Jerry Rice was, of course, the ultimate No. 80. But how do you choose between the 12 total Hall of Famers who wore No. 88?
About 30,000 players have suited up for an NFL game over the past 105 years, using every jersey number over and over again. We’ve taken on the daunting task of combing through NFL history to decide who wore each number best.
Among the criteria considered were the players’ cumulative statistics, awards (MVP, Offensive/Defensive Player of the Year, etc.) and honors such as All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections. Super Bowl championships mattered as well, as did the impact players had on their era. Historical importance was very significant, which is why the list is littered with members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
That said, here are the choices for Nos. 75-99 as we conclude our four-part series. Note that since many great players switched numbers during their careers, the list is based on the number each player is best known for wearing.
[Greatest NFL players by jersey number: 00-24 | 25-49 I 50-74]
No. 75: Joe Greene
This longtime Steelers defensive tackle was one of the fiercest players on one of the all-time fiercest defenses. Greene was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1969, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, a 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro. One of only three Steelers to have his number retired, “Mean Joe” finished his 13-year career with 77½ sacks. He just barely gets the nod here, though, edging out longtime Rams defensive end Deacon Jones, who literally invented the sack and unofficially had 173½ of them in his 14 NFL seasons.
Honorable Mentions: Howie Long, Deacon Jones
No. 76: Lou Groza
He was known as “The Toe” for his prowess as the NFL’s first truly great placekicker, but he was more than just that. Groza was also the Cleveland Browns’ starting left tackle for 12 of his 21 pro seasons in the 1940s, ‘50s and ’60s. He was so good at both jobs that he was a six-time All-Pro and a nine-time Pro Bowler. He finished his career with 1,608 points, but perhaps more importantly, he ushered in an era when field goals became an acceptable outcome for NFL offenses — even when the kicks were from 50 yards or longer, which Groza could hit before those became semi-automatic. Rams tackle Orlando Pace or Seahawks guard Steve Hutchinson could’ve gotten this spot, too — if only they could kick.
Honorable Mentions: Orlando Pace, Steve Hutchinson
No. 77: Willie Roaf
It was a very close call between two Hall of Fame linemen, but this Saints/Chiefs great gets the nod over Jim Parker, the longtime Baltimore Colts tackle/guard — though just barely. Roaf, a left tackle, was a nine-time All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler in his 13 NFL seasons from 1993-2005. Parker was close behind, though, with a run of eight straight Pro Bowls and All-Pro nods, including one remarkable year (1962) when he was named an All-Pro at both guard and tackle.
Honorable Mentions: Jim Parker, Andrew Whitworth
No. 78: Anthony Muñoz
It took arguably the greatest tackle in NFL history to top one of the greatest pass rushers ever. That’s what happened here as Muñoz, possibly the greatest Bengal ever, edged out Buffalo’s Bruce Smith. Muñoz is considered by many to be the best offensive lineman in history, and he went to 11 straight Pro Bowls and was named to 11 straight All-Pro teams to prove it. Smith had 11 of each of those in his 19 NFL seasons, along with two Defensive Player of the Year awards and 200 career sacks. It made for quite a one-on-one battle.
Honorable Mentions: Bruce Smith, Art Shell
No. 79: Roosevelt Brown
He was a 27th-round draft pick by the Giants in 1953, selected after team owner Wellington Mara saw him listed on a Pittsburgh newspaper’s Black All-America team. Brown turned out to be the steal of the century, quickly becoming one of the best and most athletic tackles in the league. One of the pioneers of pulling linemen, Brown powered his way to nine Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro teams over 13 seasons. He was a key piece of the Giants’ 1956 championship team, too.
Honorable Mentions: Ray Childress, Bob St. Clair
No. 80: Jerry Rice
Who else? In 2010, NFL Network named this iconic 49ers receiver the greatest NFL player of all time — and with good reason. Rice is the NFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards (22,895) by more than 5,000. He’s the all-time leader in catches (1,549) by more than 100. And he’s the all-time leader in touchdown catches (197) by more than 40. He went to 13 Pro Bowls and was an 11-time All-Pro in an astonishing 20 NFL seasons. He was also a three-time Super Bowl champion, a Super Bowl MVP, and a two-time Offensive Player of the Year. Sure, 10 Hall of Famers wore No. 80, but this wasn’t close. Nobody ever did it better than Jerry Rice.
Honorable Mentions: Isaac Bruce, Cris Carter
No. 81: Dick Lane
In 1952, the man who would become known as “Night Train” walked into the L.A. Rams’ offices and requested a tryout. Good thing they gave him one, because he went on to become one of the most impactful defensive backs in history. Lane had 14 interceptions in 12 games as a rookie, and though he never quite reached those heights again, he amassed an incredible 68 in 14 NFL seasons with the Rams, Cardinals and Lions. He was an All-Pro for 10 straight seasons too, from 1954-63.
