Bart Starr battled bad infection

GREEN BAY — The son of Bart Starr says the Green Bay Packers legend almost died a few weeks ago.

Bart Starr Jr. tells WBAY-TV his father developed an infection that put him back in the hospital and almost killed him.

But he says his father is recovering and "battling real hard to make it back to Green Bay" for the Thanksgiving Day game. He said his father is sorry to miss Sunday's game with his Super Bowl I teammates.

Starr suffered from a series of health complications last year, including multiple strokes. He couldn't attend Brett Favre's Packers Hall of Fame induction in July but appeared in a video tribute to Favre.

Starr Jr. spoke while attending the 50th anniversary of Rawhide Boys Ranch, which his father co-founded, in New London.