Green Bay Packers kicker Brayden Narveson has extra motivation to play for a modern team: his wife grew up in Wisconsin and is a lifelong Packers fan.
“It’s a dream come true,” Narveson said Sunday. “My wife grew up here in Wisconsin, and everyone is a Packers fan. It’s really, really surreal. It feels good.”
Narveson’s wife grew up in Prescott, Wis., in the western part of the state near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. He said they talked during the pre-draft process — especially after an interview with Packers special teams assistant Byron Storer — about how amazing it would be to end up in Green Bay.
Not surprisingly, Narveson said the first thing he did after being approached by the Packers on Wednesday was call his wife.
“When I called and told her the Packers had signed me, she said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’ She hung up and immediately called her parents. She was more excited than I was,” Narveson said.
Narveson is an Arizona native who played for Iowa State, Western Kentucky and North Carolina State in college before joining the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted rookie. With the Titans, Narveson had 6 of 7 field goals in the preseason, including a 59-yarder and a 46-yarder that won the game.
He will now kick for the Packers, who had five different kickers this offseason before opting for Narveson.
By heading to Green Bay, Narveson’s wife will once again be a Packers fan.
“She said, ‘I’m going to be the coolest person in my hometown!’” Narveson said.
Narveson said he has completed 10 of his first 11 live kicks in two practices with the Packers, including 5 of 5 at Lambeau Field last Friday. His first regular-season kicks will almost certainly be in Brazil against the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener. Packers fans around the world — including in Prescott — will be watching anxiously.
“Pressure is a privilege,” Narveson said.
More from Narveson below:
