Noble Has Developed as Packers’ Leader, On and Off the Field : NFL: Former Anaheim High School linebacker has become a popular figure in Green Bay.

Packer linebacker Brian Noble, once aSouthern California beach-goer, has become a working-class hero in a blue-collar town.

The former All-Southern Section standout, who attended Anaheim High School, has proved time and again that he is a team leader and one of the club’s most popular players.

In the second game of the 1990 season, against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, Noble, his teammates and fans were staring at the prospect of reliving a nightmare.

Five years ago in a Monday night game, defensive tackle William (The Refrigerator) Perry smashed his way to two touchdowns from the running-back position against Packer linebacker George Cumby.

And with the ball near the Green Bay goal line, Perry was threatening to do it again.

To the surprise of no one in Soldier Field, Perry took the handoff.

But before The Fridge could get started, Noble shot through and dumped him for a one-yard loss, one of 12 solo tackles, including a sack, he would register that day.

“Brian is one of our leaders on defense,” said Packer defensive coordinator Hank Bullough. “He’s been instrumental in the development of our linebacking. Since moving here, he’s made a big commitment to the community and the team. He calls the defensive signals on first and second downs. Mainly, Brian plays hard. He leads by example.”

During his six-year NFL career, Noble has made 655 tackles, including 418 solo. He led the Packers in unassisted tackles in 1986 and 1987. And last season, he was second on the team with 113 tackles despite missing parts of the final three games because of a knee injury. For his toil and sweat, he was named to the 1990 “All-Madden Team” selected by CBS sportscaster John Madden.

“He’s the best middle linebacker we’ve had here since Ray Nitschke,” said the Milwaukee Journal’s Bob McGinn, who has covered the Packers for nine years. “He wants the team to win real bad, so when things are going wrong, he’s not afraid to talk about it.”

Noble, who will be playing against the Rams on Sept. 29 at Anaheim Stadium, recalled his lack of enthusiasm about playing in Green Bay after being drafted in the fifth round in 1985 from Arizona State.

“I wasn’t real thrilled about going from Southern California to Phoenix to Green Bay,” Noble said. “But I’ve been kind of blessed since I moved here four years ago with my family (his wife, Cindy, and two daughters). I have a youngster in school now and there’s not too much security moving every six months.”

In fact, Noble, who was also a community college All-American at Fullerton, is thriving in Wisconsin.

“What I can do for a dollar here is a lot more than I can do in Southern California,” he said. “I don’t miss the crime, the polluted environment or the fast-paced life in Southern California. When you drive down the highway and somebody honks their horn at you in L.A., you get the bird. In Green Bay, when somebody honks at you, they wave. There are no drive-bys (shootings) here.”

Perhaps the biggest attraction for Noble, is the proximity of places to indulge his passion for hunting and fishing.

“I can go fishing for trout a half-mile from my house and deer hunting less than a mile away,” Noble said. “My father is from Minnesota, and I’ve loved fishing and hunting since I was a kid in diapers. I enjoy bow and arrow hunting. Quite a few members of the team are bow and arrow hunters.”

Noble’s enthusiasm for the outdoors has been parlayed into a syndicated show, “Hitting the Outdoors with Brian Noble,” which is televised throughout Wisconsin.

He also has taken an active role in numerous charities, including the Green Bay Board of Education’s Drug Alliance, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Special Olympics, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Fallen Timbers, an environmental center near Green Bay.

“I think a professional athlete has to give something back,” Noble said. “This community is also very caring and giving. My mother (Delores) has always been quite involved. She has served as president of Southern California Visual Arts and has been involved in the Art Assn. in Anaheim. My parents have been very giving all their lives.”

Noble suffered a partial tear to the medial collateral ligament in his right knee early in training camp this summer but shunned surgery and managed to rehabilitate himself in time to play in Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field.

“I’m coming off my best year,” he said. “I’m just now getting to the top level. Hopefully, this will be my best year.”

Reminded that forecasters hold little regard for the Packers’ chances to win the NFC Central Division title, Noble’s cool and confident demeanor became tinged with anger.

“Yeah, well, we weren’t picked very high in ‘89, and we finished 10-6,” he said. “We played better as an underdog, and I think we’ll play better as an underdog this year. If (quarterback Don) Majkowski is playing well, we’ll be hard to beat, and (in the exhibition season) he’s been playing better than he ever has, and (Mike) Tomczak will make an excellent filler.”

However, Noble, who held out for a team-record 67 days in 1988, would like to see outside linebacker Tim Harris settle his contract difficulties. “We miss his pass-rushing abilities,” Noble said. “Hopefully, when he gets here, he’ll have a fresh attitude.”

Looking to the future, Noble said he would like to go into broadcasting after he retires.

“Hopefully, I can finish my career here,” he said. “I’d like to see the team get a Super Bowl under its belt and return the Lombardi Trophy to Green Bay--where it belongs.”

But Noble, when asked if he would stay in Green Bay after his playing days, becomes evasive. He still owns a house in Huntington Beach, he says.

So, if you spot the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder driving around Orange County some day and honk your horn, make sure you wave.