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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Doug Farrar

The best pro football player to wear every jersey number

Football is a game of numbers, and that includes jersey numbers — which define players in our minds to a certain degree. Who can think of Hall of Fame center Jim Otto without thinking of his 00 jersey, or Warren Moon’s No. 1, or a host of legendary quarterbacks rocking the No. 12, and on and on.

In this specific exercise, we are determining the greatest player in pro football history to wear each jersey number from 00 to 99. Sometimes, the choices are eminently obvious, and other times… not so much. No. 8 had the duel between Steve Young and Troy Aikman, just as we saw in multiple NFC Championship games in the early 1990s. No. 21 had us deciding between LaDainian Tomlinson, Deion Sanders, Frank Gore, Charles Woodson, and Patrick Peterson. Yikes!

On and on it went, but we finally worked through each jersey number and each correspondingly greatest player, and here is that list for your perusal — with the honorable mentions that made this process quite tricky at times.

00: Jim Otto

(Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable Mention: Ken Burrough

1. Warren Moon

(MPS-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable Mention: Cam Newton, Ja’Marr Chase, Gary Anderson, Jalen Hurts.

2. Matt Ryan

(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable Mention: Darius Slay, Cookie Gilchrist, Amari Cooper, Doug Flutie.

3. Jim Thorpe

(AP-Photo)

Honorable Mention: Russell Wilson, Daryle Lamonica, Carson Palmer, Bronko Nagurski, Jan Stenerud.

4. Brett Favre

(Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Honorable Mention: Dak Prescott, Derek Carr, Deshaun Watson, Jim Harbaugh, Adam Vinatieri.

5. Paul Hornung

(Syndication: Green Bay Press-Gazette)

Honorable Mention: Donovan McNabb, Joe Flacco, Jeff Garcia, Kerry Collins.

6. Benny Friedman

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Ray Flaherty, Jay Cutler.

7. John Elway

(AP Photo/Doug Mills)

Honorable mention: Ben Roethlisberger, Mel Hein, George Halas, Michael Vick, Boomer Esiason, Bob Waterfield, Bert Jones, Ron Jaworski, Morten Andersen, Earl “Dutch” Clark

8. Steve Young

(AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)

Honorable mention: Troy Aikman, Larry Wilson, Ray Guy, Lamar Jackson, Tommy McDonald.

9. Drew Brees

(Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Sonny Jurgensen, Matthew Stafford, Steve Owen, Steve McNair, Tony Romo.

10. Fran Tarkenton

(Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Eli Manning, Tyreek Hill, DeSean Jackson.

11. Larry Fitzgerald

(Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Fritz Pollard, Norm Van Brocklin, Ernie Nevers, Drew Bledsoe, Phil Simms, Julio Jones.

12. Tom Brady

(Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Aaron Rodgers, Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Jim Kelly, Ken Stabler, Joe Namath, Bob Griese.

13. Dan Marino

(Andy Lyons /Allsport)

Honorable mention: Kurt Warner, Ken Riley, Don Maynard, Jake Scott, Joe Stydahar, Guy Chamberlain.

14. Dan Fouts

(Photo by Ken Levine/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Don Hutson, Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, Ken Anderson, Earl “Curly” Lambeau, Steve Grogan.

15. Patrick Mahomes

(Patrick Breen/The Republic via USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Bart Starr, Steve Van Buren, Jack Kemp, Earl Morall.

16. Joe Montana

(Bob Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Len Dawson, George Blanda, Frank Gifford, Jim Plunkett, Duke Slater.

17. Philip Rivers

(Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Josh Allen, Jim Hart, Harold Carmichael, Davante Adams, Don Meredith.

18. Peyton Manning

(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Charlie Joiner, Emmitt Thomas, Roman Gabriel, A.J. Green.

19. Johnny Unitas

(Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Lance Alworth, Bernie Kosar.

20. Barry Sanders

(Jonathan Daniel /Allsport)

Honorable mention: Ed Reed, Ronde Barber, Lem Barney, Brian Dawkins, Mel Renfro, Cliff Battles, Gino Cappelletti.

21. LaDainian Tomlinson

(Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson, Patrick Peterson, Cliff Branch, Frank Gore.

22. Emmitt Smith

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Paul Krause, Bob Hayes, Mike Haynes, Bobby Layne,

23. Troy Vincent

(TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Arian Foster, Patrick Surtain, Joe Haden, Mike Wagner.

24. Darrelle Revis

(Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Willie Brown, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Ty Law, Willie Wood, Lenny Moore, Marshawn Lynch.

25. Richard Sherman

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Fred Biletnikoff, Haven Moses, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Tommy McDonald.

26. Rod Woodson

(USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Herb Adderley, Antoine Winfield, Le’Veon Bell, Raymond Clayborn, Clinton Portis.

27. Eddie George

(Preston Mack-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Steve Atwater, Malcolm Jenkins, Tre’Davious White, Kareem Hunt.

28. Marshall Faulk

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Darrell Green, Adrian Peterson, Fred Taylor, Curtis Martin, Yale Lary, Darren Woodson, Abner Haynes, Corey Dillon.

29. Eric Dickerson

(Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Honorable mention: Harold Jackson, Ken Houston, Earl Thomas, Sam Madison, Albert Lewis, Eric Berry.

30. Terrell Davis

(USA TODAY Sports photo)

Honorable mention: Clarke Hinkle, Bill Willis, Lawrence McCutcheon.

31. Jim Taylor

(Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports © Copyright Malcolm Emmons)

Honorable mention: Donnie Shell, Jamal Lewis, Priest Holmes, Kem Chancellor.

32. Jim Brown

(AP Photo)

Honorable mention: Marcus Allen, Franco Harris, Edgerrin James, O.J. Simpson, Devin McCourty, Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Weddle.

33. Sammy Baugh

(Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Tony Dorsett, Roger Craig, Ollie Matson.

34. Walter Payton

(Manny Rubio- USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Thurman Thomas, Earl Campbell, Ricky Williams, Joe Perry, Cornell Green.

35. Aeneas Williams

(Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Christian Okoye, Calvin Hill, John Henry Johnson.

36. Jerome Bettis

(AP Photo/Keith B. Srakocic)

Honorable mention: Leroy Butler, Brian Westbrook, Lawyer Milloy, Billy Thompson.

37. Lester Hayes

(Long Photography-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Rodney Harrison, Shaun Alexander, Jimmy Johnson, Doak Walker, Pat Fischer, Carnell Lake.

38. Eugene Daniel

(Rick Stewart /Allsport)

Honorable mention: Arnie Herber, Roland James, Tramon Williams.

39. Larry Csonka

(Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Honorable mention: Steven Jackson, Hugh McElhenny.

40. Gale Sayers

(Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, Mike Haynes, Wayne Millner, Dick Anderson, Mike Alstott.

41. Eugene Robinson

(© Copyright USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Antoine Bethea, Charlie Waters, Alvin Kamara, Tom Matte, Phil Villiapiano.

42. Ronnie Lott

(Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Johnny Robinson, Charley Taylor, Paul Warfield, Sid Luckman, Darren Sharper.

43. Troy Polamalu

(AP Photo/Don Wright, File)

Honorable mention: Cliff Harris, Larry Brown.

44. John Riggins

(Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Dick LeBeau, Leroy Kelly, Chuck Foreman, Floyd Little, Dallas Clark, Bobby Dillon.

45. Emlen Tunnell

(AP Photo)

Honorable mention: Kenny Easley, Dave Grayson, Gary Fencik.

46. Todd Christensen

(Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Honorable mention: Lou Groza, Herm Edwards, Danny Abramowicz.

47. Mel Blount

(Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: John Lynch, Joey Browner.

48. Stephen Davis

(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2005 Bob Donnan)

Honorable mention: Lionel Washington.

49. Bobby Mitchell

(Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports copyright (c) Malcolm Emmons)

Honorable mention: Dennis Smith.

50. Mike Singletary

(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Alex Wojciechowicz, Dave Dalby, Justin Houston.

51. Dick Butkus

(Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Sam Mills, Jim Ringo, Takeo Spikes, Randy Cross.

52. Ray Lewis

(Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Patrick Willis, Mike Webster, Robert Brazile, Khalil Mack, Clay Matthews, Frank Gatski.

53. Randy Gradishar

(Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Harry Carson, Mick Tingelhoff, Mark Stepnoski, Ray Donaldson.

54: Randy White

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Brian Urlacher, Bobby Wagner, Lavonte David, Zach Thomas.

55. Junior Seau

(Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Derrick Brooks, Willie McGinest, Steve Owen, Terrell Suggs, Lee Roy Jordan, Chris Hanburger, Lance Briggs, John Abraham.

56. Lawrence Taylor

(Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Chris Doleman, Joe Schmidt, Andre Tippett, Pat Swilling, Bill Hewitt, Derrick Johnson, Hardy Nickerson, Demario Davis.

57. Dwight Stephenson

(Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Honorable mention: Rickey Jackson, Jeff Van Note, Clay Matthews, Tom Jackson, Mo Lewis.

58. Derrick Thomas

(RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Von Miller, Jack Lambert, Thomas Davis, Isiah Robertson, Wilber Marshall, Jack Rudnay, Jeddie Tuggle, Mike Stratton, Mac Speedie,

59. Jack Ham

(Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Honorable mention: Luke Kuechly, London Fletcher, Donnie Edwards.

60. Chuck Bednarik

(AP Photo)

Honorable mention: Otto Graham, Larry Grantham, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Al “Bubba” Baker.

61. Bill George

(David Boss-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Curley Culp, Nate Newton, Jesse Sapolu.

62. Jason Kelce

(Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Jim Langer, Guy McIntyre.

63. Willie Lanier

(Rod Hanna-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Gene Upshaw, Jeff Saturday, Dermontti Dawson, Lee Roy Selmon, Mike Munchak, Dick Stanfel,

64. Jerry Kramer

(David Boss-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Randall McDaniel, Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds.

65. Elvin Bethea

(AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky, File)

Honorable mention: Lane Johnson, Garry Zimmerman, Tom Mack.

66. Alan Faneca

(Matthew Emmons- USA TODAY Sports Copyright ©2005 Matthew Emmons)

Honorable mention: Larry Little, Tom Nalen, Ray Nitschke, Billy Shaw, Joe Jacoby, Clyde “Bulldog” Turner.

67. Bob Kuechenberg

(Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Reggie McKenzie, Kareem McKenzie, Grady Alderman.

68. Will Shields

(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports © copyright Matthew Emmons)

Honorable mention: Kevin Mawae, L.C. Greenwood, Russ Grimm, Joe DeLamielleure.

69. Jared Allen

(Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Jon Runyan, David Bakhtiari, Jordan Gross, Mark Schlereth.

70: Jim Marshall

(Dick Raphael-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Sam Huff, Art Donovan, Ernie Stauntner, Rayfield Wright, Zack Martin, Logan Mankins, Russ Washington, Leonard Marshall.

71. Walter Jones

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Trent Williams, Jason Peters, Alex Karras, Willie Anderson, Tony Boselli, George Connor.

72. Dan Dierdorf

(Herb Weitman-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Lincoln Kennedy, Matt Light, Tra Thomas.

73. Joe Thomas

(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Larry Allen, John Hannah, Leo Nomellini, Joe Klecko, Marshal Yanda, Ralph Neely, Ron Yary.

74. Bob Lilly

(Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Bruce Matthews, Merlin Olsen, Fred Dean, Henry Jordan, Ron Mix, Henry Jordan, Joe Staley, Mike McCormack, Jimbo Covert, Nick Mangold.

75. Joe Greene

(AP Photo/Harry Cabluck)

Honorable mention: Deacon Jones, Jonathan Ogden, Howie Long, Forrest Gregg, Vince Wilfork, Manny Fernandez.

