TIMBER LAKE — Timber Lake, say it with me: “It’s great to be a Timber Lake Panther.”

That war chant resonates on big occasions for our little town. It doesn’t get any louder than right now.

The rallying cry is echoing in our eardrums right now thanks to you, Tucker Kraft.

Tucker put our small, proud, West River community on the map on Friday, April 28, 2023.

That’s when Tucker was taken by the Green Bay Packers.

A Timber Lake Panther is a Green Bay Packer. 

Holy cheeseheads, that’s got a nice ring to it. 

Tucker Kraft puts on a Green Bay Packers hat for the first time after being drafted by the organization on Friday. (Photo courtesy Matt Gade / Rapid City Journal)

Tucker made us proud when he was trucking nine-man defenders and racking up touchdowns for the Jacks. Friday, April 28, 2023, however, was as good as it gets for our tiny town. 

Tucker Kraft, NFL tight end from Timber Lake, South Dakota. Let that sink in all you Panthers. 

NFL players don’t come around these parts and may never again. We sure celebrated the moment and did it our way. 

We’ve never had an NFL Draft party. Ever.

So, we treated it like a graduation party, wedding reception or high school party. We piled into an airport hangar, drank beer, shook hands, hugged and giggled. 

Because that’s what we do and that’s what Tucker wanted.

It’s so Tucker and it’s so us. 

It’s so South Dakota and it’s so Wisconsin, too. 

Packer fans, you will get along just fine with us guys.