Before interior linemen were recognized as fundamental building blocks of championship offenses, August "Iron Mike" Michalske set the golden standard for guard play in professional football. Following a dominant three-year stint with the AFL and NFL iterations of the New York Yankees, Michalske arrived in Green Bay in 1929, giving Curly Lambeau an unusually fast 210-pound pulling guard whose quickness out of his stance redefined trench warfare.

Michalske made an immediate, transformative impact on the franchise, capturing consensus First-Team All-Pro honors in each of his first three seasons in Wisconsin (1929, 1930, 1931). Playing both ways on the line, his rare combination of lateral agility and durability allowed him to spearhead Lambeau’s sweep blocking schemes on offense while tearing through opposing backfields on defense. His arrival sparked the NFL's first true dynasty, powering Green Bay to three consecutive NFL Championships from 1929 through 1931—an unprecedented three-peat in league lore.

In an era when line play was brutal, and substitutions were sparse, Michalske earned his "Iron Mike" moniker by routinely playing 60 minutes without coming off the field. Despite his modest weight, he used low pad level and exceptional leverage to overpower bulkier defenders, famously serving as the lead blocker for backfield stars like Johnny "Blood" McNally and Clarke Hinkle. Offensively, he was the prototype for the modern pulling guard; on defense, his rapid penetration disrupted ground games before they reached the line of scrimmage.

He cemented those achievements with two landmark honors. In 1964, Michalske became the very first offensive guard selected for enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of its second induction class. Six years later, the franchise cemented his place in Wisconsin gridiron lore by choosing him for the inaugural Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame class of 1970.

Plucked in the fourth round (135th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft out of UCF, Josh Sitton spent his rookie year learning the ropes before seizing Green Bay's starting right guard job in 2009. Combining rare functional strength with light-footed athleticism, Sitton quickly became a dominant force along the interior. His breakout arrived in 2010 when he anchored the right side of the front line, winning Pro Football Weekly's NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year award and paving the way for Green Bay's run to a Super Bowl XLV championship.

Sitton’s pass-blocking prowess became the gold standard for interior linemen protecting Aaron Rodgers. Over a four-year stretch from 2012 through 2015, he yielded fewer sacks than virtually any guard in football, earning three Pro Bowl selections in Titletown. In 2013, head coach Mike McCarthy seamlessly flipped Sitton to left guard to pair with tackle David Bakhtiari, and Sitton didn't miss a beat, earning Second-Team AP All-Pro honors at both guard positions (2010 at right guard; 2013 and 2014 at left guard).

Together with T.J. Lang and center Corey Linsley, Sitton formed one of the most formidable interior offensive line trios in modern franchise history. His physical nastiness in the run game and textbook balance in pass protection allowed Green Bay's offense to produce consecutive division titles and deep postseason runs.

Sitton’s tenure in Wisconsin ended suddenly when Green Bay surprisingly released him on the eve of the 2016 regular season. He quickly latched on with the division rival Chicago Bears, adding a fourth career Pro Bowl selection to his mantle before spending his final campaign in Miami.  As a Packer, he made 112 starts. In 2020, the Green Bay Packers formally recognized his elite eight-year run by inducting him into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.