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.
After being forced to make one of our most difficult decisions to date at No. 25, we certainly don't have nearly as much to think about here at No. 26. We'll get to the winner momentarily, but let's first have a look at everyone who's worn the number for the Green & Gold over the years.
- Herb Adderley, CB
- Corey Ballentine, CB
- Josh Bell, CB
- Johnny Blood, B
- Bashaud Breeland, CB
- Jim Capuzzi, DB
- Chuck Cecil, S
- Mark Collins, CB
- Gib Dawson, HB
- Ken Gorgal, DB
- DuJuan Harris, RB
- Arnie Herber, QB
- Jason Horton, CB
- Craig Jay, TE
- Bill Kelley, E
- Tim Lewis, DB
- Damien Martinez, RB
- Lindy Pearson, HB
- Charlie Peprah, S
- Claude Perry, OL
- Micah Robinson, CB
- Darnell Savage Jr., S
- Lyle Sturgeon, OT
- Erwin Swiney, CB
- Darrell Thompson, RB
- Eric Torkelson, RB
- Clyde Van Sickle, C
- Ward Walsh, RB
- Herb Waters, WR/CB
We certainly had to consider legends Johnny Blood and Arnie Herber here, as each is enshrined in both the Packers Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
But the fact that both only wore No. 26 for a short time, Blood in 1929-30 and Herber in 1931, made life a lot easier, as our selection, legendary cornerback Herb Adderley, who's also an enshrinee in both Green Bay and Canton, wore it for his entire nine-year run with the Packers in the 1960s
Legendary Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb Adderley recorded the first pick-6 in Super Bowl history
A two-time All-Big Ten selection as a halfback at Michigan State, Adderley was taken by the Packers in the first round of the 1961 NFL Draft with the 12th overall selection.
The Philadelphia native actually began his pro career on the offensive side of the ball, but with Paul Hornung and Jim Taylor already on the roster, he wasn't going to get any real snaps at halfback. As such, Vince Lombardi, on the recommendation of superstar safety Emlen Tunnell, gave Adderley a shot as a defensive back, a decision that paid immediate dividends.
In his first game at cornerback against the rival Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day during the '61 season, his first career interception set up a game-winning touchdown from Taylor. And his second career pick wasn't bad either, as he intercepted future Hall of Famer Y.A. Tittle in the Packers' 37-0 win over the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game. And he only got better from there.
Over the next six seasons, Adderley earned six trips to the Pro Bowl and six total All-Pro selections (four First Team, two Second Team), racking up 30 interceptions during that stretch, six of which he returned for touchdowns. And that doesn't include the three additional picks he made in the postseason, the last two of which deserve special mentions.
After winning the first edition of what we now know as the Super Bowl to close out the 1966 season, the Packers made it back to the NFL Championship Game in 1967, facing the Dallas Cowboys for the second straight year for the right to represent the league in what was then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. That matchup, of course, was the famous "Ice Bowl" at Lambeau Field, and it was Adderley who had the only interception of the entire game.
Two weeks later, in much warmer weather in Miami against the then-Oakland Raiders, Adderley recorded the first pick-6 in Super Bowl history, intercepting a Daryle Lamonica pass in the fourth quarter and taking it back 60 yards to the house. The Packers went on to win by a score of 33-7.
After adding a fifth First-Team All-Pro selection to his resume in 1969, Adderley, who wasn't getting along with Lombardi's replacement, Phil Bengtson, was traded in 1970 to the Cowboys, with whom he played three seasons and appeared in two more Super Bowls, winning one, before retiring in 1973.
In his nine seasons with the Packers, Adderley tallied 39 regular-season interceptions, which remain the third-most in franchise history behind only Bobby Dillon's 52 and Willie Wood's 48. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and joined the Packers Hall of Fame one year later.
Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees
- No. 0: There's literally only one choice here
- No. 1: Micah Parsons isn't the pick just yet
- No. 2: The Packers' all-time leading scorer
- No. 3: The second player in franchise history to have his jersey retired
- No. 4: There's no introduction needed here
- No. 5: This player should have been the last to wear the number but wasn't
- No. 6: A genuine ironman
- No. 7: This player was straight magic (until he wasn't)
- No. 8: This player has the second-most points in Packers history
- No. 9: The winner here has an extremely famous relative
- No. 10: A star on the rise
- No. 11: Packers' first title-winning QB
- No. 12: Obviously isn't up for debate
- No. 13: Had 'no weakness'
- No. 14: The first to have his jersey retired by the Packers
- No. 15: Owns a special piece of NFL history
- No. 16: Shares his name with an MLB legend
- No. 17: Had to beat out several Hall of Famers
- No. 18: Was one of the NFL's first dual-threat quarterbacks
- No. 19: Had his career cut short by the Bears
- No. 20: Has held a record for nearly 100 years
- No. 21: Has the most defensive TDs in NFL history
- No. 22: Also served in the U.S. Congress
- No. 23: Holds several NFL kick-return records
- No. 24: Owns a unique piece of Super Bowl history
- No. 25: Might not be who you think
This list will be updated daily until all 100 entries are complete, so be sure to check back in with Lombardi Ave for updates.
Add us as a preferred source on Google