Welcome back to our series covering the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
We've certainly had an interesting mix of players with the first three entries of the 80s, with No. 80 being arguably the best wide receiver in franchise history, No. 81 being a special teams standout who wasn't with the team long but won a Super Bowl MVP, and No. 82 being a defensive player who was the only rookie ever to start a season opener during Vince Lombardi's nine years in Titletown.
So, where are we going with No. 83? Well, before we get to the reveal, let's first have a look at everyone who's worn the number for the Green & Gold over the years.
- Carl Bland, WR
- Allen Brown, TE
- Antonio Chatman, WR
- Mark Clayton, WR
- Tom Crabtree, TE
- Len Ford, DE
- Chris Francies, WR
- Terry Glenn, WR
- Urban Henry, DT
- Jeff Janis, WR
- John Jefferson, WR
- Cornelius Johnson, WR
- David Martin, TE
- John Martinkovic, DE
- Bill Quinlan, DE
- Patrick Scott, WR
- Jeff Thomason, TE
- John Thompson, TE
- Samori Toure, WR
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR
- Phil Vandersea, LB/DE
- Ryan Wetnight, TE
- Clarence Williams, DT
- Savion Williams, WR
- Jeff Wilner, TE
While it might seem like we copped out by choosing the only member of the Packers Hall of Fame on this list, the decision wasn't made lightly, as there were several solid options from which to choose.
There's defensive end Bill Quinlan, who was with Green Bay for the first four years of the Lombardi era from 1959 to 1962 and was a key component of a defense that helped the team to three consecutive appearances in the NFL Championship Game, the last two of which resulted in titles.
We also looked at another defensive end, Clarence Williams, who was a good player on some not-so-good Packers teams from 1970 to 1977, a stretch during which he tallied 51.0 sacks.
And moving to the other side of the ball, there's explosive wide receiver John Jefferson, who suited up for Green Bay for four seasons from 1981 to 1984, catching 149 passes for 2,253 yards with 11 touchdowns.
When all was said and done, though, we opted to roll with another defensive end, John Martinkovic.
John Martinkovic played six solid seasons for the Green Bay Packers
After spending his collegiate career with Xavier, Martinkovic was taken in the sixth round of the 1951 NFL Draft with the 65th overall selection by the team now known as the Washington Commanders, for whom he never played a single snap, as he was traded to Green Bay just ahead of the start of his rookie season.
Now, it's certainly no secret that the Packers weren't very good in the decade in between the Curly Lambeau era and the Vince Lombardi era, but Martinkovic, who was good as a pass rusher but even better against the run, was unquestionably one of the franchise's top players during that lean period, earning a pair of Pro Bowl selections, the first in 1953 and the second in 1955.
The 6-foot-3, 240-pounder was also one of the team's most reliable players, as he didn't miss a single game during his six-year run in Green Bay. Sadly, the Packers didn't have a single winning season in that six-year stretch, their best finish being a 6-6 mark in 1952.
Just ahead of the 1957 season, Green Bay traded Martinkovic to the New York Giants for a future draft pick, which ultimately turned out to be a third-rounder in 1958, which the Packers used to select none other than Ray Nitschke, who went on to become one of the most legendary defenders in NFL history. So, in a way, while he didn't enjoy much team success himself, he did indirectly contribute to one of the greatest eras of all time.
As for Martinkovic, he played just one season for the Giants before retiring, again appearing in every single game. He was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1974.
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
- No. 48: Just missed out on the Lombardi era
- No. 49: Was one of the best O-linemen of his era
- No. 50: The Packers' all-time leading tackler
- No. 51: Is a member of three Halls of Fame
- No. 52: Is a member of a royal NFL family
- No. 53: Didn't miss a single game for a decade
- No. 54: Was 'The Rock' way before Dwayne Johnson
- No. 55: Had a solid career after going undrafted
- No. 56: Was a steady presence during the 2000s
- No. 57: Put on a gutsy Super Bowl performance
- No. 58: Kicked off the Packers' greatest draft class
- No. 59: Received a special Hall of Fame honor
- No. 60: Was involved in two famous trades
- No. 61: Was a reliable specialist for a decade
- No. 62: Put on the ultimate show of toughness
- No. 63: Was the first in NFL history to win six titles
- No. 64: Had an absurd amount of surgeries
- No. 65: Proved to be a seventh-round steal
- No. 66: Wildly wanted to play for the Bears
- No. 67: Once got a shoutout from John Madden
- No. 68: Nearly gave up football
- No. 69: Achieved a feat not seen in 50-plus years
- No. 70: Was a reliable blocker for Aaron Rodgers
- No. 71: Was Vince Lombardi's first defensive captain
- No. 72: Knows he didn't get the credit he deserved
- No. 73: Made a little NFL draft history
- No. 74: Made Vince Lombardi look like a genius
- No. 75: Was Vince Lombardi's most decorated star
- No. 76: Was the reason for an NFL rule change
- No. 77: Did the dirty work so others could shine
- No. 78: Made a Pro Bowl shortly after being shot
- No. 79: Spent 44 years in Titletown
- No. 80: Holds a special spot in the Hall of Fame
- No. 81: Owns a special place in Super Bowl history
- No. 82: Holds a unique place in the Lombardi era
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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