Best Green Bay Packers player to wear No. 39 was taken in three different MLB drafts

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

We've come to the end of the 30s, and while several members of the Packers Hall of Fame have worn No. 39, our selection here in this slot does not come from that group. But before we break things down, let's first look at everyone who's donned this digit for the Green & Gold over the years.

Zayne Anderson, S
Ronnie Burgess, DB
Ibraheim Campbell, S
Tony Carter, FB
Jug Earp, OL
Lon Evans, OL
Therrian Fontenot, CB
Trevor Ford, CB
Demetri Goodson, CB
Stan Heath, QB
Jim Hill, DB
Cal Hubbard, OL/DE
Kenneth Johnson, DB
Sammy Johnson, RB
Errol Mann, K
John Martinkovic, DE
Mike Meade, RB
Freddie Parker, RB
Tony Paulekas, C
Mike Prior, S
Chandon Sullivan, CB
Darrell Thompson, RB

If you've been following this series, you've seen us mention on several occasions how many players back in the day wore a lot of different numbers, sometimes even switching in the same season.

In this particular case, three of the four members of the Packers Hall of Fame each only sported No. 39 for a single season, with Cal Hubbard wearing it in his first year with the club in 1929, Lon Evans wearing it in his fifth and final season with the team in 1937, and John Martinkovic wearing it for just his rookie campaign in 1951.

Jug Earp, whom you saw earlier in the series, wore it for three seasons from 1930 to 1932, but those were the final three years of his career, and he wasn't starting nearly as much as he was in previous seasons.

Getting away from the Hall of Famers, defensive back Jim Hill was in consideration, as he tallied nine interceptions in his three seasons in Green Bay from 1972 to 1974, and fullback/running back Darrell Thompson got a look as well, as he was a solid contributor for five years from 1990 to 1994.

In the end, though, we opted to roll with defensive back Mike Prior, who was never a superstar but enjoyed a lengthy 14-year career, the last six of which were spent in Green Bay.

Mike Prior picked off Drew Bledsoe during the Packers' Super Bowl 31 win over the Patriots

A two-sport athlete in the early-to-mid 1980s at Illinois State, Prior had a decision to make between football and baseball once he graduated, as not only was he taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round of the 1985 NFL Draft, but he was also selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth round of the 1985 MLB Draft.

Truth be told, he'd actually been taken by the Baltimore Orioles in the 18th round of the 1984 MLB Draft but opted to return to school and was then selected in the fourth round of the 1986 secondary draft by the Houston Astros. But believing an NFL career would be better than navigating his way through baseball's minor league system, he chose football.

Prior spent two years with the Bucs but only played one after suffering a fractured wrist during the 1986 preseason. He then spent six years with the Indianapolis Colts before signing with the Packers as a free agent ahead of the 1993 season.

So, here's the thing with this guy. Defensively, he was typically the third safety on the depth chart, as he only started seven of the 96 regular-season games in which he appeared during his six-year run with the team. But, for one, do some easy math, and you'll see that he never missed a single game, which is always a positive.

But the point is that despite not being a regular starter, he still contributed quite a bit to the Green Bay defense, racking up 174 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, and eight interceptions. He was also a valuable contributor on special teams, and he wasn't only the guy chasing down opposing kick returners, as he also spent some time returning kicks himself, returning 28 punts for 266 yards.

But getting back to defense, Prior certainly showed up when it mattered most when the Packers became genuine contenders in the NFC in the mid-1990s, recording one interception each during the 1995, 1996, and 1997 postseason runs, none bigger than the one he notched against Drew Bledsoe during Green Bay's 35-21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 31.

Not everyone may agree with this call, but we're sticking with Prior as the top Packers player to wear No. 39.

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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Mike Prior picked off Drew Bledsoe during the Packers' Super Bowl 31 win over the Patriots

Other Green Bay Packers jersey honorees

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