Who Wore It Most? Jersey Numbers Worn the Most by Pro Football Hall of Famers

When he becomes eligible in 2028, Tom Brady will become the seventh Pro Football Hall of Famer to have worn the No. 12 as his primary number. 

The list is already beyond impressive: Terry Bradshaw, Bob Griese, Jim Kelly, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler and Roger Staubach. But No. 12 isn’t the number worn the most by the greatest players in NFL history.

Let’s take a look at the most popular numbers worn by Hall of Famers. Note that since some players switched numbers during their careers, the information here is based on their primary numbers, the ones they wore during a major portion of their careers. 

No. 80 (10 players): Issac Bruce, Jack Butler, Cris Carter, Tom Fears, Len Ford, Andre Johnson, Steve Largent, James Lofton, Jerry Rice, Kellen Winslow

Jerry Rice, the quintessential No. 80, simply ran away from the competition, much like he did against the Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. (Photo by Bill Frakes /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

In FOX Sports’ series choosing the greatest NFL player for every jersey number, we selected Jerry Rice, undoubtedly the greatest receiver to ever play the game, as the best player to don No. 80. After all, Rice is the NFL’s all-time leader in receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895) and receiving touchdowns (197). However, Rice is joined by some other impressive players to wear No. 80. The list features a member of “The Greatest Show on Turf” in Bruce, a member of “Air Coryell” in Winslow, the greatest receiver in Seahawks history in Largent, and the receiver with some of the best hands in NFL history in Carter. 

[Greatest NFL players by jersey number: 00-24 | 25-49 I 50-74 I 75-99]

No. 81 (nine players): Doug Atkins, Tim Brown, Carl Eller, Calvin Johnson, Dick “Night Train” Lane, Art Monk, Terrell Owens, Andy Robustelli, Jackie Smith

Lane was our obvious choice here. A ferocious tackler, the seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro finished with 68 career interceptions, No. 4 all time in the NFL. But some other No. 81s also deserve mentioning, including defensive end Carl Eller, a member of the Vikings‘ famed “Purple People Eaters.” The mercurial Terrell Owens was the ultimate playmaker and a touchdown waiting to happen. Tim Brown was an electric route-runner and one of the best receivers in Raiders history, while the durable Art Monk will have his number retired by Washington this season. Known as “Megatron,” Johnson was one of the most dominant physical receivers in league history.

No. 88 (eight players): Tony Gonzalez, Marvin Harrison Sr., Michael Irvin, John Mackey, Alan Page, Drew Pearson, Charlie Sanders, Lynn Swann

Ten-time All-Pro Tony Gonzalez totaled 15,127 receiving yards and 111 touchdowns during his 17-year career. (Photo by Kenny Felt/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)

Tony Gonzalez is the best tight end statistically in NFL history and has a strong argument for being the best to ever play the game. Few played with the passion, energy and physicality on the perimeter like Michael Irvin, and Lynn Swann was one of the most graceful receivers ever to take an NFL field. Page and Harrison were two of the most consistent players during their eras. Page played in 236 consecutive games as a defensive tackle, while Harrison had eight seasons with at least 10 touchdown receptions. 

No. 7 (eight players): Morten Andersen, Earl “Dutch” Clark, John Elway, George Halas, Mel Hein, Clarence “Ace” Parker, Ed Sprinkle, Bob Waterfield

Elway was the first iteration of the strong-armed, athletic quarterback who changed the way the position is played in modern football, ultimately winning two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. Andersen finished as the NFL’s all-time leader in points scored at the time of his retirement in 2007 and is one of only four kickers inducted into the Hall. Nicknamed “Papa Bear,” George Halas played nine NFL seasons but is better known for serving as the head coach of the Chicago Bears for 40 years, leading them to six NFL titles. 

No. 24 (eight players): Champ Bailey, Willie Brown, Jack Christiansen, Ty Law, Lenny Moore, Darrelle Revis, Willie Wood, Charles Woodson

During his 18-year NFL career, the versatile Charles Woodson picked off passes, caught passes, returned kicks — and ran a reverse in his final home game as a Raider. (Photo by RAY CHAVEZ/MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)

Some of the best cornerbacks in NFL history wore No. 24. Woodson (65), Brown (54), Law (53) and Bailey (52) all rank among the all-time leaders in interceptions. Revis was such a shutdown corner that he had an island named after him. The versatile Moore, who played halfback and flanker, served as one of the favorite receivers for Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas. Wood finished with 48 interceptions as a safety, leading the league with nine picks in 1962. 