Honorable Mentions: Terrell Owens, Carl Eller
No. 82: Ozzie Newsome
He was one of the best receiving tight ends in NFL history, even though he played long before they became explosive weapons in the passing game. In his 13 seasons in Cleveland from 1978-90, Newsome caught 662 passes for a then-TE-record 7,980 yards and 47 touchdowns. The five-time All-Pro had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons and still ranks 10th on the all-time tight end yardage list. He was a powerful blocker as well, which was enough to push him past Raymond Berry, the great Colts receiver from the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Honorable Mentions: Raymond Berry, John Stallworth
No. 83: Ted Hendricks
Though he had the size of a thin defensive end (6-foot-7, 220 pounds), Hendricks was a devastating, disruptive linebacker for 15 NFL seasons from 1969-83. Playing mostly for the Colts and Raiders, he finished his career with 26 interceptions, 16 fumble recoveries, and an NFL-record four safeties. An eight-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro, Hendricks also played on four Super Bowl championship teams.
Honorable Mentions: Andre Reed, Wes Welker
No. 84: Randy Moss
He was quite simply one of the most electrifying receivers in NFL history and probably the closest thing to Jerry Rice since Jerry Rice. In 14 NFL seasons, mostly with the Vikings, Raiders and Patriots, Moss had 982 catches, 15,292 yards and 156 receiving touchdowns, the latter of which ranks second behind Rice on the all-time list. Moss topped 1,000 receiving yards 10 times and had double-digit touchdowns nine times, including a single-season record 23 with the Patriots in 2007. He was a four-time All-Pro, and honestly, he deserved that honor a few more times than that.
Honorable Mentions: Shannon Sharpe, Roddy White
No. 85: Jack Youngblood
A worthy heir to Deacon Jones at left defensive end with the Los Angeles Rams, Youngblood proved to be just as tough and nearly as dangerous as a pass rusher. He missed just one game in his 14 NFL seasons, from 1971-84, and at one point played in 201 straight. Youngblood unofficially ended up with 151½ sacks, including eight seasons with 10 or more. And he was an All-Pro six times.
Honorable Mentions: Nick Buoniconti, Antonio Gates
No. 86: Buck Buchanan
His best days came in the AFL in the 1960s, before the merger, but that doesn’t take away from all he accomplished during his career. Buchanan spent 13 seasons playing defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs and missed only one game. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All-Pro (two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro in the NFL), and finished his career with 70½ sacks and a Super Bowl championship.
Honorable Mentions: Dante Lavelli, Hines Ward
It sure helps to play in Kansas City for Andy Reid and with Patrick Mahomes, but Kelce is good enough that he would have thrived anywhere. His run of seven straight 1,000-yard seasons from 2016 to 2022 might be the greatest stretch for a tight end in league history. He’s top-three all time among TEs in catches (1,004) and receiving yards (12,151) and fifth in touchdown catches (77). And at age 35, he’s not finished yet. Kelce has been to 10 straight Pro Bowls and is a seven-time All-Pro. He’s also the top option in the passing game on the greatest offensive team of his generation. No tight end has ever been better at finding the seam in the defense and getting open.
Honorable Mentions: Rob Gronkowski, Reggie Wayne
No. 88: Tony Gonzalez
This number has been worn by an astonishing 12 Hall of Famers, including four players who were selected to NFL Network’s Top 100 back in 2010. Four of the HOFers are receivers (Michael Irvin, Marvin Harrison Sr., Drew Pearson, Lynn Swann) and three are tight ends (Gonzalez, John Mackey, Charlie Sanders), and yet the nod here still almost went to defensive tackle Alan Page. But Gonzalez topped Page because he is simply the greatest tight end in NFL history. A 14-time Pro Bowler in 17 seasons with the Chiefs and Falcons, he’s the all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (1,325) and receiving yards (15,127), and he’s second with 111 touchdowns. He was also named an All-Pro 10 times.
Honorable Mentions: Marvin Harrison Sr., Alan Page
No. 89: Gino Marchetti
Arguably the most feared pass rusher of the 1950s and early ‘60s, the longtime Baltimore Colts defensive end never quite got the historical credit he deserves because he played long before sacks became an official statistic. Unofficially, Marchetti is credited with 56 over his final five seasons, starting when he was 33 years old. But sack records don’t exist for his first eight NFL seasons. Still, he was an 11-time Pro Bowler, 10-time All-Pro and two-time NFL champion. Special shout-out to longtime Buffalo Bill Steve Tasker, who might be the greatest special teams player of all time.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Ditka, Steve Smith
The only Hall of Famer to wear No. 90, Peppers is an easy choice here. The former Panthers, Bears and Packers defensive end finished with 159½ sacks over 17 seasons, making him one of the most-feared pass rushers of the 2000s. He had 10 seasons with 10 sacks or more, and his 52 forced fumbles rank second in NFL history. Plus, the nine-time Pro Bowler also blocked 13 kicks in his career (12 field goals, one extra point).
