Best Green Bay Packers player to wear No. 30 isn't the team's all-time leading rusher

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

With the singles, teens, and 20s now officially in the books, we're moving forward with the next group, and we've got quite the conundrum here to kick things off at No. 30. But before we break things down, let's first have a look at everyone who's worn the number for Green Bay over the years.

Chris Brooks, RB
Tiny Cahoon, OT
Paul Ott Carruth, RB
Knile Davis, RB
Shawn Davis, S
Ahman Green, RB
Corey Harris, DB
William Henderson, RB
Clarke Hinkle, HB/FB/LB
Larry Krause, RB
John Kuhn, RB
David Long, CB
Nate McCrary, RB
Chuck Mercein, RB
Bo Molenda, B
Dick O'Donnell, E
Ricky Patton, RB
Chuck Webb, RB
Bill Whitaker, DB
Jamaal Williams, RB

Now, while there are three members of the Packers Hall of Fame on this list, fullback William Henderson, as solid as he was for those dozen seasons from 1995 to 2006, was never in consideration.

No, this was always going to be a two-man race between two of the greatest rushers ever to suit up in the Green & Gold. But what's wild is that the choice here is not the one who owns the most rushing yards in the 100-plus-year history of Packers football, that being the great Ahman Green, who ran for 8,322 yards and 54 touchdowns over the course of his eight-year run in Green Bay, adding another 2,726 yards and 14 scores on 378 receptions.

Furthermore, not only does the four-time Pro Bowler own the Packers' all-time rushing yards record, he owns the single-season record as well with his 1,883-yard effort in 2003. And his 98-yard run against the Broncos that year is also the longest in franchise history.

So, when we tell you that Green is not the pick, that obviously means the player we did roll with, that being the only player on this list who's also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Clarke Hinkle, was truly something special.

Clarke Hinkle was arguably the best all-around Green Bay Packers player of the Curly Lambeau era

Now, there are naturally some who may disagree with the selection of Hinkle, who played 10 seasons for the Packers from 1932 to 1941, helping the team to a pair of titles. After all, the 3,860 yards and 35 touchdowns he amassed over that decade obviously don't come close to the numbers Green tallied.

But when you take the era into account and realize that he was the league's all-time leading rusher for approximately eight years, that has to count for something. What also has to be taken into account is the fact that with that era being what it was, Hinkle lined up on both sides of the football, playing the position we now call linebacker on defense, and also handled both punting and kicking duties at times.

So, while Green may have the bigger numbers on offense, Hinkle was simply the better overall football player, and that's why he got the nod here. Fellow Packers legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer once called Hinkle the "best player the Packers ever had." Yes, that comment was made in 1977, but that's even close to a decade after the Vince Lombardi era ended, so that's still quite a statement to make.

Hinkle's seven All-Pro nods certainly don't hurt his case, nor does the fact that many still consider him to be one of the toughest and hardest-hitting players this game has ever known. And that was at 5-foot-11 and just over 200 pounds.

Take this story, for example. legendary Chicago Bears fullback and defensive tackle Bronko Nagurski is also on that list of tough guys, but he was about three to four inches taller and weighed 25 to 30 pounds more than Hinkle. But when the two engaged in what was apparently an epic head-on collision during a meeting between the Packers and Bears back in the day, Hinkle got up and walked away while Nagurski had to be carried off on a stretcher.

And in his final game ever against those same Bears, Hinkle kicked a game-winning field goal despite having his leg cut open earlier in the game by a Chicago player's spike. So, yeah, the guy was as tough as they come.

And despite his aggressive style of play, the Bucknell alum only missed five games in 10 years. Now, it must be noted that, like many players back then, he wore several different numbers throughout his career, also sporting Nos. 33, 48, and 41. But as he wore No. 30 for seven of his 10 seasons, he's most associated with that digit, which is why he was able to get the nod here.

Hinkle was part of just the second-ever class to be enshrined in Canton in 1964 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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Clarke Hinkle was arguably the best all-around Green Bay Packers player of the Curly Lambeau era

Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees

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