Hockey helped Packers’ Van Ness develop into 1st-round pick

By STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers hope first-round pick Lukas Van Ness terrorizes quarterbacks the same way he used to intimidate opponents on the hockey rink. Van Ness gravitated to hockey as a child growing up in the Chicago suburb of Barrington, Illinois. Van Ness continued playing hockey through his senior year of high school even after football became his primary sport. The Packers believe the physical skills that were evident on the ice and on the field made Van Ness worth taking with the 13th overall pick.