Best Green Bay Packers player to wear No. 14 was the first to have his jersey retired

Welcome back to Lombardi Ave's series on the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.

We've got a special entry here at No. 14, as this is one of only six numbers to be officially retired by the franchise, the five others being No. 3 (Tony Canadeo), No. 4 (Brett Favre), No. 15 (Bart Starr), No. 66 (Ray Nitschke), and No. 92 (Reggie White).

But No. 14 was the very first, and while many of you may already know for whom it was retired, let's still go ahead and take a look at the entire list of players to wear it before it was taken out of rotation.

Johnny Blood, HB
Paul Fitzgibbon, B
Moose Gardner, G
Norbert Hayes, E/FB
Don Hill, B
Don Hutson, E/DB
Curly Lambeau, B
Slick Lollar, FB
Jab Murray, OL
Merle Zuver, G

Now, what's really interesting about this particular number is that there are three players who've worn it who have been inducted into both the Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The first of these to do so was the legendary Curly Lambeau, who donned it during the 1927 season. And then there's Johnny Blood, who sported it during the 1933 campaign.

But the honor here goes to the great Don Hutson, who's not only considered the first genuine superstar wide receiver in NFL history but was also a dynamite defender in the ironman era.

Don Hutson scored 99 receiving touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers

A consensus All-American at Alabama in 1934, Hutson joined the Packers in 1935 and made an immediate impact, as his first NFL reception went for an 83-yard touchdown in a 7-0 victory over the Chicago Bears. So, just that alone should endear him to Cheeseheads everywhere, but he was only getting started.

Over the course of 11 seasons in Green Bay, the Arkansas native led the league in receptions eight times, led the league in receiving yards seven times, and led the league in receiving touchdowns nine times.

It's also worth noting that in his 11 seasons, he was named an All-Pro in each and every one of them, receiving a Second-Team nod in each of his first three years and a First-Team nod in each of the final eight. Hutson was also named NFL MVP in back-to-back seasons in 1941 and 1942, becoming the first in league history to surpass the 1,000-yard mark in the latter, as he set career highs across the board with 74 receptions for 1,211 yards and 17 touchdowns.

After helping the Packers to three NFL titles, Hutson retired following the 1945 season having tallied 488 catches for 7,991 yards and 99 receiving touchdowns, adding another 284 yards and three scores on the ground. His 99 receiving TDs are still the most in Packers history, and even all these years later, he still sits in 13th on the all-time NFL list.

But Hutson wasn't only about offense. After spending five years on the defensive line, he was moved to the secondary for his final six seasons and tallied 30 interceptions. And just for good measure, he served as the team's kicker at times as well, connecting on 172 of 183 extra-point attempts over the years.

When Hutson retired ahead of the 1946 season, he owned 19 NFL records, and his No. 14 was officially retired in 1951. He was a member of the inaugural class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1972.

Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees

This list will be updated daily until all 100 entries are complete, so be sure to check back in with Lombardi Ave for updates.

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Don Hutson scored 99 receiving touchdowns for the Green Bay Packers

Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees

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