Welcome back once again to Lombardi Ave's series highlighting the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
Well, we've hit the fifth entry of the 80s, and it just so happens that we have a five-time Pro Bowler to put the spotlight on here at No. 84, although that number would have undoubtedly been a lot bigger had he not been cut down in his prime by a career-ending injury.
But before we break everything down, of course, let's first run through our typical routine by looking at every player who's worn No. 84 for the Green & Gold over the years.
Jared Abbrederis, WR
Reggie Begelton, WR
Carroll Dale, WR
Tyler Davis, TE
Nolan Franz, WR
Tory Humphrey, TE
Jakobie Keeney-James, WR
Lance Kendricks, TE
Gary Knafelc, E
Anthony Morgan, WR
Fred Nixon, WR
Steve Odom, WR
Andre Rison, WR
Bill Schroeder, WR
Sterling Sharpe, WR
Wes Smith, WR
Lenny Taylor, WR
Javon Walker, WR
D.J. Williams, TE
Thomas Yassmin, TE
Just as choosing a winner here was an easy call, selecting the runner-up was a simple task as well, as that honor easily goes to Packers Hall of Fame wide receiver Carroll Dale, who began his career with the Los Angeles Rams and closed it with the Minnesota Vikings but had a strong eight-year run in Green Bay in between.
In that eight-year run in Titletown from 1965 to 1972, Dale helped the Packers to three consecutive championships, earned three trips to the Pro Bowl, and tallied 275 receptions for 5,422 yards and 35 touchdowns in 111 regular-season outings, adding another 29 catches for 534 yards and three scores in eight postseason appearances.
For a lot of entries, that would be undoubtedly be enough to take the title of the best to wear a number. But when the guy you're going up against here at No. 84 is Sterling Sharpe, finishing second is just how it has to go for Dale.
Sterling Sharpe earned five Pro Bowl selections and three First-Team All-Pro nods in seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers
After earning All-American honors in back-to-back seasons in 1986 and 1987 at the University of South Carolina, Sharpe was taken by Green Bay in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft with the seventh overall selection, and he wasted no time making an impact, catching 55 passes as a rookie for 791 yards with one touchdown.
But that was simply the beginning.
In 1989, he became the first Packers player to lead the league in receptions since the great Don Hutson did so in 1945, also breaking Hutson single-season franchise records for receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,423) and scoring a dozen touchdowns en route to earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl and a First-Team All-Pro selection.
Sharpe earned a second straight Pro Bowl selection in 1990, and a third came in 1992, which, of course, was the year Brett Favre took over as QB1. That season, the 6-foot, 207-pounder became the first player in the Super Bowl era and just the seventh overall to win the receiving version of the Triple Crown, leading the league in receptions (108), receiving yards (1,461), and receiving touchdowns (13). As one would imagine, he earned a second First-Team All-Pro nod selection for his efforts.
The 1993 campaign brought another Pro Bowl selection and another First-Team All-Pro nod, as Sharpe tallied a career-high 112 receptions to set a new franchise record (since broken by Davante Adams), with those grabs going for 1,274 yards and 11 scores.
Sharpe earned a fifth Pro Bowl selection in 1994 after amassing 94 receptions for 1,119 yards and a league-leading 18 touchdowns.
Sadly, that turned out to be the last campaign of his career, as a neck injury forced him to retire after just seven seasons. But in those seven seasons Sharpe played, only one receiver had more receptions and receiving yards than he did, with that being the greatest wide receiver ever to put on a pair of cleats, Jerry Rice. So, that certainly says a lot about how great Sharpe was, and one naturally has to wonder how much more he would have done had he not been forced out of the game.
Despite playing just those seven seasons, however, Sharpe still ranks third in Packers history in receptions (595), third in receiving yards (8,134), and fourth in receiving touchdowns (65).
In being forced to retire when he did, Sharpe sadly missed out on the Packers' Super Bowl win in 1996. But in a classy move, his younger brother, Shannon, who is easily one of the greatest tight ends of all time, won the first of his three Super Bowl titles, he gave his ring to Sterling. And in Shannon's Hall of Fame induction speech, he paid his brother the ultimate compliment, saying that he was the only person enshrined in Canton who was the second-best player in his own family.
Sterling, who was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 2002, joined his brother in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025.
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
- No. 83: Indirectly helped the team land a legend
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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