Former Green Bay Packers offensive backfield coach Willie Peete passed away aged 87, the team announced on Wednesday.
Peete was the father of former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete and served on the Packers’ coaching staff in the 80s and 90s.
In a post on their website, the Packers wrote that Peete passed away on December 2. A celebration of his life is scheduled on Saturday in his hometown of Mesa, Arizona.
Peete previously coached at the University of Arizona from 1971-1982 and joined the Kansas City Chiefs staff from 1987-91.
He was hired by head coach Forrest Gregg in 1987 to run the special teams in Green Bay. The following year, he was retained as the backfield coach by Lindy Infante and served through 1991.
Following that season, Peete lost his job after new general manager Ron Wolf fired Infante after taking over the front office.
Former Green Bay Packers assistant coach Willie Peete (left) passed away on December 2
Peete’s son, Rodney, played in the NFL from 1989-1999 and again from 2002-2004
Rodney, Peete’s youngest son, played for the University of Southern California before entering the NFL Draft in 1989 and getting selected with the 141st pick.
He played for the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Redskins between 1989 and 1999.
His second stint in the league began in 2001 with the Oakland Raiders before joining Carolina Panthers from 2002-2004 and retiring for good.
On Willie’s 86th birthday on July 14, 2023, Rodney posted photos with his dad and praised him for being his role model.
‘Happy 86th Birthday to the best man I know,’ he wrote on X. ‘Thank you for being the greatest role model anyone could have. Happy Birthday Willie Peete!’
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