Tail Mary: Turkey's infamous Lambeau Field run remembered

In this time surrounding Thanksgiving, we decided to have a little fun looking through archives from Packers games.

Thirty years ago, a turkey ran onto Lambeau Field in the middle of a game.

We found out, lots of feathered friends have landed at Lambeau over the years.

This is one of those "Where were you?" kind of stories.

Where were you November 13, 1988?

"I was working in 1988. I worked every game back then. Good possibility I was even working on the field then."

Commander Jim Runge is the one remaining member of the Green Bay Police Department working the day that elusive bird trotted onto Lambeau Field between the first and second quarters of the Packers-Colts game.

"It was a turkey... full size turkey," recalls Runge.

"Fans showing their displeasure with the Packers brought a turkey to Lambeau..."

That's how Bob Costas told the nation about the incident during an NBC Sports update that day.

"It was a different time. People carried in whatever they wanted... food," says Runge.

But two weeks

Thanksgiving?

That turkey was not about to surrender, roaming the field, eventually making it to the sidelines.

It would have a tough time getting past flight restrictions these days, but back then?

"You could bring in pretty much what you wanted... alcohol, turkeys... whatever tripped your trigger," says Runge, smirking.

Suffice it to say, everyone, even our own Bill Jartz, had a little fun with that feathered friend.

"The pigskin turned into a butterball for the Packers," Jartz told viewers 30 years ago.

"I think the Packers struggled back then, so I mean, that was probably more entertaining than the game," Runge says.

We did a little digging in the archives.

It appears Lambeau is a pretty good place to do some bird watching.

In November 1973, a pheasant made its way on the field when the St. Louis Cardinals came to town.

An official captured that bird one-handed and politely ejected him from the game.

November 12 -- just last week -- another little fella, what we believe is a hermit thrush, wanted more than a bird's eye view of the Packers-Dolphins game, making itself right at home on the field.

But not to be outdone...

A squirrel or two has made a mad dash across Lambeau, interrupting another Packers-Colts game in 2016 and against the Bucs in 1994, giving a very young Brett Favre a chance to practice his hurdling skills.

It's all proof, you never know when Lambeau might just serve up some wild game.