Honorable Mentions: Neil Smith, Ndamukong Suh
No. 91: Kevin Greene
He was somehow overlooked and underappreciated during his first eight seasons with the Rams, even though he was already one of the most dangerous edge rushers in the game. Greene had four seasons with 10 or more sacks and two seasons with 16½, though he only went to the Pro Bowl once. But when he moved on to Pittsburgh in 1993, he became a star. Greene had six seasons of double-digit sacks in his final seven years (with Carolina and San Francisco, too) and finished with 160 in 15 seasons. He ended up going to four more Pro Bowls and, eventually, the Hall of Fame.
Honorable Mentions: Fletcher Cox, Leslie O’Neal
No. 92: Reggie White
Michael Strahan may be the most famous No. 92 and the single-season sack king (22½ in 2001), but this number belongs to the “Minister of Defense.” The Eagles and Packers great, and one of the biggest free-agent signings in NFL history, was one of the most unstoppable pass rushers ever. White had 198 sacks in his 15 NFL seasons, which ranks second all time, and that included 12 seasons with at least 10. He was a 13-time All-Pro, 13-time Pro Bowler and two-time Defensive Player of the Year, too.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Strahan, James Harrison
No. 93: John Randle
He was the scariest member of the Vikings’ defense during the 1990s, and the athletic defensive tackle was one of the league’s most dangerous pass rushers, too. A six-time All-Pro and two-time runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, Randle finished his 14-year career with 137½ sacks. Not bad for a kid who was undrafted out of tiny Texas A&I in 1990.
Honorable Mentions: Richard Seymour, Dwight Freeney
No. 94: DeMarcus Ware
This was a battle between two Cowboys greats, but as good a linebacker/defensive end as Charles Haley was, LB/DE DeMarcus Ware was even better. A nine-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All-Pro in his 12 NFL seasons from 2005-16, Ware finished with 138½ sacks, which still ranks him in the top 15 all time. He also had 35 forced fumbles, proving how disruptive he was.
Honorable Mentions: Charles Haley, Cam Jordan
No. 95: Richard Dent
The most dangerous pass rusher on the Chicago Bears’ dominant 1985 defense, Dent led that championship team with 17 sacks and was the Super Bowl XX MVP. He had 137½ sacks in his 15 NFL seasons, mostly with the Bears, and was a four-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler. Most of his production came during a remarkable 10-year run from 1984-93, when he averaged 12 sacks per season.
Honorable Mentions: Kyle Williams, Greg Lloyd
No. 96: Cortez Kennedy
A player whose value went far beyond the numbers, this longtime Seahawk was a dangerous and disruptive defensive tackle. Often double-teamed while playing for some mediocre-at-best teams in Seattle, Kennedy was a rock, playing all 16 games in nine of his 11 seasons. He had just 58 sacks — including 14 in 1992 — but was often among the team leaders in tackles. A legend in Seattle, Kennedy went to eight Pro Bowls, was a four-time All-Pro and was the 1992 Defensive Player of the Year.
Honorable Mentions: Clyde Simmons, Carlos Dunlap
Some incredible defensive tackles have worn this number, including former 49er (and Hall of Famer) Bryant Young, Cincinnati’s Geno Atkins, and former Saint/Cowboy/Ram La’Roi Glover. But Heyward, on a Hall of Fame track of his own, will likely end up better than all of them. A five-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowler in 14 seasons (so far), Heyward has recorded 88½ sacks. He’s also batted down 58 passes. And at age 36, he’s back for at least one more year with the Steelers.
Honorable Mentions: Bryant Young, Geno Atkins
No. 98: Robert Mathis
He hasn’t made the Hall of Fame yet, but this longtime Colts edge rusher has been on the doorstep as a semifinalist. He wrapped his 13-year career in 2016 with 123 career sacks, including a 19½-sack season in 2013, when he was the runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. He also had an NFL-record 54 forced fumbles and 47 strip sacks and played in the Pro Bowl five times.
Honorable Mentions: Jessie Armstead, Casey Hampton
Three incredible Hall of Fame defensive linemen have worn this number: Tampa Bay’s Warren Sapp, Chicago’s Dan Hampton and Miami’s Jason Taylor. But Donald’s 10 seasons with the Rams are untouchable. He redefined what a defensive tackle could do, particularly in the pass rush. He finished his career with 111 sacks, including one season with a ridiculous 20½ (2018, when he won the second of his three Defensive Player of the Year awards). He was a Pro Bowler in every season he played, an All-Pro in nine of them, received DPOY votes in seven of them and was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. He was the most dominant defensive player of his era, one of the best ever, and he could have done a lot more if he hadn’t retired at age 32.
Honorable Mentions: Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He spent six years covering the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York, and before that, 16 years covering the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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