No. 74 (eight players): Jimbo Covert, Fred Dean, Henry Jordan, Bob Lilly, Bruce Matthews, Mike McCormack, Ron Mix, Merlin Olsen

Matthews played in 296 games during his 19-year career, including 232 consecutively, a record for an offensive lineman. The centerpiece of “The Fearsome Foursome” for the Los Angeles Rams, Olsen went to 14 straight Pro Bowls. Nicknamed “Mr. Cowboy,” Lilly won two Super Bowls and made 11 trips to the Pro Bowl. A four-time Pro Bowler, Dean won two Super Bowls as a relentless edge rusher for the San Francisco 49ers. 

No. 1 (seven players): Jimmy Conzelman, Paddy Driscoll, Ray Flaherty, Benny Friedman, Curly Lambeau, Warren Moon, Fritz Pollard

It took Warren Moon six years to get to the NFL, but he made the most of it when he arrived, throwing for 291 touchdowns in 17 seasons. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)

After a six-year stint in the Canadian Football League, Moon was finally welcomed into the NFL and passed for nearly 50,000 yards in 17 seasons. He became the first Black quarterback and the first undrafted QB elected to the Hall. Co-founder of the fabled Packers, Lambeau played halfback for 10 seasons before serving as Green Bay’s head coach for 33 years. An elusive running back, Pollard became the first Black coach in the NFL in 1921. 

No. 16 (seven players): George Blanda, Len Dawson, Frank Gifford, Ed Healey, Joe Montana, George Musso, Duke Slater

The original GOAT, Montana was brilliant in his execution of the West Coast offense and won four Super Bowls with San Francisco. The fleet-footed Gifford was an eight-time Pro Bowler and won a championship with the New York Giants in 1956. Dawson led the Kansas City Chiefs to a victory in Super Bowl IV. A quarterback and kicker, Blanda played an NFL-record 26 seasons. 

No. 20 (seven players): Ronde Barber, Lem Barney, Cliff Battles, Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed, Mel Renfro, Barry Sanders

Lions running back Barry Sanders was a human highlight reel, slipping past defenders at every turn for a spectacular decade. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Still in his prime, Sanders retired in 1998 as the second-leading rusher in NFL history. Longtime Bucs DB Barber is the only player in league history with at least 45 interceptions and 25 sacks. Reed finished with 64 interceptions returned for an NFL-record 1,590 yards and seven scores. Known as a hard-hitting safety, Dawkins was a nine-time Pro Bowler who finished with 34 career interceptions. Renfro went to 10 Pro Bowls and finished with 54 interceptions for the Cowboys. 

No. 22 (seven players): Frank Gatski, Bob Hayes, Mike Haynes, Paul Krause, Bobby Layne, Emmitt Smith, Roger Wehrli

All-time leading rusher Smith was the engine of the Cowboys’ offense during Dallas’ dominant days in the 1990s, which included three Super Bowl titles. A 16-season safety for Washington and Minnesota, Krause is the league’s all-time leader in interceptions with 81. A former track star, Hayes successfully transitioned into a deep threat at receiver for the Cowboys. Haynes was half of a dynamic cornerback duo for the Raiders — along with Lester Hayes — and finished with 46 career interceptions. 

No. 73 (seven players): Larry Allen, John Hannah, Joe Klecko, Leo Nomellini, Joe Thomas, Arnie Weinmeister, Ron Yary

Members of the New York Jets’ “Sack Exchange” posed on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in 1982: Joe Klecko #73, Marty Lyons #93, Abdul Salaam #74 and Mark Gastineau #99. (Photo by Ronald C. Modra/Getty Images)

Jets lineman Klecko was the centerpiece of the “New York Sack Exchange,” one of the best defensive fronts in NFL history. Allen anchored one of the best offensive lines in the league, paving the way for Smith with the Cowboys. Hannah and Thomas were two of the top guards and tackles of their time, respectively. 

No. 76 (seven players): Bob Brown, Lou Creekmur, Lou Groza, Steve McMichael, Steve Hutchinson, Marion Motley, Orlando Pace

Pace was one of the best blindside protectors in Rams history. A bruising fullback for the Browns, Motley averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Nicknamed “The Toe,” Groza played a Browns-record 21 seasons as an offensive tackle and kicker. Hutchinson paired with Walter Jones to create a Hall of Fame left side of the line that led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl appearance after the 2005 season. 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.

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