The Green Bay Packers' annual tradition is traveling a little bit farther this year -- and getting started a bit earlier.
Green Bay will officially be counting down the days until it hosts the 2025 NFL Draft starting next week with a ceremonial draft handoff, partially delivered via bicycle, from Michigan to Wisconsin set to take place on Tuesday, the Packers announced Thursday.
The ceremony will begin with a themed football arriving in Milwaukee from Detroit via the Lake Express Ferry in Muskegon, Michigan, which will then be carried north to it's final destination in Green Bay, where a countdown clock to next year's draft is set to be unveiled at the Lambeau Field Atrium.
The first-of-its-kind event lightly borrows from the Olympics and the Super Bowl customs, with a themed football taking place of a torch or trophy. How the keepsake makes its journey through a state steeped in pro football tradition will also pay homage to a longtime Packers tradition.
A special bike ride aptly named "Pedal to the Draft" will help transport the themed football to Green Bay, paying tribute to the Packers' training camp tradition in which young fans in attendance offer their bikes for players to ride from the locker room to the practice field -- a ritual that began in 1958 and continues to this day. The special journey is also set to emphasize the bikeability of Wisconsin through its trails and roadways, making brief stops at several prominent locations along the way.
"The Green Bay Packers are honored to bring the energy and excitement of the NFL draft to Wisconsin as we step up preparations to host the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "Football fans from around the country and world will be making their
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