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Whenever the 49ers travel to Green Bay to play the Packers, the team normally stays in a hotel in Appleton, Wisconsin, about a half-hour away from Lambeau Field, where the Packers play.
So, it was to Bay Port high students’ amazement that the 49ers practiced on their field Friday afternoon to prepare for the potential sub-zero Green Bay weather, hence why Lambeau Field has been coined the Frozen Tundra.
Bay Port junior Aiden Wright couldn’t believe that the 49ers were practicing at his own high school, given their normal tendencies when playing the Packers.
“I didn’t really think it was real,” he said. “I didn’t really understand why they would practice at Bayport High School, out of like anything, just because it’s also kind of far away from the stadium, and I know that they stay in like a hotel near Appleton, so it just didn’t make any sense to me.”
In addition, fellow junior Max Madden shared how everyone was looking at the window, seeing all the key 49ers warm up in the cold weather.
“I looked out the window, and I was kind of trying to see what’s happening,” he said. “And you see all the players out there, getting ready, stretching in their sweatpants and sweatshirts. And it was just a sight to see. Nobody wanted to leave the windows to make room.”
“They looked good. They looked big,” Madden added. “I mean, they’re NFL players. You see Kittle and Bosa, and they’re big men, and they’re scary, and I’m scared of them.”
The practice was held on school grounds, so the residents of Green Bay were not allowed to watch, but it didn’t stop many 49ers fans from stopping by anyway to see their team before the crucial playoff game.
The 49ers elected to fly into Green Bay late Thursday night, and their practice at Bay Port High was just 15 minutes from Lambeau Field, where they’ll face the Packers for the first time in the playoffs since the two matched up in the 2013 NFC Divisional Round when Colin Kaepernick and company defeated Aaron Rodgers 23-20 on a Phil Dawson game-winning field goal.
After Nick Bosa was cleared from concussion protocol and Za’Darius Smith was activated from injured reserve, both teams are entering the game almost at full strength, paving the way for an ultra-competitive matchup on Saturday night.
While Jimmy Garoppolo had suffered a shoulder sprain on top of his already-torn UCL, he is expected to play. However, for Green Bay, starting receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is doubtful with a back injury he sustained during the Packers’ Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Tune into the 49ers-Packers game at 8:15 ET on Saturday, as the winner will face either the Los Angeles Rams or the Tampa Buccaneers.
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