Welcome back to our series on the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
We're just one entry away from officially hitting the halfway point of our journey, but we've obviously got some business to tend to first here at No. 48. So, let's not waste any time and get to it by first looking at every player who's worn the number for the Green & Gold over the years.
- Mike Bartrum, TE
- Frank Butler, OL/LB
- Al Carmichael, HB
- Ted Cook, DB/E
- Ken Ellis, CB
- Clarke Hinkle, HB/FB/LB
- Harry Jacunski, E
- Jamon Johnson, LB
- Jim Kitts, FB
- Vonta Leach, RB
- Ace Loomis, DB/HB
- Ookie Miller, C
- Lee Morris, WR
- Bob Nussbaumer, HB
- Don Perkins, B
- Dick Pesonen, DB
- Jim Psaltis, DB
- Benny Sapp III, S
- Nate Simpson, RB
- Messiah Swinson, TE
- Joe Thomas, LB
Of the players on this list, four have been enshrined in the Packers Hall of Fame. The first two come from the Curly Lambeau era in Clarke Hinkle, who took a one-year break from his lengthy overall run wearing No. 30 to sport No. 48 in 1934, and one-time Pro Bowl end Harry Jacunski, who donned the digit for his entire six-year run in Green Bay from 1939 to 1944.
In 1955, after wearing No. 42 for his first two seasons with the Packers, halfback and return specialist Al Carmichael switched to No. 48 in and wore it for the remaining four years of his time with the club, leaving the organization just before the Vince Lombardi era began in 1959.
A fun fact about Carmichael, as this is the last chance we'll have to mention him, is that after he spent a year in the CFL following his departure from Green Bay, he scored the first touchdown in AFL history in 1960 as a member of the Denver Broncos. So, that's a tidbit for your trivia night if you're so inclined.
But our selection in this slot comes from the defensive side of the football, and while Carmichael missed out on the Lombardi era on one side, this player missed out by a few years on the other end, that player being cornerback Ken Ellis.
Ken Ellis tallied 20 interceptions in six seasons with the Green Bay Packers
After a solid career at Southern University, Ellis was taken by Green Bay in the fourth round of the 1970 NFL Draft with the 93rd overall selection. And after cracking the starting lineup immediately, he never relinquished the role during his entire six-year run with the team, although he did switch sides of the field.
Now, what makes that even more impressive is the fact that the Georgia native was a flanker at the collegiate level and moved to defense in his first training camp with Green Bay due to the fact that veteran players were locked out for a short time over a pension dispute.
The veterans returned, but seven-time All-Pro Herb Adderley wasn't one of them, as he didn't get along with the man who'd replaced Lombardi, Phil Bengtson, and requested a trade after holding out, which the organization ultimately granted, shipping him to the Dallas Cowboys.
As such, the starting spot at left cornerback was available, and Ellis won the job, manning that side of the field for the first two years of his career and tallying nine interceptions in that time.
In 1972, he switched to right cornerback and helped he Packers to what turned out to be their only division title between 1967 and 1995, recording four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, en route to earning First-Team All-Pro honors. He added a second score as a punt returner, a role he played on occasion, and posted a career-high 215 yards in that regard.
Ellis added a pick-six in each of the next two seasons, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl both years.
Like Adderley before him, though, Ellis' time in Green Bay came to an end with a trade, as the Packers weren't willing to meet his contract demands and shipped him to the Houston Oilers as part of the deal that brought quarterback Lynn Dickey to Titletown. He ended up playing for five more teams before his career came to a close following the 1979 season, spending short stints with the Oilers, Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams.
In his six seasons with the Packers, Ellis tallied 20 interceptions, and while he just missed out on the Lombardi era and all the championships that came with it, he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1998.
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
- No. 26: Holds a historic place in NFL history
- No. 27: Started hot but fizzled fast
- No. 28: A good defender on some bad teams
- No. 29: Still holds an unofficial team record
- No. 30: It's not the one who's the Packers' all-time leading rusher
- No. 31: Had his jersey retired by another team
- No. 32: Is a member of another team's Ring of Honor
- No. 33: Did so much more than people may realize
- No. 34: An underrated dual-threat back
- No. 35: Gave the Packers a unique win over the Bears
- No. 36: Invented the Lambeau Leap
- No. 37: Suited up for the Packers at the wrong time
- No. 38: Left the Packers as the NFL's all-time passing leader
- No. 39: Was taken in three different MLB drafts
- No. 40: The only man in both the Baseball and Pro Football Hall of Fame
- No. 41: Made a big impact in a little time
- No. 42: Was the charter member of an elite club
- No. 43: Inadvertently created a new play
- No. 44: Made the Hall of Fame despite only having one eye
- No. 45: Left the NFL with the most TDs in history
- No. 46: Was underappreciated in the Lombardi era
- No. 47: Later played on the PGA Tour
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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