookie quarterback Aaron Rodgers runs for a first down as linebacker Matt Wilhelm of the San Diego Chargers brings him down during a preseason game on Aug. 11, 2005, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Green Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stands on the sidelines during a preseason game against the New England Patriots on Friday, Aug. 26, 2005, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Rookie quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) stands on the sideline with Brett Favre to watch the final minutes of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers from the sideline on Nov. 6, 2005, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Steelers defeated the Packers, 20-10. At his introductory news conference after being selected by the Packers, Rodgers said he was excited to learn from “one of the best of all time” and not be “thrown into the fire right away.”