Cheesehead
Well-known member
- Mar 19, 2019
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Van Lanen does recall the first Packers game he attended as a kid was a preseason contest against the Falcons when Michael Vick was the Atlanta QB, and he grew up a huge fan of both Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers.
As his football career got serious, he took a stronger liking to Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari, and now will get to learn something from the five-time All-Pro first-hand.
"I love watching him play," Van Lanen said. "I watch him every snap, every game. He's kind of like a role model in the O-line world for me because of the way he plays."
Van Lanen continues an impressive line of Green Bay-area talent from recent years that has made its way to the NFL.
In 2019, Green Bay Southwest offensive lineman Max Scharping was taken in the second round by the Texans, and Alec Ingold – a former teammate of Van Lanen's at Bay Port and Wisconsin – made the Raiders as an undrafted free agent. Then last year, Ashwaubenon quarterback James Morgan was drafted in the fourth round by the Jets.
None of them got a shot with the hometown Packers, though, and Van Lanen has every intention of making the most of it.
"This is a one-in-a-million chance and opportunity," he said. "I am so excited to really work my butt off and help this team win a Super Bowl.
"Just to have it from a few miles from where you grew up, this is the team I watched my entire life. To be a part of such a special program, I'm beyond excited, that's for sure."