BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Iconic former Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr died on Sunday in Birmingham, Alabama.

Starr, who was 85, suffered a major stroke in 2014 and his health had been failing in the years since.

The family of Starr released a statement through the Packers.

"We are saddened to note the passing of our husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Bart Starr," it reads, in part. "He battled with courage and determination to transcend the serious stroke he suffered in September 2014, but his most recent illness was too much to overcome.

"While he may always be best known for his success as the Packers quarterback for 16 years, his true legacy will always be the respectful manner in which he treated every person he met, his humble demeanor, and his generous spirit."

A Pro Football Hall of Fame member, Starr played for the Packers from 1956-71 and led the team to five championships, including the first two Super Bowls — in which he was named MVP.

Starr led the league in passer rating five times in the 1960s and was named league MVP in 1966. He played in 196 games, starting 157 of them, and had a 94-57-6 record as a starter.

After retiring from the NFL, Starr coached the Packers from 1975-83. The teams he coached never reached the heights of the teams he quarterbacked, finishing 52-76-3 in his tenure with just one playoff berth.

Thirty years later, he told an audience in Milwaukee that coaching was "the greatest mistake I made in my life."

Starr last visited Lambeau Field in 2017 to take part in the festivities commemorating the 50-year anniversary of the team's 1967 championship. — Reuters