For more than three decades, Packer served as a color commentator on network television broadcasts of college basketball.

Packer attended Wake Forest University from 1958 to 1962 and played guard on the school's basketball team for his last three years (in his day, freshmen were not eligible for varsity sports), leading Wake to three ACC titles and the 1962 Final Four. After graduation he had a brief stint as an assistant coach for his alma mater, then began his broadcasting career on regional ACC telecasts in 1972.

Since the mid-1970s Packer has been a fixture on national telecasts, first with NBC and then CBS. He won a Sports Emmy Award in 1993.