By MIKE BEACOM
of The Gazette
Several years back, Stevens Point's Randy Wievel and friends Tim Sullivan and Jeff Wenndorf were lucky enough to stumble upon two 4-foot boxes of Green Bay Packer game-worn jerseys at the annual Wisconsin Sweat Sale.
At $19.95 each, Sullivan quickly scooped up 15 of the jerseys, while Wievel and Wenndorf only grabbed a few each.
But Wievel's luck turned out to be greater than he first thought when he realized that one of the jerseys belonged to quarterback Kurt Warner.
Warner, a two-time National Football League Most Valuable Player with the St. Louis Rams, had a brief stay with the Packers in 1994 before being cut after only two preseason games.
It wasn't until the last day of the sale that Wievel picked out Warner's No. 12, for no other reason than to buy a jersey with a lower number on it.
"Randy said, 'You know, so far we only have linemen and defensive players and I'd like a lower jersey number,'" said Sullivan.
Wievel was also drawn to the Warner jersey because it had a 75th NFL anniversary patch on it and was white, unlike the two green Packer jerseys he had already purchased.
When Wievel got home, he researched his find in the NFL Encyclopedia and then stuck the jersey in his closet (it's now held safely in the bank).
"There was no skill in finding the jersey," said Wievel. "It was just blind luck."
What makes the find so rare is that Warner was only issued three jerseys with Green Bay - one white and one green, plus a red practice jersey that the team still possesses.
Red Batty, the Packers equipment manager, felt the jersey described to him over the phone was the same one he fitted Warner for in 1994.
The most telling feature for Batty was the way the sleeves were cut and the patches stitched into the item.
Batty said that he remembers fitting Warner that season and recalls the quarterback was uncommonly gracious.
"I remember Warner as being very quiet and very appreciative of everything," said Batty.
Batty also said that after Green Bay's recent loss to the Rams in St. Louis, Warner remembered Batty and said hello to him after the game.
For Wievel, the importance of the jersey lies solely in its historical relevance to professional football (although it would undoubtedly demand a high price if sold).
"I enjoy having a little piece of NFL history if this is indeed his jersey," said Wievel.