Welcome back to our series covering the greatest Green Bay Packers players to wear every jersey number from No. 0 to No. 99.
We had quite the entertaining mix of players in the first half of the 80s, as we were able to cover every facet of the game, with the five entries featuring two offensive players, who are arguably the top two wideouts in franchise history, two defensive players, and a player who remains the only special-teamer ever to win Super Bowl MVP.
And what's fun about this entry here at No. 85 is that we get to mix two areas of the game into one piece, as our selection was a standout on both offense and special teams, as not only was he a strong receiver but a fantastic punter as well.
But before we break all of that down, let's first have a look at everyone who's worn No. 85 for the Green & Gold over the years.
- Karsten Bailey, WR
- Emery Barnes, DE
- Jug Bennett, G/LB
- Elmo Boyd, WR
- Corey Bradford, WR
- Don Deeks, OT
- Phil Epps, WR
- Joe Ethridge, TE
- Greg Jennings, WR
- Jim Jennings, DE
- Bobby Kimball, WR
- Tucker Kraft, TE
- Ron Lewis, WR
- Max McGee, E/P
- Sean McHugh, TE
- Terry Mickens, WR
- Terrence Murphy, WR
- Ken Payne, WR
- Jeff Query, WR
- Jay Rhodemyre, C/LB
- John Spilis, WR
- Paul Staroba, WR
- Jake Stoneburner, TE
- Kitrick Taylor, WR
- Robert Tonyan, TE
- Wesley Walls, TE
- Ab Wimberly, E/DE
While tight end Tucker Kraft may end up competing for this slot someday, he's got a long way to go to catch the top two players on this list, and this was an extremely close race, as we certainly had to consider two-time Pro Bowl wideout Greg Jennings, who spent seven seasons in Titletown from 2006 to 2012, tallying 425 receptions for 6,537 yards and 53 touchdowns.
When all was said and done, though, we opted to roll with Max McGee.
Max McGee scored two touchdowns in the Packers' Super Bowl 1 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
After a solid collegiate career at Tulane, where he played fullback and served as the team's punter, McGee was taken by Green Bay in the fifth round of the 1954 NFL Draft with the 51st overall selection.
Offensively, the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder transitioned from fullback to end, but the move didn't seem to faze him at all, as he caught 36 passes for 614 yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie, while also leading the league in punting yards with 2,999, averaging 41.7 yards per kick.
McGee spent the next two years away from football, as he served as a pilot in the Air Force, and while he struggled a touch upon his return in 1957, he was one of the top players on what turned out to be the worst team in Packers history in 1958, a campaign in which they went 1-10-1, leading the team in receiving yards with 655.
That trend continued over the first four years of the Vince Lombardi era, as he was the team's top wideout from 1959 to 1962, with the last two years of that stretch resulting in back-to-back titles. McGee also led the league in punting yards for a second time in 1959 and earned the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career in 1961 after setting new career highs in both receptions (51) and receiving yards (883).
He stopped punting after the 1962 season but continued to produce as a receiver over the next two seasons, catching 70 passes for 1,341 yards and 12 touchdowns between the 1963 and 1964 seasons.
McGee's role diminished in the Packers' title-winning campaign in 1965, and in 1966, he had just four receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown during the regular season. But once the postseason rolled around, he stepped up something fierce.
In Green Bay's 34-27 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Championship Game, he only had one catch, but it was a 28-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that gave the Packers some breathing room with a 14-point lead.
And two weeks later, in the first edition of what was then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, McGee scored the first touchdown in Super Bowl history, making a one-handed grab on a pass from Bart Starr in the first quarter that ultimately went for 37 yards. He added a 13-yard touchdown in the third quarter and ended the 35-10 victory with seven receptions for 138 yards. He wasn't nearly as productive in the Packers' Super Bowl 2 victory over the Oakland Raiders but did have one catch that went for 35 yards.
That second Super Bowl proved to be the five-time champion's final game, as he retired soon after. In 12 years in Green Bay, McGee amassed 345 receptions for 6,346 yards and 50 touchdowns in 148 regular-season games, adding another 26 grabs for 495 yards and four scores in eight postseason appearances.
As for his final punting totals, he ended up with 10,647 yards for his career, averaging 41.6 yards per kick. McGee was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1975.
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
- No. 84: Was forced to retire in his prime
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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