Nelson Toburen Dies at 87 After Pancreatic Cancer Battle

Nelson Toburen, a former Green Bay Packers linebacker who won two NFL championships before a devastating neck injury ended his playing career, died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Pittsburg, Kansas, on October 4, 2026. The Packers announced his death at age 87, according to the team's official obituary.

Selected by Green Bay in the 14th round of the 1961 NFL Draft, Toburen appeared in 24 NFL games across two seasons. He contributed to championship-winning teams in 1961 and 1962 under coach Vince Lombardi, but his career ended during his first professional start against the Baltimore Colts on November 18, 1962.

The injury occurred in the fourth quarter when Toburen tackled quarterback Johnny Unitas, forcing a fumble that helped preserve Green Bay's 17-13 victory. According to the Packers, Toburen fractured his fifth cervical vertebra and completely dislocated his sixth. He spent nearly six weeks hospitalized and was advised not to return to football.

Toburen later described the emergency treatment he received from team physician Dr. James Nellen as life-changing.

"I always say Dr. Nellen saved my mobility and maybe my life," Toburen said, according to Packers.com.

Former teammate Jerry Kramer also credited Nellen with preventing more serious consequences after the injury.

"Doc Nellen realized right away what had happened, Nelson had broken his neck," Kramer said.

Kramer recalled that the physician maintained Toburen's neck position while medical personnel transported him from the field to the hospital.

"Nellen was wringing wet and shaking after that, but he made the difference. He preserved Nelson’s functions and maybe his life," Kramer said.

Toburen remembered the severity of his condition and the immediate sensations following the tackle.

"I was aware of things and just knew that it felt like my arms were on fire," he said.

He also credited Nellen with preventing him from moving before his injury could be stabilized.

"Doc Nellen saved my bacon. He realized what was wrong and he didn’t let me get up," Toburen said.

Despite the injury, Toburen maintained that he had accomplished his immediate objective during the play.

"I tell people I broke my damn neck, but I had to be dramatic and do it against a hall of fame quarterback like Johnny Unitas," he said.

He added that forcing the fumble helped Green Bay secure the victory, although he could no longer contribute on the field. The Packers lost their only game of the 1962 regular season the following week against Detroit before winning another NFL championship.

"But I accomplished everything I set out to do on the play, make the tackle and cause a fumble. Most important, we won the game. The next week we lost our only game at Detroit, and I always told my teammates it was because I wasn’t there," Toburen said.

His potential had impressed teammates and observers, including Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Herb Adderley.

"(Toburen) would have been All-Pro," Adderley said, according to Packers.com.

Adderley also praised Toburen's athletic ability.

"He was a great athlete," Adderley said.

Green Bay had selected Toburen from Wichita State, where he played end before transitioning to linebacker in the NFL. He joined a defense featuring established players Dan Currie, Bill Forester and Ray Nitschke, and his versatility made him a potential candidate for a larger role.

After doctors ruled out a return to football, Toburen pursued a different profession. He earned his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in Topeka in 1967, practiced law in Pittsburg and became a Crawford County judge in 1987, according to the published accounts.

His former coach also offered support after the injury. Toburen recalled Lombardi visiting him in the hospital while he recovered in a body cast.

"You know Vince was a very emotional man," Toburen said.

He described Lombardi's reaction to seeing him seriously injured.

"He walked in the door, looked at me in my cast, couldn't talk and left. He didn't say anything. He just teared up.

He was just there long enough to look, choke up and leave. Vince gave me another year's salary. He didn't have to, but he did.

Thank God he did. I don't know what we would have done," Toburen recalled.

Toburen later reflected on the professional future he had imagined before the injury.

"Sometimes I think about what it might have been like," he said.

He explained that he had expected to remain with Green Bay for many years but ultimately built a career beyond football. His son, Chris Toburen, a University of Kansas linebacker who became a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot, died at age 27 in a training accident in California in 1987, according to the published account.

Toburen remained a devoted Packers fan after leaving the NFL. Neighbor and friend Dave Barnes described his enduring attachment to the franchise in a message to the team following Toburen's cancer diagnosis.

"He has a love for your team that is unmatched," Barnes wrote, according to Packers.com.