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Statistical revision makes Gbaja-Biamila team's all-time sack leader

By Tom Pelissero
tpelisse@greenbaypressgazette.com

It’s hard to believe anything could leave Packers end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila speechless, but breaking Reggie White’s franchise sacks record apparently did the trick.

After reviewing tape of Sunday’s win over Minnesota, the Elias Sports Bureau on Wednesday gave the loquacious pass-rusher a third sack, increasing his career total to 69. White had 68½ in his six seasons as a Packer.

“Everybody wanted me to speak,” said Gbaja-Biamila, who found out he’d broken the record in a team meeting Thursday morning. “You think I can speak, you know, but I kind of got nervous. I didn’t know what to say.”

He said plenty Thursday afternoon in an extended interview session with reporters and, like White would have, thanked God repeatedly for the achievement.

The scoring change was to a third-and-4 play late in the fourth quarter, when Gbaja-Biamila tackled Vikings quarterback Kelly Holcomb at the line of scrimmage. It was ruled a run for no yards but upon review was changed to a sack for no yards.

Quarterback Brett Favre broke Dan Marino’s NFL record for career touchdown passes in the same game, though Gbaja-Biamila didn’t get to appreciate his feat until four days later.

“Maybe if it happened on the same day, you guys wouldn’t be talking to me,” Gbaja-Biamila joked. “You guys would all be talking to Brett — ‘OK, we’ll get back to you, Kabeer.’ You know, it’s kind of cool, so I get my own moment here.”

Packers spokesman Rob Crane said the team did not request the review from Elias, the NFL’s official statistician.

The ruling gives Gbaja-Biamila 4½ sacks in his past two games — more than he’d had in his previous 14. He lost a half-sack after a similar Elias review of the Packers’ Sept. 23 win over San Diego. But teammates and coaches said last week they believed his 1½-sack performance in that game might have been a turning point for the one-time Pro Bowl performer who lost his starting job late last season.

Gbaja-Biamila made them look smart against Minnesota.

“We had a good time over it this morning, so he got his cheers and jeers,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “Someone recommended a speech, but we didn’t have enough time, so he didn’t get to talk to the team. But it’s an excellent achievement, and he’s excited about it.”

Gbaja-Biamila’s three sacks were his most since he had four on Jan. 2, 2005. He’s had three or more six times in his career, but the previous five were between the 2001 and 2004 seasons, when he averaged 12¼ sacks per year.

White’s mark might have seemed unreachable when Gbaja-Biamila arrived in Green Bay as a fifth-round pick and was cut in training camp as a rookie. But he recalls targeting the record when he arrived, just as he targeted — and surpassed — former Packer Mike Douglass’ career sacks record when he arrived at San Diego State.

“It’s truly an honor to be … in the same breath as Reggie White,” Gbaja-Biamila said.

The Packers plan to honor Gbaja-Biamila sometime during the early portion of Sunday night’s game against the Chicago Bears.