Nowadays, Packers depend more heavily on seasoned veterans - and Aaron Rodgers not the only one!

GREEN BAY (WITI) -- For several seasons, just a few years ago, the Green Bay Packers were the youngest team in the National Football League. These days, they depend more heavily on established veterans -- and Aaron Rodgers isn't the only one.

With the departures of A.J. Hawk and Tramon Williams, Packers kicker Mason Crosby has found himself moving up the Packers seniority list. Crosby has been Green Bay's kicker since 2007 -- putting up seven very strong seasons and one very challenging one. He has been with long snapper Brett Goode since 2008, and holder Tim Masthay since 2010, but they all have a new special teams coach this season. Shawn Slocum is out, and Ron Zook is in.

"I had a little worry when I heard Coach Slocum was gone and where we were going to go there, going into my ninth season, having a fresh, whole new thing. It was exciting. It was kind of interesting, but at the same time, there was some anxiety there," Crosby said.

Zook was an assistant last season, so Crosby knows him and says he likes him. Plus, a kicker has to be his own man -- particulary this time of the year.

"There have been years where I felt like I was kicking great in April and May and it's hard to kind of hold that for a whole year or an eight-month period, so it needs to kind of prime it up. I take that process very seriously, building to something that I feel I can have longevity with," Crosby said.

Crosby is in a position to make franchise history. He is 18 point saway from becoming the leading scorer ever for the Packers.

"Right now while I'm in it, every time I hear all these different things, you know, 'I kicked the longest field goal,' or 'I set a record for the Packers,' I am in it. I'm on the team. I'm in that moment. It's awesome. With the history of the Packers, the guys that have been before me, to be able to hold that someday and be able to look back, it's kind of surreal to think about. I'm almost getting kind of emotional thinking about it," Crosby said.

Crosby understands that being emotional about the success he's had by taking the emotion out of situations is a bit amusing. He also understands that he is building on one of the best kicking careers in the green and gold.

The only player on the Packers roster who has been with the team longer than Crosby is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Defensive back Jarrett Bush also came in ahead of the kicker, but he is technically currently a free agent.