Best Green Bay Packers player to wear No. 31 had his jersey retired by another team

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

We kicked off the 30s with one of the toughest decisions we've had to make throughout this entire series thus far, and while several members of the Packers Hall of Fame have worn No. 31 over the years, the call here at No. 31 isn't nearly as difficult.

Chris Akins, DB
Adrian Amos, S
Nate Barragar, OL
Bill Boedeker, B
Fred Cone, FB/K
Jim Culbreath, RB
Gerry Ellis, FB
Roger Harding, C
Al Harris, CB
Davon House, CB
Tony Hunter, RB
Ray Jenison, OT
Verne Lewellen, B
Bob Mann, E
Buford McGee, FB
Mike Michalske, OL
Nick Niemann, LB
Hal Prescott, E
Allen Rice, RB
Rod Smith, CB
Jim Taylor, RB
George Teague, DB
Fred Vinson, DB
Perry Williams, RB
Emanuel Wilson, RB

In total, eight members of the Packers HOF appear on this list, including offensive lineman Nate Barragar, fullback/kicker Fred Cone, fullback Gerry Ellis, cornerback Al Harris, back Verne Lewellen, end Bob Mann, and offensive lineman Mike Michalske.

At the end of the day, though, the clear-cut choice here is legendary fullback Jim Taylor, who was the first of Vince Lombardi's superstars to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Taylor was the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in five straight seasons

A First-Team All-SEC selection and a First-Team All-American for LSU in 1957, Taylor was taken by Green Bay in the second round of the 1958 NFL Draft with the 15th overall selection.

While the Baton Rouge native didn't see much action as a rookie under Ray McLean, carrying the ball just 52 times for 247 yards with one touchdown, he more than doubled his attempts when Vince Lombardi took over as Green Bay's head coach in 1959, recording 120 carries for 452 yards and six scores.

And from there, playing alongside the great Paul Hornung in the Packers' backfield, Taylor had one of the greatest five-year stretches in the history of the NFL. And we're not talking about just back then; we're talking about one of the best of all time to this very day.

From 1960 to 1964, despite sharing touches with Hornung, Taylor rushed for 6,069 yards, hitting the 1,000-yard mark each season to become the first player in NFL history to accomplish such a feat five consecutive times, and a whopping 66 touchdowns.

His best season came in 1962, when he ended Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown's five-year reign as rushing champion by running for a league- and career-high 1,474 yards and a league-leading and career-best 19 touchdowns en route to winning NFL MVP. That marked the only time in Brown's nine-year career in Cleveland that he didn't win the rushing title. And not for nothing, while Brown will forever be considered the better player, Taylor outgained him in two of their three career head-to-head battles, with the Packers taking victories in all three of those games.

Not long after being named the MVP of that '62 campaign, Taylor rushed for 85 yards and the Packers' only touchdown in Green Bay's victory over the New York Giants in the NFL Championship Game.

During that stretch from '60 to '64, he earned five trips to the Pro Bowl and three All-Pro selections in helping the Packers to a pair of titles.

But even once that stretch concluded, Taylor continued to play an important part in the Packers' success, winning MVP honors in Green Bay's 1965 NFL Championship Game victory over Cleveland, which turned out to be Jim Brown's final game.

And to close the 1966 season, he scored the first rushing touchdown in the history of what we now call the Super Bowl, as the Packers took down the Kansas City Chiefs in what was then known as the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, which turned out to be his final game in the Green & Gold.

Taylor played one final season in 1967, returning to his home state to suit up for the expansion New Orleans Saints, rushing for 390 yards and two touchdowns. Despite playing just that one year, the Saints retired his No. 31, although it was unretired in 2001 under different ownership.

While Taylor's No. 31 has not been retired in Green Bay, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1975 and then into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1976. As mentioned, he was the first from the Lombardi era to be enshrined in Canton.

In nine years with the Packers, he rushed for 8,207 yards, which remains the second-most in team history behind only Ahman Green's 8,322. His 81 rushing touchdowns are still the most by far, however, as Green sits in a distant second with 54, and Taylor also added 10 scores as a receiver.

So, again, making this decision at No. 31 really wasn't much of a decision at all.

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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Jim Taylor was the first player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in five straight seasons

Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees

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