Packers ‘bike’ tradition to play key role in ceremonial NFL Draft handoff from Michigan to Wisconsin
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – With Green Bay officially “on the clock” to host the 2025 NFL Draft, details about the ceremonial Draft handoff have been announced, including the Packers’ longstanding ‘bike kid’ tradition to play a major role.
Officials with the Green Bay Packers announced on Thursday that a themed football, part of a ceremonial Draft handoff, will travel from Detroit, Michigan, to Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, May 14.
The themed football will arrive in Milwaukee first via the Lake Express Ferry from Muskegon, Michigan. It will then be carried to Lambeau Field in Green Bay by bike, in an homage to the Packers’ training camp ‘bike kid’ tradition that began in 1958.
When the ceremonial football arrives at Titletown, an official Countdown Clock to the 2025 NFL Draft will be unveiled.
In a state rich with pro football heritage, the handoff includes two major nods to the Packers’ esteemed history. The first of which being the football first arriving in Milwaukee, with the team previously having played in the Milwaukee area, and the second being the previously mentioned bike tradition.
The last time the NFL Draft came to Wisconsin (from the time the 2025 Draft will take place) was 85 years ago when the 1940 NFL Draft took place at the then-Schroeder Hotel in Milwaukee, on December 9, 1939.
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The bike journey, dubbed Pedal to the Draft, will “highlight Wisconsin’s outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities, an attractive component of the state’s tourism draw that will be on prominent display to multitudes of visitors next April,” officials stated.
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. Football fans from around the country and world will be making their way to Green Bay to attend the NFL Draft and appreciate the history and traditions of the Packers. They’ll also get to experience all that the state of Wisconsin has to offer and the Pedal To The Draft is a fun way to get us started and celebrate both.
Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy
Members of the public are invited to attend the unveiling of the Countdown Clock, with the event scheduled to begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. May 14.
The 2025 NFL Draft will be held in Green Bay on April 24-26, 2025, and is projected to bring roughly 250,000 people into Green Bay throughout the three-day event, with an economic impact of $94 million to Wisconsin.
