Packers Legend Diagnosed With Dementia at 62 — Can’t Speak, But Still Remembers Playing for Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers community is reeling after heartbreaking news about one of its Hall of Fame linemen. A beloved figure from the team’s Super Bowl XXXI run is now battling a devastating illness off the field.
Doctors recently confirmed that the former Packers anchor has been diagnosed with dementia, forcing him to move into a 24/7 care facility in Wisconsin. His health has declined rapidly, and he is now separated from his wife and children.
Frank Winters, the longtime center who snapped to Brett Favre throughout the 1990s, can no longer speak and struggles with basic memory. According to his family, he only recalls his daughter’s name — and the fact that he once played for Green Bay.
“He can’t speak anymore. He only remembers our daughter’s name and that he once played football. He doesn’t even know my name. Doctors say it’s frontotemporal dementia, but he’s far too young. I believe constant head trauma from football caused it,”
his wife shared.
Winters was a cornerstone of the Packers’ offensive line from 1992 to 2002, starting 141 games and winning a Super Bowl in 1996. Known as “Bag of Donuts,” he earned Pro Bowl honors in 1996 and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2008.
Beyond his accolades, teammates remember Winters for his toughness, intelligence, and loyalty. Favre once described him as “the most reliable lineman I ever played with.” Fans in Green Bay will forever connect his name with the franchise’s 1990s resurgence.
Today, his fight with dementia is a sobering reminder of the long-term risks NFL players face from years of collisions. While he may have lost his words, his legacy in Green Bay — and his bond with Packers Nation — remain unshakable.
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