'The Beard,' in Rodgers' words

Jeremy Wilcox and his long, red beard are enjoying their moment of fame this week after television cameras Sunday showed Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tugging on Wilcox's prolific facial hair for good luck.

"I've actually been pulling on his beard for a while now," Rodgers said on his weekly ESPN Wisconsin radio show Tuesday. "I don't know when it happened, if it was the first time the Jets game or what-not, but I just noticed this huge dude with a sweet, ginger beard who was right next to the heater."

Wilcox, who lives in the Wausau area, works the Packers sideline as technical support.

"I just tugged on his beard one time and we kind of laughed," Rodgers said, "and so I started … I don't think it's been every game, but it's once maybe every other game if I see him or whatever, I'll go over and tug on his beard and I guess the cameras caught it and he's gotten a lot of attention, which is great."