76. Orlando Pace

(Photo by Greg Trott/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Steve Hutchinson, Marion Motley, Steve Wisniewski, Lou Groza, Bob Brown, Lou Creekmur.

77. Willie Roaf

(USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Andrew Whitworth, Jim Parker, Tyron Smith, Jim Tyrer, Lyle Alzado, Red Grange.

78. Bruce Smith

(Rick Stewart/Allsport)

Honorable mention: Art Shell, Anthony Munoz, Jackie Slater, Bobby Bell, Curley Culp, Bruce Armstrong, Richmond Webb, Stan Jones, Mike Kenn,

79. Roosevelt Brown

(AP Photo)

Honorable mention: Ray Childress, Coy Bacon, Harvey Martin, Bob St. Clair, Jacob Green, Barney Chavous, Harris Barton.

80. Jerry Rice

(Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Steve Largent, Cris Carter, James Lofton, Kellen Winslow, Isaac Bruce, Andre Johnson, Rod Smith, Tom Fears.

81. Calvin Johnson

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Dick “Night Train” Lane, Carl Eller, Terrell Owens, Torry Holt, Doug Atkins, Tim Brown, Art Monk, Jackie Smith, Andy Robustelli.

82. Ozzie Newsome

(RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Raymond Berry, Jason Witten, Jimmy Smith, John Stallworth.

83. Ted Hendricks

(Photo By Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports © Copyright Malcolm Emmons)

Honorable mention: Andre Reed, Wes Welker, John Jefferson.

84: Randy Moss

(Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Shannon Sharpe, Andre Reed, Sterling Sharpe, Gary Clark, Roddy White.

85. Nick Buoniconti

(Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Jack Youngblood, Antonio Gates, Derrick Mason, Chad Johnson, Isaac Curtis.

86. Junious "Buck" Buchanan

(Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK)

Honorable mention: Dante Lavelli, Hines Ward, Stanley Morgan, Verlon Biggs.

87. Willie Davis

(Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Travis Kelce, Rob Gronkowski, Dave Casper, Reggie Wayne, Claude Humphrey, Muhsin Muhammad, Keenan McCardell.

88. Alan Page

(Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Michael Irvin, Tony Gonzalez, John Mackey, Marvin Harrison, Dez Bryant, Lynn Swann, Charlie Sanders, Drew Pearson, Greg Olsen.

89. Steve Smith Sr.

(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Mike Ditka, Gino Marchetti, Otis Taylor, Dave Robinson, Fred Dryer, Santana Moss, Doug Baldwin.

90. Julius Peppers

(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Neil Smith, Larry Brooks, Jason Pierre-Paul, Darnell Dockett, T.J. Watt, Ndamukong Suh.

91: Kevin Greene

(USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Fletcher Cox, Leslie O’Neal, Tamba Hali, Cameron Wake, Ryan Kerrigan, Aaron Smith.

92. Reggie White

(USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Michael Strahan, Haloti Ngata, James Harrison, Ted Washington.

93: John Randle

(Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT)

Honorable mention: Richard Seymour, Calais Campbell, Dwight Freeney, Kevin Williams, Kevin Carter, Gerald McCoy.

94. DeMarcus Ware

(USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Charles Haley, Justin Smith, Cameron Jordan, Chad Brown, Dana Stubblefield.

95. Richard Dent

(Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Greg Lloyd, Chris Jones, Kyle Williams.

96. Cortez Kennedy

(Photo By USA TODAY Sports © Copyright USA TODAY Sports)

Honorable mention: Clyde Simmons, Carlos Dunlap, Adalius Thomas.

97. Cameron Heyward

(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Bryant Young, Geno Atkins, La’Roi Glover, Cornelius Bennett, Simeon Rice, Grady Jarrett, Patrick Kerney.

98. Robert Mathis

(Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Honorable mention: Casey Hampton, Jessie Armstead, Tony Siragusa, John Henderson.

99. Aaron Donald

(Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports(

Honorable mention: J.J. Watt, Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor, DeForest Buckner, Dan Hampton, Mark Gastineau.

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