Wednesday Cheese Curds: Aaron Rodgers wins The Match, Eric Stokes gives back to his family

The Packers’ first-round pick paid up on a promise he made several years ago.

Aaron Rodgers may not have led the Green Bay Packers to victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game, but after weeks of taunting by the elder quarterback, Rodgers got a small measure of personal revenge on Tuesday.

Rodgers and teammate Bryson DeChambeau defeated Brady and Phil Mickelson in their much-ballyhooed golf match on Tuesday, winning comfortably as Rodgers sank the clinching putt. Packers fans surely will see no solace in this result, particularly given the uncertainty about whether Rodgers will play for the team again this fall, but it is easy to imagine his personal competitive nature taking some amount of pride in the victory.

But while the Rodgers drama continues to simmer until July 27th or beyond — Rodgers replied “I don’t know” when asked during the match about his status for 2021 — there are heartwarming stories coming out of Green Bay as well. One such item centers around Eric Stokes, the team’s top draft pick in April. After cashing a signing bonus check of about $6.7 million when he signed his rookie contract, Stokes used a portion of that money to give back to his grandmother, with whom he is very close.

It’s a fun reminder of how sports can change people’s lives for the better. This is also one indication of the type of person that the Packers drafted with the 29th overall pick — a person whom Packers brass raved about for his character as much as for his football acumen.

The Match: DeChambeau, Rodgers beat Mickelson, Brady | Golf Week
Rodgers and his teammate coasted to victory on Tuesday with a hot stretch on the back 9. Rodgers’ birdie on the 16th hole put his pair up by three holes with two to play, clinching the win.

How it happened: Travis Williams’ 314 combined net yards | Packers.com
Williams was an incredible return man, averaging over 40 (!!!!) yards per kickoff return as a rookie in 1967. Two years later, he had a game with both a punt return score and a kickoff return touchdown en route to a career day.

NFL players on the roster bubble entering 2021 training camps | ESPN
Devin Funchess is the pick here for the Packers based largely on his injury history and a less-than-confident quote from Matt LaFleur at the end of minicamp.

Watch Packers rookie Eric Stokes surprise grandma with new home | Packers Wire
Stokes promised his grandmother when he was 14 that he would get her out of her neighborhood and into a dream home, and recently he delivered on that promise after his first-round draft selection.

Man arrested after police say he tried to sell duct-taped iguanas from SUV – WSB-TV Channel 2 – Atlanta
First, iguanas are considered an invasive species in Florida, where the man bought them, but not in Georgia, where he was trying to sell them. But that doesn’t explain why he had them bound with duct tape or why making $10 per iguana seemed like a worthwhile endeavor.